Dating a Degenerate
Our female insider from a sports betting household explains how there is no “normal” come the fall…
And it started!! Just as i was beginning to enjoy the lull and downtime of summer pre-season football and now the regular season crept up on me!! The start of football means a few things; Football is priority 1 on the daily to do list in my household and everything else, even birthdays, become secondary. Every day, Mon-Thurs is in preparation of NCAAF games on Friday and Saturday and let’s not even talk about what goes into the NFL.
Instead of having a normal Sunday dinner where 2 lbs of meatballs is sufficient, I need to start extra early and make about 6-7 lbs instead because now it’s just not the immediate family but rather all my fiance’s friends for dinner. The boys come over to drink all weekend and they’re hungry so like any good Italian wife, Sunday dinner and feeding them til they pass out is the only option.
Remember how I said birthdays come second? Well lucky me was born on Sept 12th and my birthday usually falls right around opening weekend of the NFL season. The choices I have for a birthday dinner become the following:
If i want to go out somewhere it has to be very close to our house or offer essential amenities like wifi and multiple tv’s so that the men who attend with wives or girlfriends can watch whatever games are on and make sure they get updates on injuries or line movement. Once the big thrill of week 1 passes, each day takes on a different meaning.
Monday: Play early lines, go through box scores, and most importantly avoid watching ESPN. Why you may ask? Well because it rots any good handicappers mind!
Tuesday: Continue to look for outs, read team reports, and of course watch lines.
Wednesday: Injury reports, read game plays, and fire when limits open.
Thursday: Prepare for the week ahead; some games start tonight so its important to be ready no matter what.
Friday: Gather as much info as possible before Saturday… or as i like to call Saturday morning in my house Xmas morning for men….the only acceptable outfit and color combos accepted in my house on Saturdays if you think you’re coming over to watch football are lime green and yellow (GO DUCKS).
Saturday: Biggest day of the week means bigger limits, middle opportunities, play lines back, and most importantly have the blue label and the cigars ready for Oregon kickoff.
Sunday: NFL all day and night, aka drunken men. Once the last game is done and all the big strong men are passed out drunk, I get to start my work for the upcoming week and do it all over again…sometimes i wonder if I’m dating the handicapper or if I’ve become the handicapper and he just pretends.
We try to have date night at least once a week, even if it means locking the front door so no friends can come over because during football season the easiest job i have is taking care of our 16 mo. old, in comparison to the 10-15 men (baby’s) who pretty much move into my house and occupy my basement from August 29th until the Super Bowl. Even though the craziness of football season is just getting underway, this year will be even more intense and hectic because on top of all my motherly and handicapping duties (not to mention my own job as a hair dresser) I forgot to mention I have to be a mother and secretary for everyone else. I’m planning our wedding and honeymoon, which may I add, had to be scheduled around football season.
You may be thinking at least she’ll get a break for their honeymoon…well you’re wrong because we will be stopping in Vegas no matter where we decide to go because a handicapper’s life doesn’t stop; there are lines to be monitored and games to be played!! The best part of marrying a handicapper besides the non-stop attention (obviously a joke) he could careless about any wedding details!! I get to avoid the fights that a normal engaged couple typically endures. Pretty much once football starts he’s so pre-occupied with work that going on shopping sprees and girl’s trips go unnoticed because they’re of no use to him. Even though he’s risked our son’s college fund on week 1 bets appalling most people, I’m not worried because by the end of football season hopefully he’ll have won 3 times as much as he originally started with in the fall. What can I say; I date a degenerate and know what kind of lifestyle to expect.
