RANDALL'S RANT: Bad misses from Vikings kicker like a punch in the face
Most bettors have experienced a bad beat. That term originates from poker where a player with a strong hand gets beat on the river card against strong odds. Translated into sports betting and the same principle applies whereas a last-second or bizarre play changes the outcome . When it happens , it hurts . It is often the cause of that scream you hear from the den. It is much like an unexpected punch in the face . It is really painful when first struck and then the pain dissipates. What might be worse than a bad beat is a slow beat. Just ask Minnesota Vikings’ backers after watching their money go poof in Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. The Vikes were 7-point underdogs in this one. When Minnesota opened the scoring with a touchdown, Minnesota bettors were feeling optimistic . Then Dan Bailey came on to kick the extra point and he promptly missed it. For whatever reason , when that happens , it commonly puts bad karma on the team the rest of the way . In this case , it was an all-out curse. Bailey would go on to miss three field goals in three attempts after that. A guy that gets three million dollars per season to kick a ball accurately a few times in a game wasn’t even close . For those keeping score, Bailey has now missed seven kicks in his previous nine attempts in Minnesota’s previous two games . In Sunday’s matchup, leaving those 10 points on the field was bad enough but it also adds a demoralizing effect to the team as a whole. It was 6-0. Minnesota field goal try. Wide right. Skip ahead , 7-6 for Tampa. Another Bailey field goal try. Wide right again. Skip, skip. Now trailing 23-14 at the end of the third quarter, the Vikes will be covered with a successful field goal. Out trots the villainous placekicker. Wide right once again.
