Home Forums Skybox Sports Bar Shoot The Breeze Old School vs Cheapskates?

A buddy of mine runs a weekly pick em contest that includes local high school games, college and pro games. It costs $20 to enter each week and he gets on average 50-60 entries a week. He is an avid bowler and has quite a following on the lanes.

He does all the grading and handles all the pay outs etc.

We were talking today and I am not even sure how we got on the subject but he was telling me how people will win the pool and get $1,100 on up for taking down the prize pool. I asked him, how much are they tipping you? He laughs and says tips? These guys don't tip me a dime. I asked why not? He says, "I don't know perhaps they aren't old school or raised that way."

I thought it was strange because where I come from, if someone is doing something for you and you benefit from it, you take care of the person.

I guess I must be "Old School" but in all reality I was raised that way and teach my kids the same thing.

I am a generous tipper when it comes to taking care of people. Whether it is at the restaurant or the valet getting your car for you. After all they are doing a service for you and saving you walking distance or just provided you a good overall experience. Why not take care of them.

He asked "You run contests, do they tip you?" I then chuckled and said tips? What tips? But then said, it all depends on who is winning the contests. If they have been on the forum for a long time they tip, they are old school type people and know the work involved not to mention they've been around. If it is newer type people then the answer is no.

I went on to tell him I've had people win contests and never tip a dime and people that have finished with smaller prizes tip.

This is when the conversation took a swerve. He said perhaps we just have a bunch of cheapskates and he went on to moan about the new generation doesn't understand and all they want is a fast buck no matter how they get it.

I had to put the conversation on hold at that point and take a step back and think about what I just heard.

I was in Vegas and saw people win jackpots and saw the older people tipping the attendants while the younger people tended not to.

At the poker table, I saw people tipping the dealer a dollar with every pot they dragged, sometimes 2 or 3 dollars depending on the size of the pot. I saw some people never tip more than a $1 no matter the pot and a few people never tipped.

Perhaps it has to do with age, perhaps experience, perhaps up bringing, or even common sense itself.

I answered my friend and said I don't think they are cheapskates, I think perhaps they just don't know better. I don't think that was the answer he was looking for because I got a 5 minute brow beating of how wrong I was and he was certain they are cheapskates. I ended the call agreeing to disagree.

In my own experience I deal with people online with the contests, so I don't know if they are old. young, experienced or not. I just gauge by my interaction with them and how they are on the board.

I can tell you when I myself was involved in bowling leagues, I would run the high game jackpot for the leagues I was in. Cost $3 to enter ($1 per game) and would get 15-20 guys in it. Most were older then me, and some were my age. From this, I can look back and say the older guys always tipped. They would win $15-$20 and after the $3 they paid, it would end up being $12-$17 but they would always without a doubt tip $2-$3. This way my entry was paid for and my work was rewarded. The younger guys would tip $1 or sometimes nothing.

Perhaps it is an older generation thing, perhaps it is something that is taught and handed down from your father or grandfather. I learned this from not both of them but guys I bowled with when I was just 18. Many of them including my grandfather are bowling upstairs now or sharing memories but it is something I learned and never forgot but I truly didn't learn the lesson until I was 21.

Back then, I was betting with a local who I actually become close friends with. This guy Patsy was a definite no nonsense old school mafia type guy. He lost, he didn't wait for you to call to set up to get paid, he was calling you and setting up the meet, he expected the same in return. He was definitely one to learn from.

One time he and his pals were going to Atlantic City and these were all mafia guys. Well one of them couldn't make the trip and he asked if I wanted to go. I jumped at the opportunity. However I was still young, stupid and well let's say not rich.

He picked me up in front of my parents house in a big ole Cadillac and the weather was horrific, snowing, iced roads the works, it wasn't a night for travel. He drove to the airport which was 60 miles away and I say to him halfway there that I don't have a ticket for the plane. Everyone in the car starts laughing. He says kid, the plane we are taking you don't need a ticket. Come to find out they had a private plane waiting for them at the airport.

Here I am going to Atlantic City with $500 in my pocket thinking I am balling and little did I know that money was nothing. We get to the airport, go to a gate and they greet us and take us on the plane. We take off and I say, once we get to the airport, how are we getting to the casino, we don't have a car. Once again they all laughed, kid relax, we have transportation.

We land in Atlantic City, get off the private plane and there is a stretch limo there waiting for us. I am totally out of my league here. We get in the limo, these guys start drinking and whooping it up. I don't drink so there I am drinking coca cola out of glasses.

They take us to the Trump Marina and once again there is someone there to greet us, take our coats, offer us anything we want. These guys just want to gamble and that's what took place. They had wads of cash, 100's rolled up, there I was with a few hundreds and twenties playing like it was my life savings while they are shooting thousands of dollars at once on the craps table.

I ended up winning a few hundred and they lost tens of thousands. I never mentioned I won because I was embarrassed to say I won a few hundred which was nothing to these guys. Well it came time to get out of the limo and of course the tip part came into play. I didn't know what to do as far as tipping the driver so I did nothing. The other guys tipped and said don't worry kid.

On the way back home in the drive through a snow storm, icy roads and the empty Pennsylvania turnpike, I was educated by the wise guys.

Everyone was talking about what they left behind and they asked me and I just said I lost as well until Patsy says kid, we all know you won a little. Why didn't you tip the driver instead of letting the losers do it.

I didn't know what to say but I was embarrassed and told them why. I felt bad I won a little and thought it would be like nothing to them and I didn't know better. I pleaded ignorance.

Then the lesson began. From that night forward the way I viewed money, people, service and the art form known as "Old School" for me began.

I suppose even though I was running jackpots at the bowling league at a younger age, I wasn't put in the position to tip others only to be tipped. The lesson I learned from the wise guys was truly invaluable.

Humility and embarrassment took place that night. However the life lesson lives on today and will forever stay with me thanks to Patsy and his wise guys.

I hope you enjoyed this post. A little bit of back history from the FREAK.

great post freak! Thanks for the story!!

I was going through the pages looking for some information and came across this post. I totally forgot about it, read it again and chuckled.

I hate to admit when I am wrong but I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt.

My buddy ends up being right, the majority of people are cheapskates.

Nice post. Interesting post, good getaway after a long day of work.

It's been over a year and half since I wrote the opening post. In that time period, I have held 2 Bad Man Contests 2014 and 2015, 5-0 Side Jackpot both years, a pair of three and out contests, a two pick contest and most recently NBA Squares contest.

Out of all the people that have won, I am not kidding anyone when I say this and I am not looking to put people on the spot because I am not naming anyone......... however only 10% of the people have tipped and I can name them off the top of my head.

This 10% I know for certain are old school mentality and get it.

Too bad the rest never met Patsy.

The more things change, the more they stay the same truly rings loud and clear.