Second thoughts

Plan to play Buffett bets, be a winner

Warren Buffett cleared $500 on his first-ever bet at a Las Vegas sports book over the weekend, surprising no one.
Warren Buffett cleared $500 on his first-ever bet at a Las Vegas sports book over the weekend, surprising no one.

It turns out Warren Buffett may be as good at predicting football outcomes as he is at reading the markets.

The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, who is reportedly worth upwards of $65 billion, laid down his first-ever wager at a Las Vegas sports book over the weekend. Buffett bet $550 at the MGM Grand on his alma mater, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Because the Cornhuskers easily covered the 12.5-point spread in a 55-19 blowout of Fresno State, Buffett earned $500.

According to CNBC, a few other bettors saw Buffett lay down the cash on Nebraska and rushed over to make the same wager. Smart people.

Buffett was in Las Vegas for Floyd Mayweather's rematch with Marcos Maidana. The 84-year-old billionaire and the undefeated prizefighter have become buddies of late.

Buffett has boosted his sports profile considerably over the past year. Before the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Buffett announced a $1 billion bracket challenge for anyone who could predict every single result of the men's basketball tournament. Not only did it earn Buffett tons of publicity, he got to keep his money. It only took 25 games for everyone who entered the challenge to be eliminated.

Unwatchable?

Chicago Tribune columnist David Haugh says the start of the NFL season has been unsettling at best.

"Every yard Vikings running back Adrian Peterson gains in 2014 will represent a step backward for a society swept away by the NFL, the $9 billion league becoming increasingly harder to watch regardless of what television ratings say," Haugh wrote.

"Anybody else skip 'Monday Night Football' this week? The NFL used to offer an escape. Now it requires one. We don't want to miss a game, yet lately we can't bear to look too closely.

"A Texas grand jury indicted Peterson on Friday for reckless or negligent injury to a child, his 4-year-old son, putting an exclamation point on one of the most explosive weeks in NFL history for all the wrong reasons.

"Football in America unites people and often helps establish and encourage patterns of behavior. It can be a societal leader -- but not if teams such as the Vikings cave in to the win-at-all-costs mentality."

Bumbling, stumbling ...

Oakland Raiders receiver James Jones fumbled twice on the same play in a loss to the Texans.

Wrote Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne, Ind.: "He came up short of the record for most fumbles in one day, set by Roger Goodell in dealing with Ray Rice."

The closing act

MLB suspended Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon seven games for his gesture and then bumping an umpire.

"So he misses half the team's remaining games," wrote Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com. "Other Phillies players are wondering, how could we get so lucky?"

Sports quiz

Which NASCAR driver is featured in Jay-Z's music video, Show Me What You Got?

Answer

Danica Patrick

Sports on 09/17/2014

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