Betting, brutality bolster NFL

Betting, brutality bolster NFL

Let’s admit the obvious: Gambling and violence are big reasons — maybe the biggest reasons — why the NFL has become this country’s most popular sport, one that rakes in more than $3.5 billion annually in television money.
Though it would never admit as much, the league must maintain an environment in which gambling can thrive and violence is glorified if it is to sustain its alpha-dog status.
To borrow a phrase from Bill Cowher, there’s a fine line in this business. The NFL walks it daily on these two fronts — sometimes deftly, sometimes sloppily, always in danger of stepping into a steaming pile of hypocrisy.

pittsburghlive.com
11/19/08