Sports and a Message in a Bottle

Message in a Bottle is to sports what fine wine is to a seafood dinner: the perfect complement. Seriously, can you imagine a better way to kick up the excitement of a sports game than with Message in a Bottle? Think about it: tons of people crammed in a room to watch the game, all stuffed to the gills with pizza and placing bets on their team coming out ahead. Then the game ends, maybe a few friendly arguments break out, and the fun is over. But with Message in a Bottle, it doesn't have to be. No, far from it -- with Message in a Bottle, the end of the sports game is just the beginning of the excitement!

It's easy, really. Here's what you do. Get everyone who's coming over to watch the sports game to customize a Message in a Bottle with their pick for the winning team and their name. That way, no one can switch sides before the sports game is over, making it impossible for anyone to truly lose. Sure, team loyalty is a big thing among sports fans, but when it looks beyond hope, some people will jump ship before you can say "ahoy, matey!" If you really want to make the sports game interesting, slip a dollar bill in each bottle, then divide all the money among the winners.

Of course, you could stop there. Celebrate your sports win, poke a little harmless fun at the losers (or be poked at), collect your dollar bills and go home. But why do that when Message in a Bottle can do so much more? Make the sports after-game lull truly a party by upping the excitement ante! Before the big sports game, get to work customizing your own Messages in a Bottle (in addition to your pick for the winning sports team, of course). Create a series of bottles for the winners and a series for the losers. In the winners' bottles, put messages tied to some good or service. Try a message for a thorough car wash or free babysitting; or make one super special bottle with a promise of 10 dollars! Now do the same for the losers' bottles -- except make their messages tied to a specific service they have to perform! If you put a free dinner coupon in a winner's Message in a Bottle, make sure that one of the losers' bottles details instructions for purchasing that dinner!

After the sports game, when everyone's won or lost and revealed their secret bet bottles, start uncorking the winners' and losers' bottles. If there are bottles left over, put them all in one pile and let everyone pick until they're all gone. Who knows? Maybe a winner will end up having to buy him or herself a free dinner!

And let's not discount the beauty of Message in a Bottle as invitations for sports parties! If you're planning a Superbowl bash or World Series party, why not let all your friends know by sending them a Message in a Bottle? Create a clever invitation, send it out to all your guests and let them see how amazing Messages in a Bottle are before they bring their own for the sports party game. You could even customize each invitation with instructions to bring something special for the sports party, like chips, salsa or drinks. It's an inventive way to spice up an already pretty spicy event, and it's sure to raise excitement for the sports games -- and the little game you've got planned!