Detroit Lions fans bury bookie in Super Bowl XXXII
Before handicapper Ted Sevransky (Sportsmemo.com, @teddy_covers) moved to Las Vegas and became known as “Teddy Covers,” he lived in Michigan, where in 1998 he tried to cash in on the anti-Packers sentiment there.
Super Bowl XXXII, Broncos-Packers, Jan. 25, 1998: “I was a former small-time bookie managing a sports bar in Michigan, and the bar patrons were Lions fans. The Packers were the enemy. Denver was a 12-point underdog, yet I went around the bar — which was not exactly a hotbed of sophisticated bettors — taking even-money bet after even-money bet on the Broncos to win the game. As a bookie, I knew that you don’t get to take a double-digit favorite without laying any points very often, and I wasn’t shy about drumming up Denver wagers. These guys were ‘suckers,’ I thought.
“By kickoff, I was in line to win more than a month’s salary if the Packers simply won the game straight up. As the first half progressed and Denver was competitive, I continued to book bets, and it was nothing but Broncos money. And, of course, Denver went on to win the game, 31-24.
“Turns out I was the biggest sucker in the bar that day — betting more money than I could comfortably afford to lose on what I thought was a ‘can’t lose’ proposition.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
