It is 5:30 a.m. Monday and I can see the beautiful sunrise looking out the window in my office here at GamingToday.
All is good as it appears they may have come to an agreement on the debt, they have settled the football lockout and parlay card stubs are coming off the presses in the print shop.
Football season is my favorite time of the year. I like it mostly because of parlay cards. I love playing all of them – teasers, super or mega teasers, ties win, ties reduced, money line and reverse teaser.
I really like that reverse teaser because it’s real tough and has great payoffs. The first cards will be coming off the presses the first week of exhibition football. There will only be the ties lose parlay card.
These games can be very risky for the books, but at least we can get our appetite whet. I have hit some ties lose cards. Just look for a few bargains and some games you may think are blowouts. Some coaches don’t care about winning these games while others want to make a good impression in the early going.
Speaking of the debt, I had a ton of response to my remark last week about raising my debt limit and in answer, “No, I did not find a way,” and it was not a good betting week. I am still negotiating with myself to try and find a way as I do have a week at Del Mar coming very soon. It will be very difficult to go there with no credit.
Talking about a difficult time, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a horrible week and it really looked like it could happen even without the horrendous bad call they received. They were in almost all their games until the end but could only muster a mere two wins at Atlanta, losing two in extra innings, including the 19-inning debacle that I was going to get into but decided not to. Everyone has heard and seen enough of it so what more could I say?
The Pirates got close to salvaging the last game in Philly but their bullpen, which has been great, could not hold off the tough Phillies. The “Buccos” dropped to 4½ games behind the hot Brewers.
The baseball races have basically stayed the same with the exception of the Brewers getting ultra hot. The Giants in the NL West took a little hit as they have lost six of their last 10 games while the Diamondbacks have won seven of their last 10 games to move within two of the G-men.
With football on the horizon baseball will somewhat be put on the back burner until the playoffs start.
The books all have the first week of the regular NFL season on the boards and there is one game I have already bet on even though I found it hard. I took the Ravens -2½ points over the Steelers.
These two teams always play within a field goal and laying less just seems the way to bet this game.
As I turn 64 on August 17, I am reminded they would call this the golden years. The only thing golden about these years would be if you got into gold at around $800.
For those of you who have been in Vegas books as long as I have, I am sure you all know of the fast moving little guy by the name of Donnie Bader. He was a real Damon Runyon character in the books and on the radio.
Bader went to all the high school basketball games and traveled with my good friend Syl to many Final Four games. In his golden years Donnie is suffering from severe dementia and doesn’t recognize even his closet friends like “Bobby the Owl,” his long time roommate.
Donnie was a legendary foul shooter. Even at his 4 foot 10 inch stature he could sink 90 out of 100 foul shots. Donnie is currently in the Harmon Medical and Rehabilitation Hospital at 2170 East Harmon Ave.
Bader doesn’t have any living family so if anyone one of his old friends and buddies could stop by and sit for a little while it would be a good thing. Maybe you can talk a little football as he is responsive.