Matthew Reinbold
Stories & CraftSerial fiction · 7 parts · Complete

Moneyballer Americana

Moneyballer Americana is a satire about money, modern masculinity, and choosing to make something real in a world increasingly about watching and wagering. Eli, a struggling bluegrass musician, gets swept up in sports betting and must choose between hype and hope.

Read the story

7 parts / In order
  1. Part 1
  2. Part 2
  3. Part 3
  4. Part 4
  5. Part 5
  6. Part 6
  7. Part 7

Behind the story

This novelette started as Hyper-real Crimes in Unreality, a cool-sounding working title (and little else). As I played with what that story might be, the sheer volume of sports betting across the NFL just begged for attention. Some research later, and I was off and running.

Both my wife and I have unfortunate family stories related to gambling. And my college-aged son has some bracing anecdotes from his peers. You want to put $10 down on the winner of a game this weekend? Be my guest. But the speed and scale with which today’s mobile apps are designed to damage and defund is inexcusable; this is not your granny’s weekly bingo game.

If you’re interested in learning more about the stories behind the story, I highly recommend the following links:

From the original serialization

I’ve spent years writing about the intersection of technology, culture, and policy. When social media is increasingly used to create events, rather than report on them, I find that work increasingly relevant.

It is one thing to write an essay here or a newsletter there. Given the potential harms, utilizing adding additional forms, like narrative, seems warranted. Moneyballer Americana is a seven-part novelette about a struggling bluegrass musician who accidentally ignites a sports-betting media frenzy.