Saturday is one of the busiest days of the year for a sportsbook.
With a full slate of college basketball games, NBA, NHL, soccer and, oh, yeah, the biggest football game of the NFL season and the slew of props that come with it..
The electricity..
in the book is just that..electric..
Everyone, both customer and employee, are excited to be there..
By today, the regulars are pissed off that their usual seat is reserved, let alone that they may have to wait in line to bet the exacta in the 3rd at Oaklawn or get their..
8 team, smokin, chalk, money line ten dollar parlay..
Often times, the rookies in town are partying, boozed up, and havin fun..
They don’t know they need a game number when they come to the window because they don’t even know a game number exists..
For book employees, today..
is a day that requires patience that may have left the station earlier in the week or years ago for the crusty ones..
I loved these days..not like loved but LOVED THEM..
Put me on the schedule for 12 hours minimum today..
In the book, I loved meeting people and hearing..
the reasons why the Chiefs will win, the Bucs will win, the game will go over, the game will go under or why goddamnit, tails never fails..
For the first time in 17 years, I will not be working in a Las Vegas sportsbook on Super Bowl Sunday..
Almost five months ago to the day..
I woke up unable to talk. I could not plug my phone into a charger.
I had a stroke. A blood clot went to my brain.
My daughters were home because of Covid, called Mrs Consig, then 911, and I got to hospital quickly..
I woke up from surgery three hours later, in a room..
by myself, and thought “Am I dead?”
I moved my right arm and touched my head. Ok, that was good.
I screamed out “What the fuck just happened?”
I CAN TALK!!!
I was so happy I could talk. If there was a super power you take from me, it’s the ability to talk that would hurt..
the most..
Out of nowhere, a man, 5’6”, wearing a hazmat suit from top to bottom walked in and said “Do you know where you are?”
After I said no, GP told me what happened. I could not believe it.
The details were incredible. I’ve told the story a hundred times, and I will..
tell you now, you can bet the OVER for number of times I will tell it again..
My daughters being home saved my life and having a stroke was the luckiest thing that happened to me in 2020..
I am not just ok now, I am feeling better than I have in years..
Doc keeps telling..
me that I’m a “walking miracle”
Every time I hear it, my eyes tear up, the lump gets my whole throat, and I think of my dad, the OG Consig..
We watched the Super Bowl together every year until I moved to Curacao at 26..
He took my first ever bet in life on Super Bowl X when..
at 5 years old, I knew the Steelers would beat the Cowboys..
One dollar..
Straight cash homie..
I doubled that shit up the next year when the Raiders, who I hated, beat the Vikings..
Imagine, six years old, and I knew not to bet your heart..
Another winner..
This shit was EASY!!
Next year, my theory that the AFC was better was put to the test again..
The run was over, as the Broncos got their asses kicked by the most hated team of all time, the Dallas Cowboys..
Big E smiled after the game as I forked over that dollar dollar bill..
“What do you think?”
I hate the Cowboys.
“What else?”
What do you mean?
“This is hard. You don’t always win. You have to pay when you lose if you bet. Understand?”
Nod my head.
“Last thing. Look at me.”
I stared right into his eyes and his perfect beard. I’m seven and..
he is my hero. I hang on his every word. Then, he delivers it..
“Nobody knows shit.”
Three words..
“Remember that, Dave. And if anyone asks, tell em your Dad told you that.”
That’s when it started, and that’s where it’s at, and that’s what I’ll be saying on Sunday again..
for the Super Bowl..
Enjoy the game, whether you bet or not, with special people in your life..
I miss my dad everyday, but even more so on days like Sunday..
But you can bet your ass, no matter who wins, over or under, heads or tails, it still prevails.
Some of my favorite places to be are places or venues where people are just people..
Ballgames, the beach & yes, the sportsbook..
People can be just people..
Famous, rich, smart, sexy, doesn’t matter..
Today, I woke up & heard that Larry King died..
and it reminded me of a story..
Back about 14 or 15 years ago, I was working an opening shift in the book downtown at the Golden Nugget..
It was a Wednesday and it was me and Marissa, my Filipino co-worker who was a Keno writer turned sportsbook writer..
Marissa didn’t like..
sports, mornings or people, so she wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine when you worked with her..
There were times I know she was asleep sitting up, and she perfected the art of not speaking English like Sammy Sosa did at the steroid senate hearings..
For as long as I can remember, I have been asked the question “who do you like?”
This goes back to the days before I ever worked in a sportsbook, but even more so over the last two decades in the book..
I don’t ever claim to know anymore than anyone..
else because I have seen “sharp” money lose and “squares” win..honestly, I am and have been over that talk for a long time..
I am no longer surprised by the “who do you like” question, and, in fact, I love it. I love talking to people about it, and I love hearing what people..
say. Sports brings people together, and making plays or having opinions can be fun..
Occasionally, it’s where I get asked the question that is the real story..
On the phone, on the radio, on podcasts, on text or DM, even in the pisser..