Tom Tolbert Disses Gambling Establishment Take-Over of NFL on KNBR But Ignores His Own Vices

Tom Tolbert, as is his want to do, went into a lengthy ambush on his KNBR sports-talk show on Thursday.

Tolbert was unhappy about the pratfalls of gambling taking over professional sports. He said it was bad that the sports leagues, especially the NFL, were "in bed", as he put it, with professional gambling operations that indeed, have become part and parcel with the NFL, NBA, major league baseball. Every other spot these days on the tube is gambling-related. It's now legal in most states but it's so ingrained, so a part of the business reality of sports today, Tolbert noted, that it's becoming dangerous. I agree.

How many times have you heard Fox extolling the chance to "win $25Grand of 'Terry's money'"? Tolbert had issues with all this and spent twenty or so minutes explaining how the whole shebang was spinning out of control and that people who should know better don't know any better. And how a free $500 or $1000 bet was only an inducement to addicts who will ultimately lose no matter what, the victim(s) of gambling and its associated ill wills. Some of us have had/have first-hand experience. It's an abusive alliance and the fact it's now firmly in the business model of the NFL is quite disturbing and compelling at the same time.

I wish Tolbert had had pointed out his own gambling vice. Not that he's an addict ( at least I don't think so, I don't know) but I do know Tolbert talks quite a bit about gambling and the odds on his own show on KNBR. I do know that during the NFL and college football seasons, Tolbert and his radio buds on KNBR, do a weekly segment with handicappers like this guy. I'm sure it's quite popular and Tolbert and the boys milk it to death. I wish Tolbert had mentioned this, at the very least because it would have been far more transparent and given more substance and credibility to Tolbert's lament.

KNBR itself has loads of brokered gambling shows on its weekend programs and has a client advertiser at the top of its website. It's fine. It's good business. The gaming establishment pays a lot of bills and is chock full of cash. It's been able to sleep with the NFL now and it's always been super friendly with radio stations, including Knibber and sports stations back east.

Tolbert's missive would have been far more powerful had he been more forthright about his own employer's involvement in the gambling arena. I knock KNBR a lot but I get the business model. I don't begrudge hearing all the ads and sleazy dopes pitching their crap. It's all about the money, it always is, I just wished Tolbert included his own camp in his rant.

He didn't.