The 2,000 to 1 Upset People Still Can’t Grasp
Miami: September 11, 2025: Last Friday at the Magic City Casino, about 56 amateur and former players participated in the USNJAC event – United States National Jai Alai Championship. The event is open to any amateur player or former pros who have not played pro since January 1, 2021 and are 50 years old or more. Winners can walk home with some good chump change.
One of those regular winners over the past few years was James Langhams, the father of current Magic City star players Douglas and Benny. He also played pro himself for many years at Bridgeport and Milford and a couple more in Florida. It would be safe to say he would rank as a Top 3 seeded player. I’ve marveled his court savvy and intelligence on the cancha. His quick wrist can snap the ball as fast as anyone and clearly gave the genes to two of the best American players to come around here in a long time. I was fortunate enough to supply him with pelota’s when he contacted me several years ago in North Carlina. I had no idea it was for training his son Douglas, then an injured high school pitcher. I was wondering, who the hell plays jai-alai in North Carolina and where?
His paired opponent was “Magic Mike” aka Mike Berry. A lifetime jai-alai fan, Mike has been an amateur player for decades, playing at Tampa jai-alai and Orlando. He was also the computer consultant for Tampa Jai-alai and operates a computer repair shop in St. Petersburg and helps me on the posting on the Pelota Press. He’s been a pesky player – and anybody that has seen him knows it. He can rebote with the best of them, but rarely gets the ball past the 6 line, putting his team on the defense all the time. His soft throws have irritated players over the years especially the ones just reaching the wall. Former Tampa and Miami superstar player Daniel called him “Mickalenia” – a nod to the former player at Miami. Mike would certainly rank in the bottom 3 players (along with myself).
But when players entered the fronton at 9am to check the pairings for the first round in Singles, the image of “Douglas” vs. “Magic Mike” was the mismatch of the century. There was no way Magic Mike could win. Danny Sheriden had the odds at 2,000 to 1. Draft Kings wouldn’t take bets. Hard Rock pulled their banner down before the doors opened. We’ve seen Douglas walk out of fronton with 6-foot-long checks signed by Scott Savin before. We’ve also seen Mike ridding back home in the back seat without two dimes to rub together. Some of our own players left for lunch as the event took place around 12 noon. Nobody wanted to bear the ass whipping it seemed. Sort of like me at a Yankees 1970s baseball game when Gene Michael would come to bat followed by the pitcher. A good time to get a hot dog.
Players around me gave the over/under of 1 point for Mike. Certainly not 2 points, or 3 for that matter.
For years, my good buddy Rick B has argued that “any player can beat any other player at any time”. I told him several times that he was full of shit….like I’m going out there on the court and beating a player with the caliber of an Anthony or Rastock with all the marbles on the line. Have another toke, Zoltar!
Boy, was I wrong. Mike went out there and built a 5-2 lead, before winning the event 6-5 on game point. The last time God created a miracle was in the movie “Oh God” when (played by Geroge Burns) told a supermarket manager (played by John Denver) he created the 1969 New York Mets miracle World Championship. Well, he just created another one. A special thanks to James for taking this in stride. Even he admitted before the game he thought something like this could happen.
HERE IS AN AI CELEBRATION:
