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SPORTS Wednesday 26 april 2023
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Is NFL hypocritical or hypervigilant in betting punishment?

By ARNIE STAPLETON and That was before airwaves
LARRY LAGE were inundated with com-
AP Sports Writers mercials about wagering
Sixty years after Paul Hor- on fantasy football, actual
nung and Alex Karras were final scores and even live-
suspended a full season action odds.
for wagering on football The Washington Com-
games, gambling is now manders have a sportsbook
as much a part of the NFL inside FedEx Field, and the
spectacle as mock drafts, Jets, Giants and Cardinals
tailgating and Super Bowl all have sportsbooks just
halftime shows. outside their venues. That
The Raiders now play a number will soon grow be-
dice roll from the Las Ve- cause NFL owners voted
gas Strip, and the Oakland at their annual meeting
Athletics of Major League last month to allow teams
Baseball just announced to have sportsbooks inside
they’ve signed a binding stadiums in states where
agreement to purchase gambling is legal.
land for a ballpark close to Thirty-three states have le-
Sin City’s famous casinos. galized gambling since a
Gambling is no longer a landmark Supreme Court
pariah but a massive mon- ruling a few years back
eymaker for the NFL, which Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams warms up before the first half of an NFL football and that means 17 NFL
game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Detroit.
has several lucrative spon- Associated Press teams will now be allowed
sorships with online gam- to host on-line sportsbooks.
bling sites and even a brick- said former Steelers and players last week for violat- non-NFL games. The other 15 teams aren’t
and-mortar sportsbook at Bears quarterback Jim ing the league’s gambling “The NFL has always taken fretting because revenue
one of its stadiums. Miller. “You can’t lie in bed policy. Lions receiver Quin- an aggressive approach will be capped at a certain
So, is it two-faced for the with the devil, and not think tez Cephus and safety C.J. with players and gam- threshold beyond which all
league that has so em- you’re going to get burned. Moore and Commanders bling,” Miller said. “When 32 teams will share in the
braced legalized wagering “Soon, you’ll be able to defensive end Shaka Toney I was in Chicago, (for- profits. “The whole situation
to suspend some of its play- make bets in (most) NFL were suspended through mer commissioner) Paul is a joke that the NFL and its
ers for betting on football stadiums,” Miller added. at least the 2023 season Tagliabue came to town teams profit off gambling,
games and other sporting “That being said, the play- for betting on NFL games and told a teammate the but players can’t gamble,”
events from their phones ers are well aware of the last season. Lions receivers league knew he was hang- said former Bengals line-
like millions of NFL fans are rules. They have seminars Stanley Berryhill and James- ing out with a friend who backer Larry Stevens. “It’s
constantly encouraged to and stuff up in the locker on Williams were each sus- owned a casino and told also a joke how inconsis-
do? room to educate them.” pended six games for bet- him he could not do that tent the NFL is with suspen-
“I think it’s hypocritical,” The NFL suspended five ting from an NFL facility on anymore.” sions. q

Kraken lose Jared McCann to injury; won’t play in Game 5

By TIM BOOTH McCann was down on the bench and headed “When you see a guy go how that happened,” Ma-
AP Sports Writer the ice for several minutes straight back to the Seattle down like as a teammate kar said.
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle before being helped to locker room. it’s frustrating and you Makar was originally given
Kraken lost leading scorer want to do what you can a 5-minute major penalty
Jared McCann to an injury for him,” Seattle’s Jaden but it was reduced to a
in the first period of Game Schwartz said. 2-minute minor. Seattle
4 against Colorado on McCann was hurt on a scored on the ensuing
Monday night following a short-handed attempt mid- power play to take a 2-0
hit from Avalanche defen- way through the first pe- lead.
seman Cale Makar and riod. The shot was saved by Hakstol disagreed with the
he won’t be available for Colorado goalie Alexandar assessment by the officials
Game 5. Georgiev and appeared to that reduced the severity
Seattle coach Dave Hak- go into the netting behind of the penalty.
stol said after the Kraken’s the goal. McCann did not “I disagree with that, obvi-
3-2 overtime victory that seem ready for the hit by ously, as I assessed it and
McCann would not play Makar. looked at it live and for sure
in Game 5 on Wednesday Makar said it was “unfortu- looking at it after on video,”
night and assumes he’ll be nate,” and hoped McCann he said.
out longer than that. was OK. McCann led Seattle with a
“Late hit. Really late. No Seattle Kraken left wing Jared McCann (19) lies on ice after “It was a hockey play. I’m career-high 40 goals and
puck in play. Our 40-goal being hit by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar assuming he was going to 70 points in the regular sea-
scorer not available for the during the first period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup the corner because it was son. He had one assist in
rest of the game,” Hakstol first-round playoff series Monday, April 24, 2023, in Seattle. coming down. I didn’t re- the first three games of the
said. Associated Press ally look. Just unfortunate series.q