Rob Manfred, MLB clearly to blame after players and execs receive death threats from unhinged gamblers

Gambling has become a staple of professional sports in recent years. Fans can place bets on players and teams and even win money for themselves if things go well. But if things fall apart quickly, then those placing the bets don't win any money.

While it can be a fun activity for fans, it also appears to be getting out of hand. Fans take gambling very seriously, and when things don't go their way, players are usually the first to experience the fans' ire.

"Fans used to say normal things like, 'You're a bum,"' Matt Chapman said. "Now that they have all that money on us, fans will talk a lot of (expletive) to us. I'll even have fans Venmo requesting me for money. I had to change my Venmo."

According to Bob Nightengale, an anonymous general manager even received death threats all the way to his house.

However, a major problem is that MLB actually promotes gambling with sites such as FanDuel, BetMGM, and other sites, meaning that baseball has only itself to blame for this.

Rob Manfred, MLB are to blame for gambling fiasco

If sports didn't promote gambling as frequently as they do, then there would be far less pressure on players. But it's sad that it's gotten to this point and that players are now fearing for their lives if they don't perform well.

While fans have every right to enjoy sports in their own way, some take it a step too far. Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Logan Allen even shared a story about being followed home after a rough outing during his time with the Cleveland Guardians.

"I had a really bad game, and this guy follows me home and starts cussing at me, telling me I cost him all of this money," Allen said. "It's scary."

But it's ultimately the league that has promoted these practices and encouraged fans to gamble, and if they want to avoid players receiving threats from fans, something needs to be done about it.

That's not to say that gambling should be completely eliminated, but the safety of players is paramount, and sports should never get to a point where players are fearing for their lives.

"It's getting completely out of hand," said Tommy Pham. "As a blackjack gambler myself, you shouldn't bet on anything you're not prepared to lose, but we know that doesn't happen, and it brings out all of these keyboard warriors. It's getting worse and worse."