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Casinos Gamble on Baseball Ads24 April 2003NEW YORK -- As reported by the San Mateo County Times: "Former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn took a stand at the expense of his popularity in 1983 when he barred Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle from jobs in the game because they worked as greeters for Atlantic City casinos. "`Baseball had the strongest image of any sport on this matter,' said Kuhn, 76. `I wasn't going to give ground on that image.' "Twenty years after Kuhn's attempt to distance Major League Baseball from casinos, the sport is actively courting them. Now it's hard to track the sponsorship agreements without a scorecard. "Baseball, historically sensitive to gambling ties since a 1919 World Series scandal and the banishment of career hits leader Pete Rose for sports betting 14 years ago, is taking a more permissive approach toward affiliations between teams and legal gambling establishments. "...The Montreal Expos, who are owned by the other 29 Major League Baseball franchises, recently signed an agreement to have GoldenPalace.com sponsor the team's English radio broadcasts. "The GoldenPalace site, based in Antigua, is the first cyber casino to promote a major league club. "...Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, resort casinos in Connecticut, are prominent advertisers with teams in the Northeast. Foxwoods' jingle is ingrained in the minds of New York Yankees and Mets fans who've heard it on radio and TV broadcasts. Mohegan Sun is a sponsor for the Yankees, Mets and Boston Red Sox. "...At least 10 other clubs have had partnerships with tribal casinos since 1996. The Los Angeles Dodgers are sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, while the San Francisco Giants are about to renew an agreement with the group..." |