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OT: Bernie Kosar fired from Browns radio broadcast for betting on Browns

RaleighPittFan

Heisman Winner
May 12, 2005
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KOSAR FIRED

“Former Browns quarterback and Ohio native Bernie Kosar said he was fired from the team's radio broadcast team on Sunday. Kosar admitted earlier this week to placing a bet on the Browns to win the game. Ohio made sports betting legal on Jan. 1"

''We understand what Bernie means to this community and our history,'' the team said in a statement Sunday night, ''but as team contracted personnel hired to provide content on our media platforms his bet was a violation of NFL rules and we must adhere to all NFL policy.''

 
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How dare he place a legal bet on the team he roots for!
Assuming you’re employed, and I don’t mean this as a shot. You could be filthy rich, retired, or any number of things. But if you have a decent or better job I’m sure there are serious policies where you work restricting things you can/can’t do that are otherwise legal. Go violate one that states that the punishment is termination and let us know how that works out.
 
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Translated, he likely ticked someone off in the organization. (Maybe he won a bet against them!).

The guy is one of the team’s heroes and it isn’t like he was suiting up to go play, or involved in making trades or drafting or hiring coaches or such (maybe he should have been!). Admonish him privately if you must, and let it go.

I find it more baffling he’d want the bother to do radio for Brown’s games. It ain’t like it’s a glam network TV job like Boomer and Simms have. You’d think he’d be better suited hanging out in the owners luxury box with some stogies.
 
How dare he place a legal bet on the team he roots for!

Assuming you’re employed, and I don’t mean this as a shot. You could be filthy rich, retired, or any number of things. But if you have a decent or better job I’m sure there are serious policies where you work restricting things you can/can’t do that are otherwise legal. Go violate one that states that the punishment is termination and let us know how that works out.
How dare you bring a reasonable point into the discussion! Guessing he can legally say (there's that pesky 1st amendment again) the coach, management and players all suck but I don't think that would secure his job status...
 
I thought he had regained some financial stability after being bankrupt and completely broke a decade or so ago. But still, I doubt he’s in a place where he can afford to be making five figure bets.

It's possible. I'm assuming because everything he touched turned into a loser, and he's currently doing color commentating for Browns radio. Also, throwing 19k away on a Browns bet kinda leads me to believe he hasn't gotten any better managing his money.
 
Being he’s a Y-Town man and was regrettably passed over by Pitt at the time (as others mentioned), I feel a bit bad for the dude (though it sounds like he’s been rather unstable in his affairs). I can’t see the positive in whacking him on the final week and doing it so publicly. Wait and put out a release on a Friday afternoon in February that he’s stepped down. To reiterate above, he’s one of the Browns greats, up there with Jim Brown, Otto Graham, and of course the greatest Browns hero of all, Turkey Jones 😁
 
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Being he’s a Y-Town man and was regrettably passed over by Pitt at the time (as others mentioned), I feel a bit bad for the dude (though it sounds like he’s been rather unstable in his affairs). I can’t see the positive in whacking him on the final week and doing it so publicly. Wait and put out a release on a Friday afternoon in February that he’s stepped down. To reiterate above, he’s one of the Browns greats, up there with Jim Brown, Otto Graham, and of course the greatest Browns hero of all, Turkey Jones 😁

Like I said, the owner was probably waiting for an easy excuse to whack him. This was it. Bernie certainly has an effect on the outcome of the game from his on air insights in the booth, where every commercial break has an ad for betting.

-This post brought to you by Fan Duel.
 
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It sure how a broadcaster could influence the result of the game unlike a coach or players. It seems more of an optics issue. Also it’s the browns. I question the IQ of anyone who would bet on that organization
 
It sure how a broadcaster could influence the result of the game unlike a coach or players. It seems more of an optics issue. Also it’s the browns. I question the IQ of anyone who would bet on that organization
It's an optics thing, they don't want someone in the booth talking about how they have a dime on the Brown-stains.
 
It is interesting to me at least that the organization will draw a line on betting (legally) and employ a guy like Watson at QB.
Hypocrisy is rampant in our society. I used to chuckle at MLB crying outrage at performance enhancing drugs while ADs for Viagra Scrolled across the digital billboard behind home plate.
If Viagra is not performance enhancing I don’t know what is.
 
I added a quote to the OP that wasn't on there when I first quoted it:

''We understand what Bernie means to this community and our history,'' the team said in a statement Sunday night, ''but as team contracted personnel hired to provide content on our media platforms his bet was a violation of NFL rules and we must adhere to all NFL policy.''

The Browns are passing the firing off on NFL policy.
 
I added a quote to the OP that wasn't on there when I first quoted it:

''We understand what Bernie means to this community and our history,'' the team said in a statement Sunday night, ''but as team contracted personnel hired to provide content on our media platforms his bet was a violation of NFL rules and we must adhere to all NFL policy.''

The Browns are passing the firing off on NFL policy.
Reading deeper, the bet was a promotion of legal betting in Ohio and the proceeds were to go to charity.

In other words, I don't think this is a guy using insider info or anything. Perhaps the NFL did force the move but it seems as if there should be some consideration to the motives.
 
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Reading deeper, the bet was a promotion of legal betting in Ohio and the proceeds were to go to charity.

In other words, I don't think this is a guy using insider info or anything. Perhaps the NFL did force the move but it seems as if there should be some consideration to the motives.
One should also think he would know the “rules”, or at least ask before he made the bet.
 
Being he’s a Y-Town man and was regrettably passed over by Pitt at the time (as others mentioned), I feel a bit bad for the dude (though it sounds like he’s been rather unstable in his affairs). I can’t see the positive in whacking him on the final week and doing it so publicly. Wait and put out a release on a Friday afternoon in February that he’s stepped down. To reiterate above, he’s one of the Browns greats, up there with Jim Brown, Otto Graham, and of course the greatest Browns hero of all, Turkey Jones 😁
It requires class to do it that way. Never confuse the Browns with having class.
 
It requires class to do it that way. Never confuse the Browns with having class.


It also would have required the Browns to ignore him violating his contract, which would have pissed off the NFL and could have gotten the Browns a fine, and it would have required them to put a muzzle on Kosar, since he was the one who put it out there to the public.
 
Kinda funny really. Every announcer and every studio analyst in sports history for the past 40 years has given their prediction on who will win the upcoming game but he put his money where his mouth was sooooooooo.....
 
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Like I said, the owner was probably waiting for an easy excuse to whack him. This was it. Bernie certainly has an effect on the outcome of the game from his on air insights in the booth, where every commercial break has an ad for betting.

-This post brought to you by Fan Duel.
Beautiful
 
KOSAR FIRED

“Former Browns quarterback and Ohio native Bernie Kosar said he was fired from the team's radio broadcast team on Sunday. Kosar admitted earlier this week to placing a bet on the Browns to win the game. Ohio made sports betting legal on Jan. 1"

''We understand what Bernie means to this community and our history,'' the team said in a statement Sunday night, ''but as team contracted personnel hired to provide content on our media platforms his bet was a violation of NFL rules and we must adhere to all NFL policy.''


Personally, I don't like that betting is mainstream now. I mean I think it should be legal and all but I dont like the constant commercials and actual TV shows devoted to it or announcers openly talking about it. But if its going to be mainstream, I think some of these rules, such as betting for your own team to win need to be relaxed.
 
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Personally, I don't like that betting is mainstream now. I mean I think it should be legal and all but I dont like the constant commercials and actual TV shows devoted to it or announcers openly talking about it. But if its going to be mainstream, I think some of these rules, such as betting for your own team to win need to be relaxed.
Betting on the team you announce or work for can give the illusion that you have inside info, that's why the league doesn't want it. Say Bernie bet $5,000 on the Browns one week and then didn't bet on them the next week, people would ask "why didn't Bernie bet on the Brownies this week?" that's why everyone affiliated with the league or teams makes "predictions" not "I bet on so and so".
 
Being he’s a Y-Town man and was regrettably passed over by Pitt at the time (as others mentioned), I feel a bit bad for the dude (though it sounds like he’s been rather unstable in his affairs). I can’t see the positive in whacking him on the final week and doing it so publicly. Wait and put out a release on a Friday afternoon in February that he’s stepped down. To reiterate above, he’s one of the Browns greats, up there with Jim Brown, Otto Graham, and of course the greatest Browns hero of all, Turkey Jones 😁

I'm surprised how life turned out for Bernie. Pretty smart dude in college, graduated in 3 years and was able to skirt the current NFL rules at the time and enter the supplemental draft since he received his diploma. I heard some interviews later in life and he seems like someone who took too many shots to the head.
 
I'm surprised how life turned out for Bernie. Pretty smart dude in college, graduated in 3 years and was able to skirt the current NFL rules at the time and enter the supplemental draft since he received his diploma. I heard some interviews later in life and he seems like someone who took too many shots to the head.
I feel badly for the guy.
 
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