Taking the over at the convenience store

The activity this early morning in the casinos seems no different than in the past when I have travelled to Las Vegas for the games. On my way to a convenience store near the casino, at 650 a.m., I noticed that all the seats at the Flamingo sports book--a relatively small facility--were already taken. There were 8 people on line waiting to place bets at the counter. I walked to Ballys to see if it was similarly crowded there. Ballys is a much larger book, and the line was about four times as long. There were a few vacant seats available there, two hours before the first game. In the convenience store the two managers were inquiring about the starting times for the games. Neither was sure. I told them that the games began at about 9 (pacific). They were a bit concerned because, apparently, they were nearly out of beer having been especially busy with consumers seeking that product. When they ordered they should have taken the over for this weekend. They rolled their eyes as they told me the numbers of cases that had been lugged out of the store yesterday.

On the elevator a man was worrying about his Kansas team playing against North Dakota State. Several other fellows in the lobby were consulting their notebooks and betting sheets. The Today show had not yet completed its first half hour.