SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
I've been waiting the whole morning to say now it's time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: The NBA is back but with a gambling scandal and history in Game 1 of the World Series. (Singing) Oh, Canada. And a grand slam. Michele Steele joins us now. Michele, thanks so much for being with us.
MICHELE STEELE: You bet. Good morning, Scott.
SIMON: NBA opened its regular season this week. But, boy, two federal investigations into illegal gambling swept up more than 30 people. That includes the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Chauncey Billups, and the guard of the Miami Heat, Terry Rozier, both of whom were arrested. And they've been indicted. What's going on?
STEELE: Yeah, Scott, most weeks in sports don't feel like "Wolf Of Wall Street," right...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Meets "The Sopranos," but that's the kind of week this has been, certainly, for the NBA. And if you're just getting caught up, there's kind of two main buckets to this. And the first one, let's talk about the Heat's Terry Rozier. He was accused - passing on information about player availability, very valuable information to a betting ring. In one instance, the Feds say he took himself out of a game early...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...So gamblers could bet the under on his production, and then Rozier got a share of the proceeds. Now, he has been put on leave. He'll still make his $25 million salary this year. But, boy, is he's facing some serious charges - wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering.
And then the other case, this is involving a Hall of Famer, Chauncey Billups, and the current coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. The charges are even more theatrical. He's alleged to participate in some high-stakes rigged poker games. There's a connection here, they say, to La Cosa Nostra. So he's not named as a defendant in the other sports betting case, but there's a coconspirator in that case with a description matching Billups who's accused of providing insider information about a Blazers game. Huge problems hitting the NBA.
SIMON: Do you think this will make major league sports reassess their relationships with gambling corporations, or what planet am I living on?
STEELE: (Laughter) Still Earth. Still Earth. I've checked and confirmed that, according to sources.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: But I think that they're reassessing the relationship right now. They have to be. And Adam Silver, who's the commissioner of the NBA, he was out this week, Scott, saying - right before the indictments were announced, I should say - that the government needs to step in and regulate sports betting. And he'd like to see these player prop bets, which are easily manipulated - he'd like to see those prop bets get pulled back in particular. We'll see if this is a come-to-Jesus moment - right? - for sports. But, you know, the money is just too big...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...To stop these partnerships entirely. Leagues have sprinted into bed with the sports books, but I think they're realizing now they're going to have to really build some higher walls between those sports books and the actual locker rooms.
SIMON: OK. Let's get to the World Series. Game 1, what a game. The Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 over the famed - all the famed names in the LA Dodgers lineup. The first pinch hit grand slam in World Series history, hit by Addison Barger. Is this just one win, or does it show something more?
STEELE: It shows that the Blue Jays are on a mission, Scott, right? An 11-4 route...
SIMON: Yep.
STEELE: ...Against the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: I mean, this was a statement game...
SIMON: And the guy who began the season in AAA struck out Shohei Ohtani to open the game.
STEELE: Unreal. Yeah. You're talking about Trey Yesavage, who - you're absolutely right - started out in the minors. He has lived in about five different cities this year. He's essentially living out of his truck because he still hasn't gotten an apartment in Toronto. He was the Game 1 starter - second youngest Game 1 starter in World Series history. And, boy, what a night he had. And what a night Addison Barger had, too - first pinch hit grand slam in World Series history. They're going to be talking about that for decades in Toronto. And by the way, Barger...
SIMON: I think talking about it decades everywhere. But go ahead. Yeah.
STEELE: Yeah. Barger was sleeping on his teammate's pullout couch...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...'Cause he had family in town in his apartment. I think it shows that the Dodgers' bullpen - which got shellacked in that sixth inning - very vulnerable. And it shows that the Blue Jays are fearless. They're gritty, and the World Series is officially wide open.
SIMON: Absolutely. Michele Steele, thanks so much. Talk to you soon.
STEELE: Talk to you soon. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
