It's no secret that the Superbowl is one of, if not the, biggest sporting eventsin the world and only getting bigger. Millions and millions of people tune in every year and some of them have more than football on their minds; they have money riding on the game. But this day and age fans aren't just picking the winner or worrying about the spread. Anyone can legally bet on just about anything pertaining to the game, the broadcast and/or the hoopla surrounding Superbowl Sunday as if they were making a friendly wager with their brother-in-law sitting on the couch next to them.
As a prominent blogger I often get emails from other people sending me stories, links, videos and other things they'd like me to read and hopefully mention on CSC. The other day I got one of those emails from the fine people at Bodog Life, learned something new and thought you might find it as interesting as me. They're called prop bets and they're created by Bodog Sportsbook Manager, Richard Gardner. Here's a little more info on Richard:
Richard Gardner’s interest in the gaming industry started at an early age when his passion for sports, particularly college and professional football, combined with an intrinsic understanding of numbers and statistics, gave him the edge when wagering with friends.
While attending college for a degree in Mathematics and Statistics, Gardner came to the realization of just how profitable his talents could be. Subsequently, he began running odds and taking wagers from friends and, from time to time, his statistics professor. It wasn’t long before his talents really paid off, and he had built up enough of a player base to be able to pay his way through college, and then some.
Fresh out of college, Gardner hit the pavement in search of a company where he could really put his talents to use, and Bodog was a natural fit. After 10 years of hard work and a variety of positions in the pit, Gardner achieved his ultimate goal of becoming Bodog’s Sportsbook Manager.
Below is a list of some of the more interesting props that Richard created and they are nothing short of hilarious and interesting. Keep in mind this is just a portion of the over 1,000 props that he has come up with for this years Superbowl. So instead of betting your buddy a nickel that John Madden will talk about the food in Tampa Bay more than three times during the course of the game, put your money where your mouth is and make the phone call to Vegas.
Media/TV Props Will Barack Obama bring back US tradition and call winning team before broadcast goes off the air? Yes +150 No -225 How Many Times will NBC show Brenda Warner on TV during the Game? Over/Under 3 ½ How many times will Al Michaels and John Madden reference Ben Roethlisberger as “Big Ben” during the Game. Over/Under 7 ½ How many food references will John Madden make during the game? Over/Under 1 ½ What Betting Line will Al Michaels allude to or mention first during the Game? Pointspread -200 Total +150 Will Matt Millen pick the correct team to win the SB on the NBC Pregame? Yes -270 No +210 Which Teams Cheerleaders will be shown more often on camera? Pittsburgh -175 Arizona +135 What will the TV Rating be, O/U (Nielsen) Over/Under 42.5 What Super Bowl will average more viewers? Super Bowl XL +110 Super Bowl XLIII -150 Who will have the largest market share in TV Ratings? Arizona +300 Pennsylvania -500 Which Super Bowl commercial will have a higher rating on USA Today's annual Ad Meter? Anheuser-Busch/Budweiser 1/1 Doritos 3/1 Pepsi 3/1 Coca-Cola 4/1 McDonald’s 7/1 Go Daddy.com 8/1 Other 2/1 What brand of Anheuser-Busch will have more commercials on Super Bowl Sunday? Bud Light +200 Budweiser -300 How long will it take Jennifer Hudson to sing the National anthem? Over/Under 1:54 What Song will Bruce Springsteen sing to begin his Halftime Show at the Super Bowl? Born in the USA 2/1 Glory Days 2/1 The Rising 4/1 Born to Run 5/1 The Wrestler 5/1 Radio Nowhere 8/1 I’m on Fire 12/1 What Song will Bruce Springsteen sing to End his Halftime Show at the Super Bowl? Born in the USA 2/1 Born to Run 3/2 Glory Days 4/1 The Rising 4/1 The Wrestler 5/1 Radio Nowhere 8/1 I’m on Fire 12/1 Which NBC Show will get the most Promo’s during the game? The Office 5/4 Heroes 7/4 30 Rock 5/2 Chuck 11/2 Friday Night Lights 8/1 Jay Leno 15/1 Conan O’Brien 15/1 Will Jay Leno make an appearance during the Super Bowl Pre Game Show? Yes -140 No Even Random Props Will Kurt Warner break Joe Montana’s Super Bowl Record of 1142 career Passing Yards Yes +500 No -800 (Kurt Warner needs 364 Passing Yards to break the record) Who will the MVP of the Game thank first? God 1/1 Teammates 2/1 Family 4/1 Coach 7/1 Doesn't thank anyone 3/1 What Color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team? Clear/Water 4/5 Red 5/2 Yellow 3/1 Blue 7/1 Orange 7/1 Lime Green 10/1 What side of the ball with the Players that perform the Gatorade Shower be from? Offensive Even Defensive -130 How many current NFL Players will be arrested during Super Bowl Week? Over 1 Even Under 1 -140 What Color will Bill Bidwell’s bow tie be? Red -500 Any Other Color +300 How many planes will be included in the Pregame Fly Over? 2 or less 6/1 3 4/1 4 3/1 5 5/4 6 or More 2/1 Who will win the Madden Super Bowl? Pittsburgh -300 Arizona +200 What will happen with the Stock Market the day after Super Bowl XLIV? Pittsburgh Wins Market Up 3/2 Pittsburgh Losses Market Down 5/2 Arizona Wins Market Up 2/1 Arizona Losses Market Down 7/4 Historical Props Historical matchup - Total Passing Yards Ben Roethlisberger Super Bowl XL vs. Ben Roethlisberger Super Bowl XLIII Ben Roethlisberger Super Bowl XL +96.5 Yards Ben Roethlisberger Super Bowl XLIII -96.5 Yards (Ben Roethlisberger had 123 Passing Yards in Super Bowl XL) Historical matchup - Total Passing Yards Kurt Warner Super Bowl XXXIV vs. Kurt Warner Super Bowl XLIII Kurt Warner Super Bowl XXXIV -148.5 Yards Kurt Warner Super Bowl XLIII +148.5 Yards (Kurt Warner had 415 Passing Yards in Super Bowl XXXIV) Kurt Warner Super Bowl XXXVI -99.5 Yards Kurt Warner Super Bowl XLIII +99.5 Yards (Kurt Warner had 365 Passing Yards in Super Bowl XXXVI) Historical matchup - Total Rushing Yards Willie Parker Super Bowl XL vs. Willie Parker Super Bowl XLIII Willie Parker Super Bowl XL -13.5 Yards Willie Parker Super Bowl XLIII +13.5 Yards (Willie Parker had 93 Rushing Yards in Super Bowl XL)
Historical matchup - Total Passing Yards Kurt Warner Super Bowl XXXVI vs. Kurt Warner Super Bowl XLIII