Is legalized gambling ruining sports?

[Rain Man]

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said. It's a bad look for the league, it opens up vulnerability to fixing, and it's annoying to hear it discussed on network broadcasts as part of the "game day coverage". Plus, I think it really says a lot about how the league is willing to help ruin the lives of people to make money. It's bad all around. Bad, bad, bad.

Having said that, what does the league really have control over? We tend to think of football as one big organization, but the NFL doesn't officially control network coverage discussion or advertising on broadcasts or the gambling organizations themselves. What can the league do?

Obviously, the NFL could go to congress and ask that sports betting be made illegal. This would be my preferred process. But short of that, what could realistically happen?

Could the NFL put pressure on the networks to stop showing gambling ads? Maybe, though I bet that would involve a lot of lawyers.

Could the NFL put pressure on the networks to stop mentioning gambling with their talking heads? I'm sure that's possible. They already tell the networks to not harp on officiating errors and past patriot cheating.

Could the NFL keep past players like the Manning mafia from doing ads? Maybe. I'm not sure how many lawyers that would take, but it's possible.

Could the NFL shut down gambling organizations from using NFL logos, names, and brands? Maybe. I'm not sure.

All I know is that the world was a better place when the NFL wasn't promoting gambling and the ruination of its fan base.