Posted:
#1
As you all know, I like to wait until the second week before posting my pick.
In the meantime, I'd like to share a story with you...
One day in 1973, a friend called and invited me to the Washington Bullets basketball game, known as the Washington Wizards, today. Somehow, he would get a lot of free tickets with a good seat location. But before you leave the house would you call in and place a bet for me with your local? Sure, how much? $1,000.00 What, a grand? "Are you insane?" (In today's money, that equates to about $6,000.) I'm serious, he replied, I have inside information on the game. Oh really, I exclaimed. Okay, I'll do it, but I need half the money upfront because I cannot cover that, and I'm not going to get strung out on that much for anyone, No problem, he said. So, I called it in and placed 100.00 bucks on it for myself.
That evening I met him in front of the stadium, at which time he handed me $500.00, and we proceeded to the gate. As we approached the turnstile, I noticed he was carrying a cloth shopping bag. What's in there, I said? Shhh, just keep close behind me, he continued, and they won't notice. Now I'm wondering, what the heck am I getting myself into here? What's in the bag? again I said. Shhh. So, like a puppy, I followed along to our seats about five rows back from the court. Excuse me please, I was saying as I squeezed past people in the same aisle. Meanwhile, I'm still concerned, wondering what's in the damn bag: drugs, weed, a gun, a buzzer, or what? I was imagining everything possible. I'm concerned that I will be thrown out, arrested.
We finally arrived at our seats, he placed the bag between his legs and said nothing more. The game began with the Bullets jumping out to a 16-point first-quarter advantage. I watched him yelling and cheering, and I'm still looking down at the bag. The Bullets were on a roll and went up 21 points as the buzzer went off at halftime. He then reached into the bag and pulled out a thermos bottle, unscrewed the top, and poured out a drink. What is that I said? Coca-cola! What, Coca-Cola? Are you kidding me, Charlie? No, I'm not, he said. There's no way I'm paying $2.75 for a drink when I can buy it for 20 cents! Charlie, do you actually mean to tell me that you wagered a 1,000 on this game, and you're sneaking in a soft drink? Yes indeed, he said. Oh, oh, whoa, I'm thinking this dude is sick, and now I am hoping we win this freaking game.
Do I have to tell you? You know what I'm going to say at this point. Yep, you're right, we lost the game by one point.
He lost his ass, but he got free tickets, cheap drinks, and lost a grand. And I lost 100.00, or 600.00 in today's dollars. But I was young and foolish and got sucked in. On the way out with the crowd, I asked, Charlie, where did you get the tip? A friend of mine who works at the stadium ticket counter told me they would win.
Oh, I finally collected the other 500.00 plus the Vig. But that was a great lesson for me.
The moral of this story is do not listen to fly-by-nights, and don't be a cheapskate. People never forget a tightwad.
See you next week.
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