Summer series: Sports gambling Part I – Rantoul Press

The list drags on longer than the Kentucky Derbys 1 -mile race track at Churchill Downs.

Pete Rose. Tim Donaghy. Shoeless Joe Jackson. Michael Jordan. Charles Barkley. Wayne Gretzky. Floyd Mayweather. And on and on

They range from very good, to great, to transcendent in each of their individual crafts. And they each have another thing in common other than talent in sport.

Gambling controversy.

Rose, the greatest hitter in MLB history to many, is not in the Hall of Fame and is permanently banned from baseball because of betting on Reds games in which he was the manager.

Donaghy, an NBA official who spent years on the job and refereed many playoff games, was sent to prison after being found guilty of gambling and providing information to bookies on certain NBA players and teams.

Shoeless Joe, as those who grew up on Field of Dreams know, was banned from baseball after being at the center of the 1919 Black Sox scandal.

Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all-time (or maybe not, and dont you dare contact me about any Jordan vs. LeBron comparisons because I do not care), may or may not have had to retire from basketball for 18 months because of his gambling problems. There is still not much evidence to prove Jordan was handed a quiet ban by NBA commissioner David Stern, but it is one of the juicier sports conspiracy theories nonetheless.

Barkley, one of the best to never win a ring, isnt shy about his shortcomings in Las Vegas, saying he can afford to gamble, even though he admitted gambling cost him close to $10 million.

Gretzky, the worlds greatest hockey player, admitted to his involvement in a sports betting scandal.

And Mayweathers gambling sagas are often glorified, with numerous photos and articles on massive amounts of cash he won betting on various games.

Sports betting is one of the most intriguing and fascinating taboo subjects in American culture. It was such a dirty, grimy, touchy thing to talk about for so many years, starting with the inaugural 1875 Kentucky Derby race.

But not anymore. The numbers prove that out, and the national voices continue to speak up for its support.

Next week: Part II: Sports betting is becoming more commonplace and can no longer be considered taboo

Contact Zack Carpenter at zcarpenter@rantoulpress.com and on Twitter @ZCarp11.

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Summer series: Sports gambling Part I - Rantoul Press