It's been a big two months (almost) for Big Shield. At a stupidly-low price point of 99 cents for the ebook, many of you have bought it.
At only $14.99 for the print edition, more than a few of those have made their way to folks who have ordered a copy.
I forgot last weekend to offer a free, signed copy here. (I've also been giving them away from time to time on Twitter, so follow @profootballtalk there, if you aren't.) For now, here's another chance to get a freebie.
Send an email to florio@profootballtalk with this subject line: "Week 6 Big Shield giveaway." No purchase is required, but all purchases are appreciated.
Big Shield is a tale of gambling, the mob, and a fictional pro football league that definitely isn't the NFL, even if I inadvertently (like Jerry Jones trying to give a thumbs-up and instead flashing a middle finger) mentioned the NFL once or twice in the book. The goal is to demonstrate how this new age of legalized and normalized gambling could create a major problem for the NFL, in the hopes of the NFL taking meaningful steps to keep that from happening.
The chances of something like that occurring are significant. The real question is whether, if/when it does, the NFL will be fully transparent about it — or whether the NFL will be inclined cover it up.
Think of the bounty scandal from 2012. The NFL decided to make an example of the Saints, while also ignoring clear evidence that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had maintained the same type of pay-for-big-hits system with other teams that had employed him. At a certain point, outsiders may have concluded that the issue is sufficiently widespread to require something to be done about it.
Certain scandals aren't good for business. The NFL won't want to deal with a rash of investigations, prosecution, and litigation flowing from a massive gambling controversy. And the league won't want to face increased regulation. It absolutely won't want someone else cleaning up pro football's mess.
So why would the NFL ever admit that a mess exists?
There's too much money at stake, especially with the NFL stuffing its pockets with sponsorship dollars and with owners allowed to own up to five percent of a company that operates a sportsbook. A gambling scandal not only would shake public faith in the entire product but also would threaten to limit both the revenue streams and the investment opportunities that this new age of sports betting has spawned.
The best result is no scandal at all. And that means identifying the ways problems can arise, and coming up with effective strategies to prevent them.
But this wasn't supposed to be about how the NFL can avoid a gambling scandal. It's supposed to be about getting you to buy a book that shows how one could happen. And if you're made it this far, there's a good chance you'll like Big Shield. At ninety-nine cents, you've spent far more money and gotten far less in return.