"Josh Gordon: 6 seasons for smoking weed" - NFL fans have mixed response to Calvin Ridley's suspension due to gambling

NFL fans have a mixed response to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley being suspended for the 2022 season due to gambling.

According to senior CBS Sports NFL reporter Jonathan Jones, the league determined that the Falcons receiver placed multilegged parlay bets involving three, five, and eight games that included Atlanta to win by way of his mobile device out of state.

One Twitter user named Shooter McGavin tweeted:

"Beat up women = 6 game suspension... Bet a parlay = Year suspension... Makes sense, NFL."

Ryan Hitson wrote: "You clearly don't get it. Domestic violence is handled by police and does not threaten integrity of the game, but it more of a single person thing or MAYBE the organization too. Betting though threatens the entire NFL and all games that go with it."

Six-year NFL veteran Charles James II stated: "Calvin Ridley getting suspended a year for betting on games but they literally tried to pay Brian Flores to tank on his team season but the NFL want to talk about integrity. Stop it!"

Former NFL player and ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody asserted: "This whole Calvin Ridley situation doesn't sit well with me. Not excusing what he did at all but considering how the league has fully embraced sports gambling & these owners owning or partnering with these sportsbooks….man."

Sportswriter Jeff Bell wrote: "I don't believe Calvin Ridley is the only NFL player betting on games. I do think he's a scapegoat and the severity of the penalty is a warning shot."

Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer tweeted: "I see people painting Calvin Ridley as the victim here ... and I mean, come on, we all understand why a sports league can't allow its players to bet on its games, right? And why it has to come down on a player if it happens? I swear, it's not that complicated."

Liv Moods of FanDuel and The Volume Sports stated: "I just want a little consistency on how we suspend NFL players ya know? Far worse things have happened with far lesser punishment. Right or wrong…consistency is key."

Jeanna Thomas of The Falcoholic mentioned: "Calvin Ridley's mental health is still none of our business, but allegedly betting on NFL games while away from the team kinda is everyone's business."

Mike Golic Jr. wrote: "Calvin Ridley earned a suspension. the NFL can say it's consistent with the length going back to the Josh Shaw suspension. but man, suspending someone for a year because they bet a parlay feels like a bit much."

Stephie Smallls of Champions Rounds tweeted how Calvin Ridley and everyone else is united over degenerate betting:

Calvin Ridley joins list of other NFL players suspended for gambling

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The receiver will be the fifth player in NFL history to sit out a season for gambling-related reasons. Here's who the 27-year-old will join on the list, which traces back to 1963:

The Falcons released a statement, noting that they became aware of the NFL's investigation into the receiver in early February:

"We were first made aware of the league's investigation on Feb. 9. We have cooperated fully with the investigation since receiving notice and support the league's findings and actions. We are moving forward in the 2022 season with the decision that was made. With the decision that was made by the NFL, any further questions on the investigation should be directed to the league office."

The earliest he can apply for league reinstatement is February 15, 2023.