The big sports news over the weekend – – bigger than the World Series and bigger than any football game or performance – – was the FBI announcement of the arrests of a couple dozen individuals including NBA players and coaches related to illegal gambling activities with alleged participation by Organized Crime. This is a big deal for the NBA in addition to it being a big deal for those people facing indictment and prosecution in the matter.
This sort of thing can no longer be waved aside as an “isolated incident” as the NBA tried to do last year when it banned Jontay Porter for life because he engaged in making sure that his stats for a specific game/specific games stayed UNDER the available prop bet for that evening. In announcing these arrests, the authorities allege that is exactly what Terry Rozier did. Remember, Rozier is innocent at this point in the world of jurisprudence – – but the public reaction to any and all of this is far less than positive.
- [Aside: I know in this world of 24-hour news cycles that the “Tim Donaghy matter” is considered pre-history, but that matter is also a blot on the image of the NBA as an up-and-up proposition.]
I have said here on multiple occasions that I prefer college basketball to NBA basketball as an entertainment vehicle because college players don’t “dog it” nearly as much as NBA players do. If I turn on any random NBA game this week, I will be certain to see two things:
- Players jacking up three-point shots at least every other possession – – AND – –
- Players loafing on the court when the ball is not destined to come their way during the current possession.
In that past, I just chalked up the second situation as a form of “on-court load management” where the player was simply saving his energy and waiting his turn to have the ball and to have everyone’s attention focused on him. Not necessarily so anymore, now that on-court loafer might just be making sure his stat totals for the evening stay UNDER the given number. If you think I am being cynical here let me remind you of two observations:
“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.” [George Bernard Shaw]
And …
“Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth.” [Lillian Hellman]
This is a big deal for the NBA because the NBA is a big revenue entity for one simple reason; it is entertainment that appeals to a sufficiently large audience to attract fans and sponsors. That is why it exists; if that element erodes, the NBA will dry up and blow away.
But there is a key element in the form of entertainment that the NBA provides; it is – – or is presumed to be – – unscripted. That is what separates sports like the NBA, the NFL and MLB from sports entertainment entities such as WWE and Roller Derby. Point shaving or stat shaving begins to erode that key element that separates sports from sports entertainment.
Naturally, this circumstance has generated passionate comments from folks who view spots gambling as a bad thing. According to them, the fact that all the major sporting enterprises in the world are in bed with the sports gambling enterprises of the world is the cause of all this. Even if I were to try to agree with that, I must ask how it might be cured such that the sports can continue to exist. And I reject the idea that somehow and someway there needs to be a ban on gambling. That is simply not going to happen any more than Prohibition served to remove alcohol from US society. People bet on things; some may not like that, but it happens to be the case.
What might come next in this matter?
- Adam Silver might have to be awakened from his slumber. The league has already investigated some of the activities that are part of these arrests but it “found nothing unusual”.
- Perhaps there needs to be leverage exerted on sportsbooks to limit player prop bets. That will be a heavy lift because player props are popular wagers for now.
- The NBA itself and NBA fans everywhere need to light candles in church praying that this contagion does not spread to involve other active players.
And I do have one other practical question, specifically for Terry Rozier who is alleged to be the player who assured an UNDER bet in a specific game:
- What motivated you to think about doing something like that in the first place – – if indeed you did so?
According to Spotrac.com, Terry Rozier will make $26.6M for this NBA regular season and for prior years he made a total of $160.5M. The statement by the FBI said that in one circumstance about $200K was wagered on Rozier’s prop bets. That is a drop in the bucket as compared to earnings; so, why jeopardize the earnings for drippings?
Finally, Newt Gingrich moved in different circles than the NBA and NBA fans, but his comment here might resonate with NBA folks as of this morning:
“Until someone is prepared to lay out the systemic problem, we will simply go through cycles of finding corruption, finding a scapegoat, eliminating the scapegoat, and relaxing until we find the next scandal.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………