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BOB W'S VEGAS VACATION

Well the second trip of the year for me to Las Vegas and I am still standing.  If that isn’t a win, I don’t know what is.  Unfortunately that is where the winning ends.  No I did not get taken to the cleaners, but just once I would like to come back with more in my pocket than I went out with.  The football games were overly kind to me, but the table games made sure that I left the City of Las Vegas a little richer than I found her.

 

Observation:

Why is it that when I get 5 hours of sleep in Las Vegas I feel like a new man, ready to conquer the world, and fresh as a daisy.  But when I get 5 hours of sleep in Maryland I am the most miserable person in the world and I can’t hardly make it through the day without dozing off at my computer?  Not looking for an answer, just wondering.

 

Thanks to all the little people:

According to the computer at the Aladdin, all they know about me is that I spent over a $1,000 in rooms this Spring.  They don’t know that 16 other people helped me pay the tab and the truth is they probably don’t care.  But I do know that they rewarded my loyalty with a free upgrade to a huge room over looking the strip.  Remember the second hotel room we had in March, that is about the size of the bathroom in this one.  Thanks guys! 

 

The Nicest Cabbie Ever:

The following is a true conversation between a Las Vegas Cabbie and myself:

Cabbie: So where you guys from?

Me:  Maryland.

Cabbie:  Oh really, they should have a good team this year.  How about that team they had in 2002, I’m telling you Juan Dixon is one of the greatest college basketball players of all time.  I hope he goes on to have a great career in the pro’s.  How do you not cheer for that guy. 

 

Maybe he was just fishing for a tip (though I was not wearing anything to indicate I was a Maryland fan), but it was totally unsolicited and was nice to hear about everyone’s favorite Terp. 

 

The Greatest Football Game Ever played:

No one outside the state of Utah and Wyoming (with the expection of a couple hard core gamblers) watched this one.  Utah took the lead early and never looked back as they laughed their way to another victory.  But that is the story the non gambling eye tells.  For those who put there hard earned dollars on the Crafty Cowboys we saw something much, MUCH, different. 

 

Lets add in the 23 points the Utes were giving and look at how this one finished.  Utah has the lead 45-14 with 8 minutes left to play.  Ball game right, wrong!  Add in the 23 points and suddenly the game is 45-37 still a commanding lead this late in the game.  The never say die Cowboys drive down the field to score a TD (Real World Score:  45-21, Gambling World Score 45-44!).  The only problem is that the drive took over 7 minutes to complete.  All Utah has to do is field the kickoff down the ball and head back to Mormon Land.  Wyoming, knowing that the game is over kicks the ball deep into Utah territory and run down the field like wild men.  The Utah player fields the ball (player names don’t exist in Gambling World) and gets drilled.  THE BALL IS LOOSE!!!  THE BALL IS LOOSE!!  Wyoming jumps on it and takes possession with 40 seconds left in the game.  Though in the Real World Wyoming is down 3 possesions, they refuse to give in.  The very next play Wyoming finds the end zone on a long pass play to score the second touch down in 10 seconds!  Game Over.  Utah gets there easy 45-28 win and the Gamblers brave enough to pick a 23 point underdog get a huge come from behind win.  When a skinny kid from Maryland runs victory laps around the casino after the Cowboys 17 point loss you just have to say to yourself, “Only in Vegas”. 

 

Bobby The Greek:

I have to admit, I have been called many a nationality in my life, German, French (ouch), Czechoslovakian (thanks spell check), but I have never been called Greek.  But for one day this American-German-Dutch pasty white kid got to live like a true football guru.  With the “Miracle in Laramie”, the Cowboys turned a sure 5-1-1 gambling day into a 6-0-1 gambling day.  Though I only had $5 on each team (had to split with  Jake to cover the 10$ minimum), it is always nice when you get to cash EVERY SINGLE TICKET!  Add in Sundays and Thursday’s football betting and the final total was 9-1-2 (The one loss being a Parlay ticket where I only covered on 2 of the 3 bets.  Damn Seahawks!).

 

What you Really Care About:

Though it is nice to toot my horn every once in a while, I doubt anyone really cares about how I did picking football games over the extended weekend, so we will move on to a subject near and hear to everyone’s hearts.  The ACC.  Here are the odds on who will win the Regular Season Atlantic Coast Conference in Men’s Hoops and the National Championship:

 

Team                                        ACC Odds                            National Championship Odds

UNC                                        2/1                                                                   6/1

Wake                                       5/2                                                                   10/1

Duke                                        7/2                                                                   14/1

Georgia Tech                            6/1                                                                   15/1

Maryland                                  8/1                                                                   18/1

NC State                                  7/1                                                                   20/1

FSU                                         15/1                                                                 75/1

UVA                                        12/1                                                                 65/1

Clemson                                   50/1                                                                 Field    

Miami                                       125/1                                                               Field

Va Tech                                   150/1                                                               Field

 

Other Notables:

Kansas                                                                                                             8/1

Illinois                                                                                                               15/1

Louisville                                                                                                          12/1

UConn                                                                                                             18/1

Kentucky                                                                                                         10/1

Arizona                                                                                                            18/1

Michigan State                                                                                      18/1

Florida                                                                                                             18/1    

Syracuse                                                                                                          15/1

 

All other teams are 20/1 or higher. 

 

Baseball Odds:

I won’t touch on all of them, but just some that may be of interest, these are all World Series Odds:

Baltimore             50/1

Philadelphia            15/1

Boston             7/2

New York (A)            7/2

Cubs                6/1

Texas               35/1

Buc Oh’s (For Cory)   200/1

Washington            300/1

 

Football Odds:

Can’t seem to find my sheet for football, but I do remember:

New England                2/1

Philadelphia                  7/2

Pittsburg (Not sure but I think also around 7/2)

 

NHL Odds:

No betting allowed.

 

In Conclusion:

So there you have it, another great trip to the Nation’s Playground.  A success in that a great time was had, a disaster in that now Sin City has her neon claws dug even deeper into my soul.   They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, well I just don’t believe it and I have 3 pages of Word Document that says otherwise.