Kicked in the (foot) Balls

I thought I was gonna miss football being done more than I have so far. Usually, this is Black Monday, when I'm down and out and wondering how quickly September is going to come around, especially on the heels of a successful betting year. However, it's quite the opposite. Maybe it's because I forgot how much I love the betting torture that is basketball (especially the pros). Conference play is usually when college basketball is at its best, especially with some of the long-standing rivalries in various conferences. There's about 10,000 games to follow on a given weekend it seems, and I look at my bets as an opportunity to make gambling into a part-time job with enough research and a little bit of luck. I don't know how people become professionals at gambling, but I do think a love of numbers is required to win in the long haul. Maybe my Mathletic background was really just the start of my love of gambling, the crunching of numbers and figuring out lines that are worth betting vs. those worth avoiding.

The Super Bowl was berry berry good to me. After losing a couple of college games and $65 from my account, my bets of GB scoring over 23.5 and Jordy Nelson +290 to score a TD was my ticket to a $1.45 (yes, 145 cents) profit of a day when all was said and done. I never did prop bets in Super Bowl before but some of them caught my eye. I did lose a few of them but overall ended up $66.45 with my Super Bowl bets. I will miss football for the money I made, but I have faith that the season will start in September and I can continue my winning ways.

Tonights bets: WVU/Pitt Under for first half 59.5 (thank god only bet the first half, WIN), Mizzou/Kansas over 155 for game (WIN), Sac/Utah Over 199.5 for game (WIN), Phx/GSW Over 109.5 for 1st half (LOSS)
Nothing new in life. School finally resumes after a week off. It'll be nice to get back, but I think it'll be even nicer to graduate in April. I'm keeping my mind open when it comes to my career options after this. I've been enjoying (and getting better at) this working from home. I suppose it's nice to have these multiple options- certainly better than being stuck in limbo and not have anything.

Peace out to you peeps. I'll be updating my bets as they finish (and I make more). I hope to get more out before games start in case I get good and you wanna tail 'em.

Say Hey 28-year-old Kid

Is it wrong to feel like a kid when you're 28 years old? I guess it depends on what area of life you're talking about. If I was acting like a kid regarding a job (working some fast food joint or not working at all and just burning day in and day out), that'd be one thing. But a 28 year old kid who lives at home with an at-home job isn't such a bad thing if it's saving me some money long run. That's not to say I don't want to move out, but for now, saving money and being the kid who still lives at home 28 years into life isn't so bad. It might be a problem if I was more of a social player with the ladies, but luckily that's not a problem.

I guess my kiddish feelings come more from my attitude towards life- trying to maintain my youth through immature humor and not taking life seriously. Maybe those aren't kid qualities. Whether they are or not, doesn't matter. I doubt I'll ever stop being immaturely funny- because cheap laughs sell. And plus, I know I'm funnier than you- FACT.


Whoever was asking me about my hypothetical bet proposal, I actually found out that my old sports book is taking my money again through Mastercard- this ain't good for anyone but Bookmaker.com. So no need for hypotheticals, gonna make the real ones.

Saturday bets: UCLA -4 against St. Johns at noon (win), first half under 63 UI/NU (loss), UI -1 second half (win), Indiana -5.5 vs Iowa (loss), first half over 71.5 Duke/NC St (win), first half over 73.5 Mizzou/Colo (win), OKC/Utah Over 206


Super Bowl lean(s): Green Bay (hope they go back down to -2.5) and the over. I think I'm leaning more GB. Pittsburgh's center being out will hurt the Steelers. Lining up under center will be different for Ben with the new guy- who is making his first career start behind center on the biggest stage of football. And all they expect the newbie to do is block the beast of a man named B.J. Raji. I expect a snap problem or two that could result in a turnover.

I may write some more over the week. I got so excited with school being cancelled this week that I forgot to do anything- writing being one of them (and showering being another, oops).

I Quit Gambling

...if these bets lose.

Indiana/Chicago Under (probably get it at 194)
Texas/Missouri Over (147ish)

$44 to win 40 on each (real money).

Ok, I won't quit. I should though, considering I haven't won a booked basketball bet yet in 4 tries.

How Do I Live?

Where's my football?!?

The past 20 weeks (I initially typed years, kinda what it feels like), I've had my Sundays occupied with football games. Whether it be at Olivers or the city, I always parked my ass on a seat somewhere to watch the games. Now with the Pro Bowl doing everything it can to make me hate football, I will be looking for something else to do on a Sunday afternoon for the first time in 5 months.

And then when the Super Bowl is complete, that's when I usually hit my low for the year. I miss football like a fat man misses cake after he eats a whole one. I need to get a life in two weeks, or else I'm in for a long month between now and the start of March Madness.

Have you seen my football?

Dollars Talk, Penny Packers Walk



"Illinoi$ Politic$ at it$ fine$t"

 Sure, Illinois' Supreme Court ripped the Court of Appeals ruling as one that completely ignored the concept of property in Illinois as written in state law, but let's be honest--everyone and everything (including farts in the wind) knew that Rahm wasn't gonna be removed. I suppose I write this at the expense of ignorance (perhaps other offices in the state or country have legitimately banned high-profile/campaign-raising candidates and stuck to it), but no one actually believed that the President's right-hand man in the city of the bluest of blue liberals was going to stay off the ballot.

As we know, money doesn't always buy happiness. Couple sports examples:

NY Yankees: $1.78B spent on player salary since 2001 - (source: USAtoday.com) (avg 178 mil/year); championships since 2001: 1 (same as the Marlins)

Washington Redskins...some of their more notable contracts since Daniel Snyder (see his other offenses as owner/business guy here) became owner: Mark Brunell (7 yr/$43M)- played 4 years of deal; Lavernius Coles (5yr/$35M)- played 2 years of deal; Jeff George (4yr/$18.5M)- played 8 games in two years before retiring; Albert Haynesworth (7yr/$100M)- likely played in his last game (20th total) for the team; Deion Sanders (7yr/56M) played one season. Record for Redskins since Snyder became owner in 1999: 86-106

Odds are, the Rahm business here will fall into this $$$$ talk, just knowing how bad Illinois is looking financially and how the parties just can't follow the advice of Mr. King, Rodney:

"Can't we all just get along?"

Good question, Mr. King....good question.

In the meantime, if you have money, make the most of it. Odds are, you're more in a position of doing what you want than the rest of us.

Money where my heart is

Is it good to bet on your team? I suppose...but only if you're betting with the brain and not the heart. If you're making a casual bet with a friend, then I suppose that's alright too. But as a handicapper (emphasis on handicap), it's probably usually wise to not bet your team (for or against). Too many conflicts of interests.

On that note, I'm making my first public (i..e. blog) basketball bet today and hopefully catching the end of a rout of the Indiana Hoosiers by

I-L-L....

I-N-I

Getting ready to piss away $44 on Illinois -5 or so (gotta wait for The Book to message me to get the official line).

Let's do it.

Just Like My Dad

When someone compares me looks-wise to my dad, I'm never sure how to take that. I know I sound like him, especially on the phone. I especially know that I act exactly like him when I got my classmates in my group telling me to settle down as I appear anxious to get everything organized for our project- I can't help but be fidgety when I got nothing to do on the project until post-production.

We have similar love of fountain pops, humor and farting. When you can share the love of those three with anyone, I guess that's all you need really.

But seriously, when I'm told I look at him....really?

Dad at his cataract surgery. Do I really look like this dumbass?

C'MON MAN! If I look like this, then I might as well just Bobbitt myself now and accept the reality altogether.


(the below added 6-19-11)

In all honesty, I wouldn't be the man today if it wasn't for my dad. Every man would become a better one by learning something from him- especially how to treat and talk to people.

Thanks for everything, Pops. A fitting name for a man who can never stop getting the fountain soda from Jewel Express and 7-11.

Love you.

-Brian