Still can't believe how nimble a skater that guy was at 270lbs. Ridiculous.
- AdamFrench

I use to play with a guy that was about 5’10-5’11 and probably pushing 250lbs. He was one of the fastest and smoothest skaters I’ve played with.

You could always hear him skating behind you if he was chasing you down.

Couple of surprises....

Noah Juulson
Nick Merkley
Joe Hicketts
Evgeni Svechnikov (kinda surprising)
Corey Perry
Filip Chlapik
Samuel Morin
Lucas Johansen


A lot of players from the 2015 draft class who their teams had high hopes for

Evander Kane is broke eh? Shocked.
- AdamFrench

I would easily bet on that when he flashed all his money some years back.

Not the sharpest knife...

Fantasy hockey draft....

You pick #14, who do you take?

Mikko Rantanen

Or

Mitch Marner


And go.....
- .HOHO.

Marner, although either are great picks

Marner, although either are great picks
- Aetherial

I'd go Rantanen. But yeah you can't go wrong with either imo.

I took Rantanen... and got Landeskog with my 3rd round pick.

- .HOHO.

All moved in ?

That’s awful Aethsie
- Zezel

This was someone in our close circle of friends. The gambling led to other illegal activity and eventually the suicide. Eventually, she met another man who also has kids and they married. Her second husband is one of the most excellent guys you could ever meet. It is about 13 years ago now. The kids are happy and everything is going well for the family.

Those are the guys who will always tell you how much money they won but will never tell you how much money they lost. It's sad.
- gergeswillems

Everyone loses money eventually.

Everyone.

That's how gambling works.

Couple of surprises....

Noah Juulson
Nick Merkley
Joe Hicketts
Evgeni Svechnikov (kinda surprising)
Corey Perry
Filip Chlapik
Samuel Morin
Lucas Johansen


A lot of players from the 2015 draft class who their teams had high hopes for
- Mr_Rager

I liked Hicketts when I saw him in the WJC (5-6 years ago, or is it longer ago?).
could be a nice pickup for the Marlies and able to play bottom pair D-minutes in NHL as well.

Auston Matthews, best shape of his life alert!!!

https://theathletic.com/2...source=emp-shared-article
- senstroll

Was into horseracing a few years and won 10s of thousands $ many times. Never anything big, and I'm sure I lost 100k+ in those 3-4 years. Of those guys I played together with, 1 of them won big and at least 3 lost everything - job, house and marriage. Extremely fun AND dangerous.
- 21peter

Peter - which tracks did you visit?

Couple of surprises....

Noah Juulson
Nick Merkley
Joe Hicketts
Evgeni Svechnikov (kinda surprising)
Corey Perry
Filip Chlapik
Samuel Morin
Lucas Johansen


A lot of players from the 2015 draft class who their teams had high hopes for
- Mr_Rager

I hope a team picks up Perry. He's a pest

Was into horseracing a few years and won 10s of thousands $ many times. Never anything big, and I'm sure I lost 100k+ in those 3-4 years. Of those guys I played together with, 1 of them won big and at least 3 lost everything - job, house and marriage. Extremely fun AND dangerous.
- 21peter

Wow!

I absolutely do not have that gene. It has to be the most destructive thing ever.

Couple of surprises....

Noah Juulson
Nick Merkley
Joe Hicketts
Evgeni Svechnikov (kinda surprising)
Corey Perry
Filip Chlapik
Samuel Morin
Lucas Johansen


A lot of players from the 2015 draft class who their teams had high hopes for
- Mr_Rager

1. The guys who now run Florida were part of the team that drafted him. Makes sense as they suck on defense and Yandle/Nuutivara might not even play
2. Weirdest one since Jersey is pretty terrible up front
3. He sucks and unless he become Torey Krug will always do so
4. Injured every year at some point and never able to put it together yet...who takes him?
5. Old man
6. A guy who might play well on a 4th line on some of the lower teams. Not a bad pick up, but most teams have a Chlapik around
7. Not being able to skate has finally caught up with how good the Flyers D is turning out
8. Not ready for prime time, passed by Siegenthaler and Fehérváry and if he does become an NHL defender he's looking at the 5-6 slot at best.

Peter - which tracks did you visit?
- MaximusAurelius

Only in Norway and Sweden. You was in the game?

Wow!

I absolutely do not have that gene. It has to be the most destructive thing ever.
- Aetherial

Either you have it or not I guess. It's like a drug!

Everyone loses money eventually.

Everyone.

That's how gambling works.
- Atomic Wedgie

I had a buddy who would fly to Atlantic city every weekend. He would play roulette. He simply waited for 5 red or black and then bet the other colour, and kept doubling his bet until he won... it was a 5 dollar table so he would only ever win 5 bucks in the sequence.

He use to win a couple hundred buck each trip and they brought him free drinks.

I programmed some simulations and told him that the scheme did not work. The table had a top limit, so you could not double up indefinitely. If something like 10 or 11 of one colour hit in a row he would lose all the bets.

He did not believe me... until consecutive weeks where he lost over 1K. He never went back (thankfully)

If there was a scheme like that to win, everyone would be doing it. There isn't. Everyone loses.

Wow!

I absolutely do not have that gene. It has to be the most destructive thing ever.
- Aetherial

Whenever I go to Vegas (which is not that often - maybe 5 times in last 30 years), I really like sports betting, but even then, I'm too cheap to really risk any real money.

I think the most I ever dropped was one year when I was there during the Superbowl - and even then, I bet less than $100 in total (I actually won every bet - thank you New York Giants!).

You used to be able to go to the Barbary Coast sports book - it was franking horrible, but you could drop bets, then drink $1 cups (yeah, Solo cups - it was classy) of beer and eat cheap hot dogs.

Craps and 21 do absolutely nothing for me.

Mirtle might be the worst journalist on theathletic.. he's such a fanboy - 0 reflection or critical thought..
- MaximusAurelius

he is not a leafs fan if thats what you mean, or at least he wasnt. he is from out west, was a nucks fan iirc. But in the Kessel/carlyle days, when he was writing about the team being bad when they were winning a bit, he got ragged on hard and called a leaf hater.

but I realize the rules are if you write something positive you are a fanboy, and if you write something negative you are a hater.

Only in Norway and Sweden. You was in the game?
- 21peter

love going to the tracks - in particular since there is such a broad variety of people there..
it's pleasant when you live in a big city and able to escape to a 'green oasis' which are most of these tracks.
i visited all of the tracks in Paris, both of the tracks in Rome (all of them several times) + one in Buenos Aires.
I was gambling but not big amounts - for me it was mostly a pleasant afternoon out, have a nice lunch or drink at the tracks and change a bit of scenery.
Did attend the 'Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - was a great day.

I had a buddy who would fly to Atlantic city every weekend. He would play roulette. He simply waited for 5 red or black and then bet the other colour, and kept doubling his bet until he won... it was a 5 dollar table so he would only ever win 5 bucks in the sequence.

He use to win a couple hundred buck each trip and they brought him free drinks.

I programmed some simulations and told him that the scheme did not work. The table had a top limit, so you could not double up indefinitely. If something like 10 or 11 of one colour hit in a row he would lose all the bets.

He did not believe me... until consecutive weeks where he lost over 1K. He never went back (thankfully)

If there was a scheme like that to win, everyone would be doing it. There isn't. Everyone loses.
- Aetherial

About 35 years ago, I bought a book on sports gambling.

It had one "sure thing."

No NBA, NHL or MLB championship series had ever been won without the home team winning a game.

So all you had to do was bet on the home team. If you lost game 1, double your bet for game 2, etc. Sooner or later, you would win.

As I say, I bought it back in the mid-1980s. The formula held true until a couple of years ago - when the World Series away teams won every game.

I had a buddy who would fly to Atlantic city every weekend. He would play roulette. He simply waited for 5 red or black and then bet the other colour, and kept doubling his bet until he won... it was a 5 dollar table so he would only ever win 5 bucks in the sequence.

He use to win a couple hundred buck each trip and they brought him free drinks.

I programmed some simulations and told him that the scheme did not work. The table had a top limit, so you could not double up indefinitely. If something like 10 or 11 of one colour hit in a row he would lose all the bets.

He did not believe me... until consecutive weeks where he lost over 1K. He never went back (thankfully)

If there was a scheme like that to win, everyone would be doing it. There isn't. Everyone loses.
- Aetherial

I like to play backjack and same applies, they put table limits for that reason.

even if you try it, you have to have stones of steel...you will lose 6 or 7 hands in a row often enough.

Dustin Bifulugylian worst shape of his life.
- AdamFrench

Ouch

I'd go Rantanen. But yeah you can't go wrong with either imo.
- Scabeh

My reasoning is that they both should be entering their peak now, but I think Mackinnon has been at his peak the last 2 years and I am expecting Matthews is still going to improve.

Honestly, though it is a pick 'em.

Only in Norway and Sweden. You was in the game?
- 21peter

p.s. is there a track in Norway? I wasn't aware there was any big races in Scandinavia..
(Thought UK, France, Ireland, Italy, US, Japan, some middle East states and Australia mainly?)