Paul Tagliabue Rightly Fears the Rise of Betting – An Imminent Threat to Pro Football

By Todd Winkler,
Editor at online-gambling.com

Todd Winkler Editor at online-gambling.com

Todd Winkler is another one of our highly professional editors at online-gambling.com. The expert has been part of our team for 6 years, during which time he contributed articles regarding poker, blackjack, and DFS. Winkler is also knowledgeable about New Zealand's legal gambling market.

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Last updated: June 28, 2021

Paul Tagliabue is just two months away from being officially inducted into the ‘Pro Football Hall of Fame.’ Hence, he has a lot of memories when he thinks back to the years he was at the helm of the NFL. In a recent interview, he reported that the increased influence of allowing gambling in pro football and his worry that his forerunner as Commission president will challenge fate with their recent partnership and the fantastic online gambling sites FanDuel and DraftKings.

Tagliabue’s issues are not established on illogical worry or denial to grow over time, as betting has become legalized in about half of the country’s states. Instead, this is due to his own experience and worse memories of the 1961 basketball match between New York University and Georgetown.

“We beat the hell out of NYU. It was the biggest victory in my three years of basketball at Georgetown. Turns out guys at NYU were taking money to shave points….I still worry about some young guy and someone says to him “Take the money,” – said Tagliabue

Tagliabue’s Warning for Football Players

Tagliabue’s remarks came at the moment when Roger Goodell not only permitted the team to shift to Las Vegas but also established associations between the casino and NFL teams and online betting sites like Draft King and FanDuel.

Bert Bell faced the same fear in the 1950s when he was commissioner, a fear of infamy that he says might destroy the game. Bell recruit former FBI agents to keep an eye on the gamblers and had his team of gambling informants to keep him informed of suspicious locations and betting rumors.

Pete Rosell pursued Bell and was deeply concerned about the possible reaction that a betting scandal could lead to the suspension of his powers for two of the greatest titles in gambling, future Alex Karras and Hall of Famers Paul Horning because they only had $50. He also endangered Joe Namat with interruption and a possible ban on gambling if he denied trading his share of the Manhattan gin.

Now it’s Taglabu’s job to warn pro footballers that pushing for even more revenue growth could jeopardize fans’ confidence in the validity of the results if the attraction to skip points or quit the game, especially for one player.

Tagliabue correctly noted that when a player takes control of a quarterback, there are several ways in which he can influence the results. It is not only about fixing the game but also the pursuit of fantastic points and the manipulation of the scatter of points. Also, be aware of the many random bets available on the Super Bowl and other great games. For example: did you complete the first step of the game or not? What is the problem if defender A deliberately pushes the ball into the floor?

Dozens of Ways to Manipulate the US Sport

It is one of the many ways one or more players can handle US famous games. With posters and advertisements and TV shows celebrating the betting, someone can believe a gambler who didn’t think he was illegally influencing the game for the sake of money.

As Bert Bell realized, the moment you consider is the moment you approach a scandal that could scare the game.