The NFL's vehement objection to wagering on its games is well known. And in practice, the league has demonstrated a serious antipathy for gambling in general.

For instance, you don't see advertising for casinos - even ones that don't have sports wagering - in NFL stadiums the way you do at baseball parks.

But when it comes to something as significant as draft position, the league uses one of the most rudimentary gambling practices - the coin flip.

Yesterday, the Atlanta Falcons won a coin flip to draft third overall, beating out the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs. All three teams finished with 4-12 records, and all three played a schedule that had a .516 winning percentage.

So, now by virtue of sheer luck (in Atlanta's case, some might call it dumb luck), the draft order is now Falcons No. 3, Raiders No. 4 and Chiefs No. 5. The Miami Dolphins, because of their 1-15 record, are No. 1, and the St. Louis Rams are No. 2. The Ravens draft No. 8.

But the coin flip has always had a special place in football. Of course, every game starts with a coin flip to determine who chooses to receive or kick off but, theoretically, that's counterbalanced by the loser of the flip getting its choice for the second half.

And overtime possession is determined by a coin flip, although for years the NFL would cite statistics showing that the winner of the flip in its sudden-death format didn't hold a considerable advantage - something that fans of any team that loses by a field goal on the first possession may dispute.