The NFL has hammered Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley for betting on football while away from the team and on the non-football injury list in 2021. That’s the league’s prerogative.
Nevertheless, the situation places even greater pressure on the NFL to properly handle the still-lingering controversy regarding the allegation made by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered Flores $100,000 for each loss in 2019.
Compare the two situations. Ridley made a variety of parlay wagers. In so doing, he bet on his team to win, not lose. He wasn’t even playing in the games, so there was no direct connection between bettor and player. Also, he wasn’t even with the team when he placed the bets. (And did we mention that he actually bet on the Falcon? The Falcons?)
Ross, in contrast, is accused of encouraging his head coach to blow games in the hopes of enhancing draft status in 2020. Ross allegedly wanted his team to lose, necessarily compromising the…