Bets on Colts were for others [Updated]

Up to date Feb. 1, 2024: Isaiah Rodgers stated that the bets positioned on the Indianapolis Colts have been positioned utilizing his account — however have been made for others and never himself.

In an interview with ESPN, the suspended CB stated the bets have been positioned for individuals who lived in states the place sports activities playing was unlawful.

“Simply making an attempt to assist family and friends out, simply understanding that it wasn’t authorized on the time in Florida and it was in Indiana,” Rodgers instructed the Worldwide Chief.

He declined to call the people, however added, “On the finish of the day I knew the foundations, I wasn’t alleged to do it and I bought to take what comes with it.”

The NFL and the Indianapolis Colts had no alternative. The guide needed to be thrown at Isaiah Rodgers.

On Thursday the NFL unrolled a scroll and introduced suspensions of a number of gamers for playing violations. Two gamers from the Colts have been suspended for at minimal a complete season, Rodgers and Rashod Berry. The Colts introduced that each gamers have been waived.

What Rodgers is accused of is at greatest galactically silly, and at worse, indicators of an issue. When the story first broke that he was beneath investigation, he was accused of utilizing an account beneath an affiliate’s identify to position lots of of sports activities wagers that included Colts’ video games.

Rodgers putting a single wager on the Colts, or any NFL workforce, beneath another person’s account signifies conspiracy. Additional reporting from ESPN’s David Purdham revealed that one of many wagers was a $1,000 over/beneath on dashing yards for a Colts working again.

The NFL is a morally doubtful establishment. The league hosts occasions that mangle the our bodies of individuals and is scientifically confirmed to trigger head trauma. For a lot of the NFL’s existence, individuals weren’t correctly warned in regards to the pervasive danger of head trauma, which resulted in a lawsuit being settled for greater than $800 million.

On this violent occupation, qualifying gamers solely obtain healthcare for a most of 5 years after the completion of their careers. League possession is consistently battling with the gamers to make sure that they revenue probably the most from this bloodsport. The income break up has gone from 50/50 to 53/47 in favor of possession. The results of the rookie wage scale is that high quality veteran gamers get launched in favor of gamers on rookie contracts who will not be as productive, however price considerably much less cash.

Linking up with the sports activities books is actually ethically questionable, however the NFL places on 21 weeks of human automotive crashes each week and tries with all of its may to keep away from paying for the damages. If the NFL desires to usher in some extra cash via playing that’s the least of the league’s moral breaches.

The one integrity that the NFL has is the competitors on the sphere. A breach there may be the one one that may price league possession cash. It must be protected in any respect prices. Rodgers was not solely on an NFL roster, however was a contributing place participant. He was a big a part of the Colts’ defensive sport plan, and there’s a good probability that he by no means performs one other down within the NFL.

NFL gamers have by no means been allowed to wager on video games within the league during which they play. The NFL wanting to extend income by going into enterprise with the sports activities books in the end advantages the gamers as nicely. They might not get as a lot cash from it as they need to, however they nonetheless get fairly a bit.

With one of many NFL’s morally questionable selections really benefiting them, all gamers need to do is to by no means wager on this explicit sport, and by no means place a wager in a facility or room that’s paid for by an NFL franchise. Additionally, don’t enter sports activities books throughout the season.

I personally suppose not having the ability to wager on different sports activities whereas at workforce services or on street journeys is a bit a lot, but it surely’s nonetheless a straightforward rule to observe. If the adrenaline junkies have to gamble they’ve one another to play playing cards with, and blackjack tables throughout the nation.

For these that may’t observe the foundations, they are going to find yourself like Rodgers, Berry, and others. As a result of there isn’t a means that the NFL goes to hit the brakes on the sports activities betting Brinks Truck on the grounds of hypocrisy.