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Issue VIII – Welcome!
SPORTS GAMBLING…DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM?!
Listen, I love a good prop bet 🤑 from time to time. But what I don’t love is when the Mafia gets involved and when shady sh*t goes down. Which is exactly what we learned about the NBA this week. Sports gambling and betting is a topic that ripples across multiple leagues and sports, which is RARE.
So, lots to get to…let’s get started!
– jen
In today’s memo:
World Series talking points you can use today
Betting schemes overshadow the start of the NBA season
The NFL reminds players and staff on its betting rules
The NCAA betting rules change Nov. 1.
PS: Your NFL Football Guide is coming…I SWEAR! It’s just a lot!
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DON’T FORGET…
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MLB ⚾️
YOUR WORLD SERIES TALKING POINTS
Before we get to all the gambling stuff, let’s talk baseball! ⚾️
Game 3 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers is tonight! The series is tied 1-1, and we’ll be in L.A. for games 3, 4, & 5. If a game 6 & 7 are needed, we’ll head back to Toronto later this week. Regardless, we’ll have a new champ by the time I see you next week. So, to help you get through the rest of the games, here are some key talking points:
The Blue Jays are chasing their first ring since ’93, while Dodgers are aiming for a back-to-back title.
Toronto dropped a nine-piece in Game 1 when rookie Addison Barger hit a pinch-hit* grand slam on the biggest stage.
Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly has never been to a World Series until now. He’s been in baseball as a player and coach for four decades.
Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto went the distance in Game 2, pitching a complete game, throwing 105 total pitches.
*Pinch-hit is when a team sends in a substitute batter to hit instead of the player who was supposed to bat. A grand slam is when all of the bases are loaded and the batter hits a home run, resulting in all 4 players scoring runs.
NBA 🏀
PLAY STUPID GAMES, WIN STUPID PRIZES
📸: Elvin Hasanli
6 days into the season and here I was, thinking we’d be discussing who’s who and key terms. BOY, WAS I WRONG! But hey! That’s show biz the NBA for you, baby!
This past Thursday, FBI agents arrested Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones as part of two investigations into illegal gambling and poker games. Rozier is being accused of aiding bettors by passing along non-public information in order to win bets. Billups is allegedly involved in rigged poker games tied to the mafia, and Jones is somehow involved in both scandals…allegedly! 🙄
While the FBI has made it clear that these cases are separate, aspects of the investigations do overlap. For now, Rozier and Billups have both been suspended from their teams, indefinitely.
NFL 🏈
LEARN FROM OTHER’S MISTAKES
NFL gambling statement released on social media
Just 24 hours after the NBA arrests, NFL officials released a statement to team executives, head coaches, and other club personnel, urging them to remind players about the NFL’s Gambling Policy. According to the statement, NFL policy strictly prohibits players from betting on any games. Players are also not allowed to participate in or facilitate any form of illegal gambling, whether it involves sports, casino games or otherwise.
However, a strict policy like this hasn’t necessarily kept players out of trouble. The NFL has had it’s fair share of gambling issues over the decades, which makes me think this move is a proactive PR one. While no NFL players have YET been implicated in the gambling or poker scandal, only time will tell.
Moral of the story? Don’t bet on sports while you’re playing them, kids. 🫠
Week 8 Final Scores
THUR, Oct 23
L.A. Chargers (5-3) 37, Minnesota Vikings (3-4) 10
SUN, Oct 26
Miami Dolphins (2-6) 34, Atlanta Falcons (3-4) 10
New York Jets (1-7) 39, Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) 38
New England Patriots (6-2) 32, Cleveland Browns (2-6) 13
Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) 38, New York Giants (2-6) 20
Buffalo Bills (5-2) 40, North Carolina Panthers (4-4) 9
Baltimore Ravens (2-5) 30, Chicago Bears (4-3) 16
Houston Texans (3-4) 26, San Francisco 49ers (5-3) 15
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) 23, New Orleans Saints (1-7) 3
Denver Broncos (6-2) 44, Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1) 24
Indianapolis Colts (7-1) 38, Tennessee Titans (1-7) 14
Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) 35, Pittsburgh Steels (4-3) 25
MON, Oct 27
Washington Commanders (3-4) @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-3), 8:15 PM EST, ABC/ESPN
Week 8 Byes: Raiders, Rams, Cardinals, Jaguars, Lions, & Seahawks
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CFB 🏈
NCAA BETTING RULES CHANGE
I told you the gambling topic spanned multiple sports, which includes college sports. Earlier this month, the NCAA (the National Collegiate Athletic Association) updated it’s rules on betting. Starting Nov 1, the NCAA will let college athletes, coaches, and athletic staff bet on pro sports using legal sportsbooks – but betting on college games is still banned, and sharing insider info remains off-limits.
MORE NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
NFL – New York Giants rookie running back sensation Cam Skattebo dislocated his ankle in Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He had surgery in Philly Sunday night, but his recovery time has not been released.
NFL – The New York Jets FINALLY snapped their 7-game losing streak on Sunday, beating a Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals team, 39-38.
CFB – ESPN’s College GameDay helped Michigan State football player Armorion Smith tell his story this past Saturday. Since last fall, Smith has been juggling football, school, and parenting after becoming the legal guardian of all 5 of his younger siblings.
TV – ESPN’s parent company, Disney, and YouTube TV can’t seem to come to an agreement. Their current deal expires on Oct 30 at 11:59 PM EST, which means YouTube TV subscribers could be without ESPN, ABC, and other Disney entities should a blackout occur.
FANTASY
LISTED AS QUESTIONABLE: SHOULD YOU BENCH’EM?
Have a player listed as QUESTIONABLE ahead of game day? Here’s what you need to know before you bench’em:
OUT = the team has decided the player will not play in that game. He’ll show up on the final Game Status Report (usually Fri for Sun games), and he’ll be on the official inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff.
QUESTIONABLE = the team truly doesn’t know yet. Medical staff thinks it’s possible he plays, possible he doesn’t. He’ll be a game-time decision, and the team must update if anything changes, which means you should, too.
Practice reports matter: All week, teams must list Did Not Participate / Limited / Full for injured players. So, keep tabs on these in your Fantasy app.
Timing rules: Final status is due late week (or the day before for non-Sunday games), and teams must report any changes promptly. The final inactive list 90 minutes pre-kickoff is the last word.
TERMINOLOGY
2-MINUTE DRILLS
The two-minute drill is the hurry-up, no-time-to-breathe mode teams enter as soon as the clock reads 2:00. In football, this means you’ll see quick throws and sideline routes to stop the clock. Teams may also choose to use their remaining timeouts strategically here.
The term also lives beyond the NFL and college football. It’s also used in basketball, hockey, and soccer to describe that final push where every second and substitution is pure strategy. Different sports, same vibe: urgency, efficiency, and no wasted motion.
