Football Bets - Annual Standings: Sam 3 Uncle Chuck 1

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There was never a doubt.

"I'll have the Porterhouse and the lobster tail," Sam said.

The waitress seemed a bit surprised by the size of the meal that he was going to eat, but I knew it would go down that way.

"You don't have to crush Uncle Chuck when you order," I had mentioned to Sam.

"Are you kidding?" He asked. "After the way we battle all year?"

Of course, I knew exactly what Sam was talking about.

For years and years and years I went back and forth with my brother Jeff. Our annual bets were hotly contested and usually won by Jeff. The wager was always dinner...and the guy who was paying couldn't whine...even for a moment...about how much it was going to cost him.

Jeff set the bar really high, of course, as he brought his family along to celebrate one season win and it cost me a real bundle. His lovely wife was drinking $18 glasses of wine.

"Your wife thirsty?" I had asked.

"You whining?" he responded.

"Nope."

And there wasn't even the slightest whimper out of Chuck.

He watched the appetizers go around.

He sat right next to his trash-talking nephew.

(Let me tell you, Sam and Jeff would have really gone back and forth...the kings of garbage talk).

The food was good. The conversation was great. Sam and his Aunt Corinne traded information about the NCAA's. There's even more friendly wagering coming down the pike, I'm afraid.

The bill was tallied and the man and his nephew posed for the above photo.

"Thanks for dinner," I said to my brother-in-law.

"Yeah, thanks for being really stupid when it comes to football," Sam added.

We laughed.

I believe Jeff had thanked me in a similar way a whole bunch of times.

The only thing missing was the famous line that made all the betting a weekly joy.

"YOU'RE SOOOOO STUUUUUUPID!"

Heard that a thousand times.

Thanks for keeping it rolling Chuck and Corinne...Sam loves it.

Especially the lobster.

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