FinsRule's Blog
Devastation
Zenyatta winning the Breeders Cup in 2009 was my favorite sporting moment of all time. Illinois beating Arizona to get to the final four was 2nd.After Zenyatta lost yesterday, it got me to thinking about the most devastating losses I've gone through.
#1 - Zenyatta losing 2010 Breeders Cup
#2 - Cubs losing in NLCS in 2003
#3 - Dolphins losing to Chargers in AFC Divisional Game in 1995?
#4 - Illinois losing to North Carolina in NCAA title game in 2005?
With #4 - I haven't followed NCAA basketball since. I watch/gamble on the tournament, but it hasn't been the same.
With #3 - I still love the Dolphins, but I was only 14 when the loss happened, so I don't think I was as devastated. And it was only the divisional game and not the AFC Championship
With #2 - I no longer care about baseball
#1 - I'm worried that I won't enjoy horse racing as much, and it upsets me.
I know that it's only sports. But I'm unemployed, and have been looking forward to the Breeders' Cup for over a year. My brother said he's still not over Illinois losing to North Carolina, and I think the Zenyatta loss might still hurt in 5 years...
Breeders' Cup Saturday
A lot of my picks got 2nd. So pick these to place: (Except Zenyatta, she'll win)Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf - #3 - Mantoba
Sprint - Girolomo - #2
Turf Sprint - Unzip Me - #4
Juvenile - JB's Thunder - #3
Mile - Goldikova - #10
Dirt Mile - Here Comes Ben - #5
Turf - Workforce - #6
Classic - ZENYATTA - #8
Breeders' Cup Picks - Friday
Have you ever wanted to lose money betting on horse races? Then put lots of money on these picks for Friday's Breeders' Cup races.I will be there in Louisville for the races, and will give a detailed trip report when I return.
I'm hoping to have a chance to post my picks for Saturday on here as well.
Friday
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Breeders' Cup Marathon - A.U. Miner - #12
Juvenile Fillies Turf - Together - #13
Filly & Mare Sprint - Evening Jewel - #5
Juvenile Fillies - AZ Warrior - #8
Filly & Mare Turf - Midday - #7 - Put Harmonius - #6 in Exacta
Ladies Classic - Blind Luck - #10 - Put Life at Ten - #1 in Exacta
Have fun, good luck!
Shameful lottery promotion
From the Illinois lottery....Rough quote:
"Buy the $2 Illinois Lottery College Tuition Scratchoff ticket. You can win 4 years paid tuition to any Illinois school"
Pretty much - You just turned 18 - now start buying lottery tickets!
Comments
rdw4potus
Oct 13, 2010
Is it transferable? Can I win, find a UC Freshman, and trade their $200K cash for my tuition vouchers?
FleaStiff
Oct 13, 2010
I imagine it means win it for your children... which means even more time before they have to actually pay anything out.
Of course if some 18 year old was just recently graduated from an Illinois high school he might just be stupid enough to buy a lottery ticket so he could win college tuition.
odiousgambit
Oct 14, 2010
state lotteries: my position is that they are OK, but it's disgraceful for them to advertise or merchandise. This is a good example.
btw I don't remember seeing the "if you have a gambling problem call 1-800 xxx" bit in state lottery ads.
FleaStiff
Oct 14, 2010
Lost all amidst the humor about the US Attorney in Detroit indicting a dead man for selling lottery tickets is the fundamental fact that he offered low priced tickets and paid out a good return on them, far beating the official lottery.
Favorite Sporting Event
If you would have asked me a year ago to name the best sporting event I had ever seen, I would have had a tough time answering. My answer ultimately would have been my alma mater, the University of Illinois, coming back from 15 points down with 3:45 seconds left against Arizona to make the Final Four.But now, my answer is different. The 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic (BCC) will probably go down as my favorite sporting event of all time (Until the Dolphins win the Super Bowl or Blues win the Stanley Cup). The 2009 BCC had all the elements you would want in a sporting event. Undefeated Zenyatta is racing against male horses for the first time in her career. She's a deep closer, so every race she needs to come from the back of the pack to win.
The first 60 seconds of the race, she is 10 lengths back. The announcer, Trevor Denman, mentions her every 10 seconds. "Zenyatta is last, dead last" The next 40 seconds she starts running a little better, and is about 8 lengths back. She hits the quarter mile to go mark, and faces a wall of horses. "She has nowhere to go" Then she gets around the wall of horses and has 200 yards to gain 5 lengths. She passes Gio Ponti in last 30 yards and makes Breeders Cup history to be the first female horse to win the Breeders Cup Classic.
Why is this my favorite sporting moment? It's the perfection, and simpleness. When a team wins the Superbowl, they don't usually play perfectly. They'll throw interceptions, make turnovers, but ultimately win the game. A team winning the World Cup, Stanley Cup, etc., They might lose a game along the way. But a horse race, it's just whoever crosses the line first. No 2nd chances, just pure will to win.
Finally, I'm not going to have to worry about the moment being tarnished. In 10 years, I'm not going to find out that Zenyatta was on steroids. I'm not going to find out that she got a DUI and she's not as perfect as we thought. She's not going to send "sext" messages to a male reporter.
That's the problem with sports. You can never really put yourself out there and believe, because ultimately, you're believing in humans, and humans are not perfect. But Zenyatta isn't human. Not saying she's perfect, but she's not going to disappoint you the way Brett Favre, OJ Simpson, Michael Vick and others will.
So on November 6th, 2010, when Zenyatta races her last race, I'll be at Churchill Downs, putting all my belief in the fact that she will finish her perfect career with 20 wins in 20 races. If you can't make it to Churchill, you really should turn on ESPN and watch what will go down as the most exciting sporting event of 2010.
What's your favorite sporting event/moment of your lifetime?
Comments
teddys
Oct 11, 2010
That was a great race and should have been the sporting event of that year. Way better than the Saints SB win IMO. Why didn't they ever do that match race b/t Z. and Rachel Alexandra?
Comments
What about Dan Marino's final game, losing 62-7 to Jacksonville (in 2000)? To me, as huge Marino fan, and with it ending up being his last game, it was awful.
"and the ball gets thru buckner"
I'm still hurting.
Envy - When I was talking to some people about this list, I brought up the 62-7 game. It was definitely an honorable mention. It was more sad than devastating though.
Buffalo Bills - Wide Right!