That deal was probably his endgame all along, Moe. His current deal is pretty hefty and he signed it not too long ago. And lots of folks are chirping that the year+ long ban for a guy who wasn't even active is too much. They'll suspend you for six games if you beat a woman but 17 games if you gamble on games you cannot influence? It does seem a little out of whack but I understand their urge to throw the book at him.

I think they're trying to scare players because gambling is already an issue in the NFL. They instituted an injury report because they didn't want professional gamblers and mobsters to have inside information that wasn't available to the public. That information came from players, coaches, and other team personnel and the pipeline is still in operation and the league knows it.

The big problem is that once organized criminals are aware somebody is betting or passing information, they can leverage that knowledge to influence games. It's either play along with their schemes or lose a deal worth many millions. That's what baseball was worried about with Pete Rose and it's why he'll never get into the hall of fame. And it's why the NFL and NBA will be heavy-handed when it comes to disciplining players for gambling, even though it's a significant revenue stream for them.