The NFL on Friday handed down punishments to several Detroit Lions players and Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney for violating league gambling rules.
Stanley Beryhill III and Jameson Williams each received six-game suspensions, while Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore and Toney were all suspended indefinitely by the NFL. The Lions released Cephus and Moore after the suspensions were officially announced.
Williams released a statement saying that he was only banned for violating league policy about placing bets while on team property. He added that he “would never intentionally jeopardize the integrity of the game” by betting on league contests.
On Carton & Roberts on WFAN on Friday, not long after the news of the suspensions broke, hosts Craig Carton and Evan Roberts talked about the criticism the NFL has received by some for suspending players for gambling while also taking millions of dollars from the nation’s leading sportsbooks promoting betting on football.
Carton said he doesn’t begrudge the NFL for making money as it is a business. But he did point out that stories like these only fuel the fire in people who want to crush the league at every turn.
“When you promote, market and allow gambling on your product, and then guys in the league do it, there are people out there that go ‘Aha! Aha!'” Carton said. “It’s like saying that the LIV golfers shouldn’t take money from Saudi Arabia. It’s easy to say when it’s not you taking it.”
Evan wondered what the end game is for people who want to call the league out for making it clear that players shouldn’t be gambling on the NFL.
“I’m very confused by the hypocrisy argument,” he said. “Someone’s got to explain to me what do you want? Do you want the league to do what they did for the last 40 years and make believe gambling doesn’t exist and insult our intelligence? Is that what you want? Or do you at least prefer this world in which they’re honest about what’s going on. And yeah they’re making a crapload of money off it, but at least they’re not pretending like we’re all schmucks.”
“So where’s the hypocrisy?” Roberts added.
Carton said the league being so transparent about this particular issue is something he applauds them for.
“The hope there is that hey listen, clearly guys didn’t learn from Calvin Ridley,” he said. “Maybe guys are gonna learn from this story. Maybe not, but that’s the hope.”
“They don’t want football players betting on football. I agree with them,” Roberts said later. “I happen to think they’re right.”
Carton said in the instance of Jameson Williams, he doesn’t think the punishment should’ve been nearly as harsh considering he wasn’t betting on the NFL.
Roberts felt like the league should be rightly called out for issues that relate to player safety, but in this case the NFL isn’t in the wrong for trying to maintain competitive integrity.
