Advertisement

No, legal sports gambling doesn't mean Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame

Mike Oz

The Supreme Court this week opened the gates for sports gambling to be legalized throughout the country. It won’t happen tomorrow — and may not happen in all 50 states — but the decision could prove to be a monumental moment for sports.

What it is not, however, is a referendum on Pete Rose — pro sports’ most infamous gambler.

[Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free]

Rose is banned from MLB for life, a punishment he agreed to, for betting on baseball. There are legions of Rose supporters who believe he should not only be reinstated by MLB but also beamed over to Cooperstown for an immediate Hall of Fame ceremony.

Hold up, y’all. The Pete Rose/gambling issue is the topic of this week’s installment of my Open Mike video series here on Yahoo Sports. And spoiler alert: No, the Supreme Court decision doesn’t mean Pete Rose is any more likely to get in the Hall of Fame.

Pete Rose is still banned from baseball, and no government decisions about sports gambling are going to change that. (AP)
Pete Rose is still banned from baseball, and no government decisions about sports gambling are going to change that. (AP)

Remember this: The U.S. government has no say over Major League Baseball or the Hall of Fame. Just because the government is reconsidering its stance on sports gambling, that doesn’t mean MLB has to. Nor does it change the scope of what Rose did — because he broke MLB’s rules, not the U.S. government’s.

Feel free to keep believing that Rose is worthy of Cooperstown. I won’t poo-poo your opinion there. But that’s an entirely different discussion.

Point is: If you think this news means Rose is headed to Cooperstown anytime soon — don’t bet on it.

PREVIOUSLY ON OPEN MIKE:
• Tanking isn’t as bad as you say it is
• Pace-of-play isn’t killing baseball — the Fun Police are
• Should Derek Jeter have skipped Yankee Stadium?
• Free baseball for everyone

– – – – – –

Mike Oz is a writer at Yahoo Sports. Contact him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

More from Yahoo Sports:

• Star recruit may not be welcome in NBA or NCAA
• Shaq’s ridiculous mansion on the market for $28M
• Reuben Foster’s ex-girlfriend says she made up allegations
• Former UEFA president: 1998 World Cup draw was fixed