Gambling a game of skill
And just like that, the NFL makes more news.
Yes, camps are opening. Yes, all the first-round picks are signed.
But a day after we discussed the money circulated through the league on the TV deal - it's pretty big - ESPN delivers an eye-opening story that may allow the biggest game in town become even bigger.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces a civil rights investigation of the Baltimore Police Department during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington on Friday, May 8, 2015.Two years ago, when current U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was a U.S. Attorney in New York, she authored an opinion that sports gambling is a game of skill.
The language and the legalese through the documents uncovered by ESPN can be quite confusing at times but know this: Games of skill are way easier to be permitted under state and federal law than games of chance.
Think of it this way, games of skill under the definition of the law include betting on horse racing and jai alai, while games of chance are slots and craps.
Add to Lynch's position the fact that the top lawyer in the land agrees with the NFL and the Department of Justice that sports betting is a game of skill means that we are one giant step closer to legalized sports betting.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said the topic should be reviewed, but sounded in favor of legalized sports betting. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL is against it - but the league's outside counsel argued for the game of skill status for sports betting.
Very interesting, huh?
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Speaking of Goodell
It's been a while since we have mentioned Roger, so let's stay there.
The most powerful man in the most powerful organization in the sports world said there's no timetable on DefelateGate.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell smiles while speaking to reporters during the NFL's spring meetings in San Francisco, Wednesday, May 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) What? No timetable?
How can that be?
Does Roger and the gang think that if they pretend it didn't happen, we'll just forget it and move along?
C'mon now.
Either drop it to two or stand firm and be prepared to go to court. Why all this song and dance? It's not like this is a Chinese trigonometry problem.
We all agree he had knowledge of the air-pressure level in the football. There's no way he didn't since every NFL quarterback asked is clear on this point.
We all agree that in the grand scheme of things, the NFL is in a tight spot. There are guys doing things in the scope of society way worse than messing with the air pressure in footballs, but the league can't appear to be lax on obeying the rules and cheating schemes.
But really there are only three options:
Stand by the four-game suspension and know that Brady most likely will take the NFL to Federal court, which will be a whole other round of nightmares for all involved.
Cut the suspension in half and hope the backlash from around the league - from black players wondering about favoritism to other teams wondering about it too - and Brady accepts that.
Overturn the entire penalty and buckle up in the NFL bunker with Brady, Gisele and Robert Kraft with a lot of mac-n-cheese and the 2001 championship DVD.
Each of those options has a downside to it, but c'mon gang, let's put this thing to bed.
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Hall of Fame, are you watching
The U.S. government has dropped its prosecution of Barry Bonds.
Now, it's time for the baseball writers to re-evlaute.
FILE - In ta March 29, 2011, file photo, former baseball player Barry Bonds arrives for his trial at federal court in San Francisco. Federal prosecutors Tuesday April 28, 2015, are considering whether to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate Barry Bonds' obstruction of justice conviction. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) We believe that character should play a role in the voting for the hall. But there are a lot of bad apples in that joint that the writers conveniently ignored their shortcomings as human beings.
We also believe that the best of each era should be in the hall. Be it the best of the dead ball era, and guys that subpar numbers hitting and other worldly numbers as pitchers. Be it the all-white era, when segregation kept the best players from all backgrounds from facing each other. Be it the speed era, in which players reportedly took uppers and speed pills to stay sharp.
And that includes the steroid era, in which more than half the league was using some form of PED and baseball until 2001 completely ignored it.
Now if some guy wants to get on a high horse about someone who admitted it, lied about it and got caught or someone who failed a drug test, well, we disagree with the stance but we can see the reasoning.
Now in Bonds' case, the Federal government could not prove anything concrete after more than a decade of trying and spending tens of millions of dollars in the process.
What say you?
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United States' Jordan Spieth drives the ball from the 18th tee during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2015.This and that
- This is cool. Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson flew back from the British Open together and enjoyed a Co-Cola from the Claret Jug. Since Johnson won and Spieth was in contention, here's saying next year we may want to dial back the John Deere Classic angst before heading across the pond.
- No one wants to hear SEC football coaches complain about how tough they have it.
- Here are some limited details about Marcus Mariota's contract.
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Today's question
Lots of them out there today.
FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2014, file photo, the statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall faces the facade of the New York Stock Exchange. U.S. employers added a vigorous 257,000 jobs in January, and wages jumped by the most in six years, evidence that the job market is accelerating closer to full health. The surprisingly robust report the government issued Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 also showed that hiring was far stronger in November and December than it had previously estimated. .(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) Barry Bonds. Sports gambling.
Several cool birthdays today too. The 5-at-10's mom celebrates today. As does Alex Trebek (75) and Steven Jackson (32) - which begs the question we had no idea Trebek was that old and that Jackson was only 32 after looking like he was 92 last year for the Falcons.
It's also a big day in history for Georges. Prince George was born two years ago today. George Washington took over the Continental army 240 years ago today. George Patton and his troops liberated Palermo Sicily 72 yeas ago today.
Rushmore of George.
Go.