Spikes’ bet pays off for Twitter fan
Linebacker Brandon Spikes is putting his money where his mouth is by paying off a bet he made with a follower on Twitter.
Before Connecticut’s third-round NCAA Tournament game against Villanova, Spikes posted on Twitter that “Uconn about to get trashed! Watch.”
A follower responded to Spikes’ tweet, betting him tickets to the Buffalo Bills’ game against the New England Patriots this coming season at Gillettte Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. that the Huskies would beat the Wildcats by more than seven points. Spikes played for the Patriots last season before signing with the Bills in free agency during the offseason.
The fan promised to wear Spikes’ jersey if he lost.
Connecticut won the game by 12 points, and Spikes delivered on his end of the bet.
“Should I send you my address now?” the follower tweeted. “I’ll still buy that jersey though.”
“They’ll be at will call sir!” Spikes replied. “Good game.”
Bets like this one aren’t a new phenomenon. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White made a bet with a follower on the Mercer-Duke game last Friday, saying he would give the follower season tickets on the first row at the 50-yard line if Mercer won.
After Duke’s loss, White amended the bet, saying he would give the follower tickets to the Falcons’ home game against the Chicago Bears. He said he did not realize the follower was a Falcons fan and Mercer’s nickname is also Bears.
On Sunday, after receiving criticism over his tweak to the bet, White replied by tweeting, in part, that they wanted him “to man up and pay a bet to a person that had nothing to lose in the bet. Plus it’s illegal to gamble in the NFL.”
For his part, the follower involved in the bet said in a series of tweets Sunday that he’s fine with the amended bet and did not want to be a distraction to White or the Falcons.
Bo’s a big softy
Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini has a reputation as a fiery competitor, sometimes losing his temper on the sidelines during games and even drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in a game last season after arguing with officials.
But Pelini showed his softer side Wednesday on Twitter with the help of the school’s video production team. Cameras followed Pelini and Sgt. Matthew Salomonsas they surprised Salomons’ wife, Becca, who did not know he had come home from deployment overseas.
Becca and other family members were taking what they thought was a normal tour of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
During a stop in the team’s locker room, Pelini took photos with each of them but saved Becca for last.
After taking the photo with Becca, Pelini asked how the photo turned out. She replied she didn’t really know but was sure it was OK.
“You want to take another one?” Pelini asked. “There’s a better one to take. Let me just go grab something first.”
Pelini then walked into the hallway and brought Salomons with him.
“How about this guy?” Pelini asked as Salomons entered the room. “That’s the picture you should take, right there.”
The couple exchanged hugs, kisses and tears.
“I hate you so much,” Becca jokingly told her husband during their emotional reunion. “How could you do this to me?”
Becca admitted after the reunion that she had her suspicions it would happen all along.
Quote of the day “I’ve tried to not make it bigger than it is. But it doesn’t work.” Kentucky Coach John Calipari on the Wildcats’ rivalry with Louisville
Sports, Pages 18 on 03/28/2014