NFL players are no stranger to aggressive messages from fans of the sport. However, Graham Gano has seen a rise in these messages coinciding with the increasing popularity of sports betting.
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The New York Giants kicker addressed this matter during a media session in the locker room. He explained that it has "been unbelievably frustrating" dealing with injuries and that he has heard comments from the media and fans. He then took the conversation in a significantly different direction to further his point.
"Ever since sports betting started, I get people telling me to kill myself every week because I'll hit a kick that loses them money, or I'll miss a kick and it loses them money," Gano said, video courtesy of SNY. "The other day, somebody told me to get cancer and die. That stuff's part of it."
Graham Gano says it's been "unbelievably frustrating" to deal with injuries & shares he's heard from fans in his DMs:
"Ever since sports betting started happening, I get people telling me to kill myself every week. The other day somebody told me to get cancer and die" pic.twitter.com/KadI6omuq1
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 6, 2025
Once taboo, sports betting has increased in popularity in recent years. Several leagues have jumped on board and inked partnerships with some of the biggest platforms.
The NFL, in particular, announced a partnership with three sports betting platforms in 2021. A press release said that Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel would become the league's official sports betting partners while having the right "to integrate relevant sports betting content directly into NFL Media properties including NFL.com and the NFL App."
Additionally, several teams in the NFL have also inked partnerships with various sports betting platforms. BetMGM has a deal with nine NFL teams, including the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders.
These partnerships become immediately apparent once you open YouTube and watch any video on the NFL's official channel. You will likely see at a minimum two different ads for sports betting platforms. The number can increase to coincide with the length of the video. These ads also play frequently during the average Sunday on the couch watching NFL football.
Sports betting has become a money-making avenue for the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA, and other sports leagues. It has certainly increased the enjoyment level of fans interested in the pastime. But as Gano shows, the partnerships have also created some unfortunate situations.
