Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw didn’t even attempt to mask his gambling on NFL games.
Shaw has been suspended for the entire 2020 season after it was revealed he bet on NFL action at some point this season. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
We now have more details, and they kind of prove the Cardinals player didn’t think he was doing anything wrong at all. According to ESPN, he bet a three-team second-half parlay, which included taking the Bucs against his own team.
How did Caesars and the NFL possibly know so quickly something was up? Well, according to the same report, he listed his profession as a pro football player.
I’m being serious when I say this, but I actually think this whole saga helps Shaw in this process. Initially, reporting claimed he thought he was allowed to bet after a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The fact he listed his profession accurately has me thinking that’s the honest truth. If you were trying to be shady about betting, you wouldn’t list yourself as an NFL player.
You just wouldn’t. Yet, he did, and that has me convinced he genuinely didn’t think he was doing anything that could get him in trouble.
Now, that doesn’t mean Shaw shouldn’t be punished. He absolutely needs to be because you can’t set the precedent that gambling on games, even if you think it’s okay, is acceptable as a member of the NFL.
We’ll see how long the NFL actually keeps him out of play for, but there’s no doubt Shaw made it as easy as possible to find out what he was doing.
Just not smart at all, but at least it was honest.
