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Bet your life
So Adam Silver says Jontay Porter could face a lifetime suspension if he is involved in the betting scandal that has forced his suspension.
This gets us to a hazy place, no?
First, let's get this out of the way.
Pete Rose is a scumbag and accepted a lifetime ban from baseball, which screams to me we only know a fraction of the dirty deeds Pete did cheap. Put him in the Hall ceremony after he dies and his "lifetime" ban is up, but don't let that piece of trash profit from being inducted to Cooperstown. Rant over.
But the questions about the levels of gambling in sports are more layered than ever.
Not from the player aspect, of course. If the games feel or even appear fixed, then the fabric of the entire sport is in questions. That can never happen.
So in that realm, Silver's hard stance on Porter's alleged involvement in player prop betting makes complete sense.
But what if it had been a starter? Or worse, yet an all-star in a playoff game?
The league — all leagues, to be honest — is cashing checks from the online gambling houses.
That makes sense, because it makes money that is going to be out there whether it is legal or not. (Side note: Pssst, people bet before we knew what FanDuel was. Just an FYI.)
But the rhetorical ponderings aside, Silver and Co. have to land hard on Porter. Heck, prosecute him for fraud if it proves to be true.
And the rest of the leagues — including the NFL, which has been content to suspend players for a year when found in violation of the sports gambling rules — should band together and make sure this is an outlier and not a trend.
A meaningful Masters
Yes, the Masters is always meaningful. And yes, the weather is doing April things in East Georgie, so we'll start when we start and we'll finish when we finish.
But for all the bickering and bellyaching about the LIV and the PGA, the reality is this divide is clearly hurting a game that has forever been in need of younger appeal.
Look, I am never going to tell someone how to spend or where to make their money. That's a you thing, and in my case, a me thing.
Deal? Deal.
But all this talk this week — and over the last several months since there were reports of a merger between LIV and the PGA — can't cover up the truth.
Golf is fractured, and unless it heals — and by heals, I mean gets the best players in the world playing against each other regularly — it will bleed to death.
Check these numbers to start 2024, from the AP:
— The final round of the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open drew just 2.38 million viewers, a stunning 35% plunge from the previous year.
— The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill was watched by 2.29 million on its closing day, a 30% dip from 2023 and the tournament's worst fourth-round number in seven years.
— A riveting finish at The Players Championship couldn't move the needle, its average of 3.53 million viewers representing a 15% slippage from a year earlier. In fact, the ratings for all four rounds of the Players were down from their 2023 levels.
Yikes.
So yes, the Masters is something we love. And golf's bigwigs better hope it appeals to the masses, because what is happening now is a spiral into a dark place.
Heck, even hard-core golf watchers knew that the post-Tiger days would be sketchy, but this — with Rory and Jordan and JT on one side and Phil, DJ, Brooks and Rahm on the other — is a tough ticket.
Worse yet, it's not like the average golf fan is switching to LIV — like you can find that broadcast anywhere between "Cops" and "Gilmore Girls" on the CW — either.
Golf fans are tuning out, and when your core turns the channel, well, you could eventually be canceled.
Yeah, but...
So reports have Shohei Ohtani's interpreter allegedly in talks to plead to the charges of theft and illegal gambling.
Here's more, and these reports seem credible.
It also seems too clean, if that makes sense.
OK, we know there are twisted folks. We know there are twisted folks who are trusted and reside in the inner circles of mega-stars.
Heck, Britney Spears says hello. And the Kardashians would like to wave.
But this whole deal still seems rather fishy to me. How about you?
Ippei Mizuhara — Shohei's interpreter, and no not from the Kimbal-area Mizuharas — is working on a plea after getting almost $5 million in the hole to bookmakers. He is working on a deal for that and for allegedly stealing money from Ohtani to cover his debt.
My questions are myriad.
First, the Kimbal-area Mizuharas are good folks. That's a statement not a question.
Second, what bookmaker alive gives anyone a $5 million line of credit without the knowledge of the connection.
Third, who gives their interpreter bank access to withdraw that kind of cabbage? Dude is translating not transacting.
Fourth, this has a whole lot of the "make this go away" feel, no? Both for Ohtani and for MLB.
Thoughts?
This and that
— So Iowa announced it will retire Caitlin Clark's No. 22. You think? That was a no-brainer. Heck, who is the impactful 22, Clark or Emmiitt Smith or fill in the blank?
— Do we really need a sequel to "Happy Gilmore," which apparently is in the works? Loved the original. Love Adam Sandler for his work, his work ethic and his loyalty to his crew, but this feels like "Grown Ups 2" all over again, no?
— The next wave of allegations against Jonathan Frost are here. TFP ace news reporter Andrew Schwartz has been ahead of the game on this story from the start.
— You know the rules. Here's Paschall on the Vols' expectations across the defensive line as spring practice starts to wind down.
— Welp, it's official. Arkansas and Coach Cal are married.
— Well, duh, the WNBA is expected to build its TV schedule around Caitlin Clark. As well it should. (Side note: Went to find Indiana at Atlanta WNBA tickets since it's a lock cinch that Indiana drafts Clark 1, and the cheapest seats were three times more expensive than anyone other Atlanta WNBA game. Be careful you don't rub the golden goose raw, WNBA.)
Today's questions
So it's an Anything Goes Thursday — the ol' AGT as we know it — and we'll start here:
Does Coach Cal win a natty with the Hogs in three years? Discuss.
As for today, April 11, let's review.
Actually, there's not a lot. So there.
As for the Rushmore, let's do this in honor of the Masters and the sad news that "Happy Gilmore 2" is in the works:
Rushmore of movie golfers. Go, and remember the mailbag.