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The 2001-2002 Hockey Wager!
Gold Medal Winners At Last!
Ending 50 years of frustration, the Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Championship finally returns to its rightful place in the Great White North! Team Canada, led by Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla with 2 goals each, defeated Team USA 5-2 on February 24, 2002 to win the Gold Medal in Men's Hockey for the first time since 1952! Three days earlier, Canada defeated USA 3-2 for the Women's Hockey Gold Medal to pave the way to a Canada Hockey Golden Sweep!
The Intro:Choco and I have entered into yet another hockey wager. For the 2001-2002 NHL Regular Season, we have each picked the winner in every game played, all 1,230 of them from October 3 through April 14.
The Results:The results you see in the table below are quite simple. Our records are listed W-L-T; games we pick correct are considered a Win (W); ones we pick wrong are a Loss (L); and games that end in a tie are neither (T). Win% is, of course, our Winning Percentage. Our monthly records are listed, as well as the Total to Date at the bottom of the table.
The Stakes:Now the fun part! As you may know, Choco has already won a pair of my shorts. This time she is asking me to put up yet another article of clothing, and we agreed on my Anaheim Angels t-shirt. 
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And again, Choco is wagering her favourite thong! 
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The Data:Just a few notes...for the 1,230 games we agree on the same winner in 584 games, or 47.48%; we disagree on (Choco says I'm wrong on) 646, or 52.52%. Results are through games of Sunday, April 14, 2002; Final Regular Season!
Here are the Final Standings!!!
Choco Joey
Total Games Remaining---0
The Summary:
Joey:I fell behind quite early...opening night in fact...and never caught up. November was a real killer. I slightly rallied in winning February...big whoop it was the shortest month!...and still had a chance until about mid-March. Choco went on another winning streak and it was all over but the shouting. I stubbornly held out until it was mathematically over, despite Choco's gentle urgings for me to SURRENDER THE SHIRT ;-). Finally the night of April 2...almost 2 weeks still left in the regular season!...Choco pulled ahead by more games then were left that we picked different teams. I had even already gotten my mailing supplies ready! I updated this page and made it official the afternoon of April 3, and sent the Angels T-shirt on its way to Choco on Thursday, April 4. It arrived in Choco's hands Wednesday, April 10!
Choco:I got Joey's package April 10. He had promised so many times that it was a wonderful shirt. I didn't open it until that night when I could share the experience with Joey. At last I opened it and I sure wasn't disappointed! Joey said it was lightly worn and he didn't lie; it was nearly brand new! It is a very long t-shirt and is perfect sleepwear too. It can almost be worn as a dress! The shirt is an extremely dark navy blue, so much as to look black; ANGELS is emblazoned across the chest in red letters trimmed in white; and the A has a gold halo at the top. The word to describe it would be LOVELY! While Joey's shorts were a trophy win, this is something to be worn and cherished, and I will do both a lot! Thanks Joey!
Joey:You're welcome! Many years ago, when I got this shirt, I figured someday I would lose it to a lovely Canadian cygne who would really appreciate it...Go figure huh? ;-)
Update:As of September 16, 2002, the Anaheim Angels have already clinched their best season EVER (out of 42 seasons) and are headed for the American League Playoffs! No expert figured the Angels to have this kind of fine season...no doubt some sort of magic at work now that the t-shirt belongs to Choco!
Update 2:After finishing the regular season with 99 wins, the Angels went into the American League Playoffs as the Wild-Card team. Taking on the 4-time defending AL Champion New York Yankees in the Division Series, the Angels lost the opener but proceeded to win 3 straight games and the Series. It is the first Playoff Series Win for the Angels EVER! More t-shirt magic at work no doubt!
Update 3:On October 13, 2002, the Angels finished off the Minnesota Twins in the American League Championship Series by winning 4 straight games after once again losing the opener. The clinching game was highlighted by a Post-season record tying 10 run 7th inning! Of course, this is the Angels first World Series trip EVER!! I bow down in the presence of the mystical t-shirt!
Update 4 and Final:The magic of the t-shirt held up right until the end! In the World Series against Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants, the Angels lost the opener, won the next two, but lost the next two to trail 3 games to 2 coming home for game 6. Trailing 5-0 in the 7th inning, only 8 outs from elimination, the Angels rallied yet again for 3 runs in the 7th and 3 more in the 8th to score a 6-5 win and force a deciding game 7! Behind 1-0 early in that game, the Angels scored 4 times in the second and third innings combined and held that lead for a 4-1 win and a 4 games to 3 Series championship! After 41 seasons of tragedy and close calls, on October 27, 2002, at 11:19 pm EST, the Anaheim Angels were World Champions! *looks through mist and marvels at the mystical t-shirt*
Speaking for us both...the hockey wager was tons of fun for us this season; and we hope you enjoyed reading about it!
