I distinctly remember how disappointed I was as a kid to learn that Pete Rose bet on baseball -- and he never even played for my hometown teams. It was a super big deal and covered extensively in a highly negative way. To the extent that the the 45-70 year old cohort is the driver of hobby love for vintage cards today, I think those memories have played a role.
I don't think that Pete Rose has done himself any favors post-ban also. All this said, while I am personally not a fan of how sports gambling has become a normalized part of the marketing of America's major sports leagues (thanks, Supreme Court), I do wonder whether the lifetime ban is a bit harsh in light of the (rightly or wrongly) more permissive attitude toward gambling today.
|