by Jimmy Vaccaro (Twitter @JimmyVaccaro)
January 17, 2011

Back in Reno, I observed something of a lost phenomenon. The Packers-Giants game had just started and I watched the Ravens escape with their playoff lives, but that’s not the story. I’m talking about San Francisco versus New Orleans.

The line is holding at 3½ and action was super all morning long. Needed the 49ers for a decent bet, but talk about regional bias! Our three Reno books (Nugget, Fandango, Grand Sierra) were 49er money line heaven and the crowd was 90-10 in favor of the Montana-to-Clark bunch.

Before the coming of satellite operations, northern and southern Nevada spreads on the Raiders and 49ers were at times simply amazing. The only other regional bias that affected the sports books in Nevada was the year San Diego faced the vaunted Joe Montana and Jerry Rice bunch.

Now get your memory hats on. The line bounced between 19 and 20, at times even a little higher. Money poured in on the favorite, especially from northern Nevada, but here is the phenomenon we may never see again.

Interstate 15 north from Barstow in was jammed by the surf board crowd heading here to bet their beloved Chargers on the money line and nothing could deter them. The money line at most joints closed at -400/+300 on a team that was almost a three touchdown favorite.

Talk about an overlay.

But regional bias played a huge part in our biggest event of the year. I remember being at the Mirage at the time and accepting a $100,000 money line bet on San Diego as part of a layoff bet from a casino because of their liability if somehow those pesky Chargers got there.

I have not seen much of that since then, but spending this week end up north sure brought back some memories. I’m very interested to see how next Sunday shakes out with the 49ers and Giants.

The saying of the weekend was, "Give me the 49ers to win." It was followed by a yahoo, bolstered by a Corona.

They had a great time and collected the cheese, and I am sure they will be back next Sunday.

Take care,
Jimmy V.