Insider Information Might Have Come from Menzel’s Rehearsal Sessions for the Super Bowl
ESPN Radio personality R.J. Bell stated on Monday morning that at least one online gambling website took down National Anthem related bets, due to suspicious activity. Mr. Bell, who is considered a casino gaming expert, said that a suspicious amount of betting activity took place on the over proposition on singer Idina Menzel’s Star-Spangled Banner Performance before the opening kickoff of Super Bowl 49.
R.J. Bell tweeted this information to explain his statement: “Multiple MAX bets on OVER 122.5 secs (length of National Anthem). Insider info suspected. Betting suspended by sportsbook.ag.”
National Anthem Bets in General
The over/under bet on the timing of the National Anthem is a yearly proposition bet most land-based and online sportsbooks offer. In an era when musical performers try to trick up performances with verbal gymnastics, the length of the song ranges all over the scale. This year, the over/under was set at 122.5 seconds–just over two minutes long.
But a strange number of max bets were wagered on the over proposition, prompting the prominent Australian bookmaker site, Sportsbook.au, to suspend betting on that particular wager. Insider information was suspected by the bookmaker’s executives, it would seem.
How Insider Information Leaks
Those wondering how insider information could have occurred do not need to suspect Idina Menzel of underhandedness. A perfectly good explanation can be made for how people could get insider information on the timing of her performance, without her being involved in transferring that information herself. It has to do with the preparation work singers do.
Singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl is one of the biggest honors a musical talent can be offered, because one hundred million Americans and upwards of a half-billion people worldwide see your performance. In an age of online musical downloads, such an opportunity to impress tens of millions of potential new fans is rare.
Constant Rehearsals
When performing at such an event, the singer is no doubt going to rehearse for the song a great deal. Anyone hearing Idina Menzel rehearse could time that performance and get a pretty good idea of how long her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner will go. Armed with that information, they would have about as close as one could get to a sure thing.
Such a scenario is likely, if insider information was used to place those over-122.5 wagers. A person with knowledge could have sold that information to a high-roller or, more likely, a clever high-roller might have sought out someone in the entourage or work staff of Idina Menzel. The over wager proved to be gold, too. Menzel’s performance went for 2 minutes and 4 seconds, providing the “over” betters with a precious 1.5 second winning margin.
Reviews of Menzel’s Performance
Whether the Broadway singer performed well at the Super Bowl is a matter of opinion. Menzel’s performance got mixed reviews. The Daily Beast said she finally didn’t botch a live performance, which is something fans of hers will know she does–often. The New York Daily News panned the performance.
About Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel is a Broadway actress and singer, known for roles in the Broadway shows Rent, Wicked, and If/Then. Menzel also starred as Maureen Johnson (a role she originated) in the screen version of Rent.
To the mainstream American viewer, Idina Menzal is best known for the recurring role of Shelby Corcoran on Fox’s hit show, Glee. Since Glee revitalized her career, Idina Menzal has starred in films like Enchanted and Frozen. In Frozen, she played the voice of Elsa the Snow Queen.
About R.J. Bell
R.J. Bell is the founder of Pregame.com, the largest website to discuss legal sports betting. Bell is often heard on the Colin Cowherd ESPN radio show. He is also a contributor to Grantland.
Mr. Bell provided research to help Sports Illustrated expose the University of San Diego point-shaving scandal in 2013. When the point-shaving activities led to a U.S. District Court case, R.J. Bell served as an expert witness in the case. While Pregame’s founder has his share of critics, he is a notable figure in the world of sports betting.
