how make a living betting on sports

On occasion I find time to take my boys hunting for upland game birds, like pheasant and chukar partridge. We enjoy getting out in the far country under the big sky, working with the dogs and readying for the shot on the flush. I often miss my target, even with my big 12-gauge pattern (bad eyes), but my boys are crack shots, and despite using small gauge (2o) and bore (.410) shotguns, fill up their game pouches pretty quickly. We don't get to go often, but I must say our annual forays in the high country of Eastern Oregon make great memories. I've written about it here.
Given this, you would think a simple invitation to go hunting with a friend would not cause a problem for me. But it has. This friend has asked me to go "varmint hunting" with him on the wide public lands of Central Oregon.
A "varmint" is an animal that is not "game": in other words, people do not (commonly) eat a varmint. The animal thus serves no "purpose" for people, other than sometimes as a nuisance. The varmint may, however, serve a significant purpose on the animal food chain or in some other ecological role. Thus the term "varmint" is obviously a utilitarian construct or label that tells us as much about human eating habits and one's view of animal life as it does about the inherent worth of the animal. Which animals are varmints is also somewhat dependent on the locality. Common varmints include (non-endangered) rats, chipmunks, squirrels, groundhogs, rock chucks, prairie dogs, snakes, and lizards, and even larger creatures like coyotes, cougars, wolves and foxes. My friend has it in mind to shoot at sage rats and chipmunks, to be specific.The NFL Players Association recently found itself in front of a Congressional committee over its suspension of agent Carl Poston. Poston is the agent who mishandled linebacker Lavar Arrington's contract with the Washington Redskins, leading to the apparent forfeiture of a six-million dollar bonus. Poston's was a problem of ineptitude, not honesty. But the latter has been an issue too. The NFLPA also had a problem with agent Tank Black, who when last heard from was being sentenced to five years federal time for swindling money from his player-clients. Why does the NFLPA seem to have so much trouble with (certain of) its agents? Why do the agents for Major League Baseball players seem so effective and ethical, by comparison? What can be done?
I continue to wait for one of the many commentators who love to call Patriots' coach Bill Belichick a "cheater" to explain how his conduct differs from the common "cheating" evident during every sports contest. Is intentional breaking of the rules "cheating"? If it is, then here's a story describing how the New York Jets cheated last week against the Ravens. Last night I witnessed members of the Washington Redskins cheat, trying to draw movement out of the Eagles' offensive line. (TSLP is ready to testify in the commissioner's hearing.) I also saw another cheater this past weekend: a wide receiver for the Colts tried to convince the referees he had caught a pass when clearly he had not. What is the world coming to? How quickly will next year's first round of the NFL Draft go, now that the Colts and Redskins will join the Patriots in forfeiting their picks? Or, maybe "cheating" is the wrong word to use to describe these violations?
In his answer to the NFL's accusation, Belichick spoke about "my interpretation of the rules." Reading as much as we can into this reference, Belichick implied that the league rule prohibiting videotaping was a matter of some ambiguity, and implied further that his transgression, far from being willful, was more a matter of reasonable difference and misinterpretation. Some commentators, seeing no possibility for ambiguity or interpretation in the rule, have become so worked up over Belichick's conduct that they think the Commissioner's unprecedented punishment is too lenient. Even the usually reliable Gregg Easterbrook has overheated, "imagining" that this event (along with Belichick's failure to get as worked up over it as Easterbrook is) might lead to the coach's lifetime banishment.