Everyone knows that the NFL takes gambling seriously when it involves their own players betting on the league’s games. The truth is, they’re feeling are no different than any other major sports league. Heck, Pete Rose still can’t get his name into Cooperstown because of some bets he made during his coaching days.
So it was no shock that the NFL reacted harshly and swiftly when they discovered that Calvin Ridley had bet on NFL games, including his contest involving the Falcons, during November 2021.
Eventually, it was revealed that Ridley had only wagered $1,500 during a five-day period, at which point many people began to wonder whether that really warranted a full year suspension. The NFL also revealed that there was no evidence of match-fixing or insider information being use in in his bets. So did he really deserve to be suspended for the entire 2022 season?
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current ESPN announcer Troy Aikman doesn’t seem to think so.
While speaking with TMZ recently, Aikman explained that he thought the Ridley suspension was a little harsh, considering the magnitude of his infraction.
Via ProFootballTalk:
“It seems like a bit much in today’s climate, primarily because there was a time when the NFL was totally against the legalization of gambling on football games, and now that’s a big part of the revenue stream for the NFL,” Aikman said. “On the one hand, you have the league encouraging everybody to gamble and yet here Calvin Ridley is suspended for an entire season.”
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Of course, it has since been reported that Ridley actually wagered closer to $3,000 on NFL games, with more bets that didn’t include the Falcons coming to light.
Even with these new wagers coming to light, I think Aikman and most others would still agree that a one-year suspension for placing a couple of bets — in a sport where much of their popularity depends on gambling, no less — is still quite ridiculous…
Then again, this is the NFL we’re talking about. Where sexual abusers can play the next day, while a couple hundred dollar wagers will have you sitting out an entire season.
