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April 08, 2025 |
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HUGE
ANNOUNCEMENT!
For the Tryon
NCAA Contest
and Future Contests!! First, a little history lesson—don’t worry, there’s no pop quiz (unless I feel like it later). These family contests kicked off in 1966 with the Tryon baseball picks, an entirely scientific endeavor based on favoritism, gut feelings, and which team had the coolest logo. I had the Orioles, Larry had the Yankees, and Bruce had the Cubs. We decided to have a contest to see whose team would do the best. We probably threw a buck or two into the pot, though memory’s a little fuzzy—it was the ’60s, after all Next year, Randy joined in with the California Angels because his Little League team was called the Angels, and he liked a player named Frank Tanana. Later, he switched allegiance to Nolan Ryan, Then Nancy wanted in, but she also liked the Yankees—gasp!—which was Larry’s team. This led to diplomatic negotiations (read: mild bickering) and the revolutionary concept of picking more than one team. We did this for years, adding Dale, Ray, Bill and others until the whole thing looked less like a contest and more like a family reunion with side bets. On Christmas day, I was still going around trying to collect entry fees. These contests also led the to the paper Tryon Newsletter being born....I tried to send out news (much fake) monthly. Speaking of Ray, I remember him winning one year and bragging like he’d just solved world peace. He could crow and horse laugh with the best of them. His secret strategy? Buying a baseball magazine at the start of them. season and copying the magazine picks. A bold move, Ray. Bold. He pulled one over on the smart-ass coaches.
Now, the Big Announcement! Brace yourselves—this will shock you more than Aunt Helen's mystery casserole at July 4th at the lake. This years NCAA contest, won by Portland Tryon, THERE WILL BE NO ENTRY FEES!. That’s right, not a dime. YOU OWE NOTHING, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU ENTERED....... I covered it. And guess what? I’m doing that from now on! ??? What the heck? Has this guy ODed on too many rice cakes? Why, you ask? Ever tried to collect money from 73 different people? It’s like herding cats, except the cats owe you five bucks and keep saying, “I’ll get you next time.” It’s exhausting. Takes weeks, Sometimes months. , no more of that nonsense. All contests are now FREE! Payouts will be known upfront, no matter the number of entries and winners will get their prizes faster than you can say, "Give Dale the Queen of Spades!!" In the past, I’d collect during Christmas, weddings, or Fourth of July parties—basically any gathering where people couldn’t escape me. But now that everyone’s scattered, it’s just easier to skip the whole payment thing. I plan on launching a baseball contest soon, maybe a spur-of-the-moment Tryon Quiz-o-Rama, and possibly a college football playoff contest. Basically, if I’m bored, expect an email, text or web post. In Conclusion (Because Every Good Rant Needs One): Back in the day, our card games involved tossing a buck into the pot, with the winner taking it all—and occasionally finding a few quarters mixed in. It was never about the money (though winning a pile of singles is oddly satisfying). It was about bragging rights, laughter, and watching grown adults act like kids over a $2-5 prize. So, here’s the new deal:
These contests give us something to cheer about, complain about, and claim we were "robbed" over. You can even create side contests with YOUR family—because nothing says "bonding" like arguing over who picked the worst team. The family that plays together stays together! (And occasionally throws playful insults at each other.) Your favorite contest COMMISH, UNCLE DICK
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