Pete Rose held a press conference on Tuesday to discuss MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to not reinstate him. As expected, he was asked about his gambling habits and offered no apologies.
Rose, who was fittingly speaking from Las Vegas where he lives and works, claims he has gotten his gambling under control over the past three decades.
“I’ve worked hard at it,” he said, per USA Today Sports. “I’ve got it under wraps the last several years. I’m under control right now. Unlike 30 years ago, when I was out of control as a gambler.”
Rose compared himself to a “stockbroker guy” and said he only gambles for “pure enjoyment” now. He also made it seem like everyone gambles.
“I live in Las Vegas because that’s where my job is,” Rose said. “You’re probably the same as me – I’m a recreational gambler. I don’t bet every day. I’m not a casino guy. I don’t play blackjack, roulette, dice, all that stuff.
“I occasionally like to bet on horses, because I used to be a horse owner and have a lot of respect for people in that industry. But everything I do is legal. I’m very selective with people I associate with now.”
LB put it best when he described Rose as tone deaf. For him to pretend gambling casually — given what we recently learned about his gambling habits in a bombshell report — is no big deal proves he was not committed to being reinstated. If Rose really wanted the ban lifted, he would have done everything possible to prove he is a completely changed man. He didn’t do that.
