As gambling continues to become legalized in more and more states, it's no longer considered taboo to discuss what kind of wagers you're making. It used to be that a network like ESPN wouldn't even mention anything related to gambling… now there are programs, columns, and analysts on the payroll who deal exclusively with the betting side of things. Daily Fantasy has become just as popular season-long fantasy football leagues, and most betting sites offer odds on a whole lot more than sports. You can bet on the results of the Emmy's, Oscar's, and Grammy's just as easily as you could on who will win an upcoming Presidential election. If you were a fan of HBO's hit series Game Of Thrones, you could've even bet on who would rule Westeros at the end of the final season.

I say all of this for two reasons:

  1. People love gambling. It's almost like it's addictive, or something.
  2. I'll never be surprised to hear about anyone betting on anything… and that includes Shaquille O'Neal betting on the paternity test results on the long-running daytime talkshow, The Maury Show.

I'll be honest, I feel like this is an absolutely brilliant idea, and hey, what a way to gamble before you could do so from the convenience of your own cell phone, huh? All you needed to do was get group of friends together and wager on some Maury Povich. That's one hell of a way to spend a morning, but my question now is, where did it stop? Was the Maury Show all they were wagering on, or were Shaq and co. betting on the showcase showdown winners on The Price Is Right? Did they ever put up any money on whether the Horton's or the Stucko's would emerge victorious on Family Feud? Did the gambling extend to daytime soaps? Was there ever any money put on how an episode of The Young and The Restless would play out?

All of this sounds infinitely more fun than gambling on a game of cards, but I could just be salty because I've never had any luck at the blackjack tables. But you better believe I successfully parlayed Succession and Schitt's Creek as the Best Drama and Best Comedy series winners at the Emmy's in 2020.