Photo: Chip Somodevilla
Dan Patrick takes issue with anyone trying to compare Atlanta Falcons WR Calvin Ridley’s gambling offense to real crimes like domestic abuse or fixing games. What Ridley did was a violation of NFL rules, not actual laws, so his punishment should remain appropriate. But that doesn’t mean the NFL shouldn’t come down harshly on him because his behavior impugns the integrity of the sport.
Dan Patrick: “There are sports crimes and real crimes. And that’s what we’re staying with is: the sports crimes. Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, we can go down the list; those are crimes! This is a sports crime. Unless he is throwing games, then that’s a crime, not just a sports crime. Sometimes the punishment doesn’t fit the crime in our minds, but I have to look at this from the NFL’s lens, and that is: we can’t have anybody question anything to do with gambling.”