‘Mad Dog’ Russo Accuses NFL Commish Roger Goodell and Specific Team Owners of Gambling On Games: If You Think They Don’t Bet, ‘You’re Crazy’
Chris “Mag Dog” Russo has never been one to shy away from his bold takes, but his latest claims are unlikely to go over well with the top brass of the NFL.
On Wednesday’s episode of SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Unleashed, Russo discussed the complicated relationship between the NFL and sports betting. The league has continued to embrace sports betting as more states legalize it, but that hasn’t come without a slew of issues. In the last few seasons, a handful of players have already been suspended for using a variety of sportsbook apps to place bets online. The most notable example was Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, who was suspended for the entire 2022-2023 season.
This season, four Detroit Lions players and a Washington Commanders player will serve suspensions for placing bets at team facilities.
Updated list of player gambling suspensions the last 2 years:
At least 1 year (bets on NFL):
– WR Calvin Ridley
– CB Isaiah Rodgers
– LB Rashod Berry
– DT Demetrius Taylor
– S CJ Moore
– WR Quintez Cephus
– DE Shaka Toney6 games (non-NFL bets but done at work):
– OT Nicholas…— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 29, 2023
Russo claims it’s hypocritical for the league to levy such severe penalties — stating that he believes Commissioner Roger Goodell, as well as team owners, also bet on games.
“I’m not sure what the solution is with players,” he said. “I understand you can’t have the whole league play fantasy football and gamble. Maybe you lower the suspensions. Maybe you give them a game suspension.
“But a year suspension for a league that is in bed with FanDuel, DraftKings, and every gambling establishment known to man; that put a Super Bowl in Las Vegas on the strip, where you can go out there and bet the games. And I guarantee if you go out to Vegas this year, you’ll see Roger betting. You don’t think Roger’s going out there, playing a little bit?”
Russo then named several owners and accused them of doing the same, without providing any evidence to back up his claims.
“You don’t think (Kansas City Chiefs owner) Clark Hunt — and I love Hunt — you don’t think he has some fun with it?” he continued. “On a Monday night, his Chiefs have a bye week, and the Monday night game is Houston and Indianapolis — a horrible game — and he’s gonna sit there and watch it. You don’t think he says, ‘You know what? What the hell. Put a hundred bucks on the Colts.’ What are you, crazy?”
“The Rooneys,” Russo said in reference to the Rooney family, which owns the Pittsburgh Steelers, “they own Saratoga (County). All they did was bet the horses … How about (former NFL owner Carroll Rosenbloom)? (He) bet a quarter of a million dollars on the Giants-Colts in 1958. Lost, but he won because he bet the spread — which was three-and-a-half — and (Johnny) Unitas was throwing the ball all over the place when all he needed was a field goal.
“Stories will continue.”
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