NFL Fines New York Jets for Misleading Sports Gambling Fans
The National Football League, waving its hypocrisy high for all to see, fined the New York Jets and associated personnel $125,000 Wednesday for failing to report injuries accurately and in a timely manner. Many in the media have commented on how the league's tough stance on updating injury information belies their public refusal to admit the importance of sports gambling to football's popularity.The fines concern the status of quarterback Brett Favre last winter. Favre inadvertently drew the attention of the league when, in a discussion of his consecutive-games-played streak, he revealed he had told Jets officials last year he would sit if his injured biceps hurt the team.
The remark by Favre, now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, drew notice from NFL officials, who wondered why Favre's injury was not reflected in the twice-weekly reports each team submits to the league office, which is then released to newspapers across the country.
The NFL fined the Jets $75,000, then-Jets coach Eric Mangini $25,000, and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum $25,000. Commissioner Roger Goodell said hiding injuries could alter the way an opponent prepares, while Mangini admitted Favre should have been listed as "probable."
Sports writers nationwide have repeatedly said only gamblers and sports betting patrons have an abiding interest in the details of the injury report. The NFL has claimed only a very minor percentage of its fans indulge in sports gambling on its games, yet estimates are that sports betting in the US amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Goodell's excuse that hiding injuries could affect the other team's game plan seems odd. Teams do not share playbooks or details as to which personnel will play which minutes, so noting injuries does not seem to be a competitive necessity.
In fact, the National Hockey League is famous for refusing to disclose injuries outside team locker rooms. But then, gamblers care far less about hockey than football.
