• Blue Jays infielder was part of a pivotal play in Game 7 of the World Series
• Blue Jays would lose in 11 innings, 5-4
• Jays were 66-1 with some sportsbooks at the beginning of the season to win the World Series

The threats made by individuals online to break Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s legs after Game 7 of the World Series shine a spotlight on an underlying darkness behind sports betting, but how much of that is based more on assumption than on facts?

Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers forces Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Toronto Blue Jays out at home plate for the second out during the ninth inning, a pivotal moment in Game 7 of the World Series at Rogers Center Saturday night. (Image: Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

According to reporting by Sportsnet during the emotional fallout in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse following the Dodgers’ extra-inning, 5-4 win in Game 7 that left 50K people at the Rogers Centre and millions of television viewers stunned, Kiner-Falefa talked about how he was scrolling through hateful messages on his phone, including a threat to break his legs.

Cretins are going to cretin.

Online Threats

With sports betting being as prevalent as it is, many people are going to assume the threats were just from angry fans. But in this age, things may not be that simple.

“Sounds like some people lost money on last night’s game. Fans? Likely not. Degenerate gamblers? High possibility. It’s so crazy professional sports allows gambling advertisements and it’s become so common place,” wrote someone on Threads.

Said another on Threads: “Sports betting has ruined fandom. People put money they can’t afford to lose down, and when a player gets unlucky, all their bile comes out. And you’re right: no fan base is immune.”

Talk to any Canadian who followed it, and they’ll tell you about the level of weight and sadness they felt the day after Game 7. Incredibly, a local newscast even quoted a psychiatry professor on how to deal with the sadness.

The Play in Question

Kiner-Falefa was told to stay back to avoid getting doubled off in the ninth, standing on third, base loaded, with one out. Daulton Varsho grounded the ball hard to second baseman Miguel Rojas, who was staggering, but still gunned it home. Kiner-Falefa slid, and Dodgers’ catcher Will Hill, who caught it with his foot off home plate, somehow got his toe back down as Kiner-Falefa slid in.

So, the Blue Jays literally came within a toe of winning the World Series.

Remember what happened with Addison Barger in Game 6 – the Jays were doubled off in the ninth inning after Kiké Hernández played Andrés Giménez shorter in left field, caught a short flare by Andres Gimenez, then darted the ball to Rojas to double off Barger. Game over. 

The Blue Jays were justifiably a little skittish after that and went the conservative route with Kiner-Falefa in Game 7.

Too conservative? Maybe.

Observers were saying Kiner-Falefa had a least two more steps he could have taken there, ensuring that he would have scored. 

Sportsbook Reaction?

You’re likely not going to get any sportsbook operator quoted that’s going to provide any in-depth analysis on bettor behavior, though you might get a corporate statement on how such behavior is unacceptable.

I went up to one licensed Ontario sportsbook operator I work with, and they wouldn’t touch my question.

Remember in July, when we wrote about Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito, who had talked about threats made to him and his girlfriend by angry gamblers after a rough outing in a game?

FanDuel condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes. Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports,” was the response they gave us then. The platform had also removed a customer from their platform in June who had been harassing Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas.

If the sportsbook operators can identify these people, they take strong action. However, with Kiner-Falefa, we’re talking about an industry perception issue.

Not Just a Gaming Problem

“I think it’s incumbent on these social media platforms to police themselves and remove such messages and the perpetrators,” said Phill Gray, a sports betting consultant and former head of trading operations at Sports Interaction. “These forums spawn bullying and hate across all walks of life. I don’t believe you can point a finger at gaming and isolate it as the culprit. [The] problem goes far deeper in society with unhinged and troubled people.”

I still think you have to point it squarely at the individual. If you’re going online and public with this kind of stuff, you’ve got some serious life issues, whether you’re betting or not,” Gray added.

Giolito made the same point back in July: “The social media apps themselves, it’s usually Instagram and Twitter where this goes on, they don’t do anything.”

There’s a push now led by a Canadian senator to introduce legislation that would more stringently control sports betting advertising nationwide. The Kiner-Falefa chatter, fair and accurate or not, is only going to add fuel to that fire.

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