Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON One of my American buddies, Brian in Oxford, recently asked me a question on his post The Bitter End.
He mentioned an NFL-related contest where everyone chooses one team to win a game each week. ``If the team you pick wins its game, you keep playing. If they lose, you're out,'' explained Brian. He then asked, ``David, is there anything comparable in Aussie Rules?''
Yes, Brian. There sure is. It's called a Tontine - and it runs parallel to the universally popular Aussie ``footy tipping'' contest. This is akin to religion in the Aussie Rules season, where tipsters try and predict as many winners in the eight-game round each weekend. Every office has a footy tipping contest and so do most homes.
But the Tontine? Ah, the Tontine is sudden death like never before. As in the NFL, we have to nominate just one team we think is certain to win each week. It's mayhem, because the competition, unlike the English Premier League soccer, is so evenly balanced that there are always form reversals. Nothing is a sure thing.
But why is it called a Tontine? I asked several erudite work colleagues yesterday, and even the resident oracles shook their heads. But I found the answer in the Macquarie Dictionary.
Basically, a Tontine is an ancient financial scheme. Subscribers to a common fund share an annuity. The longer you live, the greater your chances of becoming rich because as each subscriber dies, his or her share goes to the others, with the lump sum going to the last survivor.
Finally, the word Tontine derives from the French language and refers to the name of Lorenzo Tonti, a Neapolitan banker who started the scheme in France in the mid seventeenth century.
Wonder if he knew anything about football .....
10 comments:
This Tontine sounds something like the Flying Hellfish episode of the Simpsons, where Monty Burns and Homer's dad were the last two left from their squadron!
That's exactly what the Flying Hellfish did, Brian. I even think there was a humorous bit where the dumb soldier character (Ox?) described what it was.
I absolutely love watching Monday Night football with my husband....but everything so said in this post, to my embarrassement...swish...went right over my head. I don't bet on them, just love to watch them. Especially the quarterbacks.
I first heard the term "tontine" from an episode of the old tv show "M.A.S.H." but I found you explanation of the origins quite interesting. I LOVED the story about the chopper pilot and the pics were awesome. The first one though of the chopper, look at it again and doesn't it look like it is some huge bug, with really big scary eyes, zeroing in on you? Fascinating pics, really they are.
In America we simply -because we love things simple ;-)- call it a Survivor pool. Or atleast in my neck of the woods it's called that. The one stipulation we have is that you cannot repeat a pick throughout the whole ordeal. You must keep choosing different teams until you are the only "survivor".
Hi Brian,
My son says you are 100 per cent accurate on that one.
Keep smiling
David
Hi Bart,
Yes, now I remember the episode - my son told me the details and it all came back crystal clear.
Even the ``hey, fun boys, get a room''.
Keep smiling
David
Hi Wanda,
Lovely to see here back here again. A repeat visit is always a good sign!
Didn't know you had Monday Night Football in the States. Friday Night football is very big here, though ...
Keep smiling
David
Hi Jeni,
I was a big MASH fan as well, but I don't remember the term used there.
Glad you liked the chopper post and pictures. You've right about the menacing angle!
Do keep in touch.
Keep smiling
David
Hi whodatdare,
Yep, same rule applies here. You have to choose a different team each week.
Keep smiling
David
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