Just Something Different

 Until gambling became legalized and there is much broader control over the money, sports betting is virtually everywhere.  I like to see odds and point spreads, especially on college football games.  It seems this year was a very good year for the odds makers in Vegas who analyze every aspect of every major team in college football.  There were a lot of losers who bet against the odds.

I'll make it clear that I don't bet.  But I often wonder how so often the analysts are spot on.  I went with the odds on the OSU/Michigan game based on what Vegas was saying about the game.  This game probably has the most predictables of any sporting event.  I had it exactly right.  Using Vegas I figured the only way for OSU to lose by six was for the score to 30-24 Mich.  But how did I know?  It was Vegas.  I figured with this game and everything on the line, plus playing in Michigan Vegas was spot on.  And they were.

If I were a betting man, I would have left this game to Vegas.  There were so few unpredictables in this game.  I have an app on my phone that gives me up-to-the-minute odds on every major sport event played every day.  At one point during the game OSU was favored by two, if you wanted to take the bet.  I thought if I gambled there was no way I would take that bet.  But I am sure some OSU fans in particular were tempted and did.  I thought to myself Vegas was looking for suckers.

I don't follow collegiate football or any professional sport closely enough to gamble.  I knew just from following odds and various teams Vegas was spot on in regard to this game and simply played the odds.  Once in awhile Vegas loses.  That's an upset.  My gut told me Vegas was spot on in regard to this game.  Only a fool would bet against the odds.  I just knew Vegas had the game right.  

I knew nothing more than Vegas did.  I knew an interception by Michigan would change the game.  How?  A rookie quarterback never having played in Michigan in the biggest game he ever played.  I thought what Vegas did:  Two interceptions.  But does that mean anything I seemed to know that?  No.  I told no one, so, I could be making all this up.  But too often a final drive ends in an interception.  It's the odds of it happening.  I went with the odds.

I really wasn't sure I wanted to watch the game, because I knew Vegas had this game spot on.  It was a gut feeling I had about the game.  There were no surprises.  But is every game this predictable?  No.  But this game is different.  I'd never bet against Vegas on this game.  I would have won but a few bucks on the points and the spread.  

I've learned some things in life are predictable, but more often than not we're surprised by the outcome.  That's what makes life fun and interesting.  That game was just fun because I knew it would just be a fun game and I just wanted to see how right I was before the game.  But I'm just happy life has more surprises than this game did.  Football is just a game.  Life is so much more complicated.

This is why I smoke a pipe.  Life is just full of surprises. And life is often unpredictable.  And like a football game we sometimes can't control the outcome, except to be a fan.  I'm a fan of life and living.  We never are sure what comes next, but more often than not there are more surprises than disappointments.  I just simply work to keep everything in balance and sometimes that is full-time job.  Today it is my Peterson System pipe with some of my Corn Cob Pipe tobacco.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave