From the Bottom of
the Bucket
“It's
Derby Time!-Watch Your Wallet'
As
most of you of you know I have lived in Louisville, KY most of my life.
Every April our town stops everything to celebrate "the greatest two
minutes in sports". The Kentucky Derby Festival is a three week event,
with every business and bar taking up the challenge of incorporating food and
fun into the offerings. There are multiple (I think 47) sponsored events,
starting with Thunder Over Louisville, the world's largest fireworks show, a
steamboat race, a parade and of course the race track. The ladies get on
their spring finery and the men don outrageous outfits. Hats are the
order of the day.
It's a fun
time, but I can't help think of the underlying motivation that it is built on:
MONEY.
Gambling is a fool's game, and most everyone knows
that. The occasional $2 dollar better, is not seeking to gain on his or
her bet, but the bragging rights to say "I won!" That is
not to say there are big and little players who actually come to the track
seeking to win $$$. This does not include the piles of cash that it takes
to bring these magnificent animals to the race. It's not called the
sport of kings by accident .
What is the draw of gambling?
At its core it is the concept that you will gain financially from your
activity. I have always looked at it as a form of entertainment that has
a chance of letting leave with more than you came in with.
But to me, betting is just a side show to the experience of going to the
racetrack. In fact, many times I don't even place a bet. To
me, REAL gambling, is over allocating your investment risk, not saving for the
future, and overextending your debt. The racetrack is a playground
were you can play out these scenarios in small bites and that's good because
large portions can spell disaster.
Don't get me wrong, I get my money's
worth all through the festival, touting my favorite, sipping julips , and people
watching. Stilll, I realize that’s what I am paying for. Not the
lure of easy money…to my knowledge there is no such thing.
Have fun on May4th....and for the record, my
picks are Omaha Beach, Tacitus, and Code of Honor. See you at the
winner's window...
Until
next month, I wish you fulfillment.
Bob
