Love, Love, Love - A Sports Story that Makes Men Cry

Valentine's Day - a day for Hallmark to rack up sales, cliches to fill the airwaves, and for millions of American women to judge how much their man truly loves them by what he plans on a made up holiday.  No day symbolizes true love better than one that provides so many opportunities to fight over things that mean so little.

Unlock the secret

Sorry, sarcasm gets the better of me at times.  Probably should have had Mojo write the intro today.  What I meant to say, was that love is at the center of our lives.  It is, quite possibly, the one thing that matters more than anything else in the world.  We here at Logical Betting have uncovered the real secret to winning your loves' heart.  So when you're thinking Valentine's Day flowers, candy, jewelry, overpriced dinners, do it the Freakonomics way...

Do this instead...


Unexpected gift.  Unexpected time.

Anyone can send flowers on February 14th.  Hell, if you don't, you're probably in the doghouse, watching sports and drinking bourbon by the fire on a cold winter night... actually, that doesn't sound too bad... maybe we should be rethinking our advice...

Snoopy may be on to something

S**t, I really should have Mojo more involved here.  He's definitely the voice of reason.  Sorry, hopefully that's the last digression (Mojo note - that's not going to be the last digression).

Anyways, while she'll be "satisfied" (read - not pissed off) if you do something like that on Valentine's Day, imagine how she'll be when you send flowers to her office on Wednesday, September 14th.  You see, the ladies in the office are taking mental notes of whose boyfriends/husbands screwed up on February 14th.  When you send them on September 14th, its pure envy and jealousy from the co-workers.  It makes her stand out and proves to her that you don't need Valentine's Day to show her what she means to you.  So send them on September 14th.  Or July 19th.  Or November 20th.  Then let us know which day got you the better response, Valentine's Day or the random day.  We Freakonomically think we have the answer...

You had me at, "I'm coming to Michigan"

All advice aside, do you ever sit back and wonder how we all find the loves or our lives?  I mean, let's be real, love makes us do some crazy stuff we would never imagine doing, rational or otherwise.  On National Signing Day, I was doing a training for our new hires, counting the minutes to 1:10pm when Rashan Gary, the #1 overall recruit, was going to announce his school.  I spent 1-1:12 pm refreshing ESPN every minute waiting for the answer (Fess, I know you did too!).  Then, my new love Rashan, gave me the news I wanted.  Only my love of Michigan football would make me do something like that.

Mojo and I can both thank sports for finding our way, and I mean WAAAAAAY  too good for us wives and mothers to our children.  Having grown up in the Detroit area, then spending a few years in Boston, now living in South Jersey/Philly, I am often asked, and was actually asked just a few days ago, "what in the h**l brought you to Jersey?"  My answer:  "Fell in love with a Jersey girl."  How did I find that Jersey girl?  While looking at colleges, she wanted, "a big school that had good sports."  She looked at Michigan, North Carolina, N***e D**e, Northwestern, and O**o State.  Guess where she ended up?  Brought herself home a good Midwestern boy.

Fess' true love

Mojo met his wife via a mutual friend/biggest Jim Harbaugh fan on the planet, who had met her while at Michigan State.  And how did Mojo meet said mutual friend?  Running cross country and track in high school.  Not only is running better than homework, it apparently can bring you love, marriage, and three kids.  And a woman who is willing to let him go on a bachelor party approximately three weeks after said third child is born.  You're the best, G!!!

However, no sports = love story I have heard tops that of our friend/neighbor Chrissy.  She told me this story after one a couple quite a few beverages, completely out of nowhere and in casual conversation.  After some prodding, she agreed to share it with all of you.  Keep in mind, she brought this up just in casual conversation, which to me says she's sort of always remembers how much this story means to her life.  And once you read it, you'll see why.  Here is her story, in her words:

I started playing soccer at 5 years old.  My parents tell me I stood out at a young age, but I don’t remember that.  But I do remember I loved to play.  Weekday practices, weekend games, and “vacations” that were actually tournaments.  Looking back,  that all could have been different had something gone differently at 12 years old.

I had been noticed playing on my town team, and was asked to try out for an elite travel team.  I did, I made it, and joined the team.  This team had been together for many years and had been receiving top notch training.  This was a team where everyone stood out.  I felt like I was on the outside.  I didn’t know the fancy moves, and I was the new girl.  I quickly realized I was now a small fish in a big pond, and I was much happier being the big fish in the small pond.

I told my parents I didn’t want to go back.  They’d understand, I thought, they just want me to be happy.  Imagine my surprise when my dad said I would not be quitting.  He told me that I made a commitment to play that season, and I would honor that.  If at the end of the season I didn’t want to continue, that was fine.  (LB Note - uh, can I get that in a PSA to parents?  Good man.)  I’m sure there were some doors slammed, and some words mumbled, but I was 12, what could I do?  They drove me.  I went.  I played.  I learned. 

Gateway to love

I learned the fancy moves.  I became more confident.  And before long I was part of the team.  Had my parents let me quit after only a dozen practices, my whole life would be different.  I wouldn’t have earned a college scholarship.  (LB Note - she's being modest.  She was the featured player on the team calendar.  We've seen it.  She was really, really good).  I wouldn’t have met my husband while at that college.  My kids would be different.  My life as I know it, just wouldn’t be the same. 

Of course, at the time I didn’t realize any of this.  But now that I’m older, and have kids of my own, I know how hard it must have been for my parents to make me continue with something they knew made me so miserable.  But the lesson of fulfilling a commitment is way more important than a few possible weeks when my parents were “horrible people” (My 12 year old self talking).   My 37 year old self thinks they’re pretty amazing, and I’m eternally grateful.

LB back.  Did you catch the part where she met her soul mate at the college that offered her a full ride because her parents made her honor her commitment and nurtured her love of the game?  What Chrissy forgot to mention, the reason I really, really wanted her to share her story, and the reason this post is titled what it is... a few years back, she decided she wanted to tell her father this story.  So she did, and after telling him, she thanked him for pushing her and told him it had changed her life forever.  She said he didn't say anything, and just started crying.  And that, my dear friends, is love.

One of our loves

If you're reading this, odds are Mojo, myself, or both of us love you in some way and are grateful to have you as a part of our lives.  To say thank you, we hired The Beatles to send you all off this week.  Take it away, gentlemen.  Hasta.