Former Top Lawyer at NCAA Says, ‘I Told You so,’ in So Many Words
Donald Remy, who was the top lawyer at the NCAA for more than a decade, noted on a LinkedIn post a couple days ago that he foresaw what would happen if the “floodgates were opened” for legalized sports betting in the US.
His post follows:
When the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, I saw this moment coming. The floodgates open, and the warning signs are everywhere.
In Collegiate Capitalism, I write about how technology, mobile betting, and athlete access can converge to create an integrity crisis. And now, we are watching it unfold across sports, with the scandal related to the NBA the latest hammer to drop.
Integrity isn’t just a word we use to sound righteous, it’s the foundation of trust. Without it, fans stop believing, and sports become theater. Indeed, we know bad behavior doesn’t kill sports, but the perception that fans are watching something scripted will.
We must draw the line. Because once outcomes feel scripted, the soul of sport is gone.
What prosecutors disclosed recently about NBA players, coaches and the mafia, and what the NCAA passed allowing college players and coaches to gamble should concern all of us. This can’t be about profit, it must be about trust.
And once that trust is gone, it doesn’t come back easily.