The Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers put on one hell of a show for NFL fans a few weeks ago. Throttled in the first half by the Green Bay defense, the Rams found themselves in unfamiliar territory. In almost every game this season previous to yesterday, they simply rolled their opponents. The Packers though, had their number for 30 minutes before bouncing back in the 2nd half to give us a solid half of football.
Bettors Go Crazy
Towards the end of the game, The Rams just needed a first down so they could run out the clock to seal the victory. Todd Gurley, with the ball in his able hands, easily got the first down and was headed for the end zone. At the 4 yard line, he essentially took a knee. What I would’ve given to be in a Las Vegas sportsbook at that moment. The point spread was at stake, the O/U was on the line, and fantasy owners had to be livid. There was no need to run up the score and Todd Gurley took the high road.
“Man, forget fantasy and forget Vegas today. We got the win so that’s all that matters.”
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 29, 2018
Let 'em know, @TG3II! pic.twitter.com/TidDPxDAHe
“Man, Forget Vegas”
During a post game interview, Gurley was asked about his actions and the ramifications in the betting world. His reply was perfect. “Man, forget fantasy, forget Vegas. We got the win, so that’s all that matters.” I’ve said for years that athletes don’t really care if they’re on your fantasy team, they don’t care about point spreads either. They just want to win.
All too often on social media, we see the fantasy owners slip into keyboard warrior mode and start calling out athletes. “You suck!” or “You’re a bum” resonate from couches across the country by overweight men who failed to achieve athletic success at any level. Get over it, guys. These athletes already have a team that they’re on; a real team. A team that goes into battle with them game after game.
Todd Gurley did the right thing, the classy thing. I’m sure he earned a lot of respect in the process. This is what winners do. This is what champions do.
