Tom Brady is the NFL’s secret weapon to keep players from betting on sports

Tom Brady is the famous NFL anti-gambling speaker.  (Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images)

Tom Brady is the famous NFL anti-gambling speaker. (Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images)

On the heels of yet another investigation into player sports betting, the NFL appears to have found its version of McGruff the Crime Dog or Smokey Bear: none other than recently retired legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady reportedly starred in an instructional video recorded for the league where he explains NFL playing policy, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. This video would be shown at the team’s rookie minicamps and training camps and looks like one of three ways the NFL informs its players about what is and isn’t allowed. The basic tenets of the policy are simply: don’t bet on anything NFL-related and don’t place bets at team facilities.

Although we don’t have a copy of the video, Klis detailed what’s in it in Brady’s post:

“[Brady] talks about his love of football and how the opportunity to play in the NFL was the privilege of a lifetime. He goes on to say that betting on NFL games harms the integrity of the league and the reputation of everyone on your team and it just isn’t worth it.

“… [he] also highlights how the players worked too hard for the NFL to let a bad decision ruin the opportunity – not just for you, the player, but your teammates and the players of tomorrow.

“Brady concludes his message by imploring players to do the right thing and follow the league’s gambling guidelines, which will be explained shortly, to help the NFL continue to be the greatest league in the world. world.”

One can only imagine something similar to the iconic Rachael Leigh ad from the 1990s where she smashes an egg with a frying pan to symbolize what happens to a human body on heroin.

The NFL has suspended 6 players for gambling since 2022

The 2023 season is still months away, but six players have already been suspended in the past year. Two others, including Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and an unnamed member of the Detroit Lions, could also be. Four of those five players were also members of the Lions while the other, defensive end Shaka Toney, plays for the Washington Commanders.

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley already served a one-year suspension last season after the NFL determined he placed bets while away from the Atlanta Falcons. He was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 season and was reinstated in March.

It’s the unsavory consequence of the NFL’s decision to lean into the world of sports betting, and it’s going to be hard to get out of it. Brady is the master of fourth-quarter comebacks, but the NFL is counting on his message to do a lot of work cleaning up the league’s mess.

Whether or not Brady’s message will work remains to be seen.

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