Sometimes you don't even have to ask a silly question to get a silly answer in the world of sports and sports betting. Witness some of the gems uncovered over the winter months by those who play, write about, officiate and administer the games we all love:
"One in 13,460,000"
--According to Bookofodds.com, the odds of perfectly selecting all 48 winners during the first two rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Interestingly, that's just what 17-year-old Alex Herrmann did, even choosing Northern Iowa to beat Kansas, Cornell over Wisconsin and Ohio to upset Georgetown.
"$13 million"
--What Herrmann, who is autistic, would have won if he'd filled out his perfect bracket with Sportsbook.com. Instead, Herrmann entered a contest sponsored by CBS which, sadly for the teenager, does not offer prize money.
"What do you get when you cross a NASCAR race with a Winter Olympics event? Billybobsledding."
--Mike Bianchi, the Orlando Sentinel
"I've had tons of e-mails and text messages, ‘I can't believe you won, you messed up my bracket, but that's great.' And that's from my mom."
--St. Mary's center Omar Samhan, after the Gaels upset No. 2 seeded Villanova in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
"I'm a father now so I thought of giving them a timeout."
--Roger Federer, after tennis greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi got into a squabble during a charity match
"Here's a safe March Madness prediction: Broadcasters' inevitable late-game proclamation-‘they could really use a stop here'-won't be sponsored by Toyota."
--Dwight Perry, the Seattle Times
"Vikings Stand Behind Brett Favre's Decision to Jerk Team Around for Months."
--Headline from theonion.com
"The Who's on first."
--According to Ian Hamilton of the Regina (Sask.) Leader-Post, why Abbott and Costello would have loved this year's Super Bowl halftime show
"NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee playing basketball with some buddies in the Palms' basketball VIP suite in Las Vegas. Gibbs Racing officials immediately urged Hamlin to stick to less-risky pursuits, like driving a stock car 200 MPH."
--Dwight Perry, the Seattle Times
"Olivia also guaranteed a Jets victory over the Chargers."
--Cam Hutchinson, of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, after Joe Namath's 19-year-old daughter got arrested on pot and alcohol charges
"I sat down to watch the Little Caesars Bowl and the Mrs. Decided I should go get pizza for the family. Then I sat down to watch the Meineke Car Care Bowl and the Mrs. Reminded me I promised to get her car's oil changed. After that, there was no way I was going to try to watch the Emerald Bowl."
--David Thomas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"It's tough to hit a home run off your back. In my era, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale, Steve Carlton, there were so many guys that would have probably knocked him on his butt. He wouldn't have hit home runs the way he did in that era."
--Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins on how he would have handled a steroid-aided Mark McGwire, who hit 70 home runs in 1998 and 65 the following year
"A man in Bloomington, Minn., was arrested for throwing two tomatoes at Sarah Palin during a book-signing appearance but neither tomato hit her. Here's hoping Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell has an airtight alibi."
--Dwight Perry, the Seattle Times
"I haven't done much trash-talking. But last year I did complain about a call. Nobody could believe it. So I said, ‘I've spent a lot on English lessons. I want to get my money's worth.'"
--Rockets center Yao Ming
7/2: I regret the hurt I've caused.
5/1: I thank my family
6/1: Time to reflect
10/1: Return to golf
12/1: Appeal for privacy
14/1: Thanks to my sponsors who have stuck by me.
25/1: We've all made mistakes.
25/1: We need to move on.
33/1: I love Elin very much.
66/1: Sex addition
--Odds offered by a European bookmaker on a number of words and phrases Tiger Woods would use in his televised February press conference
"300 million"
--The over/under on how big a settlement Tiger Woods' wife Elin Nordegren will receive if the couple divorce. The fine print on the bet: Does not include assets, just the total monetary amount awarded to her by a court of law reported by CNN. Must divorce by May 31, 2010.
Clearly, almost no subject is off limits when it comes to sports betting.
This article was written by Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering sports betting on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and all other major sports. The Greek is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online. Article reproductions must include a link pointing to http://www.thegreek.com
