Sports gambling has become pervasive. Whether legal or illegal, as a sports ethics keynote speaker, sports ethics consultant and book author, I know that when gambling “grabs hold” of addictive personalities it becomes perilous. When a player, coach or athletic director bets on their own team, it makes a leap to the unethical.
Brad Bohannon
Brad Bohannon, the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama has just lost his $275,000 base salary (with added $225,000 “talent fees” incentive). Why would he allow a potential half-million-dollar annual salary to go away? It was due to unethical behavior.
Bohannon was involved in a gambling scandal for betting on his own team. He was using legal sportsbooks to place bets including “suspicious” bets placed on a game where Alabama lost to Louisiana State University.
He allegedly placed bets in Ohio and when discovered, it triggered several states to ban any further betting activity on Alabama. In his termination it was announced that his unethical behavior included “violating the standards, duties, and responsibilities expected of University employees.”
The SEC commissioner chimed in with a statement than their highest priority was ensuring the integrity of their programs, with the usual statements about “zero tolerance.” Of course, there is really no way of knowing who else might have been in on the action. Friends or relatives perhaps?
Contrary to opinion, the outcomes of any games can be influenced by a head coach. While not necessarily a pre-determined result, influence can lead to outcomes in a loss. Brad Bohannon not only let his employer and himself down, but his team and the integrity of the SEC. Suspicious behavior, even if highly limited, taints programs and conferences despite their attempts to remain completely ethical.
A broader context
Gambling and sports have been in a sick partnership since the dawn of time. As a sports ethics keynote speaker, sports ethics consultant and book author, I know that over time (such as in the early 1950’s), gambling will rear its ugly head and can completely overwhelm athletics. Laws are enacted after such overwhelming activities, politicians and sports figures will pound podiums, and nothing will be done. I fear that the sports world is setting itself up once again. For not only is online betting pervasive in our present day and age, the sports media is often complicit by posting odds.
To make matters worse, sports gambling has marched onto many college campuses and has encourage gambling addictions, personal bankruptcies and occasionally, illegal and unethical behavior.
In some strange way, Brad Bohannon may have figured that if he placed bets in Ohio, it might all remain hidden in Alabama. It no longer works that way. And, while universities and conferences do have third-party tracking software to monitor gambling activity, though Bohannon may have been caught, there is no telling who might have shared in his knowledge.
While virtually every online gambling advertisement carries the requisite “warning” that if a person might feel as though they have a gambling problem, they can seek help by calling a toll-free helpline, how serious are they? Who, rationally, believes that a 20-year-old knows – and internalizes – that they have a serious gambling addiction? And really, how committed are online sports books to stopping addictive behaviors?
It is estimated that of the online gamblers that about 8-percent have an actual addiction. It is incredibly difficult to believe that statistic. Would Brad Bohannon admit he has an addiction? We doubt that as well.
The only thing
The only thing that has ever seemed to break the bond between sports and gambling is a commitment to ethical behavior. Had Brad Bohannon internalized, ethically, where his actions, his consequences, might have led, he could have been dissuaded or sought help.
His actions will undoubtedly lead to banning and disgrace. He has lost salary, benefits and reputation. Make no mistake, he is to blame for his decisions however, he had “partners” all too willing to help him place bets and capitalize on his greed.
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