Rarely have those involved in sports betting had so many scandals to
take into consideration than over the past six months. Michael Phelps
was caught with marijuana, Manny Ramirez with female hormones, Jim
Leyritz caught in a DUI, and now Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger involved in a sexual assault claim.
Andrea Mcnulty (pictured below) is claiming that over a year ago, at
a celebrity golf tournament, Roethlisberger assaulted and raped her in
a hotel room. No report was filed at the time, but she now seeks
several hundred thousand dollars in damages. Those who take part in
golf betting may recall that Big Ben finished tied for 30th at the
event, the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament.
The timing of this lawsuit is particularly important to those
betting on sports for two reasons. One is that Roethlisberger was
scheduled to take part in Shaquille O'Neal's new reality show on ABC,
which may have garnered some online betting action at the BetUS Sportsbook,
on entertainment props. Secondly however, NFL camp is set to open
shortly, and those analyzing football odds have to consider the effect
of the negative publicity on the Steelers.
Big Ben overcame a host of injuries last season, and marched his
team to a second Super Bowl title. Those betting on NFL football
probably thought that nothing could rattle Roethlisberger and that he
was rock solid, and a big game quarterback at this point in his career.
However, scandals have a way of breaking down careers, and especially
when they involve a team's quarterback, they can spell the end of what
would otherwise have been a successful season.
The Steelers are in a much tougher division than they were last
year, with the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland
Browns all improving in some way over the offseason. As a result, NFL odds have tightened up a little bit with regards to the Steelers repeating as Super Bowl champions.
Roethlisberger's troubles may very well go away, however the
distraction it will cause is liable to do great damage to team
chemistry and focus throughout camp. A trial could also take time out
of Big Ben's training regiment, and possibly even his practice
schedule.
Even if betting odds aren't offered on the trial, those analyzing
pre-season NFL lines should certainly have their eyes on these judicial
dealings over the next few weeks!
