The Musers The Podcast – Episode 19: Gambling with Beer Enemas

Date: October 29, 2025
Hosts: George Dunham, Craig "Junior" Miller, Gordon Keith
Producer: Peter Welton
Podcast Network: Cumulus

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Musers" dives deep into the widespread, controversial, and often absurd topic of gambling in sports—with a special focus on the recent NBA gambling scandal involving players, coaches, and alleged mob connections. Amid their trademark irreverence and banter, George, Craig, and Gordon navigate the cultural, ethical, and personal facets of betting, both inside professional sports and within the world at large.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The NBA Gambling Scandal

• Scandal Details: The hosts open with a discussion of the breaking news that rocked the NBA, where 30 people (including coaches and players) were charged with illegal gambling and passing inside information to betting networks.
  • Notable figures involved: Chauncey Billups (Portland Trailblazers head coach), Terry Rozier (Miami Heat), Damon Jones (former NBA player/coach).
• Scope and Severity: The scandal’s ties to the mafia and high-stakes rigged poker games suggest a larger, more dangerous underbelly.
• Potential Impact:
  • Craig: "I think this is terrible for the NBA. I think it's going to be an epic disaster... you've already got a fan base that's growing disgruntled with the product...and now this. I think this is devastating for the league." [07:35]
  • George/Gordon: Wonder if the story will quickly pass due to "scandal fatigue," but acknowledge the unprecedented nature of a head coach arrest:
    • Craig: "A coach was arrested. We've never had a head coach in a major sport arrested." [09:26]
• Historical Context: Recalls past NBA controversies—1985 Patrick Ewing lottery, Tim Donaghy referee scandal—and notes that the league's integrity has long been under fan scrutiny.

2. Changing Attitudes Toward Gambling

• Normalization and Legalization:
  • Huge growth in legal sports betting, now in 38 states, and integrated into everyday sports programming (e.g., point spreads on ESPN).
  • George: "Legal betting in this country last year was up 22%, up to 150 billion. It's big business." [10:20]
• Societal Attitudes:
  • Craig cites New York Times/Pew data: public disapproval of sports betting has risen from 34% (2022) to 43% (2025), suggesting a possible pendulum swing.
• Proliferation of Prop Bets & Microwagering:
  • Gordon: "I do think we are going to get to the point where NBA teams and gambling, legal gambling operations run hand in hand, and everyone will sit there in the stands...prop betting every single possession." [27:49]

3. Personal Histories & Philosophies on Gambling

• George:
  • Grew up in a family that "always played for something”—from nickels to dollars.
  • Hustled at golf in his youth, rarely suffered significant losses because it was “more about winning than the money.”
• Craig:
  • Self-avowed "scared gambler." No appetite for personal risk; finds sports and competition inherently interesting without a financial stake.
  • "I've never needed that juice to make a game or anything I was competing in exciting...competition itself has always been enough." [26:09]
• Gordon:
  • Not attracted to gambling; finds even small stakes too stressful.
  • Shares stories of playing the lottery for "the dream," not for real expectation of winning.

4. Gambling’s Role in Sports Culture

• Integrity Concerns:
  • Inside information is a growing concern (easier access, blurred lines between legal/illegal betting).
  • George: "Some of the biggest sponsors for pro and college [sports] are sports books." [12:53]
• Athlete Psychology & Locker Room Culture:
  • Acknowledges competitiveness as a driver for athletes to seek out "action."
  • Stories of Michael Jordan’s legendary gambling exploits (with a "bag man" waiting in the parking lot)—emphasizing the culture of friendly (and not-so-friendly) high-stakes betting among athletes.
• Parallels to Alcohol & Stock Market:
  • Both can be enjoyed responsibly, but some are better off abstaining. Even draws comparisons between sports gambling and stock market investing (“totally gambling,” per Craig).

5. Future Predictions

• Integration with Venues:
  • Anticipate the rise of casinos within sports stadiums and arenas—especially in Dallas for the Mavericks.
  • Gordon (joking about the future): "All be sitting in our seats bedding prop betting every single possession and tugging on our weed vapes...with a milking machine..." [50:05]
• Enforcement & Oversight:
  • Policing insider betting is almost impossible short of FBI intervention (as in the current NBA scandal).
  • Ongoing escalation in stakes and blurring of legality.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Scandal:
  • Craig: “A coach was arrested. We've never had a head coach in a major sport arrested.” [09:26]
• On Attitudes Shifting:
  • George: “When I was doing play by play, I would get a call at least twice a football season from someone I know who bets on games. And it always made me feel really strange. And I would not give him information.” [12:08]
• On the Appeal of Gambling:
  • George: “It wasn't the money as much as it was winning, you know, and winning a bet...I bet I can do this, and I did it. The money was nice, and it sucked when you lost.” [24:13]
• On the Risk of Chasing Losses:
  • Gordon: “To some people that can't stop chasing the loss and don't know when to cut their losses, it's the sunk cost fallacy.” [41:19]
• On Lottery Players:
  • Gordon: “When it first came to our state, I was playing the lottery and loved that dream. And it was worth it to me to pay that two bucks every week to fantasize the whole week about what I'm gonna do with these sweet winnings.” [45:19]
  • Gordon also recounts a notorious urban legend (confirmed via colleague) about someone forgetting to buy their regular lottery ticket the week their numbers hit. [46:48]
• On the Stock Market:
  • Craig: “I've always made that comparison. It is gambling. And the response I always get from people in the stock market is no, no, no...my response is...you're gambling on that potentially happening.” [44:05]

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:00: Light banter, introductions, and “Letter of the Week.”
• 03:40 – 10:50: NBA gambling scandal breakdown
• 10:50 – 14:45: Shifts in societal and media attitudes toward betting/prop bets rise
• 15:00 – 19:00: Casino sponsorships, European models, moral implications
• 19:00 – 22:00: Michael Jordan gambling story (legend of the "bag man")
• 22:00 – 26:00: Personal gambling experiences; George's golf hustling
• 26:00 – 30:00: "Juice" of gambling vs. competition for its own sake; rise of prop betting
• 30:00 – 36:00: Enforcement, historical perspective, and athlete mentality
• 36:00 – 41:00: Gambling at casinos, horse tracks, limits, and chasing losses
• 41:00 – 44:00: Odds of winning; professional gamblers and their reported "success"
• 44:00 – 46:40: Stock market as a form of gambling; lottery as the "tax on the poor"
• 46:40 – 51:20: Lottery anecdotes; engaging with gambling at a personal/societal level
• 51:20 – 52:38: Final thoughts—fantasy football’s impact, unsolvable layers of the issue, humorous dystopian future predictions

Tone & Style

As always, The Musers blend light, observational humor with authentic self-reflection. The dialogue alternates between playful ribbing (especially about each host’s betting habits or lack thereof), genuine concern about the state of both sports and society, and a nostalgic look at their own histories.

• Gordon: Irreverent, with left-field what-if jokes and a neurotic eye for detail.
• George: Storytelling, pragmatic, relishes the competitive thrill.
• Craig: Analytical, introspective, and a bit fretful about the game’s integrity and his own risk aversion.

Bottom Line

This episode offers an insightful, funny, and surprisingly nuanced look at America's growing love affair with gambling—its impact on sports, culture, and the individual psyche. Through stories, statistics, and spirited argument, The Musers outline not only where we've come from but where the intertwining of sports and betting is likely headed…possibly involving beer enemas and vaping at the arena.

Best enjoyed if you want the real scoop on sports gambling, locker room culture, and the shifting sands of public morality—all delivered with classic Musers' banter.