The Canadian Football League has issued an indefinite suspension to a former Saskatchewan Roughriders player and three-time Grey Cup champion.
The CFL suspended defensive end Shawn Lemon on Wednesday for betting on league games, including one in which he played.
“An investigation uncovered that Mr. Lemon bet on CFL games in 2021 while a member of the Calgary Stampeders,” the CFL said in a statement.
“While the investigation unearthed clear and indisputable evidence of Mr. Lemon’s participation, no evidence was found to demonstrate that his wagering had any effect on matches. Furthermore, no evidence was uncovered to suggest that any Calgary coaches, teammates, or team personnel were aware of his acts.
The Stampeders issued a statement saying they were “surprised and disappointed by the revelations” of the CFL’s Lemon probe.
“The Stampeders unequivocally support the CFL’s policy on gambling and condemn the actions for which the player in question has been sanctioned,” the club said in a statement.
While Lemon’s punishment began on Wednesday, it will make little difference to him, as he declared his retirement shortly after winning the Grey Cup with the Montreal Alouettes.
Lemon re-signed with the team during the off-season, according to TSN’s football insider Dave Naylor, “then abruptly retired.”
In a statement, the Als stated that they were recently informed of the CFL’s investigation into Lemon and were provided with more information after the investigation completed.
“The team fully supports the CFL’s gambling policy,” the team stated. “Following this review and the league’s decision, we have suspended Shawn Lemon indefinitely. We will have no additional comments.”
Lemon, who made his CFL debut with the Roughriders in 2011, returned to the organization in 2016 but requested a trade following a loss in the first week of the season.
Lemon played CFL football for the Riders, Stampeders, and Alouettes, as well as in Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, and British Columbia. He was a member of Grey Cup-winning teams in 2014, 2017, and 2023.
Last season, he had nine sacks in 13 regular-season games for Montreal, bringing his career total to 101 sacks in 148 games.
Randy Ambrosie, CFL commissioner, stated that the league’s integrity is crucial.
“Any other factors – career performance, actions in the community, timing, frequency or size of wagers – hold no weight when the legitimacy of the CFL can be called into question,” Ambrosie stated in an e-mail.
“It is our responsibility as a league to investigate and address such abnormalities, and it is our collective duty, along with our teams and players, to ensure that sports wagering in no way impacts the quality nor standing of the CFL.”
Ambrosie stated that the league will continue to collaborate with gambling operators, stakeholders, and partners “to hold our game to the highest standard.”
Leave a Reply