Dear Mustang Rob:

I'm sorry I have not responded earlier. The 57th Anniversary of the major league debut of God's Perfect Baseball Player, Mickey Charles Mantle, is approaching on April 17. As you might expect, I have been very busy planning an extremely wonderful celebration at my plush manor. I would love to have you and the family over, but the whole crazy Red Sox thing might taint the anticipated festive mood.

I suggest kicking up our wager a slight notch. I would think a value of $100.00 might be appropriate. As for terms, I see no reason to deviate from last year; to wit:

1.) Should the glorious New York Yankee have the honor of appearing in the World Series as the American League representative, I will prevail in the wager;
2.) Should the nowhere-near-as-glorious Boston Red Sox have the honor of appearing in the World Series as the American League representative, you will prevail in the wager;

I would, however, suggest the following additions:

3.) Through some fluke of nature, should the American League representative come from one of the lesser divisions, the prevailing party in the wager will be the fan of whichever club wins the American League East (a/k/a "The Home of Champions");
4.) I see no need for further contingencies.

Please allow me to demonstrate the terms of a wager through two (2) simple examples:

a.) Team A wins the American League East, but Wildcard Team B takes the American League crown - The fan of Team B wins the wager; OR
b.) The Seattle Mariners make a Faustian deal with the dark lord Satan, giving up their immortal souls in exchange for the American League Championship. At the same time, Team A wins the American League East - The fan of Team A wins the wager.

P.S. Thank you for the kind words regarding the excellent class that I exhibited in the wake of the glorious New York Football Giants' epic Super Bowl victory. The actions of this formerly legendary, now glorious, franchise spoke for themselves. As for me, I am generally modest, and prefer to follow the (possibly apocryphal) words of Vladimir Illyich Lenin, who famously stated: Speak softly, and carry a big pot of borscht.

Your Friend, SR86

Fixed.

Stoneroses86 is my favorite new old poster. Even though I hate with every fiber of my being any sports team from New York, including the Liberty. I get the funny feeling he may be a mult, but even if he is, I love him as only one man can love another man in a completely platonic sense, platonic meaning my wife knows nothing about it.

blahblahblah, crapcrapcrap... Further, you seem like a likeable fellow. Thereby, please accept this as my formal representation to you that I hereby accept your wager, for the pure sport of it. Let us say $50.00.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.