It wasn't more than 30 seconds after the touchdown when the phone rang. I was nearly in a catatonic state from frustration, disbelief, shock and disappointment. It rang three times, four, five, six, seven.. "WHAT IS IT?" I barked into the receiver. The voice on the other end said quietly " I knew it"
Suddenly it was 1978, in a duplex in a small suburb outside of Detroit.
"You had them didn't you?" the voice continued, " You took USC and laid 24 points didn't you you f-kin moron?"
There came a quietness over me. When you know you were wrong and nothing will change it. "Stanford always plays the Trojans hard. You think they didn't know that USC had revenge on its mind?"
"It wasn't just that. USC had something to prove. They aren't even ranked in the top ten and they are arguably one of the top five and by the way you owe me 3200 U-S-D you sonofabitch."
That's right I thought, he does owe me 3200. I was almost cheered up for a second until I remembered that this was DG, Kid Scum. DJ Degenerate, I had no shot at getting that money.
"I'll give you something worth more than that", he said.
"Did you have Texas?"
"Yes"
"Florida?"
Of course, best bet, lock of the century."
"How many units?"
"Uh, ...two"
"Two?" DG started laughing the way he used to laugh when he would tie a burning rag to a stray dogs' tail and watch it run around in abject fear. It always made me wonder if he was completely inhuman.
"How bad are you running dude? Lock of the century and you put two f-kin units on it? You were never bright but you at least had balls. You would always make the play. Right or wrong play it strong, you used to say"
I couldn't think of anything to say.
"Tell me you didn't have Wisco."
Silence.
"Unreal. You didn't play Northwestern cos it was Michigan right? Even though you knew there was no way on God's green earth that Michigan could win."
Silence.
" I wouldn't give you 3200 pieces of shit right now. you'd go lay it on the Maple Leafs."
"Hey that went over, thank you very much"
I could hear him smile.
"You can pick totals still? Maybe there's hope yet."
That was funny The Degenerate talking about hope. That's how he introduced himself to me 20 years ago, " I am The Degenerate" and he was proud of it too. Action. Any action. I promise you that I lost a bet to this guy on whether or not his mom would slip and fall on the ice going to the mailbox on one Sunday afternoon. Not only did I lose 100 bucks but I had to take her to the hospital because DG wasn't going anywhere until the Bears/Lions game was over. He won that bet too.
For whatever you dislike about his personality or character, DG was a winner. A handicapping machine. He made so much money on Black Sunday that we had a house full of whores, Jack by the case, and more pharmaceuticals than any Walgreens you've ever been in.
Of course that was and is the problem. DJ Degenerate always partied until the money was gone and then it would take months to get him right enough to even read a sports page.
"... so don't tell me any sad stories. Find the game. Pound it. and find the next one."
I tried to tell him about TheSpread.com but all he said was, " It sounds like a 12 Step program."
I never really liked him, but he made us so much money when he was sober.
Ah well.
I'm on Atlanta and Tennesse.
if i have to hear this guy bitching about taking a bad beat let me give you the grim facts 3 tv screens broken , 4 smashed remotes 2 dogs and one ex wife.and that was just one season.here is another grim fact,everything million says is true,im the lowest form of scum known as dj degenerate,he asked me to try and drop some knowledge on the uninformed newbies of the world.yes thats you.i know you could care less who i am where im from what i do but do i give winners,damm right i give winners you couldnt survive as a sick p.o.s like me playing every game on the board if you didnt .here they are atlanta,tennesee under,bears,detroit under,tampa,seattle.
ill be back later with more, im a degenerate remember.....