I don't think it was scandalous - helping a friend out in itself shouldn't be punished, especially when Marek had nothing to gain from this transaction.
However, many of us sign NDAs, and of course many of us also sign rules of conduct forms as well. This strikes me as something that would be covered in at least one form, if not outright, then through a fairly clear interpretation of one of the rules. I don't blame Sportsnet for firing him, especially i the NHL came to them with that request and given the potential liabilities with gambling, if not in this instance, than for future potential incidents.
It is sad that Marek lost his job - he seems like a genuinely good person. I am sure he will find a way back into podcasting again soon enough. I am sure that the NHL will have him blacklisted officially for a couple of years, but I also think he is ultimately good for the league as many people even on these forums like him a lot. Hopefully he can find a really good gig from now until then, and maybe this change will even lead him to bigger and better opportunities that he might have overlooked. Certainly positive change can come from this, especially when by all measures he seems like a very likeable individual. The industry will help pick him up, especially given the circumstances of his dismissal.
|