See what Big Brown could have done for me
I knew he was class of Derby field -- so why didn't I bet him?
Just before the start of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, as everyone clutched their bettings slips and/or their selections from the various pools we had going, I went on the record:
"You know Big Brown's going to win this thing easily, right? He's a monster."
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As predictions go, this wasn't exactly up there with, "The Giants are going to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl," or, "Carlos Quentin will have more home runs in April than Jim Thome, Joe Crede, Jermaine Dye or Paul Konerko." After all, Big Brown was the favorite--and his odds would have been even shorter than 5-2 if he hadn't drawn the 20th post position.
Not that I actually bet on Big Brown. (Maybe if I worked for UPS I would have, but I don't, so I didn't.) It's No. 432 of my 1,117 Rules to Live By: Never bet on the favorite. Where's the adventure in that?
Last Friday evening I went over to the spiffy Stretch Run on La Salle, one of the most impressive OTB facilities in the country, and placed advance wagers on the Derby for myself and some friends.
My big pick was Hillary Clinton's stated selection: The filly, Eight Belles. I could give you all kinds of reasons like lineage and trainer and jockey, but I just went with Eight Belles because I liked the odds and I thought she had a chance.
Fast forward to Saturday. As they were coming out of the turn in "the most exciting two minutes in sports," I thought for a moment Eight Belles had a chance at the upset -- but it was soon obvious that Big Brown was indeed the class of this field. He won by nearly five lengths over Eight Belles, who finished second and paid $10.60 to place and $6.40 to show.
Not that I had any money on Eight Belles to place or show.
Rule No. 433: Never hedge your bets.
Hey. I never said some of my rules weren't stupid.
Moments after we saw the obligatory shots of rich people in suits and big hats jumping up and down to celebrate their horse's Derby win, Big Brown's triumph was tempered by the horrible sight of Eight Belles crumpled on the ground on the track. She had broken both front ankles, and the doctors had no choice but to put her down right there on the track.
Nearly a day later, the Drudge Report's main headline was:
SHOCK: DEATH AT DERBY
And it was a shock, and quite sad. There's something about the human condition that really hits us hard when an animal dies like that.
I just hope we feel that kind of sadness times 10 whenever we see or hear about human fatality.
Just asking once again: Why is it ethically and legally acceptable for me to walk into a place like Stretch Run and bet unlimited amounts on horses running around tracks from California to New York and everywhere in between -- but a poker game in a similar downtown environment would be subject to police raid?
In case you missed it over the weekend, the infamous Berwyn Spindle is no more. The eight-vehicle "car-kabob" in the parking lot of a shopping plaza was dismantled under cover of night last Friday to make room for a proposed Walgreens.
I always thought the Spindle was an entertaining piece of kitsch, but then again, I didn't have to see it every day. A lot of Berwyn residents thought it was a piece of something else.
There was an organized movement to save the Spindle, but the group was unable to raise the estimated $300,000 needed to take down the Spindle, spruce it up and relocate it. So now the Spindle exists only in snapshots, memories -- and DVDs of "Wayne's World."
However, Berwyn can still lay claim to having what just might be the world's largest laundromat, which is known as, that's right, The World's Largest Laundromat. With 13,500 square feet of space, more than 300 washers and dryers, a wall of video games and even a bird sanctuary, this is the mother of all laundromats.
If only they could have figured out a way to put the Spindle atop the World's Largest Laundromat.
It's official: Cedric Benson is one of the worst No. 4 overall picks in NFL draft history. In three seasons with the Bears, Benson has averaged fewer than three yards per carry. He broke his leg last year -- and over the weekend he was arrested and pepper sprayed in Austin, Texas, and charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest.
Not the best way to spend a weekend after the team just spent a second-round choice on a running back.
