Pete Rose Hits Controversy Home Run Starring in Gambling Commercial
The best Super Bowl commercial may be the one you didn't see.
Pete Rose starred in an ad for a gambling that aired locally in Las Vegas during Sunday's game.
At first glance, it's an odd decision by baseball's all-time hits leader, but when you think about, why shouldn't he have done the spot, which also features former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman? Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred upheld his ban from the sport, so it's not like starring in the spot is going to jeopardize his chances of reinstatement, which currently stand at nil.
We don't see Rose in the commercial, which is for the William Hill sports gambling app, until the very end, but its impact is clear and striking. When he says, "You sure this won't get me in any trouble?," the reference to his checkered history betting on baseball is as clear as the numbers on the back of uniforms on Opening Day.
William Hill CEO Joe Asher told the Las Vegas Review-Journal it made so much sense to cast Rose. "We thought he would be great in the spot," he said.
Of course, if Rose ever does want baseball to welcome him back, starring in a cheeky ad like this is probably not the best move. One of the reasons Manfred rejected his bid for reinstatement is that he still gambles on a variety of sports, so this clearly won't help his cause.
But, hey, at least he has a sense of humor about the whole mess.