No Cash Crisis Here - Harbaugh Bet Paid off by Mystery Blogger (+Friday Bev Thread)
Mates,
Despite bank failures, nevertheless the U.S. Treasury notes, also known as 'Cash', are still available. Many of you will also remember that around the New Year there was a seemingly annual Harbaugh/NFL thread barrage. In the midst of that barrage MGrowOld and yours truly had a wager, a big wager, on whether Harbaugh was coming back. That bet was for an entire $1.00. But time went on, back and forth the issue went, NCAA investigation b.s., and then hoops, hockey, etc. and it faded away into the background. Until yesterday.
Yesterday Mr. John Q. Postman came to my office with a letter. Not just any letter, but an anonymous letter, and a dandy at that. It started with the proposition that a GoFundMe page had been set up to help me deal with the possible loss of capital if the bet was lost. It described the wager thusly:
"A poster decribed as MGrowOld ("Old") wagered that Mr. Jim Harbaugh was not going to coach the football team of the University of Michigan at AA for teh 2023 season, the words used by 'Old' were, 'He gone'; in counter position, you, as a poster known as XM ('XM') indicated (along with other clearly more astute and intelligent colleagues) that Harbaugh' would remain.
the letter ends with "As of the date of this letter, Mr. Harbaugh still being alive and listed as the head coach of said team, you have been declared the winner, hence you are to hereby receive Exactly Two Dollars and no cents ($2.00...which comprises the original one-dollar wager plus interest and damages of one dollar" )
And indeed, the letter contained two nice, crisp $1.00 bills.
So it's conundrum time. Are we certain that Harbaugh stays? I think it's nearly a done deal, but I can also see Harbaugh going ballistic on a couple of psuedo-investigators over a $10 tip at the Jug and clanking heads together like a 3-Stooges show with Mo bouncing Curly and Shemp's heads together. What do I do with the money, put it in escrow pending final outcome? Do I split it with MGrowOld? And what of the anonymous donor, how do they get the proper 'thanks' for their generosity, and yet remain anonymous?
And since we haven't had a Friday beverage and/or BBQ thread, what is in your cup and/or on your plate?
Hope you are all well,
XM
Pics, or it didn’t happen.
if i had the tech ability i would gladly have posted the letter and the $. but no, i am a computer neanderthal.
March 11th, 2023 at 12:24 AM ^
Dear Sir,
I write to you to inform you that a GoFundMe page had been established on your behalf to help you deal with the loss of proceeds/rewards denied as well as the emotional trauma suffered thereby regarding a wager you made in a forum hosted by MGoBlog, Inc.
To wit: a poster described as MGrowOld (“Old”) wagered that Mr. Jim Harbaugh was not going to coach the football team of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for the 2023 season, the words used by Old were, “He gone”; in counter position, you, as a poster known as XM (“XM”) indicated (along with other clearly more astute and intelligent colleagues) that Mr. Harbaugh was going to remain the head coach of said team.
As of the date of this letter, Mr. Harbaugh still being alive and listed as the head coach of said team, you have been declared the winner, hence you are to hereby receive Exactly Two Dollars and no cents ($2.00 USD), which amount comprises the original one-dollar wager plus interest and damages of one-dollar).
Please note that no lemons were involved in any way with this wager.
Please accept our most hearty congratulations for receiving this most well-deserved award.
(Note: also included were two single USD bills: F 25864395 E and A 26610512 B)
* the above attestation is true and accurate *
👍😉👍
well, well, well. look who we have here. mr anonymous letter writer himself.
mystery solved, and for all to see. the alphabet blogger, revealed....
Nay, nay, say I.
I, Michael Anthony, am only the humble secretary to Mr. John Beresford Tipton, who is the true source of said funds into the GoFundMe coffers.
I will freely admit I have been torn on weather the bet has, in fact, been settled.
On one hand all NFL vacancies have been filled, Harbaugh himself says he’s coming back, spring practice has started and the rumor mill has gone completely silent on his potential departure (for this year anyways).
On the other hand, Warde.
So is it a sure thing he’s coming back? Who can say.
it might be best if the money is placed in a secure escrow account until we get this figured out...
March 11th, 2023 at 10:43 AM ^
I hear that there's a rock solid, can't miss, Cali-based bank called SVB that is willing to hold those funds for you. Check em out!
March 11th, 2023 at 11:09 AM ^
kidding aside, another U of M buddy explained that failure to me in detail, basically saying that SVB had redeemed a lot of older treasuries, that were at a loss in terms of value, in order to fund the money for their investors, but had failed to make adjustments to the bank portfolio by shortening the duration of it as rates started to rise. poor risk management by the CFO/CIO of SVB.
March 11th, 2023 at 11:34 AM ^
Exactly! The *instant* you see the Fed pondering interest rates, you dump into 90 day primary paper, or look at the secondary market if supply is constrained in the primary market, and then make damn sure to check your lending practice(s) is (are) effin ready for the coming storms.
Fun factoid? The Chief Risk Officer (CRO) for SVB was also in the CRO office for, wait for it, sitting down? Ready? Enron. Yup, like that...
the article i saw said it was someone named jay ersapah who looked way too young to have been in the enron debacle.
You gotta keep that money and get treat yourself to something fancy.
Like 1/2 gallon of Northern Michigan Gas...
Plate: Homemade Pizza with ricotta/caesar dressing sause, pepperoni, and grilled chicken breast. Yummy
Cup: (thanks to Costco) Guiness Draft, with the little nitrogen chargers in the can.
Keep your winnings. Don’t spend it all in one place. Say “thanks anonymous donor” to no one in particular and call it a day. Sleep tight.
Not just staying. Staying with AN ENTHUSIASM UNKNOWN TO MANKIND
Old Grand-Dad, in honor of late Dad's birthday. Would've been 91 today.
Oh vlady, that’s a tough one.
have you dug out from the blizzard?
March 11th, 2023 at 10:39 AM ^
We're up to 77 inches on the season, expecting another 4-5 today.
March 11th, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
We’re over 100”, another foot this weekend.
March 11th, 2023 at 11:05 AM ^
pffff. in the U.P. we call that 'november'.
March 10th, 2023 at 10:06 PM ^
Man that is some narly tasting stuff there.
March 11th, 2023 at 10:43 AM ^
I'm by no means a bourbon connoisseur, and I generally don't touch brown liquor myself, but you know, cat's in the cradle and all that...
The bottom two guys are now as old as the top two guys.
Some people say I'm a no-'count
Others say I'm no good
But I'm just a natural-born travelin' man
Doin' what I think I should, oh yeah
Doin' what I think I shouldAnd I don't give a damn about a greenback dollar
Spend it fast as I can
For a wailin' song and a good guitar
The only things that I understand, poor boy
The only things that I understand
Kids are always blowing money on that crazy Kingston Trio.
Jack Daniel’s
Santa said Harbaugh is staying so you are good.
Keep it and treat yo self but tell ‘Old’ that you split it with him. He won’t remember you didn’t split it with him anyway being old and all
Give it to Candy so she can keep going to medical school
Ah, the old Duke Brother’s $1 bet, I’ve made a few myself
My free advice is keep it a secret escrow account--say under your mattress or in an old sock--until you desperately need it at some point far in the future, like to bail out your 'Old' buddy or to buy him a drink so that you can toast together to either your good fortune or simple astuteness of being right.
Edited to add: some Elijah Craig that one of my kids left the last time they visited, which is of course too long ago. But I will get to see them both next weekend!
Old Elk wheated local store barrel pick. A very good buy.
XM - I appreciate you keeping discussions live and well. This is great community and the fact that next Thursday or Friday (yes I’m that guy) will be missing an M presence doesn’t mean we don’t keep the joy of this here blog going. Thanks for all you do!
thank you. that was really nice.
still looking forward to march madness, though it is weird with michigan not playing. could not possibly watch sparty v. ohio today without thinking nuclear bomb. sparty is gone. ohio lose to purdue? i actually think they have a chance to upset the boilermakers. i was at that michigan v. ohio game last month at crisler and we won, but i was actually fairly impressed with ohio's team and their young talent.
I'll put it into my IOLTA for a 30% cut.
Hochstadters rye. Such an exhausting week. Basketball didn't help. Rewatching the sopranos to escape.
March 10th, 2023 at 10:33 PM ^
hillbilly, i thought we were friends. that's an entire 60 cents. you some kind of hillbilly robber baron, oppressing us farm folks?
March 10th, 2023 at 11:26 PM ^
I am being friendly, normally I'd just keep all of it and change my name and address so I couldn't be found.
March 10th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
I thought it was an instance of professional courtesy or just generous benevolence on his part, to accept less than a full 1/3 of the proceeds.
March 10th, 2023 at 10:21 PM ^
Double or nothing on the '24 season. You high rollers
March 10th, 2023 at 10:42 PM ^
A beautiful thread. Perfect use of "teh".
Plate: leftovers
Cup: Grant's scotch. Not bad if you're saving money.
March 10th, 2023 at 11:06 PM ^
+Friday Bev Thread
+Staee is out of the B1G Tourney too posbang!
Cup: Laphroaig 10 year. Yep, I'm drinking vinegar and band-aids tonite.
March 10th, 2023 at 11:28 PM ^
Laphroaig is great stuff. Best distillery I visited in Scotland.
March 11th, 2023 at 12:00 AM ^
Heck yeah! MOAR peat!
I was trying to drink my way to owning the town until they changed the land policy :(
I don't think Shemp and Curly were ever in the same episode together. They replaced each other occasionally, with Moe and Larry being the constants.
My suggestion would be that you retain counsel and explore the possibility that your damages, which the letter sender appears to have conceded, are, in fact, in excess of $1.00. Do not let the enticement of a crisp dollar bill blind you to the reality of your situation. I'm sure that many learned counselors will be willing to explore your situation and get you the remuneration that you deserve.
Having publicly stated reception of said winnings, be certain to include Form W-2G on April 15, 2024.
Edit: /s
March 11th, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
Late to the party. Ballpark beer and ballpark chicken tenders. I'm in Mesa for another ten days and with a few games ahead of me, I'm trying to keep the hotdog consumption in check.
March 11th, 2023 at 12:07 PM ^
Question: is your son part of the organization where you’re watching some baseball? If so, and if you don’t mind sharing, tell us how it’s going.
March 11th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
He works for the Cubs in the pitching department. I think his title is Assistant, Pitching Development. He straddles front office player development tasks like breaking down pitchers and writing reports for the guys upstairs (he was a data analytics major) but he also helps pitchers with their training, acting as a coach, which is what he's been doing in Mesa. He mostly works with minor leaguers but has helped with a few major leaguers. Spring training is grueling - mostly 7 days a week, 10 - 11 hour days. But the work is fun and he loves it. He's moving to Chicago in April to work in the front office but he'll be visiting affiliates, too, during the season. It's a dream job and my husband and I are still in shock when we see him in a Cubs uni, walking the complex. And yes, I did hide in the bushes so I could watch him work because that's what mothers do.
great stuff and very happy for your and hubby. maybe time to get an updated avatar pic?
regardless, enjoy these special days, looking forward to april, too. do we have to root for the cubs now since junior is part of the machine?