ETA: Three Weeks Until March Madness

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:38 pm

Five weeks from tonight, those of us in Las Vegas will be at the Flamingo sportsbook, losing college bets by the hour, horse bets by the minute and drinking by the second.

It will be the day of relaxation before the big weekend of work/fun. That day can't come soon enough for me.

I'm looking forward to:

1. The camraderie of the NFBC patrons.

2. 16 March Madness games to bet on Thursday and Friday.

3. The Flamingo pool

4. The Corona's/pool umbrella drinks

5. Saturday's big draft

6. The Auctions, Supers and Ultimates

7. Eight trips to the Margaritaville

8. The Corona's

9. Sunshine and temperatures in the high 80s.

10. The Thursday night gathering and Sunday night hangout after everything went perfectly, which means....more Corona's!!

Those aren't in any particular order, trust me. Tell me what you're looking forward to from a player's perspective. Me, I'm just there to watch everything!!

My fun has to be limited.

35 days to go....are you ready for the fun??

[ February 26, 2009, 10:45 AM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]

Da bears · Post by **Da bears** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:25 pm

Yeah I'm ready Greg!

Vegas, March Madness and Fantasy Baseball!!! The perfect Trifecta.

[ February 12, 2009, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: Da bears ]

SluggoJD · Post by **SluggoJD** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:31 pm

Venetian's Sports Book is much nicer

MadCow Sez · Post by **MadCow Sez** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:27 pm

I'm looking forward to CATCHing up with friends I see once/year, sharing tall tales, cold beers, and dreaming of $100K from the perfect draft.

Purple Helmets · Post by **Purple Helmets** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:34 pm

Locked in my room at Caesar's Palace today...in on Thursday and out on Sunday. Hmmm...guess I should actually register for one of the drafts now.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 7:43 pm

Lets see.....

Taking off for Arizona early in the week and taking in 3 games over two days and meeting up with some of the CDM crew.

Flying into Vegas on Thursday morning at 7am and heading straight for the Venetian Sports Book for the NCAA Tourney tipoff at 9:20am. A special roar comes up from the casino and the Madness is under way. Meeting up with Wiseguy's Gene McCaffery & John Menna early in the day. Betting the ponies, plotting the NFBC drafts, and finding a live dog with the money line in the Tourney games. Meeting some more of the CDM crew during the day as I make 3 airport pickup for fellow NFBC participants.

Friday - more hoops in the morning and an Auction in the late afternoon. Hitting the Hard Rock for the Gamblers Special at $7.77 at Mr Lucky's - steak & shrimp after the auction.

Saturday morning - traditional pre-draft breakfast stop in the Imperial Palace at the Emperor's Buffet with Lindy Hinkelmen and friends. NFBC stud, Spartacus Bob Mazur, picks up the tab this year! The Main Event !!!! After the draft, milling around all the boards and meeting some old friends and making some new friends as we check out the boards! This is one of those unplanned things that takes place in Vegas after the drafts that I really enjoy. I'll visit each board from each draft before repaying my Max Scherzer FAAB debt to my good pal Tom "CATCH" Z West at the Bellagio. Last year, Jose Canseco & Mike Shanahan where in the Bellagio after we left the Main Event Draft.

Saturday night, gotta check in on the Super League Draft and then plot some strategy for the Sunday League Super.........Maybe CATCH a late basketball game.

Sunday AM, check out of the hotel, but head back to the draft room one more time with my partners Jim "Luny" Christie & Frank "The Godfather" Cracolice for the Super League. Match wits with some of our CDM friends Pat Gagne & Emmett Ruland and thirteen other teams.

Can't wait.

[ February 13, 2009, 01:54 AM: Message edited by: Sack ]

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:56 am

Originally posted by Purple Helmets:

Locked in my room at Caesar's Palace today...in on Thursday and out on Sunday. Hmmm...guess I should actually register for one of the drafts now. You're already out there? Put in an order for good weather March 18-24!!

Yeah, let's officially get you in for 2009. The events you like are all filling up fast. Let's get it done and then join us early for drinks on Thursday and some work on Friday. See ya in five weeks.

Spartacus · Post by **Spartacus** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:40 am

Originally posted by Sack:

Lets see.....

Taking off for Arizona early in the week and taking in 3 games over two days and meeting up with some of the CDM crew.

Flying into Vegas on Thursday morning at 7am and heading straight for the Venetian Sports Book for the NCAA Tourney tipoff at 9:20am. A special roar comes up from the casino and the Madness is under way. Meeting up with Wiseguy's Gene McCaffery & John Menna early in the day. Betting the ponies, plotting the NFBC drafts, and finding a live dog with the money line in the Tourney games. Meeting some more of the CDM crew during the day as I make 3 airport pickup for fellow NFBC participants.

Friday - more hoops in the morning and an Auction in the late afternoon. Hitting the Hard Rock for the Gamblers Special at $7.77 at Mr Lucky's - steak & shrimp after the auction.

Saturday morning - traditional pre-draft breakfast stop in the Imperial Palace at the Emperor's Buffet with Lindy Hinkelmen and friends. NFBC stud, Spartacus Bob Mazur, picks up the tab this year! The Main Event !!!! After the draft, milling around all the boards and meeting some old friends and making some new friends as we check out the boards! This is one of those unplanned things that takes place in Vegas after the drafts that I really enjoy. I'll visit each board from each draft before repaying my Max Scherzer FAAB debt to my good pal Tom "CATCH" Z West at the Bellagio. Last year, Jose Canseco & Mike Shanahan where in the Bellagio after we left the Main Event Draft.

Saturday night, gotta check in on the Super League Draft and then plot some strategy for the Sunday League Super.........Maybe CATCH a late basketball game.

Sunday AM, check out of the hotel, but head back to the draft room one more time with my partners Jim "Luny" Christie & Frank "The Godfather" Cracolice for the Super League. Match wits with some of our CDM friends Pat Gagne & Emmett Ruland and thirteen other teams.

Can't wait. That's a pretty full plate Ken. Are you sure you have room for sausage links?

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 4:38 am

Bob:

Gotta squeeze in IN/OUT trip, Battista's Hole in the Wall, and the Carnegie Deli for some oversized pastrami sandwiches. Don't ever fret that I'll have the "room"!

They say no man can finish one of these. I'm gonna ask Todd Zola to join me and between the two of us, that record is going down.

I hope you realize I'm just joking about you and the tab. Lindy's free loading son, Gabe, is going to pay, he just doesn't realize this yet.

[ February 13, 2009, 10:41 AM: Message edited by: Sack ]

Spartacus · Post by **Spartacus** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:15 am

Carnegie Deli Pastrami Sandwich? Worth a trip to NYC just for that. Bring cash as they don't take credit cards............and I'll have 2 pickles to go

Edwards Kings · Post by **Edwards Kings** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:15 am

Originally posted by Spartacus:

Carnegie Deli Pastrami Sandwich? Worth a trip to NYC just for that. Bring cash as they don't take credit cards............and I'll have 2 pickles to go Took my family to NYC (Manhattan) for their first trip last Christmas. The first night there went to Carnegie Deli. Had a sandwich that would kill a lesser man and even then, my side item was a crash cart. Only sanwich I ever paid $20+ for and didn't complain!

billywaz · Post by **billywaz** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:18 am

Originally posted by Sack:

Bob:

Gotta squeeze in IN/OUT trip, Battista's Hole in the Wall, and the Carnegie Deli for some oversized pastrami sandwiches. Don't ever fret that I'll have the "room"!

They say no man can finish one of these. I'm gonna ask Todd Zola to join me and between the two of us, that record is going down.

Ken,

I had a half of one at the Diesel Diehard in 2007, and I swear I didn't eat for two days.

Damn good though! Lookin forward to eating some good pie and other quality eats this time around!

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:25 am

Billy Waz -

Are you coming West or doing the draft in NYC? I'm told that there is a Carnegie Deli at the Mirage. Going to see if I can GET Mr Zola to join me for a lil snack.

billywaz · Post by **billywaz** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:15 pm

Originally posted by Sack:

Billy Waz -

Are you coming West or doing the draft in NYC? I'm told that there is a Carnegie Deli at the Mirage. Going to see if I can GET Mr Zola to join me for a lil snack.

Ken,

I am headed to NYC. You are correct that Carnegie Deli is at the Mirage.

I know Gekko would recommend the BLT!

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:54 am

Originally posted by Sack:

Billy Waz -

Are you coming West or doing the draft in NYC? I'm told that there is a Carnegie Deli at the Mirage. Going to see if I can GET Mr Zola to join me for a lil snack.

Sorry sack, just pickles for me, at least this year. Down 100, 100 to go

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:54 am

[ February 19, 2009, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: ToddZ ]

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:55 am

Originally posted by Sack:

Billy Waz -

Are you coming West or doing the draft in NYC? I'm told that there is a Carnegie Deli at the Mirage. Going to see if I can GET Mr Zola to join me for a lil snack.

Sorry Sack, just pickles for me, at least this year. Down 100, 100 to go

751542 · Post by **751542** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:22 am

great job zola....keep the eye on the prize!!! willpower brotha!!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:37 am

Is it just me or is anyone else counting down the days to the NFBC draft and March Madness?!!

Maybe it's because all of us going to Las Vegas will have the chance to also gamble on the college basketball games, but I think I'm more psyched this year for Vegas than ever before. I've even been watching more college basketball than ever before, hoping to find an edge. But in reality, flipping a coin will be more strategical than anything else I can learn from the conference games.

Oh well, four weeks from now I'll have lost every Thursday bet and watching the NL Auction Leagues in Las Vegas. That should be wild. Then on Friday afternoon we may have five auctions going on at once. Yikes. That should be wild.

Okay, back to the baseball scouting reports and player analysis. LABR auctions are two weeks ago and NFBC is four weeks away. If that's not the official end of winter, I don't know what is. LET'S GET IT ON!! Viva Las Vegas.

751542 · Post by **751542** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:42 am

if we are linked up on the gambling i guarantee we wont lose every bet unless they print the tickets wrong

!!!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:45 am

Originally posted by RoundTrippers:

if we are linked up on the gambling i guarantee we wont lose every bet unless they print the tickets wrong

!!! Sometimes we win when they enter them wrong for us!!

College: Underdogs this year

Pros: First half/second half bets are MUSTS.

Thursday: EVERY game as I'm not leaving that leather chair unless it's to go get more beer and pizza!!!

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:06 am

Todd:

Congrats, keep at it! Hope to CATCH up with you at the NJ version on the HQ Forum in a few weeks, maybe this year we won't have to battle in the same league.

MadCow Sez · Post by **MadCow Sez** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:32 pm

Parley cards....I hear parley cards.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:48 am

Am I the only one counting down the days until Draft Day??

Maybe the winter weather is better everywhere other than Wisconsin, I don't know. But right now, I'm counting the MINUTES, not days until my trip to Sin City!!!

Okay, three weeks from now I will have secured a lounge chair in one of the nearby sportsbooks and making my final bets on the early NCAA games. I'll wear my bright red Wisconsin hoops shirt just for sh--s and giggles and mainly because my old Marquette shirt is worn out. I'll lose the first bet and the last bet and most inbetween, but will drink enough Corona's to have a headache until Sunday.

And it will be a great day.

And of course, a plunge in the Flamingo pool at some point in the afternoon is a given. Okay, 21 days away, who's with me on this trip?!!!

Joe Sambito · Post by **Joe Sambito** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:53 am

Don't you mean, 30,240 minutes?

[ February 26, 2009, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: Joe Sambito ]