Jets WR Coach Miles Austin Suspended For Gambling On Basketball | Plans To Appeal Suspension

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New York Jets wide receivers coach Miles Austin has been suspended for a year for violating the league’s gambling policy, according to reports. Austin allegedly bet $50 from time to time on basketball games at the Jets facility, and was unaware that he could not bet on other sports. He is appealing the league’s decision.

“The NFL suspended Miles Austin for betting from a legitimate mobile account on non-NFL table games and professional sports,” Miles’ attorney and agent P. Deni Jr. said. “Miles has not bet on any NFL game in violation of the NFL’s personnel gambling policy. He has been fully cooperative with the NFL’s investigation. He is appealing his suspension.”

The NFL believes its gambling policy is pretty clear when it comes to what is and isn’t allowed.

“All NFL personnel, other than players, are further prohibited from placing, soliciting or facilitating wagers on any other professional (eg, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, USTA, MLS), college (e.g., NCAA basketball), international (e.g., World Baseball Classic, World Cup), or Olympic sports competitions, tournaments, or events,” the policy states.

The NFL, like every other professional sports league, is soaking up the money from legalized online sports gambling. They have partnerships, they run commercials every two seconds, they have bookies displayed throughout the stadiums, and there are shows dedicated solely to the purpose of betting.

The NFL’s random double standard

Players can bet on any sport other than football. However, coaches are not allowed to bet on any sports.

The league hands out its one-year suspension almost immediately if any player or coach is found to be in violation of the policy.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley is serving a suspension for the 2022 season for violating the policy in question.

Austin’s suspension also calls into question how the league seems to have no rhyme or reason with how it doles out punishment.

The league engages in sports books as mentioned, but somehow views $50 bets on other sports as an affront to competitive fairness.

However, steroid suspensions carry a six-game ban, domestic violence violations also lead to six-game suspensions.

Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson received an 11-game suspension for engaging in unwanted sexual acts at massage sessions. He settled more than a dozen civil suits on the matter.

Gray Area

Does the NFL really expect its fans and the media to believe it is taking a hard line on gambling and protecting the integrity of the game?

Now that online gambling is legal, there are dozens of ways that bets can be placed on NFL games on behalf of players and coaches without the league knowing anything about it.

Suspending an assistant coach who periodically bets $50 on basketball games is not the message they think it is.

Legalized gambling poses many legitimate threats to the integrity of the game. But the NFL has long since decided that the revenue generated by sports book deals far outweighs them, and in the meantime they’ll just put on a show while they continue to cash those massive checks.