Then the Patriots number two quarterback Tom Brady engineers a thrilling drive in the last 90 seconds of the game. Salary was not huge and the loss, although by no means massive, was enough to come as a rude awakening. It had been a salutary lesson about being too patriotic, about putting all your eggs in one basket and backing one team on several markets and about spread betting in general.
Again with hindsight, losing the first bet was probably not a bad thing; better than winning a few and then coming to earth with a bigger thump. But I was immediately hooked on the thrill and possibilities of spread betting. Having led 17-3 at one stage, the Rams have come back to tie the game at 17-17 and seem to have all the momentum. After three short completions, Brady manages to get the ball to his receivers for gains of 16 and 23 yards, setting up a chance for kicker Adam Vinatieri to win the world championship with the last play of the game.
The kick sails through the posts, the Patriots go mad and paundits and commentators are amazed that one of sport’s also- rans, who were 17-point underdogs for the big game, have managed to overturn the odds and win.