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sports Wednesday 9 March 2022
1 betting rule remains sacrosanct in the NFL

By TIM DAHLBERG of gambling are now profit-
AP Sports Columnist ing by the new craze.
Calvin Ridley had no inside Indeed, Ridley actually may
information and, apparent- have done Goodell a favor
ly, no idea how to bet. In by allowing him to make a
other words, he was just like tough stand against player
millions of other neophyte betting while at the same
bettors lured in by promises time not interfering with the
of riches from sports betting flow of money from the bet-
operators and the leagues ting sites to the NFL coffers.
they cohabitate with. Here’s a short version of the
Except Ridley plays for the new rules of order if you’re
Atlanta Falcons. And that’s still confused: Betting is
where things get a little dic- good. Betting by players is
ey. bad.
Almost everything goes “There is nothing more fun-
these days in the Wild West damental to the NFL’s suc-
of sports betting, but there cess — and to the reputa-
is still one big no-no that tion of everyone associat-
remains sacrosanct: You ed with our league — than
don’t bet on your own upholding the integrity of
league and you certainly the game,” Goodell said.
don’t bet on your own Hopefully, Goodell keeps
team. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley (18) makes a diving touchdown reception in front that lofty premise in mind
Ridley did both, and it cost of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Ross Cockrell (43) during the second half of an NFL as the league investigates
football game Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Tampa, Fla.
him one of the worst bad Associated Press allegations made by for-
beats ever. Suspended mer Dolphins coach Brian
Monday for at least a year Green Bay halfback Paul excessive, especially in an to sign up and bet, some- Flores that Miami owner
by hypocrite-in-chief Roger Hornung and Detroit Lions age when the NFL and its thing duly noted by former Stephen Ross offered him
Goodell, the wide receiver defensive tackle Alex Kar- teams not only tolerate coach and TV analyst Tony $100,000 a loss a few years
is out $11 million in salary for ras were suspended indefi- betting but encourage it Dungy. back so the team would
what he said was $1,500 in nitely for betting on NFL — at least among the gen- “When we as a league tank enough to get the top
bets made while he was on games and associating eral population. A Sunday encourage everyone to pick in the draft.
mental health leave from with “known hoodlums.” didn’t go by last season bet on our games, adver- Ross denies the allegations
the team. Ridley made the bets on without constant reminders tise betting on our play- made in a lawsuit against
The bets were relatively a phone in Florida where it on TV about betting part- ers’ game stats, take in big the league and no one
paltry, and the crime didn’t was legal through a casino ners and sponsorships as money from gambling sites else has come forward
seem much worse. Ridley that sponsors Miami’s sta- the league and the indus- & do everything we can to publicly to substantiate
wasn’t even around his dium. try settled into a profitable get our young people to them. But game fixing goes
team at the time he made Like most aspiring bettors, partnership neither saw embrace gambling — We to the core of sports betting
the bets — which accord- he just wanted a little ac- coming just a few years can’t be surprised when this fears, and if Ridley can be
ing to various reports were tion. earlier. happens,” Dungy tweeted suspended for a year for
long shot parlays of as “I know I was wrong,” Rid- At nearly every commer- after the suspension was his long shot parlay bets,
many as eight teams — ley tweeted after his sus- cial break we listened to an announced. Ross should be booted
and he certainly wasn’t try- pension was announced. assortment of characters If it seems a bit awkward, it from the league if enough
ing to fix any games. “But I’m getting 1 year lol.” from Julius Caesar to the is. The morality police who evidence emerges to back
This wasn’t 1963, when One year does seem a bit Manning family telling us once railed about the evils the claims.q

NFL salary cap for 2022 increases by

nearly $26M to $208.2M

By BARRY WILNER chise tag hit at $29.7 mil- The second-highest tag
AP Pro Football Writer lion. The 32 teams have price is for linebacker at
The NFL’s salary cap for until 4 p.m. Tuesday to $18.7 million, followed
2022 will be $208.2 million, apply franchise tags, and closely by wide receivers
a healthy increase from some clubs already have ($18.4 million), and defen-
the previous, pandemic- done so. The deadline for sive ends ($17.85 million).
impacted years. franchise-tagged players Then come defensive
The cap is going up from to reach a long-term con- tackles ($17.39 million),
$182.5 million, which was tract with a team is July 15. cornerbacks ($17.28 mil-
down by nearly $10 million Free agency officially be- lion), offensive linemen
from the 2020 season. gins Wednesday, March ($16.66 million), safeties Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz (86) celebrates after
Adding in benefits at- 16, though teams can ne- ($12.91 million), tight ends catching a touchdown pass against the New York Giants
tached to the cap, teams gotiate with player rep- ($10.93 million), running during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec.
will be allowed to have resentatives beginning backs ($9.57 million) and 19, 2021, in East Rutherford, N.J. Associated Press
a total player cost of Monday. Most big deals kickers ($5.22 million).
$284.367 million. get done in the two days Players who have been Orlando Brown Jr., Cincin- sicki, Dallas tight end Dal-
Quarterbacks, of course, before the league year of- given franchise tags thus nati safety Jessie Bates III, ton Schultz and Cleveland
will have the highest fran- ficially starts. far are Kansas City tackle Miami tight end Mike Ge- tight end David Njoku.q