The first paragraph of the article struck a chord with me. I listen to a fair amount of sports talk radio and have for most of my life. Even back into the 80s and 90s I remember noticing that these guys on the air seemed to speak the language of betting. Odds, spreads, etc. They would often talk about the games in this context. But, this being before the legal/online/casual betting age we're in now, it always struck me as both sad and out-of-touch. I would think, these sports radio hosts are all such degenerate gamblers, they probably don't realize that most of their listeners are actual sports fans. I would also think, maybe I'm the outlier? Maybe the hosts AND the listeners are all gambling and I'm the only one who doesn't?
But now, the cat is totally out of the bag. And the gateway drug, I think, was online fantasy sports leagues.
Anyway, I enjoyed this article and agree with many of its points, and for an article on Jacobin that's saying a lot coming from a died-in-the-wool centrist like me.
> I listen to a fair amount of sports talk radio and have for most of my life. Even back into the 80s and 90s I remember noticing that these guys on the air seemed to speak the language of betting. Odds, spreads, etc.
I have also listened to sports talk radio for many hours a day over decades. My take on sports talk hosts chatting about gambling covers a few thoughts. Betting lines are talking points. "How is TeamA -125 on the moneyline, their star player is nursing an injury!" "TeamA just got their star player back, and they're playing at home with one of the better home records in the league, and they're the underdog?!" "Boy, I sure thought TeamA was going to win that game, Vegas didn't, and I was wrong" Are all things I have heard in the past 6 months.
Their job is to talk about sports. Telling listeners what Vegas thinks will happen in a game is almost part of the job description.
Professional line-setters are pretty damn good at what they do. Checking what "Vegas" thinks will happen in a game gives you more information, not less.
> But, this being before the legal/online/casual betting age we're in now, it always struck me as both sad and out-of-touch. I would think, these sports radio hosts are all such degenerate gamblers, they probably don't realize that most of their listeners are actual sports fans.
You have made a few pretty judgmental assumptions here. When people bet on horse racing, is that sad and out of touch? Going to a casino, sad and out of touch? Buying a lottery ticket? 50/50 raffle?
> I would also think, maybe I'm the outlier? Maybe the hosts AND the listeners are all gambling and I'm the only one who doesn't?
Yep, you're the outlier. Give yourself a pat on the back. Or, more productively, maybe stop being so judgmental.
But now, the cat is totally out of the bag. And the gateway drug, I think, was online fantasy sports leagues.
Anyway, I enjoyed this article and agree with many of its points, and for an article on Jacobin that's saying a lot coming from a died-in-the-wool centrist like me.