The last major league baseball game we attended was in about 2007-2008 at Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada. Traveled to see the Yankees vs Blue Jays. Don't recall the actual trip costs, but thinkin' conservative costs for the overnight stay includes 2 game tickets at >$150., hotel >$100/day., ball park purchases [$$ ?], meals >$150+, travel >$100+, etc., etc. – gotta be a grand+ in final trip costs – costs may be near two grand in inflation adjusted dollars. We did see Andy Pettitte successfully pitch that baseball game, and saw Jetter and A-Rod play – that was a hard-to-forget experience. Bottom line, that trip was worth it.
Wondering why anyone is surprised about gaming corruption... ever heard of "Eight Men Out" -- look it up. Betting corruption in all sorts of events and games -- its been underway for centuries. I'm told with reasonable certainty that Julius Caesar placed rigged bets on chariot races!
A case speculation I'm thinkin' about today...
Considering today the breaking news about apparent major sports game betting & playing-card scandals... wondering why any honest person with a brain would pay their associated hard-earned dollars to view any potentially-rigged professional sporting event. I'm thinking now, for example, about a moderated means sports fan family... of the simple, USA regular family type... folks who saved enough family cash to watch a child's favored Aaron Judge play a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. The family purchased game tickets a couple weeks before, and when seated before that ball game were told the Yankee management-by-committee operators decided to bench an uninjured Aaron Judge this day with an unannounced prior notice. The proposed Aaron Judge benching is alleged necessary since the bean-counters on the Yankee management committee see it as “a statistically necessary day of rest.” Oh really, the data says the day-of-rest protects the Yankee player investment. Yes, the benching probably impacts this single game outcome on this day. We the "Great Unwashed" know that all number-cruncher statisticians are ethical and totally honest, no gamblers among these stats-people. There can be no other reason for the unexpected Judge benching. Right, you do know that Brooklyn Bridge remains available for purchase!
The cited speculated scenario could and logically does happen from time-to-time... so why would this fictional sports fan family attend any professional sporting event these days until the full scope and extent of the current sport & game scandals is fully understood. Not even sure why we should waste the TV viewing time watching a sporting event that has a potentially rigged outcome. Call me one in full support of the present FBI and U.S. Justice Department gaming investigation(s)... go forward rapidly with a complete sport betting review and a strong management, official & player investigation(s)... prosecute and significantly punish the parties found guilty.
I currently choose to believe that the vast majority of sporting events are operated ethically and honestly. But it is impossible to not suspect clear and evident obviously incorrect management & official sporting decisions, as coupled with some player alleged mistakes. Questions are especially justified with the advent of semi-frequent and obvious judgment errors when evaluating good quality and readily available digital replay.
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