NFL teams have begun making personnel changes, and for the Cleveland Browns, it meant firing former quarterback Bernie Kosar from their pregame radio show.
Sunday morning, Kosar tweeted that he would not be on the Browns pregame radio show ahead of their matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, adding that his “services are no longer desired or needed.”
https://twitter.com/BernieKosarQB/status/1612119072606457856
“Steelers GameDay yet once again I was informed by the Browns that my services are no longer desired or needed,” Kosar tweeted Sunday morning. “I will not be doing todays radio program. I am shocked & disappointed. Brown & Orange is my life.”
Last week, on his own radio show, Kosar told the audience that he placed a wager on Cleveland to win Sunday for the amount of $19,000, the number 19 being notable because that’s what he wore while quarterbacking the Browns during the 1980s. Kosar stated he would donate any winnings to charity. That self-admitted wager, however, violates the NFL’s gambling policy, forcing the Browns to part ways with Kosar.
https://twitter.com/BernieKosarShow/status/1612093832971300864
After their 28-14 loss to the Steelers, the Browns issued a statement confirming they let Kosar go because of his bet.
“Earlier this week, we notified Bernie that per league policy we were required to remove him from our pregame radio coverage for the season finale after he violated the NFL gambling policy by placing a bet on an NFL game,” a Browns spokesperson told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “We understand what Bernie means to his community and our history but as a 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.”
Sports betting just became legal in Ohio on Jan. 1, 2023. According to Kosar, he made the first legal sports bet in Ohio and unfortunately for the former quarterback, the really bad beat cost him a lot more than the $19,000 he wagered.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com