By Kris Jones, RaveOn24x7.com
Kris is a columnist for RaveOn24x7.com, a leading Baltimore Ravens fan site that features Ravens news and insight from the fans perspective. Kris has been featured on The Jim Rome Show, ProFootballTalk Live, FoxSports.com and more. For more on the Ravens and to read Kris’ columns, visit RaveOn24x7.com.
Annie Mitten smiles as she claims her Travel with the Team |
As dictated by the laws of mathematics, in any particular Maryland Lottery game, the odds may not be exactly in your favor. Still, the fact remains that someone has to win whatever grand prize is at stake. In cases like the Ravens Cash Fantasy scratch-off, to win a great prize, skill is out of the equation; it takes a little bit of effort and luck has to be on your side.
For Annie Mitten from Windsor Mill, MD, luck being on her side is a bit of an understatement. In fact, “Lady Luck” may become her new nickname.
Last year, a Lottery official called Mitten to inform her that she had won a featured prize for the Ravens Cash Fantasy scratch-off and would be joining the Ravens, on their team plane, for a trip to Cleveland to watch the team play the Browns.
“Not many people get the opportunity to actually fly on the team plane with all of the players,” Mitten said. “The food on the plane was unreal! I think we probably gained 10 pounds in just one weekend; there was food everywhere.”
When food wasn’t being served, Mitten was greeted in the back of the plane by some of her favorite Ravens’ players.
“Everybody was just so nice and friendly, just really down to earth,” she said when reflecting back on meeting Ray Rice, Torrey Smith and Ray Lewis.
“There was so many of them but I just love Ray Rice,” said Mitten. “If you didn’t know that he was a football star, he’s just like an everyday person. [The players] are just so down to earth, it was really nice.”
In a coincidence defying all of the aforementioned laws of mathematics, the excitement Mitten felt after being chosen for the Cleveland trip was about to be replicated.
She answered her phone at work one day and once again, a Lottery official was on the other end.
Mitten remembers the lottery official saying, “You’re not going to believe this. Are you sitting down?”
This time, Mitten learned she had won season tickets for the 2012 football season.
Screaming louder than she does when Ray Lewis dances his way onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium, she had to ask the official to hold while she caught her breath.
“It paid to play and that’s the only way you’re going to win,” she said. “How do you expect to win anything if you don’t buy a ticket?”
In addition to buying tickets, Mitten also networked to improve her odds.
“People who knew I was playing knew I was on a mission and they would save me their ticket stubs to enter online,” she said. “I knew I bought well over 100 tickets on my own.”
When she isn’t purchasing Ravens Cash Fantasy tickets, Mitten is doing her best Ray Rice impression, dodging inquiries from friends and family about her tickets.
“Everybody was emailing, texting and calling me saying, ‘if you can’t make it to a game…’ and then I immediately cut them off and say, ‘no I’ll be making it to the game!’” she said.
“I think my husband would have a fit, he’s a Ravens fanatic and he was probably more excited than I was.”
Mitten was able to check out where she’ll be sitting this upcoming season as the Ravens made their home debut during a preseason game this past Friday against the Detroit Lions. While she enjoys attending any Ravens game, she has the team’s December 2nd matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers circled on her calendar.
“People ask me if I’m going to use my tickets to the Steelers and I say, ‘are you kidding?’”
While watching the season unfold, Mitten hopes the team can stay healthy and doesn’t want to see them suffer another major injury like the one that befell Terrell Suggs during the offseason.
“I really would like them to go to the Super Bowl. I think they’re going to do well,” she said.
Ravens Cash Fantasy scratch-off tickets went on sale August 6 and once again, Mitten is trying to defy the odds and continue her streak of good luck. So far, she’s already purchased more than 20 tickets and plans to buy even more.
“I’ve already started buying them and getting my ticket stubs together,” Mitten said. “I’ve already gone online and put in quite a few for the next drawing.”
Even though she’s been lucky so far, Mitten doesn’t believe her luck has run out yet.
“The computer picks the ticket. I figured my chances are just as good that I could possibly win something again.”
The next Ravens Cash Fantasy drawing will take place Tuesday, September 4 with the following prizes:
- One (1) season ticket package for the 2013 season
- Five (5) trips to Travel with the Team to Kansas City Chiefs
- Two (2) Ring of Honor induction packages vs. Cleveland Browns
- Five (5) Tailgate Party packages vs. Dallas Cowboys
- One (1) Premium Game Day package vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Five (5) Premium Game Day packages vs. New England Patriots
- Four (4) Fan of the Game winners – New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys
Each week, the Maryland Lottery will feature a “Fan of the Game” who will win $5,000 initially and an additional $1,000 for each interception the Ravens have in that game.
Visit your local Maryland Lottery Ravens Cash Fantasy retailer and pick up your ticket and enter your 2nd chance codes at mdlottery.com/ravens for a chance to win these and plenty of other great prizes.
