My interest in Friday Night Lights did not surface until the show's second season. It was during this season that I lost a new car watching the TV show on NBC. During a commercial break, one interesting promotion appeared on the TV Screen or so I thought. NBC was promoting the very last installment in their Prime Time Nissan Murano Giveaway (I later found out that NBC gave out cars that whole week). Viewers must answer a question related to Friday Night Lights for the chance to win a new 2009 Nissan Murano.

That all important question was:

Who will Smash decide to play ball for?

a) The University of Alabama
b) The Arena League
c) Whitmore University

Here is what happened next....

If I entered the contest, my answer would have been that Smash is going to choose Whitmore University to play football and attend school (Choice "C").

However, I did not want to enter this contest for a few reasons.

1. I didn't believe that I followed Friday Night Lights enough to know much about the characters at that time. Being familiar with their personalities would make a TV viewer's guess easier. Fans almost know exactly what a character's response will be to many situations on their favorite TV shows.

2. I was also convinced that a 2009 Nissan Murano would not be mine because the contest was aired on national Television. What are the odds of Lil' Ole me winning a mid-size SUV promoted on Friday Night Lights? Sure, the prime-time high school football drama was fairly new but that does not mean no one is watching this show. I figured that it was a waste of time to try and enter a contest or sweepstakes that I could never win. Why? It's on TV! Television is way too popular. American Idol is one prime example of how popular television has become.

What happened next? I lost a New 2009 Nissan Murano.

I watched Friday Night Lights the following week and Smash chose Whitmore University. As soon as his decision was made, I thought to myself "I could have won a brand new Nissan Murano!". It was of course, too late!

Lessons I've learned from this experience:

Enter to win and ask questions later.
The 2009 Nissan Murano was not exactly my favorite car. It was actually a car that I did not know about prior to the Friday Night Lights airing and not my style. This was added to my list of reasons why I should not enter to win in the NBC Giveaway. In reviewing my decision, it would have been best to just enter anyway. If I won, the Nissan Murano could have been traded for a better looking car or just driven as an appreciation of owning a car in the first place.

Big Ticket Items are rarely Free
No one just gives out cars, trips or even popular concert tickets without entrants having to put out some kind of return. It's just like those grocery store coupons that let you save $1.00....when you purchase five or six of the same product. A radio station (I won't name any names) even gave listeners the chance to "Win" a car but when the selected key holders came to claim the prize, they learned that they only won the chance to lease the chosen vehicle. Whoever won that day will be paying a hefty car bill for months. I should have noticed how much this NBC giveaway was one of those once in a lifetime situations.

The Friday Night Lights contest was essentially free to enter. It required viewers to visit a website, answer the multiple choice question and enter this contest. At like 9:00pm on a Friday, I already had internet access that was paid for. The only thing required from me was action. I would have to get up out of the bed, go to the computer, turn it on, find the NBC website and then enter their contest. Passing on an opportunity that seemed so simple had me catching the bus to work the next week.....in the cold, in snow and ice, wearing dress shoes.

Next time, I should know better.

Have you ever missed out on a big prize?
Did you lose any winning Lottery Tickets or left a good slot machine?

Leave your Comments below!

The show referenced in this post was Friday Night Lights episode May the Best Man Win.

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