THURSDAY COMMENTARY – BET, BET, BET
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
It’s high time we had a discussion about gambling in sports.
You won’t be shocked to know that it comes up in my life not just daily, but multiple times daily. Our sports talkshow is sponsored by Bet Regal, and this website is brought to you in part by PlayNow.
I constantly see people complaining on social media about the flood of sports betting ads during broadcasts and in the stadiums and arenas. However not only are the TV networks and teams ignoring those pleas, they’re adding even more ads.
Please don’t come at me with the morality of this issue.
It really is no different than the beer ads that bombard us just much, going back decades.
You’ve just gotten used to them.
Newsflash: Where there’s big money to be had, you’re going to find sports owners, and sports media owners. Like moths to a flame.
It’s how we get paid.
The next part of this discussion is about those who have a problem.
I swear that’s why I’ve gone through all the strife in my life; to turn around and pull others out of the fire, and educate those who know nothing about Addiction. (a.k.a. most people). Truth is I’m lucky as hell to be alive, so I might as well take something good out of it.
Nine out of 10 people can drink and/or gamble and have zero issues with it. However one out of 10 of us simply can’t stop once we start. It’s a brain malfunction.
For instance, Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers is facing charges of not only betting on his own team’s games, but also using a phony ID to place bets.
Does that sound like reasonable behavior to you? No – that’s a guy with a serious problem, who needs help.
But no, let’s just banish him altogether, and throw him behind bars.
It’s the disease of Addiction, defined by: When you can’t stop a behavior or use of a substance despite it causing problems in your life, that’s Addiction.
Been there, bought the T-shirt, now selling the T-shirts.
I never gambled seriously because I’m too cheap but the concept is all the same.
Beer and gambling aren’t bad. Addiction is bad.
For some of us, it’s all or nothing and for a guy like Hunter Dekkers, it’s gotta be nothing. That’s if he gets another chance in life.
I hope he gets the help he needs.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, YouTube Live & Podcast)
This is a passion project for both of us. There is no morality in this society and never has been. I can tell people Moose Jaw created a tourism industry based on the idea of a mafioso killer from Chicago hiding in their city. In 100 years all the Cartels pumping in Fentanyl to our country may sponsor little league teams or signage sponsorship and whaddaya know – fentanyl is a good thing. Tommy “NDP” Douglas spouted off about Booze, Gambling, Vice – and look at moral Sakatchewan now – we had government liquor stores, government casinos, and they are… Read more »
To piggy back regarding Tommy “NDP” Douglas and his version of morality. This is the guy that wrote a thesis on eugenics and steralizing people who in his view were morally weak – idigenous, mentally challenged, single moms, poor people – these are the people who should not be having children is how he believed. Go look up on Youtube his views on Homosexuality – he believes it should be in his exact words, “treated like the mental illness it is” – …there are 3 by elections coming up. The NDP are the moral authority of this province, and when… Read more »