Nick Saban’s first keynote speaker for Alabama football in fall camp is a home run.
We are in an age of college and professional athletics where sports betting is at an all-time high. College athletes can profit off their name, image, and likeness, and pro players want in on the sports betting business. Some professional players faced suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy — including former Crimson Tide standout, Calvin Ridley.
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Jameson Williams, another Tide football alum, has to endure a suspension as well.
On Tuesday, Coach Saban had a Major League Baseball legend address team. Pete Rose, also known as “Charlie Hustle,” was one of the greatest players in the sport. The 17-time MLB All-Star was a three-time World Series Champion and has several other accolades from hiss career with the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos, and the Reds again. He has a Hall of Fame resume; however, one thing has kept him from entering Cooperstown, N.Y. Rose betted on baseball games and it made him ineligible for the MLB Hall of Fame. He’s been inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, but Rose got denied the big hall.
Charlie Hustle💨💨
Thank you, Pete Rose for stopping by and talking with the team! pic.twitter.com/ViwqmWyX7m
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 9, 2023
He became the ideal person to speak to Alabama players about the dangers of sports betting. Brad Bohannon, 48, was fired on May 4, 2023, by the University of Alabama for suspicious wagering activity allegations. He served as head coach for the Crimson Tide’s baseball team from 2018 to the middle of the 2023 season. Alabama finished with a 30-15 record this year.
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Hopefully, the players took insight from Rose. The Tide is on a quest for a seventh national championship under Saban.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
