Montreal Alouettes' star Shawn Lemon will not be returning to the football field anytime soon. The CFL has confirmed that an independent arbitrator has upheld the indefinite ban on the footballer for sports betting breaches.
End of Lemon’s Career?
The news will come as a major blow to Shawn Lemon, who, at 36 years old, is now likely to consider calling time on his career.
The defensive linesman was banned in April for betting on CFL Games in 2021. He was playing for the Calgary Stampeders at the time. During the period, he had bet one game that he played in. An investigation discovered that the bets did not influence Lemon’s performance in the games or the outcomes of the games.
As per the ban, Lemon cannot play or train with any active CFL team until further notice. There is no indication of when the suspension will end.
Maintaining the Integrity of the Sport
Several betting scandals have rocked sports in North America in recent months, and decisive action is essential if sporting bodies are to stay on top of the issue. This has been reinforced by Randy Ambrosie, the league’s Commissioner, following the decision.
Ambrosie said, “The integrity of any sport is paramount. Players, fans and anyone associated with our game must be able to believe in the league’s fairness of competition. Today’s decision upholds that standard and underscores the CFL’s position against match manipulation.”
Shawn Lemon has not commented on the arbitrator’s decision. He did appeal the initial decision in May and was allowed to train, but his suspension was reinstated on July 4th by the arbitrator.
