Shannon Sharpe is out as the co-host of FS1’s Undisputed. So who’s in?
No one knows.
According to Michael McCarthy of FrontOfficeSports.com, Undisputed will be on hiatus on August 28, due to the struggles to find a replacement for Sharpe .
Part of the problem is that Sharpe, a Hall of Fame tight end, left quickly. Part of the problem, reportedly, is that not many want to work with Skip Bayless, who calls the shots for the debate show.
As one unnamed source explained it to McCarthy, the shutdown of the show will leave Bayless beside himself.
“Shannon’s exit moved way faster than they expected,” the source said. “So they had no choice but to go on hiatus. Skip has never done anything like this during all his years at FS1 or ESPN. Not being on the air during all these NBA moves is killing him.”
Bayless also won’t be on the air for NFL training camps and preseason, at which time he would surely be pretending to piss and moan about the Cowboys. He’ll return once the preseason has ended, and as teams prepare to trim rosters from 90 to 53.
That’s the one undisputed thing about this development — it’s far from ideal for FS1 or for Bayless.
The NFL’s gambling policy contains a specific term regarding the acceptance of hospitality or gifts by “NFL personnel” from “Gambling Entities.” The language of the provision, like the rest of the policy, reads as if it was written by a lawyer, for a lawyer.
It’s not clear where the line is. Which, obviously, becomes useful information for those players and other non-lawyers employed by the league and its teams who are expected to stay on the right side of it.
For Tuesday’s swanky, extravagant, and exclusive party held by Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin , the league won’t officially say which side of the line the party falls on. The league declined our request for comment on the matter.
Unofficially, a source with knowledge of the league’s position on the matter said there is no violation for NFL personnel who attended. Per the source, it was a private party that Rubin has hosted for several years with no promotion of Fanatics or any of its businesses.
That’s fine, but that’s not what the policy says. “NFL Personnel may not accept a complimentary room, service, or other gift from a Gambling Entity if its value exceeds Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250),” the policy states. “Any items accepted (other than de minimis food & beverages generally offered to all patrons) must be appropriately documented and verifiable upon request. Soliciting gifts of any value is never permissible.”
The loophole apparently comes from the term “Gambling Entity.” The policy defines “Gambling Entity” as a “casino, sportsbook, or other establishment or business that offers commercial gambling.”
Assuming that Rubin paid for the party himself and not with Fanatics money, any other sports book CEO or executive could do the same thing, without the policy ever being relevant. Expensive food. Expensive drinks. Expensive entertainment. Maybe a nice little swag bag with far more than $250 worth of stuff in it.
As long as it’s all hosted by the person who runs the sports book and not the sports book, it’s apparently fine.
Obviously, the spirit of the provision could be easily violated, if this loophole is something other than a make-it-up-as-they-go reaction to something that looks and feels like a violation of the policy. As long as the gambling entity isn’t mentioned or promoted, the owner or operator of the gambling entity can give NFL personnel anything and everything. Surely, that’s not the outcome the league intends.
The situation becomes thornier when considering the very real possibility that Fanatics footed the bill for the party, with the whole thing being a write-off. How would the NFL ever prove that? Would the NFL even be inclined to try?
If only players were present at the party, maybe the league would consider it. The fact that Patriots owner Robert Kraft was among the attendees makes it far less likely that the league would ever do anything about it.
And that’s quite possibly the bottom line here. Rubin’s party wasn’t a potential problem until his company launched a sports book. Someone at 345 Park Avenue might had an “oh shit” moment when considering the application of the relevant portion of the policy to the party. If only players were there, maybe they would hammer them. With an owner there, maybe they came up with a way to quietly look the other way.
Meanwhile, the policy is on the books as written, and no one is in any better position to understand how to avoid violating it.
That’s ultimately what we were trying to do. It’s how we explained it to the league. Lots of people in the league read PFT regularly, if not religiously. This would be a great way to help them understand what the policy means regarding hospitality and gifts.
Instead, you’re on your own, players. Proceed at your own risk.
Ever year, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin hosts an exclusive July 4 party at his $50 million house in the Hamptons. This year, the party comes as he’s trying to grow the company into a major sports book operation — and as unprecedented attention is being paid to the NFL’s gambling policy.
Present at the event, based on the video Rubin posted on his Twitter page , were (to name a few) Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Raiders receiver Davante Adams posted a photo of himself and Burrow on Instagram. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was there.
Given Rubin’s sports-betting aspirations, and in light of the rash of suspensions imposed recently by the league on players for violating the gambling policy, there’s at least a question to be asked about whether and to what extent accepting extravagant hospitality from the CEO of a sports book company crosses the line.
Section 5 of the NFL’s gambling policy seems to apply generally to situations like this. “NFL Personnel may not accept a complimentary room, service, or other gift from a Gambling Entity if its value exceeds Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250),” the policy states. “Any items accepted (other than de minimis food & beverages generally offered to all patrons) must be appropriately documented and verifiable upon request. Soliciting gifts of any value is never permissible.”
Nothing about that party appeared to be de minimis. It was big, it was exclusive, and it was lavish. And it was paid for by the CEO of a sports book company.
One argument could be that it wasn’t a Fanatics event, that it was Rubin’s private affair. That could be a distinction without a difference. Fanatics is Rubin, and Rubin is Fanatics. Also, if Fanatics footed the bill (and I’d be surprised if it didn’t), that argument collapses.
These are important distinctions that players will need to keep in mind, if they even know where the line resides. At what point does accepting an invitation from the CEO of a sports book become a violation of the gambling policy? And how thoroughly and completely is the league explaining to players and other NFL personnel what they can and can’t accept?
With so much about the gambling policy unclear and untested, it’s important for everyone to know where the potential traps are lurking. Just ask the guys who have been suspended for legally and properly betting on other sports in the wrong place.
A normal Independence Day became anything but in July 4, 2009, when word emerged that former NFL quarterback Steve McNair had been murdered.
The news was shocking, the circumstances mysterious. McNair was shot four times. Police ultimately determined that his 20-year-old girlfriend, Jenny Kazemi, killed him before committing suicide.
McNair was only 36 at the time.
Kazemi had purchased a gun the night before the killing. There were, and in some circles still are, questions about whether she actually pulled the trigger, on McNair or on herself. One of the most persuasive arguments we heard at the time was that McNair was shot execution style, with two shots in the head and two in the chest. It always seemed like something a 20-year-old who never before owned a gun would have a hard time accomplishing.
Regardless of the official conclusion or the unofficial suspicions that still linger, McNair’s life ended at a young age in a violent and shocking way on this day, 14 years ago.
A three-time Pro Bowler and co-MVP of the league in 2003, McNair led the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV. Tennessee nearly forced overtime against the Rams, with a McNair pass to receiver Kevin Dyson coming up just short of the end zone. The Titans traded McNair, the third pick in 1995, to Baltimore after drafting Vince Young with the third overall pick in 2006.
In all, McNair spent 13 years in the NFL. Here’s a link
to the episode of A Football Life devoted to him.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson have gotten new contracts this offseason. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow have not.
Is Burrow waiting for Herbert to do his deal before Burrow does his? Paul Dehner, Jr. of TheAthletic.com believes that’s one of the factors delaying Burrow’s deal.
Frankly, it shouldn’t be. Burrow and Herbert occupy different planes. Herbert is irrelevant to Burrow. The only reason for Burrow to wait would be to see whether Herbert gets more than expected, which would raise the floor considerably for Burrow.
If Burrow goes first, it’s hard to imagine Herbert getting as much or more. Frankly, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the Chargers wait a year to do Herbert’s deal. He doesn’t seem to be wired to whine about it, and the Chargers could be inclined to take advantage of one more relatively low-cost year under Herbert’s rookie deal before paying him. Especially if Herbert isn’t inclined to complain.
Regardless, Burrow should break the bank sooner than later — and then some. He should have a compensation package tied to a percentage of the salary cap. Actually, he should get whatever he wants. He has transformed a Bengals team that, without him, was the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. If he ever leaves, they could go back to being what they were before they stunk badly enough in 2019 to get him.