One Sorry Blog

Obama, Rudy and Doolittle
By Ace Cummins

With College Hoops season over and still weeks before I suggest laying some Benjamins down on the NBA, we are amidst the doldrums of gaming, so I thought it would be fun to share some betting propositions with non-sports fans who read One Sorry Blog. You see, whatever your area of expertise, whatever your vice, you can bet on it. Politics, entertainment, snooker, cards, whatever, you can bet on it.

In the realm of politics and entertainment, the big items on the board these days are the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, and the one-and-only American Idol. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Read on at your own risk. I am not responsible for any wagering done on the props below.

Politics
Odds to Win the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
A Democrat -155
A Republican +125

Good news for us Progressives. Of course, I will not be surprised if Democratic strategists completely blow the generous head start W has provided, but it’s nice to know Vegas thinks we can do it.

I just realized that some of you may not understand what the betting numbers mean. I will lay it out in simple terms: if you bet on the Donkeys to win at -155, you will need to wager $155 to win $100 (i.e. $15.50 to win $10, etc.). If you bet on the GOP, then for every $100 you wager, you will win $125. Dems are fairly heavy favorites right now.

Odds to win the 2008 Democratic Primary
H. Clinton +135
B. Obama +185
J. Edwards +500
A. Gore +600
B. Richardson +1200
J. Biden +3000
Three at +5000

Clinton is still the favorite, but Obama has closed the gap as of late (good news for OSB founder and Obama supporter Paul Rivas). These numbers are not likely to change much until actual primary votes are cast, but you never know when someone will do something stoopid. Unless you have a favorite that you really think will have the goods down the stretch or you like a longshot to make a move, you will likely get the same odds a year from now.

Odds to Win the 2008 Republican Primary
R. Giuliani +185
M. Romney +275
J. McCain +350
F. Thompson +600
Many longshots

John McCain has officially hit the skids, and people are finally catching on to the fact that he is batshit insane. Once a favorite, even Mitt Romney is starting to pull away from him. Crazy. The Dems should start strategizing how to beat the former NYC Mayor, because I think he’ll win. He has to against that group, right? Sigh.

Entertainment
Now for some “lighter” odds: American Idol. Whether you watch it or not, it is a phenomenon.

Headed into this week’s ousting of Haley “Short Shorts” Scarnato, the odds were as such:

Odds to win 2007 American Idol
M. Doolittle -150
J. Sparks +200
B. Lewis +350
L. Jones +400
Sanjaya +650
C. Richardson +1700
P. Stacey +2700
H. Scarnato +4000

The odds at the bottom were spot on according to the bottom three this week, right? So you figure the top must be dead on, too. But the tides change quickly. Not too long ago, Lakisha was the favorite, and she has suddenly hit some hard times, falling back to fourth. Melinda is a heavy favorite, maybe too heavy. She is good, but can she really win a final showdown? Now might be a good time to lay some cash down on Sparks, Lewis or Jones. For the love of god, not Sanjaya. We’ll see how the new odds shape up when they are released.

Notes: Headed into last year’s semifinals, Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks were sitting on 4-to-1 and 10-to-1 odds, respectively. They both cruised to the finals. Money can be made here, folks. You never thought you would get paid for watching that show, did you?

Questions, comments, love letters, hate mail, recipes, money and DIY tips can be sent to ace.osb@gmail.com.

Ace Cummins: 7-3 overall, 3-0 on 5-Star picks.