\nI want to talk about the game. I don’t want to talk about how many yards Nick Chubb is going to have,”<\/strong> Dungy said, referencing the Cleveland Browns running back and his over\/under total yards rushed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n“That’s going to be the one thing that drives me out of this [broadcasting],” Dungy continued. “We are getting so much pressure.”<\/p>\n
Dungy won Super Bowl XIII in 1979 playing as a safety with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won his second championship nearly three decades later in 2007 by coaching the Indianapolis Colts past the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.<\/p>\n
Gambling Foe<\/b><\/h2>\n
Dungy is a devout evangelical Christian who frequently shares Bible verses on Twitter. During his long career in professional football, he’s given his time to a variety of faith-based programs, including Athletes in Action and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Dungy has also publicly expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage.<\/p>\n
As for gambling, Dungy doesn’t believe it should be hyped by the NFL.<\/p>\n
“We have so many guys with gambling addictions in the NFL,” Dungy opined. “I worry about that. I worry about that for the country. I don’t think it’s good to promote. I think we’re encouraging the wrong thing.”<\/p>\n
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Dungy said he understands the importance of in-game marketing for his employer. He explains that he adheres to NBC’s direction to explain a play or drive using a Microsoft tablet, as the computer software giant is a marque sponsor of Football Night in America <\/i>and Sunday Night Football<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“We have a segment powered by Microsoft, and we tell our story, but we’ve got to do it on a Microsoft tablet instead of a regular video. I get that. They’re sponsoring us. But now we’ve got to do two or three segments about fantasy football and gambling,” Dungy explained.<\/p>\n
Big Business in Sports Betting\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
Dungy might not be a fan of sports betting and its continued implementation with the NFL. But the league and its television network partners certainly are.<\/p>\n
The NFL’s six sports betting operators<\/a> that have deals in place that allow them to advertise during nationally televised broadcasts spent heavily during the first week of the NFL season.<\/p>\nSportico<\/i>, which covers the business side of sports, said the six sportsbooks collectively spent $21.4 million<\/a> on ads in Week 1. Companies permitted to advertise are FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, Fox Bet, WynnBet, and PointsBet.<\/p>\n