PITTSBURGH — Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley bet $1,500 on NFL games and lost $11.1 million. He might not be the worst gambler in the world, but he might be the dumbest.
The NFL suspended Ridley on Monday for at least the 2022 season after it learned he had made parlay bets on three, five and eight games in November, including wagers on the Falcons to win. It is the No. 1 rule in any sport that players can't bet on their sport. Ridley, a former No. 1 pick from Alabama, will forfeit the $11.1 million salary that was due from the Falcons on his fifth-year option.
"There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL's success — and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league — than upholding the integrity of the game," Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to Ridley. "This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official and everyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL.
"For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy, warranting the most substantial sanction."
A lot of people think the punishment doesn't fit Ridley's crime, that it is way too onerous. They point out how this isn't 1963 when prominent NFL players Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended for gambling and how it isn't 1969 when Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath had to give up his interest in a Manhattan nightclub because it was frequented by what the league determined were shady characters. No, times really have changed. The NFL, along with every other pro sports league, has climbed into bed with the gambling companies. Former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle must be rolling in his grave.
I get it if you are among those who think the NFL is hypocritical because of the money it makes from the gaming sites. The league oozes hypocrisy.
But I have no problem with Ridley's punishment. A huge sign hangs in every locker room and clubhouse warning players that gambling on their sport is strictly forbidden. It really is the No. 1 rule in sports. That's why I have no sympathy for Pete Rose, who was banned from baseball in 1989 after proof that he bet on his games. I don't think he should get into the Hall of Fame. Ever.
But I do wish Goodell would handle discipline of the NFL owners with the same firm hand. Talk about undermining the integrity of the game. Those billionaires are true Teflon men. They can do anything and go virtually unpunished. I think about:
— New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who avoided two misdemeanor charges of soliciting prostitution in 2019 when a Florida court ruled video of him paying for sex at a Florida day spa was inadmissible in court. That left Goodell, who had put on his sternest face and said "the personal conduct policy applies to everybody," off the hook from disciplining Kraft. Kraft had pleaded not guilty in the case but did issue a public apology for his actions.
— Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder, who ran an organization that ...
Let's allow a statement from the NFL in July to describe Snyder's horrific ownership:
"For many years, the workplace environment at the Washington Football Team, both generally and particularly for women, was highly unprofessional. Bullying and intimidation frequently took place and many described the culture as one of fear, and numerous female employees reported having experienced sexual harassment and a general lack of respect in the workplace. Ownership and senior management paid little or no attention to these issues. In some instances, senior executives engaged in inappropriate conduct themselves, including use of demeaning language and public embarrassment."
And the punishment for Snyder?
He was fined $10 million by the NFL, a tiny slice of his financial fortune, estimated at $4 billion. No written report from the league's investigation into the matter has been released.
— Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who settled with four of the team's cheerleaders for $2.4 million after they accused former team executive Rich Dalrymple of voyeurism in 2015. The NFL didn't bother to investigate, calling this a club matter.
— Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who was accused last month of offering $100,000 per loss to former coach Brian Flores in 2019 in order for the team to get a higher draft pick. Ross has denied the allegations, calling them "false, malicious and defamatory" and saying he is a man of "honor and integrity." Flores has joined the Steelers as an assistant coach since filing a lawsuit against the NFL, accusing the league of systematic racism in its hiring of Black head coaches. Goodell called the accusation against Ross "very disturbing" and promised a thorough investigation. You probably shouldn't hold your breath that will happen.
Considering Ridley got at least a year for his bets, Ross, if guilty of Flores' charge, should be forced to sell the Dolphins and be banned from the NFL for life.
All in the name of upholding the integrity of the game, right, commissioner Goodell?
