Shawn Lemon suspended indefinitely for wagering on CFL

[ModAdmin]

Shawn Lemon suspended indefinitely for wagering on CFL

"...Defensive lineman Shawn Lemon has been suspended indefinitely for participating in sports wagering activities involving Canadian Football League (CFL) games, including one in which he played.

An investigation uncovered that Mr. Lemon bet on CFL games in 2021 while a member of the Calgary Stampeders...."

https://www.cfl.ca/2024/04/24/shawn-lemon-suspended-indefinitely-for-wagering-on-cfl/

[theaardvark]

So, can we get the Grey Cup invalidated for using an illegal player?

Just kidding...

Wow, betting on a game you played in.  Has he never heard of Pete Rose?

[blue_gold_84]

Didn't he retire two weeks ago? LOL

[Ridermania]

https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/shawn-lemon-suspended-indefinitely-for-betting-on-cfl-games-1.2108980

[theaardvark]

Didn't he retire two weeks ago? LOL

He signed an extension with Montreal, got a $70k signing bonus (no, sorry, that was someone else) and then retired 4 months later...

[ichabod_crane]

So, can we get the Grey Cup invalidated for using an illegal player?

Just kidding...

Wow, betting on a game you played in.  Has he never heard of Pete Rose?

I think Pete Rose was accused of gambling while he was a manager, not during his playing days that I am aware of. He said he did not bet on any games he was managing if I recall correctly too. He is STILL BANNED from the MLB hall of fame......Shoeless Joe Jackson's fate as well (Black Sox scandal in 1910's)

Sort of a farce now with gambling prevalent for all the leagues now. So easy for players to get swept up into it in some cases, especially with lower paying salaries in the CFL compared to the 4 BIG North American leagues. MLS/XFL/WELAF might be in the same boat too as lower tiered players probably make peanuts. All minor league or junior sports too as salaries small or almost non-existent in the WHL/OHL/QMJHL (education scholarships, room & board, maybe some spending money the junior players are officially allowed - I think a lot goes on under the covers in the hockey top tier junior leagues though - HEY WHERE DID YOU GET THE NEW CAR?  ) 

[TecnoGenius]

An investigation uncovered that Mr. Lemon bet on CFL games in 2021 while a member of the Calgary Stampeders...."

They sure took their time on this one!!  Lol.  Better late than never.

So, can we get the Grey Cup invalidated for using an illegal player?

Well, those that gamble on their own team tend to throw the game, not win it!  Unless you're a pool hustler... harder in team sports.

But this absolutely will factor into whether or not Lemon will ever go into the CFL HoF... it will now be a bad look to put him in.  I would have said he had a 75% chance of going in before this nonsense.

[TecnoGenius]

Sort of a farce now with gambling prevalent for all the leagues now.

Not a farce.  It's very important and still feasible in our "small" league.  When I watch NFL playoffs there's always a ton of stuff that screams "rigged", and it's probably rigged solely because of gambling.  CFL, not so much.  Especially the last couple/few GCs have looked very honest.  The last two you could only cry rigged if you think WPG wanted to lose (those last O possessions...) but I refuse to believe that; again, mostly because the CFL is too tiny for the swindlers to bother with.

And it has to be a complete ban / family ban on all CFL games for players because it you, say, allowed them to bet on other teams' games they could just make a deal with their best player bud on some other team and do a criss-cross game-throwing.

So far it's all been pretty good for the CFL, but I'm sure diligence is always required.  So I'm glad to see some enforcement, but a bit sad to see it was Lemon, because I've always respected him as a man and player.  Way to throw away your whole career for peanuts.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Not good, but hard to see how a DE could individually have much of an impact on the score of a game, try as they might they can only do so much to effect the score. QB yes, Receiver yes, DB yes, LB yes, kicker oh yes, O and D-line not so much.  Nonetheless the inside information Lemon had access to, put him at a competitive advantage.

[TecnoGenius]

Not good, but hard to see how a DE could individually have much of an impact on the score of a game, try as they might they can only do so much to effect the score.

A top DE could definitely impact the game.  If a D, like ours, relies on QB pressure, the DEs not showing up for one game can totally change the outcome.

Just look at how bad our D was sometimes when Jeffcoat was out and Willie wasn't effective.

And since Lemon is/was a top-5 (arguably top-3) DE, him "taking a dive" could lose an expected-win game.

Yes, you are correct in that it's not as easy or obvious as with a QB/WR, but it still could be a thing.

P.S. I'd make the same argument for OL... one OT turning into a turnstile can basically neuter the whole O.  See Van Zeyl in the '19 GC.

[theaardvark]

Its not an issue that the player could throw the game, one way or the other, as much as the player having inside knowledge that they could profit from. Which then puts the league in a conflict with the gamblers.

Plus, its been a rule forever that you can't do it. So there's that.