Yesterday, former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar claimed he was removed from the franchise’s radio crew. Sources revealed Kosar’s removal is due to him publicly declaring he placed a ceremonial $19,000 bet on the Browns to defeat the Steelers when sports betting became legal in Ohio. WFAN morning host Gregg Giannotti thought Kosar’s removal was preposterous.
“I understand how and why there are rules in place for this, however, does Bernie Kosar deserve to lose his job over placing that bet?,” Giannotti questioned. “I don’t believe — where he is in his career — can influence the outcome of a game. And that’s what this is all about, as far as team employees betting. Especially when he’s betting the team to win.
“If you’re telling me that Bernie Kosar bets on the Steelers to beat the Browns and then he goes and Nancy Kerrigan’s Deshaun Watson, now then we’re talking about a different story. But I thought this was too much of a punishment for a guy making a bet on the Browns to win. I thought it was ridiculous.”
The NFL has rules in place to prevent team employees from gambling on league events. Kosar is employed by the Browns as a contributor to its radio show Cleveland Browns Daily and its pregame coverage.
“Just be reasonable here,” Giannotti continued. “At his age, at his job, at this point, isn’t effecting the outcome of Browns/Steelers. It has nothing to do with anything. I understand you want to protect the outcome and the integrity of games. Bernie Kosar making this bet has nothing to do with the integrity of football games.”
Co-host Boomer Esiason then mentioned the Browns being concerned with integrity is questionable after the franchise’s owner — Jimmy Haslam — saw his company Pilot Flying J settled a lawsuit after being accused of defrauding truck drivers out of fuel rebates.
“Poor Bernie Kosar — the greatest quarterback in Browns history — gets bleep-canned for making a legal bet, but let’s now hire this sexual predator to be our quarterback and give him the richest quarterback in NFL history,” Giannotti said.
