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03/03/2009 - Signed running back Derrick Ward.

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<< Suns' Nash returns after missing three games
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash returned to the court on Tuesday vs. the Orlando Magic after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. The Suns went 2-1 without Nash during the stretch. The two

<< Nuggets sign G Hart for remainder of season
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets signed guard Jason Hart for the remainder of the season on Tuesday. Hart was waived on February 27 by the Los Angeles Clippers after averaging 11.1 minutes in 28 games this season. He po

<< Bucks' Redd has successful surgery
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter Michael Redd had successful knee surgery Tuesday to repair a season-ending injury he suffered in a January 24 game against Sacramento. In the game, a 106-104 win for

<< Falcons re-sign nine players
Flowery Branch, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Falcons have re-signed tight end Justin Peelle, linebackers Coy Wire and Tony Gilbert, defensive tackle Jason Jefferson, offensive lineman Ben Wilkerson and safety Jamaal Fudge,

<< This Week in Auto Racing March 6 - 8
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After two weeks on the West Coast, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns east to one of the fastest tracks on the circuit, Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series kicks off the Atlanta

Berenson, Michigan agree to extension >>
Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Michigan signed fabled hockey head coach Gordon "Red" Berenson to a one-year contract extension through the 2009-10 campaign, athletic director Bill Martin announced Tuesday. Bere

Report: Oakland, Garciaparra near deal >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics are reportedly close to signing infielder Nomar Garciaparra to a one-year contract. A source familiar with the negotiations confirmed to MLB.com on Tuesday the two parties are in the

Coast Guard calls off search for missing boaters >>
Clearwater, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Coast Guard held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to announce they have suspended the search for three missing boaters, including Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor

Columbus forward Chimera out for remainder of regular season >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jason Chimera, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair his injured groin. Chimera is expected to be sidelined for the rem

Broncos: Cutler will not be traded >>
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos released a statement Tuesday saying quarterback Jay Cutler will remain with the team and will not be dealt, contrary to published reports. "The Denver Broncos are not trading Jay

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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