Just odd.
We'll say 'Even Steven' but never 'Odd Todd'.
As a whole in society, we like even numbers. We'd be odd if we didn't.
Folks say that in our contest, $200,000 looks so much better to others than $100,000. I think that is odd.
Both numbers are even. One of course is two times the other other. The commonality is that they must end with a zero.
Only gas companies like ending with an odd number....They do pretty well.
The Main Event is going from $100,000 to $125,000. When used this way, we give five's a pass as being even. I think it's because it is so easy to count by five's. So easy that we have five dollar bills.
Not four dollar bills. Not six dollar bills. And those would be even.
To the detriment of second place money and other money, Greg pushed the Draft Championship contest from $16,000 to $20,000.
Above even numbers, we love zeroes. Nobody makes $101 bet. A $101 bet does not mean our conviction in winning that bet is more than $100 bet. It is just thought of as a major inconvenience. If at a convenience store, we get rung up at $16.01, we are almost encouraged to throw that penny in a cup on the counter. They don't even want to deal with it because it is too odd.
Zero isn't really even a number. But we love it.
We must.
We must because $20,000 sounds so much better than a mere $16,000. And even if other numbers must be lessened to do it, we must make more zeroes for first place.
A must.
Zero by itself doesn't mean much. In fact, it means nothing. No, really, literally nothing.
I once had a Math teacher who said that we could not divide any number by zero. He brought out a Twinkie. A big mistake on his part. I love Twinkies. Well, not so much now, but I loved them then.
He brought out his knife (could you imagine a weapon being brought to schools in these days and times?
)and challenged anybody in the class to divide that Twinkie and come up with zero.
I raised my hand. He called on me and I walked to the front of the class. He handed me the knife (could you imagine a teacher handing a student a weapon in these days and times!
.I waved the knife off.
I took the Twinkie, jammed the whole thing in my mouth and in a garbled, loud voice said, "ZERO!"
A Twinkie and an "Attaboy" from a math teacher. That math class was so worth it.
Some talk of a 'Carrot'. A carrot looks like a one. Odd that some push for an odd thing as a carrot. A carrot is something coveted by a horse or a rabbit. If talking Twinkies, then they'd have my attention. In speaking of a carrot, some think that numbers influence people's judgment. They depend on zeroes. Zeroes have been their friend, they think that it should be the friend of all.
It isn't.
To others, a carrot or zeroes are only to be admired. Like a new Corvette. The reality of pocketing zeroes is never a thought at this time of year. Their paychecks are $951.03 and whether it ends with a three or a zero, it doesn't matter. It is income.
Realized and earned income. That, is what matters. Not carrots, or even Twinkies.
Most people have a lucky number. Most people's lucky number is an even number.
Except one. No, not the number one, that would be way too odd.
That number is seven. When it comes to lucky numbers, seven, like the previously mentioned five, gets a pass.
A pass because of dice. Seven is a lucky number in dice. Odd, because that is the number most likely to appear.
Seven gets a pass as a lucky number, because in this case, it is not really an odd number.
No matter how you roll a seven in dice, an even number is needed. So seven isn't an odd lucky number at all.
My lucky number is 24. Most know why. Few find it odd.
In baseball, we don't know who won 19 games, but win 20 and you've done something!
Agents, I'm sure push players to steal one more base if sitting on 19 or 29. It wouldn't do not to get to the next zero.
But, for some overlooked reason, there is an oddity.
It happens with all of our major sports.
There are nine players on a baseball team.
There are 11 players on a football team.
There are five players on a basketball team.
Sssshh! Don't tell the Even Police that one!
This is the time of year where $20,000 or $100,000 or $125,000 or $200,000 all seem more important than they really are.
Those numbers are forgotten once the contest begins. We are so focused in our own leagues that we don't care for at least the first four months of the season what the top prize amount. If we are near the top after four months, then those numbers mean something to us and we'll look at them as if they were Twinkies.
Just once though, I'd like to see the Main Event prize be $137, 953.
Why not?
No other contest would be giving out $137,953.
We would be alone.
The winner would not mind getting that extra $12,953. Others would think it was odd.
And that is the beauty of the whole thing!
In being odd, we would stand out.
It'll never happen though. The inherit love of zeroes and even numbers forbid it.
If reading this and finding it odd, don't worry about it. It's just a little of an even-handed attempt at being tongue in cheek.
In the end, it'll mean nothing.
Zero, really.
Note to self: Go out and get a Twinkie today.