I was originally going to post this as a reply to DbacksEurope’s comment on the Place Your Bets thread, but I ended up rambling on a bit, so figured I should write it up here instead. Basically, the core was “Thank you AZSnakePit for reminding me that I am terrible in gambling.” Me, too. I don’t do it often, and when I do, expect to lose whatever I wager. It’s the price you pay for the entertainment, like buying a ticket to a baseball game or a movie. Indeed, I think gambling and watching sports
are similar endeavors: you’re mostly watching things over which you have no control, and hoping for a particular outcome to take place. The uncertainty is the thrill.
However, personally, there’s a very large social aspect to both. If I gamble, it’s typically along with Mrs. SnakePit. We’ll sit beside each other at a slot machine, taking turns and agonizing over the spin of every reel, celebrating or commiserating as appropriate. Sitting by myself, pushing the button, just isn’t anywhere near as much fun. And the same goes, I find, for watching sports. I go to games with other people. If I’m at home and watching, I’m inevitably on the ‘Pit as well. I can’t remember the last time I watched any sporting event “in isolation”. I know some people watch other teams and game, but me? I’ll just wait for the highlights.
This is not to say there’s a “right” or “wrong” way, of course. But I think that sports and gambling are perhaps tied closer to each other than we’d like to think, in terms of the endorphins they release in our brains. And that may partly be why we now have MLB openly and blatantly touting for these companies. But remember, folks! Any player who gambles threatens the very fabric of baseball! We’ll have more on the topic, after this word from our latest sponsor, Kalshi. “It’s not gambling, it’s a prediction market”.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled Gameday Thread. 🙂 I’ll also embed the Confidence Poll today and tomorrow, in case anyone hasn’t yet voted, what with it being an off-day yesterday!
