Back in the 1970s, on the iconic NFL Today show, Brent Musburger and Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder became notorious for their subtle nods to the world of sports betting. Remember, this was when wagering on games was mainly outlawed, making their winks and nudges a daring yet captivating element of the broadcast.
Sure, it was a bit of a gamble, but their veiled references to point spreads and betting lines added a layer of intrigue for viewers, especially those in the know. And after years of doing their risky — and perhaps not so subtle — dance in the world of broadcasting, Musburger has explicitly seen the NFL change face on their stance on gambling, as they’ve partnered with sports books and sports betting companies throughout the United States. And have done so rather shamelessly.
“It’s stunning that they’ve come full circle,” said Musburger via Front Office Sports last week.
The NFL has done a complete 180, which coincides with Super Bowl LVIII in the world’s gambling capital — Las Vegas.
Following his broadcasting retirement in 2017, Brent Musburger dove headfirst into the burgeoning world of sports betting through the Vegas Sports & Information Network (VSiN). Musburger was back on football fans’ TV screens this fall as VSiN and DraftKings Network debuted a new show, Brent Musburger’s Countdown to Kickoff, which aired Sundays at noon ET beginning in Week One of the 2023 NFL season.
Returning to his The NFL Today roots, Musburger took the helm of a new DraftKings show, where he dove deep into the world of professional football and the latest sports betting trends in an hour-long program.
But Musburger never expected that the NFL would take a deep dive into the gambling world, an area of the pool they tried so hard to avoid.
Embracing the irony with open arms, Musburger summed up the feelings of many with a simple “Viva Las Vegas” as the NFL has finally wrapped the gambling haven around its arms and is set to host a Super Bowl there this weekend.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.