Pandora’s Box
- Ed Botti
- 3 hours ago
- 11 min read
Ed Botti
November 13, 2025
Besides being a classic, very early song from one of my favorite bands, Aerosmith, the term “Pandora’s Box” goes back to the God, Prometheus. As the Legend goes, Prometheus stole fire from heaven to give to the human race, which originally consisted only of men. To punish humanity, the other Gods created the first woman, the beautiful Pandora. As a gift, Zeus gave her a box, which she was told never to open. However, as soon as he was out of sight she took off the lid, and out swarmed all the troubles of the world, never to be recaptured.
Only Hope was left in the box, wedged under the lid.
Anything that looks ordinary but may produce unpredictable harmful results has thus been called a Pandora's Box.
“Pandora's box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pandora%27s%20box.
Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner
“If gambling is permitted freely on sporting events, normal incidents of the game such as bad snaps, dropped passes, turnovers, penalties, and play calling inevitably will fuel speculation, distrust, and accusations of point-shaving or game-fixing.”
Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner
"We were kind of dragged into legalized sports betting as a litigant in a case that ended up in the Supreme Court," he said with a laugh. "Having said that, I recognize -- probably better today than when we were involved in that litigation -- that one of the advantages of legalization is it's a heck of a lot easier to monitor what's going on than it is with an illegal operation."
Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner
“Nothing is more important than the integrity of the competition.”
Gary Bettmann NHL Commissioner
"You don't want people rooting for anything other than the team that they love and the players that they think the world of to win. We don't want there to be another agenda."
Those statements lack authenticity and credibility in retrospect since the leagues decided to peddle their integrity and trustworthiness to gambling operators. They then thrust betting content into broadcasts, blasted it all over social media, normalized gambling for young adults, praised it in advertising, and then had the audacity to fake astonishment and bewilderment when criminal conduct erupted inside their own leagues.
With regard to Manfred’s statement, which was nothing more than passing the buck. Sorry Rob, I do not recall a time when the local bookies advertised on all sorts of shows (sport or non sport related), games, bus stops, trains, ferries and books of matches.
It didn’t work that way, and you know it. Gambling was never even attempted to be normalized. That is what you and your colleagues have done.
Back in 1992, Congress passed a law, Sponsored by NBA Hall of Famer and US Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey, that banned sports gambling in every state except Nevada.
Twenty years later, in 2012, New Jersey tried overturning that law.
MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and the NCAA all opposed sports gambling, and sued to keep the law in place and keep it illegal.
They were successful, but New Jersey appealed it (they wanted sports books in Atlantic City, as well).
In 2018 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey. Bill Bradley’s law was overturned. Now, any state could legalize sports gambling.
Suddenly, the opinions of the League Commissioners changed.
What was the cost of their integrity?
According to CBS Sports “The total amount wagered, increased dramatically from 2023 to 2024. In 2023, $121.1 billion was wagered legally in the US. That number jumped up $28.5 billion, or 23.5%, to $149.6 billion in 2024. Total gross revenue for sportsbooks increased 24.4% from $11.0 billion to $13.7 billion. Those increases, of course, mean more tax revenue for states where sports betting is legal. Total tax revenue from sports betting across the U.S. increased from $2.1 billion in 2023 to $2.8 billion in 2024, a jump of nearly 32%.”
As we say in my business, follow the money. When you do so in this matter it all leads directly back to greedy tax jurisdictions, powerful media companies, gambling operations and the leagues who have sold all of us out, and especially young men, for a quick buck.
So the integrity of the sports and the games was paramount, until it wasn’t.
Further, if you take on line sports gambling and sprinkle in a measure of Social Media -- which is designed to trigger the release of dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward—leading to addictive behaviors -see the connection?) you have a complete mess on your hands.
Major sports and gambling have always had scandals, and always will. There will never be a way around that.
If you didn’t get a chance, back in 2021 I did a piece on the 1919 Chicago Black Sox and Arnold Rothstein. Here is the link.
The problem is, these guys took 10 gallons of gas and put it next to a camp fire, sold tickets to the campfire, and then looked at each other with bewilderment and shock when it exploded.
We are now seeing that normalizing sports gambling and the ease and availability by which it is now experiencing puts the motive, means, and opportunity on a proverbial silver platter.
That “Box” was ripped open; not by curiosity and inquisitiveness, but by greed and gluttony.
The trouble flew out, and I doubt it will ever be recaptured.
No one knows if Hope is still wedged under the lid.
As Oscar Wilde put it “I can resist everything except temptation”.
Dr. Anna Lembke, a world-leading expert on addiction recently stated “the smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle: We turn to it for quick hits, seeking attention, validation and distraction with each swipe, like and tweet. Since the turn of the millennium, behavioral (as opposed to substance) addictions have soared. Every spare second is an opportunity to be stimulated, whether by entering the TikTok vortex, scrolling Instagram, swiping through Tinder or online gambling and e-shopping.”
Is she being overly dramatic? Ask yourself, what do you see each and every day in your daily activities of life? At the stores. At a restaurant. At a game. At a red light. At work, etc.…? Speaking of just my experience, it is practically all I see everywhere I turn, every single day.
Addiction to a device.
One of the many reasons why I don’t use any of those social media platforms.
Why do I discuss this topic on a Baseball forum?
Because it impacts all aspects of our lives, including our leisure time, such as watching a baseball game.
When I was watching this year’s World Series, many of the people in just the good seats in LA behind home plate (that we can see from our TVs) were looking at phones and/or holding up phones during crucial exciting parts of games.
Sad. And they probably paid well over a $1,000 for those seats.
How about the players? The guys that spent their entire lives training and preparing to compete at the highest possible level. Is this impacting them and their focus on the field, and if so how?
Social media and the deluge in legalized sports gambling negatively affect athletes primarily through ruthless online harassment and increased risk of personal gambling troubles or scandals.
This collision significantly damages athletes' mental health and can lead to disciplinary action or even mental health crises.
The crossroads of social media and sports gambling has produced a toxic environment where athletes, coaches, and officials face a bombardment of abuse from angry bettors who have lost money.
Graham Gano of the New York Football Giants, despite having a herniated disc in his back that is pressing up against his spine, yet still trying to help his team, recently stated "ever since sports betting started happening, I get people telling me to kill myself every week."
"'Cause I'll hit a kick that loses them money. I'll miss a kick and it loses them money. It was the other day that someone told me to get cancer and die".
Ryne Stanek of the NY Mets was quoted this week in the NY Post; “I get death threats all the time — every day, it’s not anything that every baseball player doesn’t deal with all the time. Like, ‘You cost me my parlay, I hope your family dies.’
“Gambling in baseball is doing nothing but making the day-to-day lives of players substantially worse. It’s just people that recklessly bet their money on just anything that they can and if you mess up their bad life choice, you’re the problem and you should die.”
Note to Graham and Ryne, your bosses couldn’t care less.
This is in many ways similar to Bud Selig turning his head the other way during the steroid scandal scarred years.
Bud didn’t seem to care about the player’s health risks, either. At least from my view from the hill.
Some research into this matter revealed these specifics.
Nearly one third of prominent athletes receive abusive communications from people with gambling pursuits. These communications often include personal attacks, racial insults, and even death threats.
The continuous flow of negative messaging can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, sleep deprivation, and suicidal thoughts.
Many coaches state that online activity, including using social media before or during games, can lead athletes to suffer from compromised focus & alertness and deteriorated communication skills, ultimately influencing performance.
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery revealed that he had suicidal thoughts during his rookie year in some degree due to messages from angry and indignant fans and loser gamblers.
College athletes are experiencing similar encounters, with abuse intensifying during events like March Madness, the College Football Playoff (CFP) tournament, and the College World Series.
The amplified prominence and normalization of sports gambling, mainly fueled by unrelenting advertising on social media platforms and networks during games, have similarly led to athletes participating in prohibited gambling actions, leading to suspensions, loss of salary and ineligibility.
Numerous pro and amateur athletes have faced disciplinary action for violating gambling rules and guidelines. Recent examples include:
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested as part of federal investigations into illegal gambling.
Both were placed on leave by the NBA.
Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA for disclosing confidential information to bettors, limiting his game participation for betting, and betting on NBA games.
UFC fighter Isaac Dulgarian has been released from the UFC two days after sportsbooks flagged unusual betting interest against the featherweight ahead of his first-round loss to Yadier del Valle.
Dulgarian, a tough fighter, looked like a white belt on this night.
In a story in which we may never know the truth, Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, was sentenced to prison in March 2024 for stealing millions from Ohtani to cover gambling debts.
San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano received a lifetime ban for betting on baseball, including games involving his own team.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired in February 2025 after an investigation into shared betting accounts and deleted messages.
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase were placed on leave pending an investigation into unusual betting patterns.
This week they were both indicted in relation to a conspiracy to rig bets on pitches thrown during games.
Since this is a fresh MLB gambling scandal, if I had the chance I would like to ask Commissioner Manfred a couple of questions.
Does he still believes his decree that “one of the advantages of legalization is it's a heck of a lot easier to monitor what's going on than it is with an illegal operation?"
If it was so much easier to monitor, why then didn’t you and your MLB security people pick up on the fact that Emmanuel Clase and his 0.61 ERA over 74 innings in 2024 suddenly ballooned to 9.00 in 8 playoff innings?
Where those appearances tainted?
Fans and writers throughout the league are now starting to ask that question. And it is a valid question to ask.
Players don’t always perform the same in the playoffs, I get it. We see it every year, in every sport.
But since Manfred brought gambling into the mix, he now has to answer for the speculations and lack of trust in the integrity of the game. That’s on him.
Included in that 9.00 ERA playoff meltdown were crucial home runs to:
Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter- a 3 run game winning ninth inning shot in the ALDS.
Aaron Judge - a 2 run game tying home run in ALCS,
Giancarlo Stanton – a home run to give the Yanks the lead in ALCS.
Keep in mind, in 2024 Clase gave up 2 home runs in 74 innings.
Although the federal indictment doesn’t specifically cite any postseason improprieties, fans are left to speculate
So, Mr. Commissioner, is it good for the game now that many people will look back on those pitches and wonder?
Let me answer that for you. No.
Now, I look at the Yankees winning the 2024 Pennant with suspicion and doubt.
Thank you, MLB.
But, I guess that $154 million in direct gambling-related revenue in 2024 helps, huh?
Earlier this week, MLB announced that they are working with all official gaming organizations, or as they put it "Sportsbook Partners", to put a cap on bets in pitch-level markets to $200, as a reaction to the Cleveland pitchers being accused of influencing the outcome of micro-bets, which are slightly different than prop bets.
These bets will also be excluded from parlays going forward.
This is akin to putting a band aid on gunshot wound.
The NCAA is investigating several college basketball programs for betting violations, resulting in players being ruled ineligible for manipulating games, betting on their own games, or not cooperating with investigations.
College-aged kids and student-athletes are at a higher risk of developing problem gambling behaviors due to factors like increased sports awareness & competitive drive. Even more so due to high exposure to betting content, and an absolute barrage of gambling platform advertisements.
An odd stat is that Women's college basketball student-athletes have, in some examples, received approximately three times more threats than their male counterparts.
All of that going on, and then the NCAA announces that effective November 1st, NCAA student-athletes are permitted to bet on professional sports, but are still strictly prohibited from betting on any college sports.
Seriously? These people don’t see a problem with that, and what it will most likely lead to?
Charles Barkley does, he emphatically stated “Anybody who thinks that’s a good idea should have their head examined”.
I’m with Charles on this one.
I can go on and on, but I think you get the point I am trying to make:
The owners of clubs, the taxing jurisdictions, the leagues, networks and gambling operations are the only winners here, despite the ongoing issues and scandals that have resulted from the growth of online sports gambling.
It’s unambiguous that they are the least affected from the betting addictions of the fans, and the suspended, threatened and banned players.
States are now relying on gambling taxes/revenue to finance basic services.
According to NBC, in 2024 New York State brought in $862MM from online gambling, and claimed they would spend it on their educational system.
Great to invest in education! But using money generated from destructive behaviors and even addictions? What is the motivation to eliminate these behaviors and addictions, if the results are huge tax revenues?
It’s so over the top that I personally stopped listening to WFAN because I cannot stand the constant on air, sophomoric ads for some online betting sites.
It’s not just here in the good old USA, 7 English Premier League teams (AFC Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Brentford, Burnley, Everton, Fulham, West Ham United) have sponsorship agreements with gambling businesses right on the front-of their jerseys.
The rear naked choke that sports gambling has locked in on today’s ethos is destructive for sports, while its promotional efforts will continue to produce problems for young people and the future of sports.
It is not a good idea for leagues to be profiting from gambling money, for many reasons.
The temptation for corruption alone should be enough of a deterrent, but it isn’t.
Threats to the players and their families should also be enough. But it isn’t.
Addictions by their young fan base should also be enough. But it isn’t.
What will be enough?
I guess the only way to send a message is simply to stop following their games, and consuming all of their digital content.
They are betting that we won’t do that, as well.
They are probably right, they have so many locked in hook, line, and sinker. Of course, the dopamine high just adds fuel to the fire.
I hate to have to say this, but here it is anyway: The way things look to me, sports have changed and will never be what they used to be. Worse, unfortunately for baseball fans, baseball is not exempt.
We as a society tend to take things too far. We see it every single day, like we are right now with AI.
My view on many things is and has always been…..Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!
IMO, It was much better when you simply went to Vegas or AC to gamble. Had a few days of fun, spent money at the hotels and great restaurants and bars, saw a show or two, got some sun, tipped well, and went home.
Remember, what happens on your cell phone doesn't stay on your cell phone!
Congrats to Dan Fiorito for being named the Yankees new first base coach and infield coach! He earned it! Maybe he can bring a little of that 2022 Somerset Patriots magic with him!
RIP Lenny Wilkens
RIP Ace Frehley
