The NFL made headlines last night after deciding the outcome of a controversial football game. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Detroit Lions 20-19. But a controversial call overshadowed that.
A Lions offensive lineman was involved in a controversial call. The lineman announced the successful two-point conversion was valid before coming off the board. As a result, another attempt by Detroit failed and they ended up forfeiting the game. But there is a plot twist. This coin puts a lot of money at risk for gambling. Now, an NFL legend says it threatens the integrity of the league. Carl Banks calls the NFL
Legendary New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts on the call. Not only has he won multiple Super Bowls with the Giants, he is also a radio commentator for New York Giants games. Banks, a former player and journalist, said the integrity of the league was at stake after last night. What makes this claim even more valid is the fact that sportsbooks made a ton of money on this controversial call last night. John Ewing publishes betting data for BetMGM. Before starting a game, he writes down how much money is on each side of the spread and moneyline bets.Due to this controversial decision, the Cowboys won the game by one point. Without that call, it would have ended in a win for the Lions.
How important was this to sportsbooks? 83% of BetMGM moneyline bets were on the Lions. The Cowboys had 67% of the spread betting control. As you can see, the final result of the game made it a good night for the sportsbooks. However, this cost 86% of players. It’s true that it leaves a sour taste in your mouth. What is even more unfortunate is that the referees are standing firm despite the protests inside and outside the stadium.
Referee Brad Allen, who made the controversial decision last night, said he marked the wrong player. But he is not alone.ESPN rules analyst and former NFL referee John Parry also defended Allen. He claimed that Allen was unable to pinpoint the attacker. But Parry also said it was the umpires’ responsibility to make sure everyone understood clearly who was eligible.
SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt worked hard to make this happen. Van Pelt joked that in that case, the lineman would have to “jump” to report that he’s eligible. In short, there should be no surprises here. Referees protect each other and NFL offices remain silent. Then it’s only natural that the fans, the media and even the players are upset.
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