PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 07: Former Philadelphia Phillies player Pete Rose acknowledges the crowd prior to the game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on August 7, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Wreckless athletes who bet on sports have to be some of the dumbest people on earth. In the latest saga, San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano faces a ban for life after MLB received info that he bet on Pittsburgh Pirates games while with the team last year.
Recently, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter appeared to limit his availability in relation to prop bets on him.
These instances are probably involving players you have not heard of. Certainly, the most famous wreckless athletes who bet on games are guys like Pete Rose, who remains banned from baseball to this day. And there is the mysterious case that is uncomfortably close to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani who just happened to "lose" several million dollars when his interpreter allegedly "stole" the money for large sports bets.
WRECKLESS ATHLETES WHO BET ON SPORTS IS NOT NEW
As far back as 1963 NFL Hall of Famers Alex Karras and Paul Hornung were suspended for the entire 1963 season for gambling violations. There was the promising career of former Ohio State and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Art Schlichter who did serious jail time for his gambling problem. More recently, since sports gambling has become legal and easily accessible to many via phone apps, high profile players like Calvin Ridley and Jameson Williams have been suspended for sports gambling.
The question is why? Why put lucrative careers at risk to place a few sports bets? There are so many other ways to get a rush or feel excitement in life. Wreckless athletes who bet on sports are foolish. For all the latest on similar stories, tune in each weekday to Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida.
