Robservations: Sinking in the NCAA office pool
(Quick hits while glancing at the TV every four seconds to check my bracket…)
It’s that time of year again. Time for people who for the previous four months couldn’t tell you what state Gonzaga is in are risking bragging rights and/or hard-earned pay in NCAA tournament office pools.
The fad of throwing a few bucks in the pot and trying to chart the entire field of 64 is not new, to be sure. And it’s by no means uncommon.
According to an Associated Press feature article on the subject, the FBI recently estimated more than $2.5 billion was bet illegally on the NCAA tourney. That’s on top of the $80 million in legal bets placed in Nevada.
And as you all probably know (some of you from experience), there are plenty of brackets floating around right here in Warren County.
If you’re not in a pool, you probably know someone who is. Heck, you probably know someone who’s running one.
So here’s my suggestion. Let’s get the local government to sponsor a huge NCAA bracket contest, with a percentage of the proceeds going to an aquatic center.
The “Pool for the Pool!” It sings, doesn’t it?
(By the way, Gonzaga’s in Spokane, Washington.)
• Mike Tyson may still be bringing his traveling freakshow to the Volunteer State.
Despite being granted a license to fight in Washington D.C., Tyson’s adviser has said Memphis is “still in the mix” to land the heavyweight championship bout between Tyson and Lennox Lewis.
This sounds like a good plan to me. After all, Memphis’ short-lived XFL franchise was called the “Maniax.” Tyson should fit right in.
• Turning to the local front…
What’s the latest chapter in the great Southern Standard Pastime Quest? Bowling.
That’s right. Yours truly, as well as several other members of the staff of your friendly neighborhood newspaper, have taken up the game immortalized by men the likes of Dick Weber, Earl Anthony, Ralph Kramden and Fred Flintstone.
It’s actually the latest in a long line of frivolous acts of “athleticism” the editorial department has attempted over the years.
When I got here last November, we were all about parking lot hockey. Now, we have a dusty goal in the back of the pressroom, and a closet full of banged-up hockey sticks.
As the weather turned warmer, our thoughts drifted to wiffle ball. Many a sunny afternoon was spent on the diamond, arguing over whether a pitch hit the “out” portion of a telephone pole, or whether a ball crossed the “double” line. Now, we’ve got a couple of bats tossed in among the hockey sticks, and during every strong storm a few balls blow down from the top of the building.
Frisbee golf lasted a few months, but after losing two or three of those $10 disks on the roofs of downtown shops and offices, the expense just got too great.
But now, we’ve found something that’ll last. Bowling, a truly great American pastime. And, as usual, we’ve jumped in with both feet — buying our own balls, sneaking off to practice to get better than the other guys, and then coming back and throwing our high scores up in each other’s faces.
Two of us have even gone so far as to join a league — something that’s really easy to do, is really fun, and ultimately, if you’re a habitual bowler, will save you money.
(Note: The promotion of bowling leagues, or bowling in general, was not intended to get myself or any of my colleagues any free games at Garden City Bowl — which in itself is a fine facility, with a friendly, courteous staff ready to assist you with any of your bowling needs.
It really wasn’t. Honest.
By the way again. Dick Weber and Earl Anthony are members of the Bowling Hall of Fame. Duh.)