Death threats aren’t about losing; they’re about gambling on college sports

Anyone who rooted last week for the Ohio State Buckeyes can now testify that there’s a reason the NCAA Basketball Tournament is nicknamed “March Madness.”

The Buckeyes’ shocking loss to Oral Roberts University, a game presumed to be little more than a speed bump, was a David-vs-Goliath upset that “busted” brackets from here to, well, eternity.

Though some observers wasted no time in attributing Oral Roberts’ improbable win to divine providence -- given its tent-revivalist namesake -- it was more a case of sloppy play and missed opportunities on Ohio State’s part.

Not even Jesus can save you from 16 turnovers and 50 percent freethrow shooting.

Because Ohioans hold faith that Ohio State will win every game, every time, the loss was like being hit with a pie.

But issuing death threats? That’s a whole different ball game.

Following last week’s game, Buckeyes star E.J. Liddell -- who wasn’t the reason they lost -- was pelted online with racist and homophobic slurs and literal threats against his life if he sets foot on campus.

Liddell’s response was a blend of genuine hurt and bewilderment, asking “What did I do to deserve this?” Nothing.

Here’s a bet: Scratch the surface of the threats and you’re likely to find chumps who lost a wad of cash betting on the Buckeyes.

Sports are the mother’s milk of gambling. Gambling on college sports is dominated by college students themselves. The International Center for Responsible Gambling reports that:

• About 75 percent of college students gambled during the past year (whether legally or illegally) with about 18 percent gambling weekly or more frequently.

• Lotteries, card games, pools (including raffles, charitable small stakes gambling), sports betting and games of skill are the most frequently chosen gambling activities by college students.

• Both student-athletes and students who are sports fans gamble more than other students.

• The NCAA has identified gambling by athletes as a major threat to the integrity of intercollegiate athletics and responded with the development of a comprehensive education program for student-athletes.

• Casino nights, poker tournaments and other gambling activities are popular at special events sponsored by campus organizations and fraternities and sororities.

• Despite the prevalence of on-campus gambling, just 22 percent of U.S. colleges and universities have formal policies on gambling.

This would help to explain who probably threatened Liddell and why.

Only money can make a person lose their mind over a lost game in which they didn’t even play, to the point where they literally want to kill someone.

Sports betting puts to rest the fallacy that Americans can’t do math. Listen to any sports-talk radio, and soon you, too, can learn all the formulas and odds-maker lingo required to lay your money down.

A growing number of states, including Ohio, are inching ever closer to giving Vegas a run for its money by permitting sports betting. Why? For the same reason there’s an Ohio Lottery and state-run liquor stores.

Let’s not be virgins here. Sports betting has been around since the day humans started beating one another with clubs. From church bingo to running the yellow light, gambling in some form appears to be part of our genetic makeup.

Though no one ever likes it, learning how to lose with some measure of grace and civility is integral to our culture. However, let’s be honest:

“It’s only a game” only applies when you haven’t bet your tuition on it.