The Current: The Kansas City Chiefs And Why Officials Are A Bigger Threat To NFL Integrity Than Sports Betting
If you’ve read stuff I’ve written for the past decade, you know that I am a broken record on the NFL and how disingenuous it has long been on sports betting.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has always insisted that the biggest threat to the “integrity of the game” is legal sports betting. I insist that while that’s certainly a threat, the biggest threat is just bad officiating and how the public views said officiating.
In every NFL game, people are going to find reasons to be mad at officials. But the criticism of the playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans felt like it reached a crescendo for many watching the game. I’ll get to why in a bit.
But let’s start here: Because of the speed of the game and the number of the players on the field, the game of football is extremely difficult to officiate. It’s honestly amazing games are called as well as they are, given the number of variables and rules that need to be enforced. And over time, it’s only become harder for officials as players have gotten faster and stronger, and as player safety has become increasingly a part of the many rules being enforced.
Still, that doesn’t really excuse what we saw on Saturday, when two dubious personal fouls were called against the Texans on hits of quarterback Patrick Mahomes:
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If you didn’t see game and/or the penalties, here’s a quick recap — from NFL.com! -talking about how the Texans felt like the officiating was horrible.
I would imagine a majority of people watching the replays of the two personal fouls didn’t believe that a penalty should have been called on either play. Again, it’s hard to make these calls in real time, and player safety is paramount. But there’s no mechanism to change what appeared to be pretty poor calls on the field. The replay booth can look at a lot of things, but not this. And these are big plays in a game, creating a first down and giving the offense 15 yards of field position.
Some more nuggets context:
Announcers Troy Aikman and Joe Buck were critical of the calls during the game. Aikman on one of the penalties: “Oh, come on. I mean, he’s a runner. I could not disagree with that one more. He barely gets hit.” Aikman, a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, is one of many voices calling for changes on how these rules are enforced and/or if they can be reviewed.
A pool report with the referee after the game justified the two calls.
The NFL doubled down on the calls being correct the following day.
Oftentimes, I am sure the NFL views arguments over officiating as a feature, not a bug. If people are talking about the games, that’s good!
But it feels like we crossed a bit of line here. There are already legions of people on social media and beyond who believe that the NFL is rigged (or scripted, like the WWE), either to create the NFL’s preferred outcomes or to benefit sportsbooks. Both are patently ridiculous assertions, but they exist beyond just a few conspiracy theorists. There are lots of people who also believe the NFL will do anything to get the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl, so Taylor Swift will be back at the Big Game (she’s still dating KC tight end Travis Kelce).
All of what we saw on Saturday feeds into that mania. And I think it in some ways has crossed over into the more mainstream fan, at least in this instance. It feels like we are being gaslit by the NFL after the fact, and many of us are questioning the product on the field. I certainly don’t think the games are rigged, but I do question if the NFL is as concerned about officiating and its impact on integrity and viewers’ experience as it should be.
The NFL is the most popular sport in the United States. If fans and bettors increasingly question the officiating and the integrity of the game, there’s some chance the popularity of the sport, both as a product and from a gambling perspective, is challenged.
But more likely, the NFL juggernaut will continue on, setting ratings records and making zillions of dollars. Just don’t believe the NFL when it tells you that sports betting is a bigger bogeyman than the officials calling the games.
Gambling news today
ESPN launches responsible gaming campaign (PR): Even if you don’t like the approach, I applaud ESPN/ESPN Bet for trying something kind of different here. Trying things > not trying things. My only critique would be to use some of their bigger stars. “The campaign features two creative spots — one starring SportsCenter anchor Elle Duncan labeled ‘Wedding Day,’ and the other, starring SportsCenter anchor Gary Striewski. Using humor and inspired by the classic “heart-to-heart” conversations families often have, “The Talk” engages viewers to deliver its message about what it means to play smart.
ESPN Bet goes live in DC (PR): “We’re thrilled to launch ESPN BET in our nation’s capital and expand our presence across the Washington metropolitan area,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer, PENN Entertainment. “Along with our partner ESPN, we’re excited to introduce our deeply integrated media and betting experience and further engage with the D.C. area’s passionate sports community.” … “PENN secured market access in Washington, D.C. through a deal with Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The deal also designates ESPN BET as a proud sports betting partner of Monumental and its teams, the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics.”
PA gambling revenues break record (Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board): “Fueled by an increase of over 25% in iGaming revenue over the previous year, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is reporting that 2024 combined gaming revenue achieved a record high and for the first time crossed the $6 billion mark during a calendar year. The 2024 combined revenue figure reported by the PGCB is $6,137,414,455 and is 7.73% above the 2023 combined revenue amount of $5,697,218,115. The figure consists of the combined revenue of slot machines, table games, sports wagering, iGaming, video gaming terminals (VGTs) and fantasy contests.”
CT Sports Betting Bills Would Cap Hold, Require 2-Way Markets (Legal Sports Report): There are four different bills here, including one that would “would establish a maximum hold for sportsbooks. It does not set the number, but since sportsbooks launched, they have held 10.4% of the $5.6 billion lifetime handle." There’s also a fifth one that would allow for betting on in-state college teams.
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