When I say "bet", I mean one with a book or offshore. The first money that ever exchanged hands on a sporting even was in 6th grade when I bet this chick from Arizona in my class on the Michigan-Arizona Rose Bowl. Wolverines lost and Karen got a handful of change.

Johnny Detroit's first official wager with a local took place on the pay phone at Blazo's Restaurant and Pie Shop on Wayne Road (long gone now). It was the Raiders and someone on a Sunday and it was supposed to snow. Being young and stupid I had no clue that everyone in the world, which included the oddsmakers, had this factored into the line. At this time in my life I was running football cards for "Old Man Andy" (R.I.P) at my high school. After hitting 3 of 4 or 4 of 5 multiple times, I felt I was ready to become a professional handicapper and be rich by the time I was 18. I mean, I was just missing those parlay cards by one game every week! So, I tell Andy I want to bet no just one game (my LOCK was Under in the Raiders due to the secret information on the snow, lol). Andy gives him this phone number for "Bookstore Eddie" (R.I.P) and tells me to call in and say who I was and with and that Andy would handle the settle. So I walk to the pay phone (I was slaving washing dishes), pop my .20 into the phone and dial. I go thru what Andy tells me to say, Eddie gives me the line and I say "$20 on the Under."

-Pause-

"Twenty"
"Twenty big ones?"
"Twenty whole dollars?"
So I am standing there with the phone in my hand not feeling as cool as I did 30 seconds prior. After he is done chuckling, Eddie goes "you are in kid, good luck".

Of course the total goes over and I drop $22.00. Which suck balls at 16 when you are washing dishes for a living.
Over the next few years, I got more involved with Eddie and learned more from him than almost anyone. As I got older I would meet up with him at a dive bar called the 3 Nicks on Warren Avenue and listen to the old days. Some classic shit I hope to share in the coming weeks here at the Pregame Blogs.