Tampa Bay Rays due for historic second half collapse

Anytime I go through Vegas I buy what I call "trip insurance" in the form of placing a couple of ridiculously stupid long-shot bets at the sports book. I figure as bad as the odds are, they’re still better than the odds of collecting on that junk the credit card companies and shady travel agents usually sell as "trip insurance."

Anyway, I last drove through Sin City on my way home from a wedding in California. It was part of the great Road Trip of 2008.

Usually I just plunk down a couple of bucks on hard luck favorites like my dear Texas Rangers and Aggies.

This time I also put down a ten spot on the Rays to win it all. They were showing the same odds as the Rangers (i.e. very bad) but I figured based on how hot a commodity their young pitchers were in my fantasy baseball leagues that even if they were a long, long way out they at least had to be better than my hometown team.

Go figure, now halfway through the season they’re in first place in the AL East above the Red Sox and Yankees.

But based on my historical luck, I think I can pretty safely say that the Rays will choke in the second half. Heck, Florida may even fall into the ocean taking the team with it.

That’s more like my luck.