New Commissioner ready to support gambling?

[Used 2 B Hu]

Already, I like this guy better than Bud Selig:

Rob Manfred says MLB could support legalized gambling - CBSSports.com

a snippet:

New commissioner Rob Manfred says he would be open to Major League Baseball considering a new approach to legalized gambling. Echoing statements that NBA commissioner Adam Silver made recently, Manfred told ESPN's Outside the Lines on Thursday that, "It's important for baseball to give fresh consideration to the issue."

Considering MLB's sordid history with gambling -- from the Black Sox scandal nearly 100 years ago to the status of Pete Rose today -- this signals a significant policy change. Manfred acknowledged that the very creation of his office, starting with the reign of Kenesaw Mountain Landis in 1920, happened because of the sport's association with gamblers. But times change, and legalized gambling in various forms has become prevalent in North America. Why resist the inevitable, Manfred is apparently wondering.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Also, at the end of the article it gives an interesting tidbit on Pete Rose...stay tuned

 

[calsnowskier]

I have not had time to read the article yet (I will tonight or this weekend), but I would assume that people who have direct influence on the outcome of a game (managers, coaches, players, owners, etc) would still be prohibited from betting. Thus, the concept that what the Black Sox did and what Rose did would still be against the rules. However, Mays' "transgressions" would now be fully legal (even though they were a stretch, even at the time)

 

[podsox]

I don't know why the leagues have taken so long to say it should be legal. it brings eyes on the sport. players/coaches make enough money now that they shouldn't be worrying about fixing games. players willing to risk going to jail over some extra dough deserve what they get

 

[HammerDown]

Virtually everything people are already doing should be legalized and regulated.

 

[Lemon Harang Pie]

Ready to support gambling?

That's a stretch.

He was asked about gambling and gave about as non-committal of an answer as he could have. The tl;dr is he's going to talk about it with the owners.

I doubt the league will ever change its views on the tradition, Las Vegas style gambling but it would be worth the league's time to push fantasy baseball a lot more. Fantasy football and the Sunday Funday atmosphere are huge reasons for the NFL's success.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I read a book about match fixing in soccer and the whole gambling underworld, they target very specific people, usually the people from ultra poor countries and it's almost always international matches or lower levels. It's tough to bribe people that make millions.

In American sports it's primarily college athletes (mainly basketball) that are targets for these groups. You take a kid from a very poor background, that isn't making money yet, is young and can be manipulated, those are the guys that they target.

In other words, baseball is safe from gambling corruption.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Daily fantasy leagues in all sports must earn considerable profits. Can't imagine it hasn't crossed the minds of owners and executives in pro leagues that they might somehow carve out their shares of what is earned from gambling on their sports.

 

[nddulac]

In other words, baseball is safe from gambling corruption.

Here is the problem the sport faces though. It isn't just important to not be influenced by gambling. It is important to not even appear to be exposed to gambling influences. As soon as it even appears that there is impropriety going on, people will lose interest since they will see the game outcomes as being predetermined or unfair. Who wants to buy a ticket to see that?

 

[Erie Warrior]

All MLB cares about now is money. The integrity of the game went out the window when Selig became the Commissioner. I am sure they will figure out a way to make this work.