This past Saturday night, during the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, the neighborhood guys took over the back room at the South Philadelphia Turf Club and shouted at the big screens.
“Come on Tech! Let’s get a 7-0 run to end the first half,” said a grey-haired gentleman in a faded Affilction t-shirt.
“They couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn against Michigan,” said his younger friend, in a similar shirt, with cuffed sleeves to expose his muscles.
It was a normal crowd, not overly busy. The masses seemed more interested in simulcast horse racing than March Madness. The casino was running food specials for the tournament, including a vegetable quesadilla for $8. Reserved seats in the main dining room could be had for a $10 minimum.
“We’re a little busier than normal,” the bartender told me. “The Phillies are playing down the street.”
As increasingly louder voices bounced around the 1970s themed casino floor, guys in Bryce Harper jerseys flocked to the Kambi-branded kiosks to get last-minute bets in. The Phillies were leading the Braves, 7-4, when the mighty Harper stepped to the plate in the seventh inning.
Then, at the same time the horses were in the gate for the 14th race at Florida’s Gulfstream Park, it happened. Harper ripped an inside fastball 465 feet into the South Philly air, his first home run in a Phillies uniform. Everyone put down their betting slips, in between long sips from their Miller High Life bottles.
“Welcome to Philly, baby!”
“Wow! He crushed that one!”
“He’s going to hit a lot of one-handed home runs in that ballpark!”
That moment was frozen in time, but only for a second. The neighborhood guys weren’t betting on baseball. The Florida Derby at Gulfstream was now in the home stretch, with an 80-1 shot charging hard. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets were trying to fend off the Sacramento Kings, while Texas Tech was making their push to upset No. 1 seed Gonzaga.
“You keep looking at that ticket, dude,” shouted one of the regulars. “It’s not going to change. You still picked Gonzaga.”
The accused Gonzaga bettor had no words.
“Don’t fall into parlay paralysis,” the regular continued. “Check his pockets! 17 tickets, all parlays.”
The smart money was on underdog Texas Tech, as evidenced by their 75-69 win. Purdue was getting +4.5 points and seemed to be the trendy pick in the nightcap.
“Don’t be fooled. That line is moving too much,” a regular told me. “I’m taking Virginia.”
Stupidly, I ignored his advice and Virginia went on to win 75-60 in an epic overtime thriller. More important than winning the game, Virginia covered.
Lesson learned. Never bet against the neighborhood guys.
