Saturday, October 17, 2009

Morale Victories and College Picks 7

I’m not talking about moral victories; I don’t believe there are such things.  I thrive on competition in my daily life, and anyone who says there are moral victories, probably just lost. 

What I do enjoy are morale victories.  This is a concept I completely made up, but it keeps my long commutes to work interesting, and fills the requirement for competition in everything I do.  A morale victory is one that awards no prize other than pride, and is rarely recognized by any individual other than the “winner.”

For example…

Just yesterday I stopped to fill up my gas tank.  Boring right?  Probably for the average person that stops at the pump., but for me, I’m just entering the arena baby.  I step out of the car, swipe my card for 20 cents off per gallon, and start filling.  I know it’s going to be about 15-16 gallons, so I rush to the window cleaner thingy and start to wipe down the windshield.  I finish, return the thingy, and head back to the pump with my gameface on.  I crack my knuckles, loosen my fingers, and prepare for pump stoppage, and survey the pump.   The numbers are closing in on my mark quickly... 14 gallons, $31, $32, 15 gallons, $33,  I grasp the handle, $33.85, I prepare for the moment. STOP!!!!!  $34.00 even, WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER, PERFECT PUMP BABY!!!  A mental fist pump caps off a morale victory at its best, and then the better part is that you get to leave the perfect pump on the display for the next person to see, tell me there is a better feeling? 

Another example happens almost daily on my ride home from work.  Coming south on 71 I like to travel in the left lane.  The right lanes are often crowded with old people and semis.  When you’re in the left lane you get that guy that’s in the biggest rush of his life and comes speeding up behind you.  I typically LOVE this guy because he’s going to get ahead of me and if there are any cops up ahead, they get him instead of me.  But, he’s in such a rush that instead of giving me a second to pass the semi that occupies the middle lane, and then get over and let him by, he cuts right across all 3 lanes, and tries to go past everyone.   Idiot!  I take this as a challenge, and give a little extra gas so that I can get ahead of the semi, and try to get the guy stuck in the right lane beside me and the semi, and behind whomever is in the right lane at the time.   A mental fist pump, and an evil sounding laugh gives me a morale victory that lifts my spirits for the rest of the ride, you know the feeling. 

Let’s get to the week 7 picks…

Last week I went with the road team theme, and it totally paid off bringing me back to .500 against the spread for the year.  I’m going to stick with the theme of today, morale victories, and pick all underdogs.  Why is that a morale victory?  I’m looking vegas straight in the eye and saying “how dare you give me this many points,” and when I cover I can laugh at vegas “ha ha ha vegas, outsmarted yourself a little huh?”  (It makes sense to me and that’s all that counts)…

Texas vs Oklahoma (+3.5)

Iowa @ Wisconsin (-2.5)

South Carolina @ Alabama (-18)

Arkansas @ Florida (-25)

Season 13-13-0

Until next time, 

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