Vegas Has it Right

Las Vegas has one goal and that is to take as much of our money as possible, right? Yes! And, they are damn good at it, right? Yes! If they weren't, they would not be adding another 40,000 hotel rooms to the damn city. Good for them, that's awesome that they can accomplish their goals like that EVERY DAY!! So, why do I care? Well, I was just there for a few days for a convention. At the same time, the national rodeo championships were in town. Cowboys and cowgirls (man, cowgirls are hot) were all over the place.
However, non-cowboys and girls were all over the place too. AARP members were all over the place, people from my conference were all over the place, old school gamblers were all over the place (especially at the Sahara).
So, why does Vegas have it right? Because they play the odds, duh!! Everywhere you went, cowboys and girls were being catered to. I'm not a cowboy, although at times I wish I were. The craps dealers at the Hilton wearing tight Wranglers and plaid shirts were not for me. The country music being piped into the bathroom at the Sahara was not for me. The coupons I was handed inside of the sports book at the Hilton for rodeo wagers were not for me. Yet, Vegas got it right and always does.
Life is a game of odds, which I've always known, growing up a baseball player and coach. Odds are your friend if you pay attention to them and your enemy if you don't. So, as I sat in the Sahara crapper listening to the country music I thought to myself "I've never heard country played in this casino before" and then it clicked. Even the odds of the subtleties are important to Vegas.
They've got it down pat. But what's amazing is that nobody gives them crap for it. I didn't care that country music, tight wranglers, and rodeo coupons were being imposed upon me. I don't live "cowboy" (although I do enjoy country music) but since I was there, I was being stereotyped as one who does. It's called marketing and marketing (good marketing, at least) is stereotyping the hell out of situations. That's how you get the most bang for your buck.
So, why is it then, that we have to have "holiday" trees and not Christmas trees? Why is it that I'm getting Christmas cards from my friends who I know are Christian that don't say the word "Christmas" on it ANYWHERE? I celebrate Christmas and if you do too, then why aren't you saying "Merry Christmas?" I have Jewish students and they celebrate Hanukkah. When they wish me a "Happy Hanukkah" I appreciate it. It doesn't offend me, it's nice of them to try, they were wrong but they tried.
This carries over into playing the odds in life even when it's not around "The Holidays". If I'm in my car at a stop light in a sketchy area of town and I realize my door is not locked... I'm gonna lock it!! If I've got a player rounding third and the ball is in the left fielder's hand who I know doesn't have a great arm... I'm sending him. If my son asks me why I didn't give the homeless person "any change for some food"... I'm telling him because he'll probably spend it on booze or crack and not food. Will I be right every time? No. Will I be right most of the time? Yes. And as long as Vegas is right most of the time, they get to stay "Vegas"!!!