“NFL should reduce Jamo suspension to 2 games”

Maybe we should slow our roll on criticizing Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams for his gambling suspension.

Maybe he did not get the message that placing a sports bet on NFL property is a no-no.

Now it turns out that Williams did not place the bet in the Lions Allen Park facility. It appears as if he placed a bet on a college football game from his hotel room while on a Lions road trip. The Athletic also spoke to a seven-year veteran who said he did not know this rule and doubts anybody other players knew about it too.

By the letter of the law Williams violated NFL rules. But this is not a sign of a reckless young kid flipping the bird at the league and making a careless bet. This is a league that promotes betting. It wants everybody in the world to place bets on teams.

This is a league where it is OK to beat a woman, unless it’s caught on tape.

The 2024 Super Bowl is being held in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world. If Jameson placed a bet on a college game in a Vegas hotel he’d be ok. If he placed a bet in his hotel room the weekend the Lions were playing the Raiders he is not.

The following year the Super Bowl is played at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Once again Williams broke the rules although I might not agree this transgression is not that serious. I propose a more sensible punishment. How about a two-game suspension, not one third of the season?

He did nothing to damage the shield. Nothing to embarrass the Lions. He picked up his cell phone, as millions of Americans do legally every day, and placed a bet on a college game.

Big deal.

“I’m a football player, not a gambler,” Williams said.

The football public has grossly overreacted to other transgressions by Williams. So, he liked a tweet that recommended Lamar Jackson come to Detroit. Even Lions quarterback Jared Goff was not offended.

“You guys must be bored,” Goff told reporters when the subject was brought up to him.

Williams also said he wanted the ball more. Name me a high-profile receiver, outside of Calvin Johnson, who did not make that request. I don’t know if you pay attention to the league. But wide receivers are divas for the most part.

Carlos Monarrez criticized Williams for handing out $100 bills to inner city kids in Detroit. Really? I know who is not against this. The kids who received the $100 bills.

Any way I believe we need to take a chill pill on all this Williams hate.

He is just young and dumb. That will all change soon.

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For more from the author Terry Foster, check him out on Twitter here: @terryfosterdet

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Original Photo Credit: Detroit Free Press