Gambling can certainly bring out the worst in people, especially if you have a serious problem and don’t get help for it.
That seems to be the case for several guys who had money on a recent game between Baylor and Kansas State. With just 6.6 seconds left in the game, Baylor junior guard MaCio Teague was at the free throw line with a chance to extend the lead and really put the game out of reach. He clanked both and pissed off a lot of people.
When he checked his social media accounts, he realized the many hate-filled direct messages that had engulfed his inbox from angry gamblers.
“I had no clue what was going on,” Teague said. “I don’t know what a spread even is.”
The career 86 percent free-throw shooter scored 15 points in the game, but those two missed free throws upset a bunch of bettors who put money on a point spread of Baylor -6.5.
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“I didn’t even know what a spread was,” Teague told me. “My teammate explained it to me after the game. He showed it to me, and then he explained to me what they were talking about. I didn’t understand what was going on. I don’t bet, so I was lost.
“I was confused. I was really confused,” he added. “I didn’t know what they were talking about. I showed my teammates and they were laughing.”
Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew was disappointed to hear about the online harassment of his player.
“As a coach, my heart goes out to players who have to deal with stuff like this,” Drew said. “Usually, after you win a game, you get congratulatory texts and messages from friends and family.
“Now guys are getting cursed out because they don’t cover a spread that they didn’t even know about.”
Teague stated he received over 20 derogatory messages on Instagram and Twitter from people who took issue with him missing those free throws.
One person even requested $11 from him on Venmo.
“It can really affect the mental health of some players,” Teague said. “I’m an older guy, so it doesn’t really affect me. But we’ve got younger guys like Jared (Butler) and Jordan (Turner), who are 18 and 19 years old. That might get under their skin if they see that on their Instagram and affect them, and who knows, could even force some guys to give up basketball. I’m glad that they did it to me, a stronger and older person. It could have really affected someone else.”
“It could be a problem going forward,” he added. “I just hope they don’t send as much hate in their messages as they’re sending.”
