“More times than not, you’ll lose but never quit throwing the dice–All it takes is a few rolls in a row for you to change your life.”- Mario (retired gambler)
Ten Fresh Picks: Week 5
- CAL +6.5 W
- Arizona +7.5 L
- Oklahoma St +19.5 W
- LSU +1.5 L
- Duke -7.5 W
- UK +3.5 L
- USC -1.5 L
- Rutgers +5.5 W
- Alabama +4.5 W
- Pitt +3.5 L
WEEK: 5-5
YEAR: 26-24
Winning as much as I lose and it continues to be fun. Enjoy this week’s Fresh Picks. If you don’t lay a nickel, you’ve already won.
Ten Fresh Picks: Week 6
- Miami -4.5
- @FLorida St at 5:30 on ABC
- Weather: 80 and cloudy in Tallahassee
- Cal +2.5
- vs Duke at 8:30 on Espn
- Weather: 72 and clear in Berkely
- Boston College +3.5
- @Pitt at Noon on Espn
- Weather: 79 and sunny in Pittsburgh
- Georgia -21.5
- vs Kentucky at Noon on ABC
- Weather: 75 and partly cloudy in Athens
- Michigan St +10.5
- @Nebraska at 2:00 on FS1
- Weather: 82 and partly cloudy in Lincoln
- Purdue +10.5
- vs Illinois at Noon on BTN
- Weather: 85 and sunny in West Lafayette
- Wisconsin +16.5
- @Michigan at Noon on Fox
- Weather: 83 and sunny in Ann Arbor
- UAB +7.5
- vs Army at Noon on EspnU
- Weather: 84 and partly cloudy in Birmingham
- Cincinatti +3
- vs Iowa St at Noon on Espn
- Weather: 82 and sunny in Cincinatti
- Washington +5.5
- @Maryland at 1:30 on BTN
- Weather: 77 and sunny in Baltimore
Only one late kick this week, so by 3PM, I’ll know whether I’ve won or lost the week. Easy day. Cincinatti and Cal are in great spots. Continue to have fun.
Oh, and don’t listen to guys like Mario. He’s a real person who I knew quite well for a several years until I moved across the country. You could say he has a rough life in retirement. One that includes sleeping in the elements every night and searching bus stop benches for loose change. It’s heartbreaking to hear his stories and bad advice. I wish he would heed mine–Sometimes it’s best to Not roll the dice. Sometimes it can cost you more than a few dollars. Sometimes, it can cost you all you have.
Guys like Mario can make losing look so much fun that it could lead someone on the narrow to want to try it. Don’t buy it. Always love guys like Mario but don’t buy it. Or do. ‘A few rolls in a row could change your life.’ We just don’t get a say whether it’s a positive or negative.
My advice–work hard and use your brain. Watch sports for fun, let guys like Mario bet on the game. Losing your home on the roll of a dice is utterly insane. As Mario would say, “you only get one life, Mane.”
- Mario had an accent that would be common in South Memphis.
- Throwing dice against a gas station brick wall off south Third, Mario lost it all.
He would tell the story with glee. I would have heard him tell it to me or someone new he would meet at least twenty-five times. I’m sitting here right now remembering him and wishing him well. It’s been years since I’ve seen him, but I surely hope he is well. Maybe he stopped rolling the dice. Maybe he’s got another story to tell.
There are three types of gamblers: fools, geniuses, and the frivolously wealthy. I like to think that I’m none of those. -Said in a wise Sheriff Bell sort of way.
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.