Today as I scanned the events one thing sparked a fairly recent memory. It's no big thing, more of a curious spectacle more than anything. I'll get to it shortly. It was on this date in 1974 that the New Orleans Jazz became the 18th NBA franchise. The club was bought by a group of nine people for 6.15 million bucks. Looking back at that team, it was too much. Here is the deal. I reside in Columbia, mo. Home of the Mizzou Tigers. It is a great community, not tiny but not big by any means. Around 113,000 people. Right smack dab in the middle of the state in between St Louis and Kansas City. And we have the lake of the Ozarks only an hours drive south. But it is the last place you would expect what I saw a few years back. I was out with some buddies and we were shooting some pool and having a few pops. I looked over in a corner and there were two guys I know sitting together watching a hockey game. Both dressed very, very casual. Nothing that anyone who walked in the joint would give a second glance at. The Blues were playing the Avalanche. My friends and I just kind of chuckled. You see what made this scene a little surreal is the fact that these guys owned both teams. One owned the Blues, the other the Avalanche. They are brothers in law. Here they were, just two regular guys in a local, small joint having a drink and watching "their" two teams go at it. One of them got out of the business and sold his club a few years later. The other collects teams like I used to collect hot wheels. He owns the Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, St Louis Rams and the soccer team Arsenal. Oh, and as a hobby he owns the largest cattle ranch in all of canada. I saw him at the grocery store a few months back and he was comparing prices on coffee like his life depended on it. Funny.
Okay, last night the free play was a mutt. I suggested the Heat and it was apparent early on it was not the right side. The Spurs were lying in the weeds waiting for that one. I don't drop many of these free ones back to back. Tonight I am putting a free play on # 806 Toronto laying the points at home to the Kings.
On the business side yesterday was a little hairy and I won't address all that again. The Triple Star was on Michigan State and they cleaned Iowa's clocks. The Triples have been on a nice run. There is one game saturday that I am pretty certain will be a huge one for us. Tonight I do have a Double Star Rabid Dog loaded up. The all time mark with these stands at 241-132, +215 units. All teams playing in the role of underdog and crossing all sports including baseball. The last Rabid Dog came tuesday with Golden State not only covering our number but leaving Indiana with the outright victory. The early bird March Madness packages are still available and I want to sincerely thank all those who have signed up. You get the remainder of regular season releases included as well as all conference tourney action. Obviously this includes all Triples throughout the dance as well as the game of the year should I decide to pull that trigger. Last march I did have one and it did win for us with Michigan over Kansas. These packages are priced very, very reasonable. Particularly when compared to the extortion some of the boiler room types employ. Okay, that's it for today. Best of luck with your action guys. Enjoy the games!