Cape Bretoner cashes in: Bet paid out almost 30 years after it was made
In the fall of 1994, two junior high school friends in Sydney made a bet on their favourite football teams.
"I said, 'Patrick, the Dolphins are going to win a Super Bowl before the Bengals even win a playoff game,’” explained Mavs Gillis, a Miami Dolphins fan.
When the wager was made outside the cafeteria at what was then Malcolm Munroe Memorial Junior High, neither Gillis nor Patrick McNeil – a Cincinnati Bengals fan - would have guessed it would take nearly three decades for one of those conditions to be met.
The two friends, who were 12 when the bet was made, are now both approaching their 40th birthdays. As the years went on, the pair says the bet became legendary.
"Someone would come up to me and say 'Ah, your bet's going on for another year because both the Bengals and the Dolphins are terrible,’” Gillis said with a laugh.
"I think somebody put it best on Facebook, congratulating both of us for the fact that we remembered a bet that we made in junior high,” McNeil added.
More than 27 years later, the bet was finally put to rest when the Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders in an AFC wild card game Saturday.
"When the Raiders were picked off on the goal line, I just kind of sat there in a bit of shock and kept saying 'It's over. It's over,’” Gillis said.
Currently, both men have careers in sports broadcasting. The two plan to go back to where the wager was made as young sports fans so that Gillis can pay up.
"And it's only for five dollars,” said Gillis.
“We didn't even adjust for inflation,” joked McNeil.
Adjusting for inflation, that $5 bet in 1994 would work out to $9.41 today.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.