FanaticsFest Review: Paul Remains Massive Betting Favorite As Tyson Returns To Ring From Health Scare

Last weekend, more than 200 sports legends, rappers, and actors converged upon the Javits Center for Fanatics’ first-ever immersive sports festival.

While Tom Brady, Kevin Durant, and Derek Jeter graced the hallways for the inaugural FanaticsFest NYC, two boxers stole the show. Mike Tyson and Jake Paul traded verbal jabs throughout a boisterous, expletive-laden press conference. There, the fighters promoted a November 15 fight, one that may become the most lucrative celebrity bout ever.

Organizers postponed the initial fight in May after Tyson experienced a flare-up with ulcers. But Tyson declared himself ready at last Sunday's press conference, informing a packed crowd that he has been training for several weeks. Paul fired the first salvo, insisting that he plans to knock Tyson out during the eight-round bout in Texas.

"I respect him, but we're not friends anymore until November 15th," Paul declared.

Tyson, 58, is 31 years older than Paul. Due to the age disparity, Paul is a heavy -270 favorite over Tyson (+205) at DraftKings. Tyson is also a +200 dog at bet365, translating to a win probability of 33.3%. Reputed as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time, Tyson claimed that as soon as he catches Paul, the You Tube influencer will be "running around," the ring.

While Fanatics invited numerous VIP guests to the three-day event, it is unclear if a prominent mystery bettor attended FanaticsFest. The bettor is largely responsible for pushing Fanatics Sportsbook to second in online sports betting market share this April in New Jersey. Below is a review of the event.

Giants Night Of Champions

The New York Giants are celebrating the 100^th year of the franchise in 2024 with a slew of commemorative events. Last Friday, members of all four of the franchise’s Super Bowl championships took part in a panel at FanaticsFest. Dubbed the “Night of Champions,” the panel featured an hour-long discussion with Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Plaxico Burress, and two other former All-Pros.

The Giants’ trio and Justin Tuck, another panelist, appeared on a team that pulled off one of the largest upsets in Super Bowl history. Facing an undefeated Patriots’ team in Super Bowl XLII, Tuck and Strahan created constant pressure against Brady up the middle. The Giants took the lead on Manning’s touchdown to Burress with 35 seconds left, then held on for a 17-14 victory.

Despite not practicing all season with an ankle injury, Burress still finished the season with 70 catches for 1,025 yards. Burress, however, worked closely with Manning behind the scenes to come up with their “own hand signals,” based on the coverage at the line, he told The Action Network. In some cases, the signals were so secretive that offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride did not even know what they meant.

The receiver, though, did not use a signal on the touchdown, a 13-yard catch in the left corner of the end zone. The Giants called an “X-fade,” for Burress, one he improvised by juking corner Ellis Hobbs on a slant-and-go to the outside. The Giants opened as 14-point dogs, a line that was bet down to 12 at numerous Las Vegas sportsbooks. More than a decade before the historic PASPA decision, sports betting remained largely confined to Vegas and the offshore markets in the early-aughts.

As a result, Burress told The Action Network that the Giants largely ignored the spread heading into the game. The Giants' upset created one of the largest defeats for Vegas sportsbooks in the history of the game.

Strahan On NFL Betting Policy: "Players Know Better Now"

Last fall, the NFL instituted major changes to its sports betting policy in the wake of numerous player-gambling violations. In some respects, the policy is more stringent than the previous incarnation: players caught betting on their own team will be subject to a two-year suspension at a minimum. But in others, the rules are less restrictive. Players caught wagering on non-NFL sports from inside a club or league facility will face a two-game suspension for their first offense, down from six in 2023.

Following the panel, Strahan told The Action Network that players have become more educated on the policy. Strahan, a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s, indicated that he is not a bettor. Prior to the policy change, he admitted that he did not know about the locker room prohibitions.

"Everyone knows the rules better, everyone is more aware," Strahan said. "A lot of guys know it's not worth it, it's not worth losing your livelihood over a bet."

In February, the Super Bowl will return to New Orleans for the first time in more than a decade. Strahan, a studio analyst with Fox NFL Sunday, did not have a prediction for the Super Bowl matchup.

“I have no idea, if I were that good, I would be betting,” he quipped.

Commissioners Mum On Sports Betting

In his brief remarks, Strahan made reference to one player who bet on his team during the 2022 regular season. The player, former Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers Jr., reportedly placed a four-figure prop on a teammate to hit the over in rushing yards. Suspended for a year by the NFL, Rodgers reportedly deprived himself of a multi-year deal worth tens of millions. Rodgers has resurfaced with the Eagles, after signing a one-year, $1.05 million contract.

While nearly a dozen NFL players received a suspension for betting violations in the 2023 offseason, not a single player has been publicly reprimanded since February's Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

Two prominent commissioners, Roger Goodell of the NFL and the NBA's Adam Silver, appeared on separate panels during the weekend. Given the theme of the event as an immersive fan festival, neither discussed their respective sports betting policies. Goodell, however, noted that he is excited about the league's debut in Brazil next month.

He made the comments days after MGM Resorts announced the formation of a new venture to seek a sports betting and iGaming license in South America's largest nation. In partnership with Grupo Global, Latin America's largest media group, BetMGM Brazil will be located in São Paulo. The city will host an Eagles-Packers matchup on Sept. 6 at Corinthians Arena. A contingent of NFL executives and members of Genius Sports' C-suite are set to speak at a pre-game presentation, a source told The Action Network. Brazil is expected to launch a comprehensive online sports betting market as early as next year.

Silver also discussed international expansion at a FanaticsFest event two days later. The commissioner, though, did not address NBA plans to consider a ban on props involving two-way players. During the NBA Playoffs, the league reportedly met with its sportsbook partners to discuss the implications of the restrictions. The NBA issued a lifetime ban against former Raptors' center Jontay Porter in April after a league investigation determined that Porter manipulated his participation in two games to influence the results of several props.

Ahead of football season, Fanatics plans to unveil a host of betting activations, a Fanatics Sportsbook spokesman told The Action Network. More than 70,000 fans attended the three-day event at the Javits Center. Fanatics promoted a new mobile app, with advertisements plastered throughout the expansive conference hall.

"I'm a New Yorker, I've been to other events at the Javits Center, but this is really unique," Silver said. "I don't think there's ever been anything like this in sports."