When four buddies bet they could beat the house in the "World Series of sports gambling," no one -- including them -- expected they would be right 76 percent of the time.
The team dubbed "CH Ballers" won the record grand prize of more than $736,000 in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino's SuperContest, which involves making the right picks in 85 NFL games over the 17-week regular season.
One member, Justin Green, said none of the friends from Los Angeles and Boston are professional gamblers. It was the first time they had entered the contest.
The four friends say they aren't gamblers of a professional sort. Green is in the entertainment industry. Andrew Leff is in commercial real estate. The other two, who wanted to remain anonymous for professional reasons, are in private equity and the financial industry.
The winners swear there's no magic formula and that a mathematical model developed to predict if a team would beat the point spread was a tool, not a solution. Rather, they said their betting prowess was a case of good friends who combined to work like a team of superheroes, each with their own skills, personalities and leanings balancing out one another.
And there was certainly some luck.
"Some of those games almost gave me a heart attack," Green said.
Oh, and the Super Bowl? They have a pick. They're just not sure they want to share it quite yet.
Asked if the team is invested in the outcome, Green said "heavily."
A no-drone zone
The Federal Aviation Administration is issuing a reminder that no drones are allowed at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
According to an FAA release, the agency bars unauthorized aircraft -- including drones -- from flying over or near all NFL games.
"All unmanned aircraft operations -- also known as drones -- are prohibited within the restricted areas. These include model aircraft operations, model rocketry and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Anyone who operates an unmanned aircraft in the restricted area could face civil penalties or criminal charges," according to an FAA fact sheet for Sunday's game.
The agency also uploaded a YouTube video Wednesday with this voice over: "Going to the big game? Have fun, cheer on your team and keep it a no-drone zone. Don't spoil the game. Leave your drone at home."
Ouch!
Former New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell interviewed to be the 49ers defensive backs coach, but he turned San Francisco down and took the same position with Washington.
"How toxic an owner do you have to be to make Dan Snyder look good?" wrote Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com.
Sports quiz
What player holds the most record for the most Super Bowl career rushing attempts?
Sports answer
Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers with 101.
Sports on 01/29/2015