So I’m sure everyone is aware of the Jontay Porter situation in the NBA. Man was definitely involved in some insider sports betting. Now everyone is innocent until proven guilty but the odds are stacked against him. There were 2 separate games where he played barely any minutes and then subbed himself out for an “undisclosed illness” and those 2 nights there were large amounts of money placed on his unders. Now placing a bet on Jontay Porter props is already inching towards needing to call the hotline, but placing hundreds of thousands of dollars on them is a definite red flag. (Side note- How mad are you if you are just a Jontay Porter fan and legitimately placed a bet on his overs and then all this information comes out. That is an all time bad beat.)
But the truth of the matter is pro athletes gambling has become a real problem. Forever it was like Pete Rose was the only one to defile the integrity of the game. Now just this week we had Shohei Ohtani and Jontay Porter. Calvin Ridley, Kayshoun Boutte, Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore, Jameson Williams, the list goes on. Gambling has become easier than ever and sports leagues have a real problem in figuring out how to deter it. People are going to keep doing this secretly, and its already all hypocritical because everyone of these leagues has a Sportsbook sponsor. NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, I know you all are reading so here is my idea… Make it apart of the game.
MY PLAN
-Half of every players game check is invested in if their team wins.
-The other half of their contract is free for the player to bet on their own overs.
-Players must disclose their bet to the League and the Public before the game.
-Must bet on positive stats(no turnovers, missed shots, etc.)
This would be so awesome and ensures that every player is gonna try their hardest in every game. Everyone complains how NBA regular season games get boring and players don’t try as hard. I promise that if a player has their entire game check on the line, you will see Anthony Davis playing like prime Matthew Dellavedova diving on the floor for loose balls. Also, you get to ride with your favorite players over on points/rebounds and you know they are giving it their all. How many times have you been yelling at the TV for a player to crash the glass for 1 more rebound. Well now there is no need, they want that rebound even more than you do.
The other team will also be aware and can try and stop it to keep it honest. If you see a player you dislike on the other team bet that they think they are going for 40 on you. You are taking that personally and locking him down. Obviously, this isn’t a perfect fix and i’m sure someone can point out 20 flaws in my new plan but you can’t tell me it wouldn’t add more effort across the league for games, excitement to fans gambling, and help eliminate point shaving. It’s better than each week a new player gets caught gambling and we have to hear, “this is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, this player will be suspended by the NBA, sponsored by FanDuel.” You know how MLB will try out new rules in the minors to see if they work, lets do that across sports and try it out in the G-League, Minors, maybe Preseason NFL game. I definitely think its worth a shot and at-least some consideration.
Last Point I will make… PUT PETE ROSE IN THE HALL OF FAME.