Update: Congratulations to local sports radio producer Matt “not his real name” Valdez, who scored a massive payday by optimistically betting on all three D.C. pro teams to win Tuesday night. See the original story below.
Washington’s sports extravaganza Tuesday night is virtually unique in world history. It’s only the sixth time the Caps and Wizards/Bullets have played playoff games on the same date, and only the third time that’s happened on a date the Nats also played.
(Plus, the NFL schedule is being released, which is all you actually care about.)
The two previous times this happened — both in April 2008 — Washington’s trio of pro teams won one game and lost two. (Both times, the Caps won, Nats lost and Wizards lost.)
And so you could forgive D.C. sports radio hosts for scoffing at the idea of a Tuesday night sweep.
“It’s just not gonna happen,” Jason Bishop said on 106.7 The Fan’s “Sports Junkies” Tuesday morning.
“Not gonna happen,” agreed Eric Bickel. “Not gonna happen.”
Still, producer Matt “not his real name” Valdez suggested that a money-line trifecta featuring the three franchises might be appealing. You know, “for the optimist out there,” as he put it. Or for anyone hoping to get a bit of online attention.
The Caps and Wizards are both road underdogs. The Nats are a narrow home favorite. And if you bet on all three teams, you will get something like 10-1 odds. Which Valdez eventually snatched up, for a cool $100 to pay $1063.
Valdez told me that Bickel’s rampant pessimism persuaded him to make the wager, that he “wanted to be the only one who had the [intestinal fortitude] to be optimistic when everyone thinks there’s no chance.”
“I get cised to be different,” he texted me. “Plus, I’ve gambled so much; usually when everyone agrees something will happen, the opposite does.”
The only bet I’m comfortable making is that more people on our Web site will click on the Redskins schedule stories than any playoff updates. Either way, it turns out Valdez wasn’t the only sports fan dreaming of tripartite success.
