Mean Trick Backfires

Some folks thought it would be clever to trick a blindfolded guy into thinking he’d made a nearly impossible shot in basketball, thereby winning himself half a million dollars.  The crowd was in on it, cheering on cue.  He’s ecstatic, running and leaping around – I mean, half a million dollars? That would change your life. Pay off debts, buy a house, support your favorite charity in a big way… or even just blow it and have a good time. When they told the poor guy it was a trick, he took it really well – as the crowd laughed at his disappointment. I might have punched the “prankster” right in the face. I have a vile temper, a propensity toward violence, and I really do think this was a vicious trick.

Strangely, some people were so amused by this that they tried to recreate it – telling some poor schmoe he’d win Final Four tickets if he made the shot.  The joke was on them, because he did make the shot.

I have a pretty well developed sense of humor, but I really don’t think building someone’s hopes up and then crushing them for the entertainment of a large crowd of strangers is all that amusing.

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!”
Proverbs 26:18-19

Added: Thanks, Jim, for the update – the coach who made the shot ended up with tickets after all, though from a different source.