THON 2014 Prop Bets
Penn State’s largest philanthropic event, THON, is this weekend. While THON follows the same basic formula every year, there are many aspects that change every year based on numerous factors. With all of the different variables throughout the weekend, we have decided to bring back prop bets for the event after a one-year hiatus.
If you don’t know what a prop bet is, Onward State co-founder Evan Kalikow shed some light on the practice two years ago: “A prop bet is short for proposition bet. Basically, it’s a bet on something not commonly betted upon. For example, lots of people bet on the score of the Super Bowl, but how many people bet on how many times the winning coach will say ‘humbled’ in the post-game press conference? That’s a prop bet.”
Before you embarass yourself looking for a bookie at the BJC this weekend, we must inform you that one, these are not real odds and two, ONWARD STATE IS NOT A GAMBLING OPERATION.
With all of that out of the way, it’s time to look at the odds!
Music-Related Bets
1. Which of these five songs will be played the most often during THON, and how many times?
- Pitbull & Ke$ha – Timber: 2-1
- Katy Perry – Roar: 4-1
- Pharrell – Happy: 6-1
- Sara Bareilles – Brave: 7-1
- Avicii – Hey Brother: 12-1
This one can be hard to keep track of by the end of the weekend, but it does come with general rules. A song only counts as being played if it is either played over the BJC speakers or covered by a band. If it’s in the Line Dance, it doesn’t count.
“Timber” has to be the clear-cut favorite in this race. “Roar” may give it a run for it’s money, but who can resist the infectious sound of “Timber”? “Roar” will probably end up in the Line Dance after all, since it has a chorus that is related to Penn State. As for “Happy,” “Brave,” and “Hey Brother,” all three are popular at the moment and have created emotions closely related to THON, so look for them to make a small splash this weekend.
2. Which song will Go Go Gadget end their set with?
- Pitbull & Ke$ha – Timber: 2-1
- White Stripes – Seven Nation Army: 3-1
- American Authors – Best Day of My Life: 7-2
- OneRepublic – Counting Stars: 25-2
With only a little bit of time left in THON, Go Go Gadget will take the stage to finish out the event with a capacity crowd. The band will generally finish out their set with an upbeat song to get the crowd ready for the final reveal. “Seven Nation Army” would be a great choice for the Penn State crowd, but what better way to get the BJC rocking one last time with a final play of “Timber”? Odds are, the band will finish out with this crowd favorite.
3. Which song will Tucker Haas sing?
- Aloe Blacc – The Man: 5-1
- Bastille – Pompeii: 6-1
- OneRepublic – Counting Stars: 13-2
- Daft Punk – Get Lucky: 10-1
Tucker has been inspiring the BJC since 2010 with his covers of popular songs, most notably from the Black Eyed Peas. He’s sure to bring a new cover this year, and I expect him to sing “The Man” by Aloe Blacc because frankly, he is the man. I have to admit though, this one’s up in the air. Tucker has been bouncing around from artist to artist in recent years so chances are, he won’t be playing another Bieber song. I’m still sticking with “The Man.”
General THON Prop Bets:
1. Will James Franklin accidentally let the dancers know how much time they have left OVER/UNDER 0.5 times?
We all know Bill O’Brien infamously told the dancers how much time was left last year (a big no-no), so will James Franklin make the same mistake? I think the very excitable coach will, even though he will probably be told numerous times not to, so take the over.
2. Which team will win the pep rally?
- Men’s Swimming: 2-1
- Football: 4-1
- Field Hockey: 7-2
- Women’s Volleyball: 20-1
It will be hard to beat the men’s swimming team who will be coming back to defend its title this year, but with arguably their toughest competition in fencing and gymnastics away at meets, it may be easier to repeat. Expect the freshmen football team to put up a fight though because word on the street is that Herb Hand choreagraphed their routine. I’m still taking men’s swimming because of the lack of competition.
3. At what time will the Bryce Jordan Center close its doors on Sunday?
- Before 1 a.m.: 3-1
- Between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.: 5-2
- After 4 a.m.: 10-1
Every year the BJC reaches capacity and closes for good earlier and earlier. Last year, it officially reached capacity and closed at 6:48 a.m. on Sunday, but there was still a line. With the opening of the Pegula Ice Arena and the new line system, no one should be standing outside waiting, but the BJC will still reach capacity. For this, I’m saying that the BJC will officially reach capacity and close between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.
4. What team will win the Color Wars?
- Blue: 1-1
- Red: 1-1
- Orange: 1-1
- Purple:1-1
This one has to be the most up-in-the-air. It’s hard to keep track of who is winning the contest throughout the weekend and the events have already started. For that reason, every team will be getting equal odds at 1-1. You might as well pick a name out of a hat for this one, so I’m taking the Purple team.
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