By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brian_Gabrielle]Brian Gabrielle Bodog.com is so many things to so many people that its motto well could be "Different strokes for different folks." Younger generations may be into the glamorous, entertainment-oriented "Bodog lifestyle" that founder Calvin Ayre inspires. Others always will look at the Antigua-based Web site primarily --or solely -- as an online race and sportsbook. Because he's a pay-per-view entepreneur who's overtly interested in the entertainment end of things and "fringe" athletics such as martial arts, Ayre may sometimes leave the impression he's disassociated from the "traditional" sports world. Nothing could be further from the truth and the native Saskatchewan billionaire quickly disspells any such notion. His wide world simply is wider than that of a conventional sports fan. Business demands, financial and otherwise, often dictate his comings and goings, with travel limitimg certain other options. But Ayre does, after all, hail from Canada, where boys are born to play hockey and baptized early, so how could he not like mainline sports? Also, some of sportsdom's biggest stars -- Joe Montana and Mike Ditka, for example -- have been VIP guests at Bodog.com gatherings, while others, such as Reggie Jackson, have had affiliations with the site. The World Series of Poker -- if you consider poker a sport -- features Team Bodog, which is headlined by three of the planet's top players: Evelyn Ng, David Williams and Josh Ariyeh. Jaimie Gold, the 2006 main event champion, was a member of the squad, but we don't need to talk about THAT. Then there was that project with the Dodgers, the column Ayre wrote for "Gambling Times" about college football's leading performers and ... well, you get the picture. "I'm a huge sports fan," Ayre declared. "In fact, I played a lot of sports during my college years, including a stint on my college hockey team. "In terms of favorites, it's very hard for me to pick a team because my travel schedule doesn't permit me to follow the teams as closely as I would like to " at least nowadays. "I will say, though, that right now, mixed martial arts is getting a lot of my attention as this is a big focus for our organization, but that's not to say that I don't watch some of the NHL and NBA playoff games whenever I get a chance." As a big "fight" (as opposed to boxing) buff, Ayre gets a special kick out of watching the two best at anything go head-to-head until one ultimately is victorious. Whether it's the Colts and Bears, Canadiens and Maple Leafs or a pair of anonymous, finely-honed bodies squaring off in a ring, it's the whites of their eyes that Ayre wants to see. "I love the mental and physical mastery -- this is the beauty of sports," he said. Bodog.com's bet shop offers a rainbow of traditional sports wagering staples -- it had a dozen on Barry Bonds alone heading into the 2007 Major League Baseball campaign -- but may be known best internationally for the zany propositions it posts. "Notorious" might be a more descriptive word. The site attracted global notice earlier this year with a prop that asked whether the prosthetic leg of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney's estranged spouse, Heather Mills, would fly off during reality TV's "Dancing with the Stars." Mills, a Season 6 contestant, is still alive after Leeza Gibbons was dumped in the most recent elimination round. The prop has a $50 betting maximum and Wednesday night, "Yes" was plus $7.00 and "No," minus $14.00. Another, now closed to wagering, asked whether an "American Idol" contestant would barf on stage this season. As the site's owner, Ayre obviously has imput into anything and everything that goes on at Bodog and his entertainment industry expertise certainly is a plus in this particular area. Ayre, though, gives credit where credit is due -- to company bookmakers (oddsmakers). "We have a very talented and dedicated team of bookmakers in Antigua whose job it is to come up with some creative prop ideas and they are pretty innovative in this arena," Ayre said. "These entertainment experts listen to our customers and scour the Internet for current stories, read political commentary forums, music and movie reviews, celebrity gossip blogs, you name it; the list is endless when it comes to what we like to refer to as 'prop culture.'" Ayre, 45, remained in the background during the site's formative years, but stepped forward in the last few, igniting the 'Bodog lifestyle' revolution. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what that is, but it has something to do with actually living everyman's dream existence. Beautiful women, flashy cars, red carpets, global travel, business success, an island paradise, lots of money. A subtitle on Ayre's bio well could read "Planes, trains and automobiles." Add ships in there too. Just listen to Ayre rave about some of his favorite joys and "toys:" "I've always had an affinity for cruising and still have the special anniversary edition Harley Davidson soft tail, which I try to take out as often as possible. "Last year, I also bought a Maserati Coupe, which was a nice addition. "Considering the amount of globetrotting I do for both business and pleasure, it's hard to find the time to really enjoy them. "With all aspects of Bodog expanding internationally at such a rapid rate, its no easy feat keeping myself planted in any given area for an extended period of time. Considering the constant growth embedded into our brand, I guess you can say in a technical sense that every new product offering Bodog comes up with is a 'toy' for me "Once these products are up and running, they really become a lot of fun. "The material rewards that follow a successful product launch are simply the icing on the cake." Yet the "Bodog lifestyle" concept inherently contains another attitude. The French might call it "noblesse noblige." Essentially, that means individuals who are blessed with the ability to lead the "Bodog lifestyle" have a moral obligation to help others less fortunate. That's the thinking behind the Calvin Ayre Foundation and his other charitable endeavors. You might say Ayre's a good sport as well as a sports fan. Brian Gabrielle is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
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