Picking the Super Bowl

That's right. I said SUPER BOWL. The NFL can kiss my ass. I'm gonna say SUPER BOWL all day long. None of this 'big game' bullshit. They don't own the English language. They may own the brand, but they can't stop me from saying it. And, just to tweak them a little bit, I'm gonna talk about the SUPER BOWL and gambling in the same sentence!

I have yet to make my bets for the game, although going over the multi-page prop sheet from the sports book while at work the other day was lots of fun. Good lord, the number of sucker bets is overwhelming--I think one of my buddies put $5 (at 15-to-1) that the Colts would score exactly 31 points.

I'm not gonna do anything that ridiculous, but I'm leaning heavily on taking the Colts and the under (Colts by 5 and the over/under is 57 as of right now). Not that I particularly want the Colts to win--I'd much rather see the Saints win it all, after all, they are the *real* America's Team. Besides, if I bet on the Colts, no matter who wins, I'll be happy (unless, of course, the Colts don't cover).

I completely spaced off putting my bets in before leaving work yesterday morning, but there is still plenty of time. There's a hole-in-the-wall Cal-Neva satellite book about two minutes from my house in one of those slot-grinder joints that dot the local landscape, so I can run up there if I really get the urge to put some action on the game. But I'm not so sure I want to bet on it this year. I was 3-for-3 on cashing SUPER BOWL tickets starting after I moved here, but I don't recall betting the game last year (if I did, it was a small bet, not a memorable payday or loss). This year, it's just shaping up to be such an enjoyable game that I'm thinking I'll probably just watch and not worry about getting any action.

Also, I'm gonna enjoy the game on the comfort of my own couch here at the Batch Pad. For the first three SUPER BOWL Sundays that I lived here, I had to work and couldn't really enjoy the game. Last year, I attended a SUPER BOWL party, but at the last minute, half of my friends got called into work, so it wasn't nearly as fun at it could have been. Besides, the host had two stupid-ass yap dogs that didn't stop barking the entire f*cking afternoon, and the guy working the remote had the volume of the game turned up to ear-splitting level (probably to drown out the sound of the barking dogs), and then he'd mute it during the commercials. Not exactly the best time I've ever had.

Most of my peeps are working today anyways, and I don't want to hang out in the sports book all day, if only because I'd get suckered into making a bunch of stupid prop bets, so I'm just watching it solo. My game plan is to grill a burger, have a beer or two, and just have a mellow afternoon enjoying what I believe will be one of the most entertaining SUPER BOWLS we've seen in a long time (although, it'll be hard to top last year's classic matchup between the Cardinals and Steelers).

But if I *do* make a bet, I'm gonna parlay the Colts and the under for $25.

Mikey