Whedon talks jai-alai and some other yadda-yadda. #JaiAlai

The Purple - Purple prose - Whedonesque.com: 

Hard to play a rebote carom with shield instead of cesta.

People have told me that this matters, that my life is about to change. I am sure that is true. And change is good -- change is exciting. I think -- not to jinx it -- that I may finally be recognized at Comiccon. Imagine! Also, with my percentage of "the Avengers" gross, I can afford to buy... [gets call from agent. Weeps manfully. Resumes typing.] ...a fine meal. But REALLY fine, with truffles and s#! . And I can get a studio to finance my dream project, the reboot of "Air Bud" that we all feel is so long overdue. (He could play Jai Alai! Think of the emotional ramifications of JAI ALAI!!!!)

It's like my dad used to say, "You gotta bet the super."

Sad City Hartford: Do you remember Jai-Alai in Hartford?

I do remember. And, I'll be watching this with interest.

Gourd Museum, Angier, NC

Marvin & Mary Johnson Gourd Museum, located in Angier, NC: 

"I wish there was a place to see a variety of gourd things all in one place at any time, rather than just once a year at the gourd festival." "Somebody oughta start a museum!"
Guess what... Somebody did!

Was doing a little searching for attractions around Fuquay-Varina and came across this. I'm not a aficionado of the gourd or anything, but it's close enough to poke a head one of these days.

I've never really thought about what sort of quirky museum I would open if I were an opener of quirky museums with the land, building, time, and resources to take on the project. I think Dr. Who collectibles must have been done already. It might be fun to do one for jai-alai though. I've got a few cestas lying around, the odd program. and I think the interactive area would be a bunch of fun. Probably not in the right area for jai-alai though. I'm about as far from the current or former site of a jai-alai fronton as one can be on the east coast, about halfway between Connecticut and Florida -- the only states I know of that have (or had) live jai-alai.

In case you were wondering, my favorite quirky museum is the <strike>Mt. Horeb</strike> National Mustard Museum, which has apparently moved since my last visit.

A dime to bet the super? Would've loved this at jai-alai.

Andrew Beyer - Microbets: Overall, the benefits trump any drawbacks: 

The wager, dubbed the Rainbow Six, represents an innovation sweeping the sport: the microbet. Whereas the $2 bet once was the industry's standard, and most exotic wagers have been sold in $1 units, many tracks have begun to offer smaller bets. Customers at Gulfstream can play 10-cent superfectas, 50-cent Pick Fours and a 50-cent Pick Five as well as the 10-cent Rainbow Six.

Jai-Alai Magazine @ Sweat (Probably not what I'm looking for.)

Jai-Alai Magazine @ Sweat

It's a literary magazine for Miami. I'm not in Miami and will never see one in person, but on the off-chance there's some actual jai-alai photography or jai-alai-related fiction published, I'm going to keep a little mental note to be on the lookout for mentions of this again when it's published. (Obsessive much?) 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. (A plea for honest jai-alai?)

An old friend who knows of, shares, or even betters (bettors?) my love of jai-alai sent me some links in email that I am, in turn, sharing with you.

Beautiful Minds at the Fronton

My heart goes out to contemporary jai-alai players who must constantly answer a rather irritating question from casual observers: “Isn’t your sport fixed?” The stars of the circuit have gone to great lengths to assure the public of jai-alai’s credibility, but it’s still tough to overcome some of the extreme shadiness that dogged the sport in the ’70s and ’80s.

Bonus: at the other end of this link, the author has cued up a grainy Miami Vice episode to a fronton scene. Tubbs: "I never bet on anything that can talk."

The Spreading Scandal in Jai-Alai (from the Vault)

Having the betting printouts gave the Miami Syndicate a huge advantage. With access to them, the Miami Syndicate immediately knew what other bettors were doing. The printouts, which showed how many bets had been placed on each of the 336 trifecta combinations, allowed Syndicate members to stay away from the heavily played numbers and to bet on those that were less popular. Moreover, as it turned out, the printouts permitted the Miami Syndicate to spot other systems bettors and drive them out of the game by wagering so heavily on their numbers that the payoff on them was minimal. The Miami Syndicate had such total control and such an acute sense of how to "tune" the odds that members were even able to bet just enough on a trifecta so that a win would pay less than 300 to 1. By keeping the payoff to less than 300 to 1, Syndicate members could pocket all their winnings, instead of having the IRS withhold 20%, as it automatically does on all winning tickets on payoffs of 300 to 1 or more.

Headline: Jai-alai players charged with fixing games.

Say it ain't so. The superfecta was superfixedup. 

Using Control Charts to Corroborate Bribery in Jai-Alai

Even when it's seedy, I enjoy reading about jai-alai. Big thanks for sending along the links!

How much do I miss jai-alai? (And wagering on jai-alai?)

I was at the bowling alley today mentally assigning over/unders to people as they took to the their lanes based on little more than age, whether or not they had their own ball and shoes, how puzzled they seemed by the scoring computer, and whether they seemed fidgety or focused. I was thinking it would be fun to sit in back with a buddy and offer each other bets on stuff like whether this one will roll a strike the entire game, or that one can put three marks in a row, or the five-year-old with bumpers up +50 vs. his father in lane 18. 

In other news, my bowling skills have all but evaporated after two decades or so of neglect. Forty-year-old me would need +20 vs. twelve-year-old me. 

Making Jai-Alai A Winter Sport

The 150 Foot Slinging Snowball Xistera - Hammacher Schlemmer

Probably not many chances to use this here in NC, but those one or two days it snows ... watch out!

When I was little, my dad and one of his buddies tried to manufacture and model something similar, the Banana Blaster, but insurance issues nipped that in the bud.

This Brings Back Some Memories (Triptych Cryptic Import)

I miss Berenson's.

You Can't Bet a Dime at Jai-Alai

"You gotta bet the Super'!"

RIP Jai-Alai in RI

Newport axes jai-alai.

Dammit. We knew the end was coming. Didn't know they wouldn't have the decency to give advance warning before the last game was played.

Noooooooooooooooo!!

Newport Grand Seeks Permission to End Jai-Alai. I've been going every other week or so this season, having a great time each outing. Been making modest gains overall, despite one utter loss of a trip, with my 1-2-3 Q box and occasional 4-1-8 Trifecta wagering strategy. I love jai-alai. I was bummed I missed out on the Whack the Wall competition last week and can't wait for the chance to make an easy hunny next time they run it. If there is a next time. Stupid slot monkeys are killing me -- killing jai-alai. Why sit there and pump quarters into a ching-a-ching-a-ching machine when you can enjoy an evening of watching an exciting sport and still get your wager on? C'mon, get into the fronton! Mace, portliest of the players, needs you! And Hoey, strong armed but so maddeningly inconsistent! And Jaime, who lays it out for every point! These guys are living the dream and it's great fun to watch 'em play.



This is it for the Northeast. Hartford, Bridgeport, and Milford are gone already. If Newport dies, jai-alai is consigned to grainy monitors in scumbag holes like Lincoln Park. Stupid Rhode Islanders, the greatest live entertainment value in the state is wasted on you.



Shame on Newport Grand for failing to promote their product. I think I've seen one ad for it in all the time I've lived here. All they needed to do was get one infomercial on opposite the Set It and Forget It Rotisserie guy to draw a crowd. But, no. They let it languish in obscurity and put up slot machine billboards instead. Nice move.



Gambling's not for everybody. Some people should never get near it. I feel a bit like the guy who drew up Joe Camel as I sit here and pimp for jai-alai. But, it really does meet an entertainment need. It's wagering for people who think slots are for zombies and dog racing is a brutal and revolting display of animal cruelty staged for degenerates. Having a few beers and a slice of pizza while watching and wagering on a couple hours of quality jai-alai doesn't have to cost more than $30 bucks. It's not a wicked expensive night out, especially if you did nothing but bet the quinela 1-2 in the last ten games of the night -- most nights you'd get at least some of your money back, if not come out ahead on the deal.



Follow Up: Jai Alai Players Protest for Jobs, The Pawtucket Times. Mike Warner, an announcer at the fronton, said the Newport Grand owners are "virtually sabotaging the game. They purposely tried to tank the operation." Asked for details, Warner said he wanted to wait until there are legislative hearings on the question of eliminating the live games. He said jai alai could be made profitable again "if they used a more aggressive and creative (advertising) campaign." He could have said, "if they used any kind of advertising campaign at all."

Whoops

Our third blogday (bloggiversary?) passed unnoticed on March, 28th. Happy Belated 3rd Blogday, Cryptonauts! To celebrate, I plan to play a 3-2-8 trifecta next trip jai-alai. You may do as you please.

Missing Jai-Alai

I miss Berenson's. Milford is pretty far and the closest thing Rhode Islanders have is a casino in Newport that shows simulcasts of jai-alai action from Florida and Milford.