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🏀 Million Dollar Miracle

🏀 Million Dollar Miracle

January 06, 2023

Happy Friday BTP family! What a wild first week of 2023 it has been! Good news finally came regarding Damar Hamlin as he is expected to make a full neurological recovery! Not only that but this morning news broke that Hamlin had his breathing tube removed! The greatest update the sports world could have received heading into the first weekend of 2023. 💙

On today's edition of Beyond the Press we highlight a throwback gambling story on how three guys cashed out on a MEGA NBA parlay, should the NBA abolish fan voting for the All-Star Game, and with Michigan under investigation, is Jim Harbaugh's job in jeopardy?

Have a great weekend!

MILLION DOLLAR MIRACLE

How Three Sports Bettors Cashed Out on the Bet of a Lifetime

Where do we find friends like this? Earlier this week, three friends from Pennsylvania each cashed the gambling ticket of a lifetime, nailing a six-leg first-basket parlay that turned fifty cents into more than $130,000.

The Bet: The following players all needed to score the first basket in their respective games — Gordon Hayward (Hornets vs. Sixers), Evan Fournier (Knicks vs. Mavericks), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Hawks vs. Heat), Christian Wood (Rockets vs. Spurs), Lauri Markkanen (Cavaliers vs. Jazz), and LeBron James (Lakers vs. Kings).

The Backstory: The man interviewed told Dimers.com that he created the 260,567/1 parlay after his uncle sent him a similar style bet, and then he ran with it. From there, the original bettor shared the idea with two friends who tailed the ridiculous longshot and won big.

The Drama: Everything was going to plan, and the first five legs hit by 9:15 pm EST, meaning they had to sit and wait to see if King James was going to cash them out at 10:00 pm EST. The Lakers gained possession after the tip, and James miraculously took the shot and missed...Thankfully, Trevor Ariza got the board and dished it back to James who was fouled in the act of shooting but sank his free throws. While not every book counts free throws as a first basket, FanDuel, the sportsbook where these bettors placed their wager, does. Congrats to everyone involved, but next time you come up with a ticket like that, let us know, will ya?

ALL-STAR GAME VOTING

Should the NBA Abolish All-Star Game Fan Voting for Good?

The first wave of NBA All-Star fan voting was revealed this week, and while there aren’t many surprises at the top, there are some questionable inclusions at the bottom. Leading the West and the NBA at large with 3,168,694 votes is LeBron James, and leading the East is Kevin Durant with 3,118,545 votes.

The All-Star game format has changed somewhat in recent years, so as a reminder, here’s how it works. The starters for each All-Star team are voted on by three voting pools — fans, current players, and media. The fan vote is the most important, totaling 50%, while the other two make up the remaining 50%. Additionally, the top vote-getters in each conference will act as team captains, which James and Durant previously served as in 2021 and 2022.

While All-Star voting is a great way to engage with the fans, fans are often incredibly biased by their own teams and it’s led to some awkward moments and less-than-deserving starters. We mean no disrespect, but two of the current top ten players for their positions include Kevon Looney, Austin Reaves, and Derrick Rose and that's simply an inaccurate view of the current NBA landscape. For instance, Rose is averaging just 5.8 points per game…

We saw something similar happen last year when a K-Pop star used their massive social media following to help Andrew Wiggins become an All-Star starter. Now, Wiggins ended up having a phenomenal postseason and won a championship, so in hindsight, it wasn’t that egregious, but at the time, it was more than a little eyebrow-raising. These All-Star ballots are just in the initial stage, but it’s something to look out for, and should shenanigans happen again, the NBA needs to seriously consider how heavily weighed fan voting is to the All-Star equation or if it should even exist in the first place.

UNDER INVESTIGATION

Michigan University Set to be Investigated, Is Jim Harbaugh's Job at Risk?

Despite a growing list of reasons to leave, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh appears to be staying put. It's a curious decision as not only was Harbaugh expected to be very in demand for various NFL head coach openings, but he's reportedly facing a possible suspension should he stay.

The NCAA has not officially sent Harbaugh a notice of allegation, but it's expected to include four Level II violations focused on his alleged actions during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period and one Level I violation for not complying with or misleading NCAA investigators. Level I violations are considered the most serious and could lead to a multi-game suspension.

Harbaugh joined Michigan, his alma mater, in 2015, after a successful four-year run as the head coach of the 49ers that culminated in a 44-19 record and a Super Bowl appearance. Since 2015, Harbaugh has steadily rebuilt this once legendary program, leading the team to consecutive Big Ten championships and College Football Playoff appearances. While their shocking loss to TCU, the first and only loss of the season, was devastating, Michigan will no doubt be a preseason favorite to win it all next year with Harbaugh at the helm.