When someone made a bet for 20,000 pounds on David Beckham scoring the first goal in a game for Manchester United a few years back, it caused a mild outrage amongst hardcore football fans. The real question is whether fans are still fans or is it just becoming a game of "chance" where the main motivation for watching a game is money and how much you will win or lose.
Its not that long ago when sport stars had day jobs and playing in Saturdays ballgame was merely a sideline. These were the days when players played for the love of the game and money had no real impact on it. In many ways, sports betting changed the face of sport. Not only did it injects a huge amount of money into sport, it change the playing field altogether.
In virtually every game these days there is a lot more riding on it than just pride. professional punters have a lot at steak on every single game and the days of a game being just a game is over. With sports betting growing steadily every year you got to ask the question whether this is changing sport for good?
It does not take a conspiracy theory to argue that when there is that much money at steak, bribes and match fixing is more than just a probability. Although the lid was blown wide open on cricket with ex-South African captain Hansie Cronje found guilty of throwing matches many argue that it was just the tip of the iceberg. While many Ausssie players were implicated, governing bodies acted swiftly to cover it up and "save face" because they knew that any suspicion of match fixing can ruin any sport.
We all know that money talks. Athletes have short careers and the lure of loading up before an immanent retirement will always be there. Regardless of whether matches are getting fixed or will get fixed in the future, betting is changing the way sport is played, the way its perceived and ultimately the way money flows through it.
Its not that long ago when sport stars had day jobs and playing in Saturdays ballgame was merely a sideline. These were the days when players played for the love of the game and money had no real impact on it. In many ways, sports betting changed the face of sport. Not only did it injects a huge amount of money into sport, it change the playing field altogether.
In virtually every game these days there is a lot more riding on it than just pride. professional punters have a lot at steak on every single game and the days of a game being just a game is over. With sports betting growing steadily every year you got to ask the question whether this is changing sport for good?
It does not take a conspiracy theory to argue that when there is that much money at steak, bribes and match fixing is more than just a probability. Although the lid was blown wide open on cricket with ex-South African captain Hansie Cronje found guilty of throwing matches many argue that it was just the tip of the iceberg. While many Ausssie players were implicated, governing bodies acted swiftly to cover it up and "save face" because they knew that any suspicion of match fixing can ruin any sport.
We all know that money talks. Athletes have short careers and the lure of loading up before an immanent retirement will always be there. Regardless of whether matches are getting fixed or will get fixed in the future, betting is changing the way sport is played, the way its perceived and ultimately the way money flows through it.
