Some days, these rants write themselves. The topics are obvious; my slant is clear; I have links to necessary data to support my assertions. This is not one of those days; this is a new – – at least for me – – way for a rant to write itself. For all practical purposes, I will turn today’s offering over to “the reader in Houston”.
You may recall that he previously told me that Mattress Mack’s promotional bet for March Madness this year would be on the final Four team closest to Houston, TX. If that happens, anyone who bought an expensive mattress from him during the promotion period would get a full refund. Here is the update:
“As I previously wrote you, Mattress Mack is betting on the team closest to Houston of the Final Four for his annual NCAA mattress giveaway. Originally, his hope was that UH or another Texas team would make the Final Four. However, since no Texas team made it to the Final Four, he had to go out of state.
“Of the Final Four teams (Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, and UConn), I thought Arizona (+180) was closest to Houston, but upon further Google Map review, it turns out U. of Illinois (+470) is about 120 miles closer to here than UA.
“Based on Mack’s recent gambling history, if I was wagering, I would take UConn (ATS or SU) vs. Illinois on Saturday.”
Next up … You may recall that yesterday, I closed with a Mark Twain quip about April Fool’s Day. I do not watch Jeopardy but “the reader in Houston” did last night. That generated this email that arrived this morning:
“Final Jeopardy – Subject – The Calendar: Mark Twain wrote the quip that on this day of the year, ‘we are reminded of what we are on the other 364’.
“That was today’s ‘Final Jeopardy’. One of the contestants who was way ahead with $58,800, bet $44,200, but wrote, ‘What is Labor Day?’ If he had read today’s Sports Curmudgeon blog, he would have been $88,400 richer before income taxes.”
What can I say? Of course you should read these rants on a daily basis; this is one of the tangible benefits one may receive in doing so; for the rest of the days, you will simply enjoy the sublime harmony of the vibe here … But wait, there’s more!
When I wrote about the sale of the Connecticut Sun and the impending relocation of the team, I mentioned that the Sun’s owners had a higher bid for the franchise but that it had been nixed by the league. I did not understand how or why that happened, but it did. Well, “the reader in Houston” is evidently on a first-name basis with the owner of the Houston Rockets and now the Connecticut Sun – – to be renamed the Houston Comets – – and sent along this explanation:
“The commissioner had previously identified Houston, not Boston, as the next city in line for a team, following the expansion process or by the purchase of the Sun, as the Mohegan Tribe was in beaucoup debt and needed cash badly. Since relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors, not by individual teams or buyers, this allowed the Board to veto the proposed move of the Sun to Boston or possibly Hartford.
- “Til, as the Rockets owner, besides being in a powerful position and ‘blessed’ with a Midas touch, offered a strong ownership structure with the Toyota Center available. Also, Houston is a top-10 media market with a history of success in the WNBA, having hosted the league’s first dynasty with four straight championships.
- “Boston obviously has an NBA arena, but the WNBA was willing to pass on them with the expectation the city would be in line for an expansion team as early as 2031, as the league preferred to let Boston remain open for a potentially higher-priced, future expansion franchise in the area of $400M or above. The league viewed the Boston potential owners as ‘taking’ a market, rather than growing into one which Houston offered.
- “The Houston move also shows where the league is headed – away from independently owned franchises.”
“The new franchises, such as Golden State and now Toronto, and upcoming teams in Cleveland/Detroit/Philadelphia, are either owned by or strongly aligned with local NBA ownership groups.
“Independently owned teams like the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream, LV Aces, Dallas Wings, LA Sparks, Seattle Storm, and the Sun are the remaining fully independent clubs, though they face pressure as the league pivots to billionaire, often NBA-linked, owners.”
So, there you have it; a little information, a little entertainment and zero work on my part. How better do you start a day?
Finally, to keep with the “Houston connection” for today, here is something from George Foreman:
“When I was a kid in Houston, we were so poor we couldn’t afford the last 2 letters, so we called ourselves po’.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
What is April Fool’s day?