Jun 27, 2015 5 min read

Let Pete Rose in.

In case you missed the shocking news earlier this week, ESPN found Rose bet on baseball when he was a player back in 1986. There is the scribbling of a bookie to prove it.

That’s not all. Rose lied about it. Talk about shocking.

And now, every American has to ask themselves, “Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?”

Prior to the latest revelations, Rose seemed to be getting closer to induction. He served 25 years of a lifetime ban for admitting to gambling as a manager and was hoping new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred would reinstate him. The consensus now is he’ll never see his plaque in Cooperstown.

Why not?

What would be so difficult about, maintaining the lifetime ban for gambling and putting Rose in the Hall while including the information about the ban on his plaque?

Wouldn’t reminding future players that a Hall of Famer, who had more hits than any other player, was banned for life act as an eternal deterrent?

And, by the way, the lifetime ban from working in Major League Baseball shouldn’t be lifted. That doesn’t mean Rose should be banned from appearing at the All-Star Game in Cincinnati next month. The All-Star Game is for the fans and they want Rose there.

As long as MLB threatens current players with a lifetime ban, it can’t show Rose any leniency because of the message it would send.

But does the gambling penalty fit the crime?

In 1963, Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers, who was NFL Most Valuable Player in 1961, and Alex Karras, an all-pro defensive tackle with the Detroit Lions, were caught betting on NFL games.

They were both suspended for the 1964 season. Hornung was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Both players were predictably contrite after they were caught and that played a major role in their quick reinstatement, but a couple of years ago, Hornung said, “You know what, looking back, it just (ticks) you off. I knew 10 other guys who bet. They didn’t get them all in my day.”

Hornung and Karras were caught betting on NFL games that didn’t involve their teams.

Rose admitted to betting on the Reds when he was their manager. Really, why is that a big deal?

There’s a big leap from betting on your team to win and betting on your team to lose and doing your best to make it happen.

If a player, who’s making $25,000 to $50,000 a game is feeling good about his team, why shouldn’t he be allowed to call his buddy in Las Vegas and tell him to bet a game check for him?

Why shouldn’t an NFL player making millions of dollars be allowed to go to Vegas before the season and bet on his team to win the Super Bowl?

I bet it happens a lot.

The Supreme Court has been pretty busy lately, but maybe one of these days it can get around to making sports betting legal in every state.

With all the money being paid to the top professional athletes these days, would you be shocked to find out they make side bets with each other every now and then?

Would you be shocked to find out big money makers on the PGA tour, who find themselves out of contention Sunday morning, are betting thousands of dollars among themselves to keep it interesting?

Why would anybody care?

Let players, coaches and owners bet as long as they’re not betting against their teams.

How would you be sure they aren’t?

You wouldn’t.

Just as you aren’t now.

• In case you missed it, the first 32-yard extra point in North America was tried Thursday night in the CFL opener in Montreal. Wide right. Way wide right.

• When will the Ole Miss Rebels and the Runnin’ Rebels of Nevada Las Vegas be pressured into changing their names?

• Coming into the weekend, the Cardinals needed to play .500 ball the rest of the season (45-45) to finish with 93 wins. Think the Pirates can win 94?

• The NHL awards show used to be a nice event. It’s been ruined by TV. The red carpet is enough to make you throw up.

• How does anyone talk about deflated footballs for 10 hours without their head exploding?

• Have you seen the video of the moronic Wrigley Field fan catching a foul ball while holding an infant? How is sitting in the first row on the first base line, with a 6-month old baby, not child endangerment?

Get a baby sitter or stay home.

• Just as I predicted, the Edmonton Oilers took Connor McDavid in the first round of the NHL Draft. He’ll be in Pittsburgh Nov. 28.

John Steigerwald writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.