"What's The Spread?"

I am shocked and appalled that professional athletes are gamblers.

Not only do they play cards and roll the dice like the rest of us, but they actually bet on sports!
Heaven forbid that these people, who make millions of dollars a year, throw it away just like Tommy Punch-Card down at the local bookies. And for them to bet on sports! As opposed to what other alternative...?

Now I do agree that they should not bet on their own sport. In today's information society, it would be foolish to cast any shadow on your performance either for yourself or any team sport you may be involved in. But throwing a couple of bucks (or a couple of thousand) on the Superbowl, or the occasional ballgame? Who cares? The main thing that people are pissed about is that they did it outside the law, instead of going down to the Seven-Eleven and playing Sports Action instead.

The only reason it's investigated at all is because these individuals are celebrities, and because it makes good news. When was the last time you heard of any betting ring broken up by the cops? The authorities have been itching for a sports betting scandal ever since Pete Rose, and they still look fondly on the White Sox from 1919.

There's only one guy who should be mad, and that's Wayne Gretzky.
And only if Janet bet against the Coyotes.

Later.