Sports Investing 101

Stay Sharp, Play Smart.

We always write this, everywhere, over and over.

Stay Sharp, Play Smart.

This is our mantra. If we were Buddhist monks, this is what we here at the Positioning Group would be singing.

Stay Sharp, Play Smart.

But what does that exactly mean? The answer is so simple it becomes difficult; the answer saturates each of these posts, is between every line, a shadow behind every word, staying sharp and playing smart of even staying smart and playing sharp...

1. Keep your head about you, even when all those about you are losing theirs. This paraphrases a famous line from the poem 'If,' but there is no if about this tenet of the Sports Investors philosophy. It is so easy to lose faith, to have a bad streak and pack it up--or even worse, have a bad streak and dig yourself even deeper into despair. No matter how many times we say this, it must be said again and again and again.

Stay the course. Stick to your plan. Listen to the PPB picks. Utilize everything you have learned, everything that you will learn. Keep an open mind, and keep a relaxed mind--once you get too emotionally involved, ruin is close behind. Don't ride a bucking bronco, take things steady, and in other words, keep your head!

2. Don't be an idiot. As CollegeBoy, I inhabit the role of the idiot on the team, and I'm not too happy about it but I keep messing up. Don't do what I do. Listen to Pete and Jim, listen to what they say, listen to their wisdom. There is a reason why they have been in this business for as long as they have, why they are successful at it. I always think I can do it by myself, and I quickly double up and think I have it all figured out, then pop! Down the tubes.

They may not be right 100% of the time, no one is, but they are right a majority of the time, and that is all that matters. Don't be an idiot and listen to them.

3. Listen to your better half. Every person has two selves; one that knows what to do, the other who wants to do certain things. Your super-ego and id, if you will, and you are ego in the middle, always in battle with the other two.

Your angel on one side, your devil on the other. Listen to the angel in you. The devil may be right, putting a thousand dollars on the Celtics to beat the Timberwolves may pay off huge, but your angel says take the points, you take the points.

After all, Sports Investing is not a race. There's no rush. If you feel a rush, then leave. This is not for you, and you will only succeed in crashing and burning. This is a lifelong commitment, riding several ups and downs, but trying your hardest to maintain an even keel.

4. You have a money management system for a reason, so that all of the afore-mentioned cannot conspire to ruin you. Sports Investing is about taking hits and being able to hit back. Sports Gambling attempts to throw an uppercut that will knock your opponent to the moon, while Sports Investing concentrates on wearing the opponent down over time with body shots and smart jabs.

Who do you think has the better chance of winning in the end?

5. Know when to stop. A large part about staying sharp is simply being aware enough to realize that things are spinning out of control. This is when you have to say to yourself, "hey, hold on buddy. I'm losing my head, I'm being an idiot, I'm listening to the devil and saying screw you to my money management system. I need a break..."

So go on a break. This is like tilt in poker, being aware that your style of play with no doubt be compromised by the previous play, a poker player stands up and takes a little break to sort him or herself out. The same holds true for Sports Investors.

6. See the forest through the trees and vice versa. See all the angles, including yourself in relation to the action, which requires a certain philosophic mindset employing everything written in this blog. Increased awareness can only help you discover yourself and perhaps gain insight into Sports Investing as well. Meditate, relax, crack open a beer, do something to get away where you will able to think clearly. This is very important.

You need you time. Otherwise, you get too caught up in what is going around you and "Stay Sharp, Play Smart" becomes another empty phrase without any meaning.

Ultimately, "Stay Sharp, Play Smart" is a way to remind all of you about our philosophy, about the proper way to lead a sports investing lifestyle. Slow and steady, building bankroll over time, not only does it remind you that success doesn't happen overnight, but it reminds you that it all rests on your shoulders. There is only so much we can do.

If you choose to not stay sharp, to not play smart, well, whose fault is that? We can say it, you can say it, but it takes a lot to live it.

So start living it. Everyday is a learning experience, everyday holds the possibility of unlocking a treasure chest or getting stabbed in the heart. The Sports Investor rides these waves, learns to stab open the chests. Don't gamble. Invest. And as always,

Stay Sharp, Play Smart.