re: What’s the most valuable thing you’ve won?

Late 80's while at LSU, one Thursday afternoon Fred's had a guy named Ted St Martin show up. He had made something like 1800 free throws in a row and was the Guinness world record holder.

We watched as this old bald dude and his wife set up this portable hoop and lay down a piece of duct tape for the free throw line. It was $2 a try or some such. You shot 10 free throws and then he would shoot and inevitably beat you. This goes on about an hour and he beats 10-15 dudes who never make more than 5-6 shots.

On the vodka and fresh squeezed OJ scale at the time, I'm at the sweet spot between frick Dinner and Fire up the Enola Gay...literally in the zone. I get up and go ten of ten. I think maybe 2 shots went in cleanly and I shot the third one left handed while taking a sip of my drink. By the 7th-8th shot, I was shitting peach seeds with a hundred plus people on the deck cheering me on.

But, he can still tie (meaning he would win according to the rules). He missed his 2nd shot. To this day, I think he missed on purpose to let me win.

I won a $100 bar tab (gone in a half hour, even with $1 screwdrivers), a tshirt, and a silver coors light basketball he signed. More importantly, I made out with a Phi Mu at the bar that wouldn't have given me the time of day if I hadn't been that "sweaty guy that beat the old man in basketball"

My finest moment by far at LSU. Suck it Ted.