How a Lost College Football Bet Caused a Man to Get 4 Ivy League Degrees
A Columbia University student loved his school’s football team so much he bet that he would stay enrolled until they beat their top rival — which didn’t exactly happen right away
For better or for worse, wagering on sporting events has put many people in precarious predicaments. Of course, the possibility of losing large amounts of money, or money that could be ill afforded, is most common. Then there are other bets made that when honored can cost the loser anything from time to becoming highly educated, and all manner in between. In the 1920s, an Ivy League student was so confident in his school’s football team that he bet someone from their biggest rival that if his alma mater didn’t beat the other in their annual game that he would remain enrolled until they did. Four degrees later, he was still waiting to be released from his unusual obligation.
In 1921, David “Slim” Goldstein, a senior enrolled at Columbia University, was a young man with the world at his fingertips. About to graduate from an Ivy League institution. He was also a huge fan of the school’s football team. Unfortunately, they didn’t exactly love him back, as they accumulated a 13–15–3 record during his…
