It's been a noise battle to get sports gambling here in Dealville. You'd think this would be a minor point to the high majority of the voting public, but the relentless advertising for both propositions proved otherwise. The LA Times had a snotty "endorsement" of voting No to both the prop of sports gambling at tribal casinos only and the digital sports gambling prop as well. Why did they say you should vote no? Heresy in a negative form. It was heresy in a positive form when they endorsed legal marijuana years ago. "We think this should be given a try." I found out that, when you bring receipts to the LA Times "letters to the editor" they ignore you - as they did when I called them out for the rosy tributes for the late Tom LaBonge.
We're not even half-way finished counting, and the sign is as loud and clear as pit boss walking over to the sleeping degenerate in the book. "All right, pal. Let's go." So, now what?
On the night of Election Day, the Big Scoop and I looked over various sports gambling sites. No, it wasn't what I wanted. The ease wouldn't be there. I also didn't feel happy. It was nagging at me. I'm trying to pretend to be totally happy. And I guess I am...a little, but what I did today I could have done long, long ago. This was pure spite.
And, having done this for decades, I can tell you that sports gambling out of spite is a different animal, one not nearly as fun as the "regular way" where it's all hitting and you're just looking for action. Here, there is action, but not all of it. It's just what I'm allowed to have and nothing more. So, I'll just keep mashing the giant button labeled "GAMBLE" while thinking about how there was a time when I could do true nutty parlays for $1 a pop. Ain't nothing if I lost. If I turned $1 into $5, or $10? Shit, I was a happy man.
If Potsy were still alive, why do I think that he'd have already moved (under the cover of night) to another state...one where it's all easy and free? People say, "if you like sports gambling so much, why don't you move to Las Vegas?" Because I can't have it here? And why not?! Why can't I give my "guaranteed winners" back to the state? Because this would make "addicts" out of thin air?
A person maybe 15 to 20 miles from me just won a lottery prize of $2 Billion. Guess they were an addict for having gambled, right? Now they're a billionaire. "Me and Kathy both bought tickets. The lotto is really high!"
The hypocrisy will never EVER leave the general public's view of sports gambling. And for now, once again, those of us in Dealville will have to go back to the drawing board, or Nevada, or "back-alley guys" or whatever stupid shit was said in the past few months. I look to the sky; I say it aloud to no one and everyone: ALL I WANTED WAS THE ACTION!
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