Free Pick from Vegas Vic

8/14/2008

“THE LOCK OF THE YEAR” YEA RIGHT!: xpectations! Most of us have them everyday, of ourselves as well as others. When these expectations are not met it results in disappointment. Depending on the level of our psychological health the end result is often resentment, anger, criticism, and blame.

The sports service industry provides a daily example of this psychology. The morning begins with services across America professing the strength of their daily selections. These are hyped in words such as “Lock”, “Can’t Lose”. “100* Play”, ,or “90% Win Ratio”. Along with inflated records, this advertising is meant to heighten the expectations of sports bettors whom they hope will purchase their selections. More often than the buyer “expects” the results are “disappointing”. After dealing with “anger and resentment” he soothes himself with “criticism and blame” of the service from whom he bought the selections. In this way, along with intermittent positive reinforcement of winning streaks, he is invariably ready to repeat the cycle on a daily basis. Along with the undeniable anticipation leading to the thrill of victory or agony of defeat, it is a recipe that perpetuates the life of sports bettors who rely on the opinions of others. How did we get to this point in the evolution of the sports service industry?

The roots could be traced to the 1970s, the time when pioneers of the industry originated. Among the best known of the promoters was a Boston-based firm under the leadership of the Legendary Billy Bob Dunbar. Their weekly newsletter was mailed to thousands, nationwide. Some even sent money for the right to read their promotional propaganda, which was among the best ever. It promised “inside information big game winners” on a weekly basis. It culminated with the “Lock of the Year” in early November. Their streak of 7 consecutive “Lock Winners” set the table for the promotion of “Big Game Locks” for an entire industry for the next decade. More importantly it created the aura of expectations ­ along with the underlying string of events that follow as outlined at the beginning of this article. The advent of the USA Today and ESPN in the era only served to heighten the anticipation.

Today, a generation of sports service users has become both more savvy and more cynical. For the most part the claims of Locks or Guaranteed Winners barely crosses their level of consciousness. Claims of long term winning percentages exceeding 70% are virtually ignored.

There is no such thing as a “Lock”.

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