Terry Collins was vibrating with rage. That’s the only way to describe the footage that leaked years after the actual event took place. He’s out there, a veteran manager in a New York Mets uniform, screaming at umpire Tom Hallion while the Citi Field crowd roars in the background. It was May 2016. Noah Syndergaard had just been tossed for throwing behind Chase Utley.
But we didn't hear the audio until 2018. When it finally hit the internet, the phrase asses in the jackpot became an instant, confusing, and hilarious part of the sports lexicon.
People were baffled. What does it even mean? Is it a gambling term? A weird mid-century colloquialism? Honestly, it sounds like something your grandfather would mutter after losing a hand of gin rummy, but in the context of a high-stakes MLB game, it became legendary.
The Night the Jackpot Broke
The backstory matters here. You have to remember the 2015 NLDS. Chase Utley, then with the Dodgers, slid hard into second base and broke Ruben Tejada’s leg. Mets fans hated him. The team hated him. So, when Utley stepped up to the plate in 2016, Syndergaard threw a 99-mph heater behind his back.
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Umpire Adam Hamari didn't hesitate. He tossed Syndergaard immediately.
Then came the explosion. Terry Collins charged out. Tom Hallion, the crew chief, tried to keep the peace while wearing a live microphone. That’s the key. This wasn't supposed to be public. In the video, you can hear Hallion explaining the situation with a strange level of intensity, telling Collins, "Our asses are in the jackpot."
It was raw. It was real. It showed the immense pressure umpires feel from the league office to keep games from spiraling into a brawl. If they don't take control, they're the ones who get penalized. Their "asses" are the ones at risk of losing money or status.
Where Did "Asses in the Jackpot" Actually Come From?
Language experts and baseball lifers spent weeks trying to track the etymology of this one. You won't find it in most dictionaries. Most linguists, including Ben Zimmer, have pointed toward a mix of poker slang and old-school police terminology.
In gambling, a jackpot is often a big win, but in certain contexts, "being in the jackpot" means being in a mess or a difficult spot. It's the "pot" you didn't want to be in.
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There's also a strong link to the NYPD. In New York police slang from the mid-20th century, if an officer was "in the jackpot," they were under internal investigation or facing disciplinary action. Given that Hallion is from a generation where that kind of tough-guy, urban vernacular was common in officiating circles, it makes perfect sense. He was telling Collins that the umpires would be the ones facing the "investigation" from the MLB front office if they let the Mets retaliate.
Basically, it means being in deep trouble with the boss.
Why We Still Care a Decade Later
The internet loves a mystery. But more than that, it loves seeing the "mask" of professional sports slip. Normally, when a manager and an umpire argue, we see the spit flying and the hand gestures, but we hear the broadcast team talking about "disputing the strike zone."
This leaked audio was different. It was a peek behind the curtain. It revealed the internal politics of baseball—the "situation" as Hallion called it.
- The league had warned the umpires about the Utley/Mets tension.
- Syndergaard knew exactly what he was doing.
- The umpires knew they were being watched by MLB executives.
- Terry Collins was just trying to protect his player.
It’s a perfect storm of human ego and corporate oversight. When Hallion said those words, he wasn't just talking about a game; he was talking about job security. It’s relatable, even if the phrasing is weird as hell.
The Deadspin and MLB Conflict
When the video leaked via "Jomboy Media" and other outlets, MLB lost its mind. They tried to scrub it from the internet. They claimed it was a violation of the agreement between the umpires and the league regarding "miced up" segments.
That just made it grow.
The more the league tried to hide the "asses in the jackpot" clip, the more fans shared it. It became a meme. You could buy T-shirts within 24 hours. It highlighted a massive disconnect between the sterile, family-friendly image MLB tries to project and the foul-mouthed, high-intensity reality of the dugout.
Applying "Jackpot" Logic to Life
If you’ve ever worked a job where a middle manager is breathing down your neck while you’re trying to deal with a frustrated customer, you’ve had your ass in the jackpot. It’s that specific feeling of being caught between a rock and a hard place.
You want to do the "right" thing (or the "fair" thing), but the people in charge have already decided that one wrong move will cost you. Hallion was under the gun. He knew that if he didn't toss Syndergaard, the league office would have his head for losing control of the game.
How to Handle Your Own Jackpot Situations
Knowing the history is fun, but there's a practical side to this high-pressure communication. Hallion, despite the swearing, was actually trying to de-escalate.
He didn't just scream back at Collins. He tried to explain why the decision was made. He acknowledged the pressure. In any high-stakes environment—whether it's a boardroom or a baseball diamond—being transparent about the external pressures you're facing can sometimes (not always) bridge the gap.
Collins didn't agree. He still got his money's worth. But the phrase survived because it perfectly captured the stress of being an arbiter.
Moving Forward With the Knowledge
Next time you see a manager get ejected, remember that there is a whole hidden layer of dialogue we aren't hearing. The "asses in the jackpot" incident changed how we watch these arguments. We no longer just see a guy yelling; we see a guy navigating a political minefield.
Actionable Steps:
- Watch the Jomboy breakdown: If you haven't seen the lip-reading and audio sync of the event, it's essential viewing for any baseball fan to understand the nuance of the argument.
- Use the phrase sparingly: It's a great piece of slang, but it works best in high-stress professional moments where you're explaining a "no-win" situation to a colleague.
- Understand the "Situation": In baseball, as in business, context is everything. The umpire wasn't tossing the pitcher because of a single pitch; he was tossing him because of a year's worth of bad blood and league-wide memos. Always look for the history behind a conflict.