Legendary Philadelphia Daily News sports columnist Stan Hochman (who is also a big Stephen Sondheim fan, a huge plus in the Beast Who Sings ‘Send In the Clown’s book) skewers the NFL over what he maintains was a counterproductive lawsuit against Delaware:
The NFL says it’s worried about the integrity of the game, fans grumbling about botched plays late in a ballgame that get people to look at players suspiciously. Hogwash.
Why does the NFL publish an injury report on Thursdays? To give the average guy the same information the wiseguys have before making their bets. Why give weather reports during the pregame show unless you’re trying to help the bettor on his over/under wagers? Why does Al Michaels say “this game is far from over” when a Sunday-night 12 1/2-point favorite is leading by 14 with 4 minutes left?
It’s been explained many times, that legal betting in Nevada acts as a watchdog for the league. The guy running the sports book has the league office on speed-dial and doesn’t hesitate to call when he’s hit with a suspicious flood of money on one team.
In other words, legalized betting protects the integrity of the game b/c betting, legalized or otherwise, is an essential element in the massive interest in the NFL.
Which raises the question, why does the NFL protect illegal betting with bookies at the expense of legalized and regulated betting on the games?