NHL Playoffs – The Bet

As some may know, I’m a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and I try to catch as many games as I can. Now that I am in Afghanistan, the games I get to see are few and far between.

I have to tune in anywhere between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. in hopes that they air the Pens game. I have only been able to catch two games since I have been here. I try to catch as many highlights as I can when I get free time.

Back home we would place bets on these games ranging from who is buying the beer to various forms of on-ice humiliation if the other bet placer was a fellow hockey player.

Several of the soldiers here are also NHL fans.  Almost every year I place a bet in favor of my Pens. I didn’t plan to skip that this year. Over here, we cannot drink, so there go beer bets. We could probably use “near beer,” but let’s face it, that is just a huge tease. We cannot place monetary bets here, but that doesn’t bother me seeing how I would rather win bragging rights and tarnish someone else’s pride in the process.

A fellow soldier (a Blackhawks fan) and I came up with what I think to be one of the best playoff agreements that I have made to this day. These are our terms:

1) The winning team’s flag will be flown from the Battalion flag pole on the closest available date after their victory.

2) The losing supporter will wear an official NHL tee shirt, provided by the supporter of the winning team (Blackhawks or Penguins) AT LEAST long enough for photographic evidence to be taken. Along with the wearing of the shirt, the losing supporter will sign and pose with a Certificate of Defeat (a signed document admitting that the winning team is superior to the losing team) and the flag of the winning team.

3) If either party is not present on Kandahar Airfield at the time the victor is decided, it becomes their responsibility to provide photographic documentation that they have complied to the above terms (absent party must provide their own shirt and flag). The present party assumes the duty of providing the absent party with their team’s flag after it has flown over KAF on the appropriate date.

4) Out of respect for the runner up, the losing team’s flag will be flown on a later date (after the victor’s) and given to the losing party by the victor along with a Certificate of Participation.

5) The losing party will post the photograph (as stated in above terms) on their Facebook as their profile picture for no less than one week. The description of this photo shall read verbatim “I am actually a (losing team name) fan, but seeing as how (winning team name) kicked our ass, I have temporarily switched over. Go (winning team name).” The victor shall be tagged in this photo along with BOTH teams' Facebook fan pages.  This picture may not be completely removed from Facebook and must be left on public settings until 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.  No comments shall be deleted by the loser or the victor on either page.

6) In the case of a tie in the 2013 Stanley Cup, the team with the most points earned DURING THE PLAYOFFS will be considered the winning team.

This will hopefully help pass the time until we find out who rises to victory, and who takes a dip in their dignity level.

Bring it on Blackhawks! Now I just have to order a Penguins flag and wait….