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The local(-ish) (Baltimore) station that carried ballgames used to have contests for home viewers ("send in a postcard..."). A buddy of mine (EJ) was watching one night when the O's had to do something-or-another in the half inning at hand ---was it a grand slam?--- to win home viewer somebody-or-another a MILLION dollars. A bank had sponsored it, (presumably) confident that the odds were sufficiently in their favor. My friends parents were having a terrible fight at the time, but when the pivotal moment came she called their attention to the TV, and, sure nuff, the guy hit the dinger and the bank was out a mill'.

The odds aren't good that there'll be a grand slam in any given half inning of any given locally televised game, but they were surely not bad enough to put that kind of payout up for that chance. Think somebody got fired over it? Anyway EJ noted that thereafter the prize for the rooted-for phenomenon in question was considerably less valuable. Gift certificate to Shakey's, maybe.

The big-money win did effect the end of her parents' fight, too, btw, as the three of them marvelled at what had just gone down.