Mark Fever 2021

In 2019, my family met Mark's family in STL and even got to go out for an Italian dinner together. 

In 2021, it was just the two of us in STL to pay off a serious debt. 

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Back in 2011, we made a bet of who would get to the Super Bowl first, Lions or Chiefs. Over ten years later, Mark took me out for a steak dinner. We toasted to Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

Here he is when he got his food.

Here he is when he got the bill:

I ordered the $64 16oz prime dry-aged ribeye. It was the best steak of my life. 

We also had the Fleming's potatoes, burrata and brussels sprouts. It was a seriously great meal. Now that all our debts are paid and we no longer have any meat-related bets on the table, I made Mark a promise. If the Lions ever win the Super Bowl, I'll return the favor and take him out for a steak dinner. Has to be a win though, we're not toasting to losers. 

The over/under on paying out this promise is 2065. I'm taking the over. 

After dinner we played foosball on the worst tables I've ever played on at Westport Social. Then we played some gang war Tsuro and won a game of Codenames Duet.

In the morning we went to Unger Park to play disc golf. As always, we play a skins game.

I took the first three holes. But then we tied and kept carrying-over. On the 7th, we both had long putts. I made mine which surprised me. Then Mark let a high putt go and it sailed over the basket, catching the back lip, and bouncing back in. He made his putt without even touching the chains. What a shot. 

After the front nine, I was still up 3-0 with 6 skins carried over. I joked that if we kept tying, I could win the entire match 3-0. We got to the tee box of #10. It was a tight fairway with a sharp right turn. The direct line to the basket went over a ravine and was even more congested with trees. But it was reachable. Going first, I said fortune favors the bold, and aimed over the ravine. Somehow my disc made it through the trees and landed near the basket.

I forced Mark to also go for it and his drive wasn't as lucky. He hit at tree and landed just at the edge of the ravine. I tapped in for two and was now up 10-0 with 8 holes to play. Secured the victory. 

At this point, the only question was would Mark win a single hole. 

After 16 holes, Mark was 0-16. He was also wearing his Lions shirt. It was too perfect. 

We tied the 17th. Which meant that the final score would either be 2-16, 0-16 or 0-18. Mark hit a tree on his drive and I didn't so it ended up being 18-0. 

Between Mark buying me the best steak I've ever had and winning disc golf 18-0, I'd say this edition of Mark Fever definitely came up Fymbo.

Also, here's some good general life advice: Put it in the fairway and bang your putt.