The National Football League (NFL) has suspended Arizona Cardinals’ cornerback Josh Shaw for betting on NFL games.
Apparently, Shaw has wagered on multiple occasions this season, and has been banned from playing for the rest of the season. It is the first time in more than thirty-five years that an NFL player has faced a ban for gambling.
The NFL says an investigation has concluded that Shaw didn’t use any inside information or compromise any games, and it is not thought that any of his fellow players, coaches or other staff were aware of his gambling.
Having been placed on injured reserve after sustaining an injury in the preseason, Shaw hasn’t played this season, and will not be eligible to apply for reinstatement until February 2021.
In an official statement NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, explained:
“The continued success of the NFL depends directly on each of us doing everything necessary to safeguard the integrity of the game and the reputations of all who participate in the league. At the core of this responsibility is the longstanding principle that betting on NFL games, or on any element of a game, puts at risk the integrity of the game, damages public confidence in the NFL, and is forbidden under all circumstances,”
The last time an NFL player was suspended for gambling was way back in 1983, when Baltimore Colts quarterback Art Schlichter got caught.
AYO.NEWS says:
Considering the amount of time since the last NFL player was suspended for gambling, and the pains the NFL takes to make it perfectly clear to players that all betting on NFL games is prohibited for players, it could be that Shaw has a problem. In this case we hope he’s getting help and not just being kicked to the dirt for over a year.
On the positive side, it is reassuring to see the NFL take the integrity of the sport so seriously – as sports betting is legalised in more and more states, there will probably be more incidents like this.
AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.
