LAS VEGAS — How can a plan executed so well, securing the best of the college football lines at a 70-plus-percent clip with Circa’s opening numbers, flop so miserably, eviscerate profits and create a deficit?
Mailman Phil contemplated just that as he settled into a diner booth, 30 feet from an adjacent mom-and-pop sportsbook on the Vegas periphery.
South Alabama’s 20-17 game has gone final. He had the Jaguars -4 at Louisiana. It bled to -9 during the week. He felt safe.
“It’s a strange game,” Phil said last Saturday. “It can really drain you, with all the work you put into it. But it’s what I enjoy doing, so I will continue.”
Mailman Phil is all of us, Jane or Joe Six-Pack, just trying to solve the riddle of the lines, to make all the sweat and toil worthwhile. To cash a few tickets.
He is average, with an exception. Every Sunday morning, he jousts with professionals lying in wait, preparing to pounce on the Circa Sports app as it releases oddsman Matt Metcalf’s lines for the ensuing weekend.
Many of those pros maximize wagers, at five grand per side, two per total. Mailman Phil fires at far-lesser figures, on two or three top plays. The rest of his action is smaller.
The money, though, is insignificant. It’s about pride. Beating the book. On Sunday, Sept. 25, he bet into Circa’s menu with 20 wagers, his most initial positions this season. They had steadily increased with success.
He had liked how South Alabama quarterback Carter Bradley had played in a 32-31 defeat to UCLA two weeks earlier.
“But I was on the right side” with USA against the Ragin’ Cajuns. “That’s all you can ask.”
Mailman Phil emptied his backpack to find he had left his phone at home.
“Godfrey Daniel!”
LINE DOESN’T CARE
I first met Phil more than 30 years ago in Manhattan Beach, California. I covered UCLA football and hoops. He delivered the mail to the ocean-view pad.
We’d chat about sports. He hooked me into his huge college football confidence pool, 10 games a week against the line, 1-10 weighted points. We’d discuss games and betting strategies at the bar he tended on weekend nights.
I landed in Vegas, to where he’d eventually retire. With his pension and wise investments, money doesn’t worry 72-year-old Mailman Phil. Line movements, however, are a different beast.
When he gets the better of so many of those numbers, he expects to profit. He’d retreat to this establishment to update his figures and watch Arizona State-USC. Decent grub, many flat-screens, stellar background music.
Looking Glass serenaded about Brandy’s braided chain, made of the finest silver from the north of Spain, as more scores become final.
“Godfrey Daniel!” he barked again. It’s better than swearing, he confides.
He grabbed a notebook.
“I don’t even want to look inside. I’m afraid. Afraid!”
Thirteen months of profits that had amounted to more than $1,000 had been sliced to around $600 the previous week. By midnight Saturday, Mailman Phil was $600 in the red.
“I was beating the line, but the line said, ‘We don’t care!’ I’ll get one or two of these a season. Hey, you just don’t know. That’s part of the appeal of the game, why the ball is shaped funny.”
BEST MEDICINE
Veteran bettor Paul Stone, who helms an exclusive handicapping service and prizes closing-line edges, empathizes with the Mailman. Betting into Circa’s opening lines, Stone confirmed, will produce a dud or two a season.
“It’s important to understand there is variance in betting sports, and college football is certainly at, or near, the top of that list,” Stone said.
“Some bettors get bent out of shape when they have value, and lose. But that’s part of the game, if you’re routinely getting the best of the number.”
Handicapper Brad Powers tweeted Sunday that a clairvoyant who bet an opening line knowing it would move at least three points by closing time would be 112-61-2 (65%), up 44.9 units.
Hence, much of the Mailman’s losses last week were among those 61 defeats.
Pure. Bad. Luck.
He could have tried middling Louisiana +9 — Stone would have, at half the cost of a USA -4 bet, since 6 and 7 were crossed.
Mailman Phil passed. He gambled. McCartney crooned about the jailer man and sailor Sam as he surveyed the damage, with Louisville -11, LSU -6, Georgia -26/
A saving grace was a mistake; betting Northwestern multiple times, getting 28, 27.5 and 25.5 points, in its 17-7 defeat at Penn State.
He believes USC’s gaudy turnover rate is unsustainable, that its poor rush defense will cost it Oct. 15 at Utah.
A Baker Mayfield ad aired on a screen. The Mailman said the quarterback should quit football to focus full-time on comedy. “He makes me laugh.”
Mailman Phil can laugh at himself. He jumped back into the fray Sunday morning, halving wagers on Oregon -10 (at Arizona), Ohio State -24 (at Michigan State) and Kansas State in a pick’em at Iowa State.
There are five other top plays. A dozen more cost a pittance. Over the speakers, Mick mentioned Mr. Jimmy.
“The work involved is mind-boggling,” Mailman Phil said as he rubs his eyes. “You’re doing it right, but it doesn’t mean you’ll win. This isn’t for everyone.”
Mailman Phil tries to beat the line while betting on college football Read More »
The Bears have yet to feel the absence of top cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who missed the last two gamesagainst the Texans and Giants with a quadriceps injury. But neither of those teams have the firepower of the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
Jefferson has 28 receptions for 393 yards (14.2 average) and two touchdowns this season, with two 100-yard games — nine receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers and 10 receptions for 147 yards against the Saints, including a clutch 39-yard play with 1:24 left that led to the winning field goal.
Johnson isn’t expected to play after not practicing all week, so defending Jefferson will be the biggest test yet for the cornerback lineup of rookie Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor and Jaylon Jones.
It’s a formidable task but not an impossible one. Last year, the Bears faced Jefferson at Soldier Field without their entire starting secondary. But against fill-in cornerbacks Vildor, Thomas Graham and Marquis Christian, Jefferson was held to four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in a 17-9 Bears victory. With Johnson back in the season finale, Jefferson had five receptions for 107 yards and a 45-yard touchdown in a 31-17 Vikings win at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Trending
The Bears are last in rushing defense (183.3 yards per game) after allowing 262 yards against the Giants last week. That’s a continuation of a drop from first in 2018 to ninth, 15th and 23rd the last three seasons.
The Vikings’ Dalvin Cook has been one of the best running backs in the NFL the last three seasons (93.9 yards per game, with long runs of 75, 70 and 66 yards). He’s off to a relatively slow start: 63-279, one touchdown and a long run of 16 yards. But he’s always a threat to break a long one.
Player to watch
Bears quarterback Justin Fields made baby steps of progress against the Giants last week with completions of 56 and 18 yards to Darnell Mooney and a 23-yard pass to tight end Trevon Wesco.
The Vikings have allowed 263.5 passing yards per game — seventh most in the NFL through four games, including 333 against the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, 277 against the Lions’ Jared Goff and 236 against the Saints’ Andy Dalton (Andy Dalton!).
X-factor
The Vikings will be playing a week after traveling to London, where they beat the Saints 28-25. The NFL offers teams a bye week to recover, and most take it. But with it being so early, the Vikings declined and instead will have their bye in Week 7.
The Bears are coming off their first real disappointment under coach Matt Eberflus — a loss to a short-handed, beatable Giants team. How they respond in an NFC North road game could be an indicator of how much of a rebuilding season this actually is.
Bears vs. Vikings — What to Watch 4 Read More »
It’s frequently said that the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. But the opposite is true once we reach the postseason. It will take 11 victories for the two teams in each league who receive first-round byes and 13 for those taking part in the wild-card round to win the World Series. I work all baseball season with a marathon mindset, then suddenly my internal clock speeds up dramatically. Unfortunately, the same is not true for my metabolism, which is why I never could consider running a marathon. To be honest, I find driving 26 miles exhausting. I can’t imagine what it would be like to spend that amount of time running. I don’t know what I would think about during the run, other than questions for you. Well, while I never will find out, I’ll be quite content posing my questions to you in this forum. Have fun and don’t get any blisters.
1. On June 21 of this season, the White Sox beat the Jays 7-6 in 12 innings. On July 3, the Cubs lost to the Red Sox 4-2 in 11 innings. These were each team’s longest games of the season. In terms of time, which marathon game took longer?
a. White Sox-Jays
b. Cubs-Red Sox
c. The same
2. Aaron Judge’s race to 62 home runs was a dash, while Albert Pujols’ journey to 700 homers was a marathon. Pujols became the fourth player to hit 700 homers. Who was the oldest when reaching the mark?
a. Albert Pujols
b. Babe Ruth
c. Barry Bonds
d. Hank Aaron
3. Speaking about going for a run, who scored more runs?
a. Babe Ruth
b. Hank Aaron
c. The same
4. In the modern era (since 1900), five Chicago players have scored 1,300 or more runs. Please put them in order.They all had between 1,305 and 1,327.
a. Ryne Sandberg
b. Ernie Banks
c. Billy Williams
d. Frank Thomas
e. Luke Appling
5. Speaking of marathons, on May 8, 1984, at Comiskey Park, the White Sox beat the Brewers 7-6 in a game that took 25 innings and 8 hours, 6 minutes. Which Hall of Famer was the winning pitcher in that game?
a. Steve Carlton
b. Tom Seaver
c. Hoyt Wilhelm
6. The marathon distance is 26.2 miles (26.2187575, to be exact). We are not that precise when it comes to home-run length. Take, for example, the game of May 17, 1979, in which the Phillies edged the Cubs 23-22 in 10 innings. Needless to say, the wind was blowing out that day. By the time the Cubs came to bat in the bottom of the fifth, the Phillies had their largest lead at 21-9. Their shortstop, Larry Bowa, commented: ”When we got up by 12, I figured we could win if we could hold them under two touchdowns and could block a couple of extra points.” One player hit a homer estimated at 530 feet, the longest at (and out of) Wrigley. Who hit that prodigious blast?
a. Mike Schmidt
b. Dave Kingman
c. Bob Boone
d. Bill Buckner
7. A stolen base is definitely a dash. The White Sox’ record for most steals in a game is four, achieved by eight players. Only one did it more than once. Who was he? Give yourself extra credit if you know how many times he did it.
a. Lena Blackburne
b. Scott Podsednik
c. Lou Frazier
d. Oris Hockett
8. The baseball season is indeed an exhausting 162-game marathon. In 1965, two Cubs played not 162 games, not 163 games, but 164 games. Who were those two marathon men?
a. Ernie Banks
b. Ron Santo
c. Glenn Beckert
d. Billy Williams
e. Don Kessinger
9. OK, a home run is a marathon and a steal is a dash. Only one player in Cubs history hit two homers and stole two bases in the same game. Who was he?
a. Patrick Wisdom
b. Corey Patterson
c. Jason Heyward
d. Moises Alou
Good luck to all the marathoners.I’ll see you all next week.
ANSWERS
1. The White Sox game took 4 hours, 23 minutes and the Cubs game took 4:25.
2. At 42, King Albert was the oldest. Babe Ruth was the youngest at 39 years, 156 days.
3. They each scored 2,174 runs. Rickey Henderson is the all-time leader with 2,295.
4. Frank Thomas (1,327), Luke Appling (1,319), Ryne Sandberg (1,316), Billy Williams (1,306), Ernie Banks (1,305).
5. Tom Seaver won 311 career games, 310 as a starter. This was his one victory in relief, pitching one inning.
6. Each of those players homered, but it was Dave Kingman who hit three homers, including one that headed straight toward a stoop on Waveland Avenue.
7. Scott Podsednik did it four times in 2005-06.
8. Ron Santo and Billy Williams. Ernie Banks played in ”only” 163. Maury Wills, the great base-stealer who recently died, played in 165 games for the 1962 Dodgers.
9. Jason Heyward did it on April 6, 2019. And the Cubs beat the Brewers 14-8.
This baseball quiz is a sprint, not a marathon Read More »
The Pacific is volatile, the Metropolitan is unpredictable and the Atlantic is stacked, but no division features as massive a gap between its best and worst teams as the Central.
On one end of the spectrum sit the Avalanche, fresh off one of the most dominant Stanley Cup runs in recent history, and the Wild, a burgeoning title contender in their own right.
At the other end sit the Coyotes, long the NHL’s most well-known punching bag, and the Blackhawks, a team constructed to land the No. 1 overall draft pick next summer. The gap in talent, depth and just about everything else is enormous — almost comparable to the NHL-versus-AHL divide.
It’s an interesting time to be in the Western Conference, which clearly has become the inferior half of the league — aside from the Avalanche — in the last few years. Entering the season, one can make a convincing argument that five of the top seven teams in the NHL reside in the East.
But every season packs some surprises, and 2022-23 likely will be no different. Here are the Sun-Times’ projected standings for every division:
CENTRAL DIVISION
1. Avalanche: As is typical for Cup winners, the ensuing offseason salary-cap crunch cost the Avalanche several key contributors: Nazem Kadri, Darcy Kuemper and Andre Burakovsky. Evan Rodrigues and new starting goaltender Alexandar Georgiev aren’t equal replacements, but the Avalanche still have so many elite players that there’s no reason to worry.
Nathan MacKinnon (now locked up through 2031), Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen are three of the best forwards in the league, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen are two of the best defensive forwards in the league and defenseman Cale Makar might be the best player in the league, period. Few, if any, teams can stack up to that.
2. Wild: They broke through into the NHL’s upper echelon last season, finishing second in the West with 113 points, and a very similar team returns in 2022-23.
Kirill Kaprizov is now an established superstar, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno are annual Selke Trophy candidates, youngsters Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi are ready to explode, the defense is well-rounded through all six members and ageless Marc-Andre Fleury remains a solid starting goalie. Their sole problem is the Avalanche being in the same division.
3. Stars: A coaching change from Rick Bowness to Pete DeBoer likely will result in a more offensive mindset for the Stars. Considering how impenetrably good young goalie Jake Oettinger looks as though he’ll be moving forward, that’s probably a smart decision.
Up front, the key will be finding production from players beyond the top line, which — featuring Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski — pretty much carried the whole team last season. On defense, Miro Heiskanen will need to carry a bigger load now that John Klingberg is with the Ducks.
4. Blues (wild card): Nine forwards hitting the 20-goal mark for the 2021-22 Blues was a remarkable accomplishment, reflecting what arguably is their league-best offensive depth. Eight of them are back in 2022-23, and top prospect Jake Neighbours potentially could take David Perron’s place.
The Blues’ weaker aspects are on defense, where Colton Parayko, Torey Krug and Justin Faulk are all more like second- than first-pair guys, and in goal, where now-departed Ville Husso largely carried Jordan Binnington last season.
5. Jets: Bowness is now with the Jets, and he arrived with a bang, stripping Blake Wheeler of his captaincy with two years left on his contract.
That controversial decision reflects built-up frustration in the organization over the fact that the core — forwards Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Pierre-Luc Dubois, defenseman Josh Morrissey and goalie Connor Hellebuyck — has yet to deliver much notable team success. After a disappointing 89-point finish last season, this season feels like a tipping point in the Jets’ long-term direction.
6. Predators: The Predators have managed to be an above-average, annoying-to-play-against team every season for years, no matter which players come and go.
After a tumultuous 2021 offseason made no difference, the team hardly changed at all this summer, with Nino Niederreiter being the lone notable addition. Elite defenseman Roman Josi and elite goalie Jusse Saros are cornerstones, but the forward group leaves a lot to be desired and might be in line for some negative regression after greatly outperforming expectations last season. Might the Predators finally encounter some inconsistency this season?
7. Coyotes: Between the Coyotes and Hawks, the team that finishes seventh in the Central this season might be one of the worst teams in NHL history not to be the worst in its own division.
The Coyotes are bringing back roughly the same awful lineup they fielded last season — a lineup headlined, in a generous use of the word, by Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller and now without Phil Kessel.
8. Blackhawks: If Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews remain on the team for the entire season, out-tanking the Coyotes might be a challenge. But make no mistake: The surrounding cast is bleak. Scoring goals might prove to be difficult for this roster.
Where the Hawks’ new goaltending tandem of Petr Mrazek and Alex Stalock falls on the spectrum of respectable to atrocious also will make a big difference in the battle for last place.
PACIFIC DIVISION (playoff teams in bold)
Seven Pacific teams conceivably could make the playoffs, but none are slam dunks. Whether the Golden Knights can reverse their downward trajectory is the most intriguing question in the division, an the upstart Ducks and Bruce Boudreau-revived Canucks are fun Cinderella candidates. The two Alberta teams clearly pack the most star power, however.
1. Oilers
2. Flames
3. Ducks
4. Canucks
5. Golden Knights
6. Kings
7. Kraken
8. Sharks
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
The Hurricanes look like the runaway favorites, but they’ve yet to prove they can translate their recent regular-season dominance into the playoffs. How the Capitals’, Penguins’ and Islanders’ aging cores fare compared to one another will be interesting, as will Johnny Gaudreau’s impact (or lack thereof) on the Blue Jackets.
1. Hurricanes
2. Rangers
3. Capitals
4. Penguins
5. Devils
6. Blue Jackets
7. Islanders
8. Flyers
ATLANTIC DIVISION
With Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux on board, the Senators are the most improved team this season. But they’ll have to challenge a loaded group of contenders. Five of the NHL’s top 11 teams might play in the Atlantic. Surely the Maple Leafs, who have perhaps the best on-paper roster of the bunch, will make a postseason run one of these years, right?
1. Maple Leafs
2. Lightning
3. Panthers
4. Bruins
5. Senators
6. Red Wings
7. Sabres
8. Canadiens
CONFERENCE FINALS
West: Avalanche defeat Flames.
East: Maple Leafs defeat Rangers.
STANLEY CUP FINAL
Maple Leafs defeat Avalanche.
Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore had been covering Justin Jefferson one-on-one for most of Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Jefferson, the Vikings’ star receiver, begged head coach Kevin O’Connell to call a deep pass.
“I was telling KO the whole game: ‘We should throw it up and give me a chance to make a play,'” he said after the game.
With 1:37 to play, it was time.
Tied and with the ball at their own 33, the Vikings split Jefferson left. Quarterback Kirk Cousins caught the shotgun snap, took three steps and lofted a pass to Jefferson, who pulled away from Lattimore with the ball in the air. He caught it and was tripped up after a 39-yard gain.
The Saints ran three times and kicked a field goal with about 30 seconds left to take the lead for good, winning 28-25. Jefferson — who had been double- and triple-teamed at times this season — was the reason why.
Sunday, the Bears will see first-hand, for the first time this season, the new truism of the modern NFL. The best teams have a star receiver. Everyone else is looking to find one.
The Bears are firmly in the latter category. No one has spent less on receivers this year than their $4.6 million.
It’s the Golden Age of wide receivers. The Bears are stuck in the Iron Age.And they won’t be able to buy their way out of it via free agency this offseason.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ performance thus far this season has been disturbing. He threw two touchdown passes in Week 1 and none since. His 58.7 passer rating ranks 32nd in a league with 32 teams. His 471 passing yards ranks No. 32, too — one spot behind the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo, who has started half as many games.
There are ample reasons to be concerned about whether Fields sees his open receivers quickly –and, when he does, whether he has the confidence to deliver the ball on time.
Darnell Mooney, the Bears’ nominal No. 1 receiver, has eight catches for 121 yards this year — stats eclipsed by Jefferson in Week 1 alone, and then again in Week 4. Mooney caught 94 yards worth of passes in Week 4, but that was no reflection of any great gains by the offense. No other Bears receiver caught a single ball.
Compare that to the Vikings’ operation with Jefferson, whose 147 receiving yards Sunday marked the 16th time in his 37-game career he’s reached triple digits. He’s just the third player to record that many in his first three seasons, trailing only Randy Moss and Odell Beckham.
This year, Jefferson ranks fifth in receptions (28), targets (42) and receiving yards per game (98.3). Only two NFL players who don’t play quarterback have a better than 100:1 chance to win MVP: Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp, the Rams starreceiver, and Jefferson.
There have never been so many good receivers — outside of Halas Hall.
“Just because I think the college game the way it is, I think everybody’s been playing receiver at a young age,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. “They come up playing receiver. You’re sitting there and you’re a guy that’s in grade school and, ‘Hey, do you wanna play receiver or defensive back?’ Which one would you choose?
“But those guys are getting drafted high now. It’s a premium position, for sure. And it’s an impactful position.”
Thirteen receivers were drafted in the first two rounds this year, tying a record set in 2020. The Bears have drafted one receiver in the first two rounds in the past seven years: Anthony Miller, who flopped.
Deebo Samuel is the only above-average receiver the Bears have faced this season, and he’s more of a hybrid running back than a deep threat. Jefferson has averaged 33.3 yards per route on pass plays of 20 yards or more, the eighth-best mark in the league. Samuel averages half as much.
Jefferson will be eligible for a contract extension this offseason and could eclipse the $140 million given the Raiders’ Davante Adams in March. The wide receiver market exploded during the offseason –Adams, Kupp, Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, Stefon Diggs, Christian Kirk and D.K. Metcalf have all signed deals that put them in the top 12 richest contracts at the position.
That leaves few available impact receivers in a free-agent class that includes the Packers’ Allen Lazard, the Patriots’ Nelson Agholor and the Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Even though the Bears will have money — a league-high $105.3 million in salary cap space, per Spotrac –those are dangerous free-agent waters in which to swim. Just ask the Rams, who signed former Bears receiver Allen Robinson, a good-but-not-elite free agent, for $46.5 million this offseason.In four games this season, he has nine catches for 95 yards.
Drafting a receiver will be the Bears’ best path to find one, then — with one major caveat. If Fields doesn’t show steady improvement — and he hasn’t yet — the Bears might have to use their high first-round pick on a quarterback, not someone to catch his passes.
The Bears have another 13 games to figure that out, though. They’ll spend the first of them watching Jefferson — and wondering how they can get one of their own.
Justin Jefferson leads the golden age of WRs — and the Bears lag behind Read More »
Head to the basement and grab those Super 8 films Grandpa shot at the forest preserve picnic: it’s Chicago Home Movie Day. Chicago Film Archives and the Chicago Film Society join forces this year to present the annual celebration of Chicagoans’s home movies, screened from 11 AM-3 PM at the Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark). Audience members can bring in 16mm, 8mm, or Super 8mm films to be inspected by archivists and projected as part of the show. And the experts from both film groups will offer storage and preservation tips. It’s free to participate, or just show up and watch snippets of Chicago family histories. Check out the Chicago Film Archives website for more details. (SCJ)
Music of the Baroque and South Chicago Dance Theatre team up for Music & Movement today at 2 PM at Hamilton Park Cultural Center (513 W. 72nd). Two dance works merging the old and new will be presented: the world-premiere choreography by South Chicago Dance Theatre founder and artistic director Kia Smith to dances by 17th-century composer Michael Praetorius, and Wade Schaaf’s “Coéurs Separés” to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. The two companies continue the collaboration with Baroque Heroes, a program exploring the concept of the “hero” in a whimsical fashion with guest conductor Patrick Dupre Quigley. The works of featured composers J.S. Bach, son C.P.E. Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, and Jean-Philippe Rameau share the bill with Smith’s Praetorious piece. That concert kicks off Sun 10/9, 3 PM, at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie) and then moves to the Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph) for a performance Tue 10/11 at 7:30 PM. An on-demand viewing option is available starting 10/14. Today’s performance at Hamilton Park is free, but reservations are suggested; tickets and more information about Baroque Heroes available at baroque.org. (KR)
At 3 PM, the Swedish American Museum (5211 N. Clark) hosts “Irrbloss: Songs from the Poetry of Signe Aurell.” During the early 20th century, Signe Aurell immigrated from Sweden to Minnesota, where she worked as a domestic servant. In 1919, she self-published a series of poems called Irrbloss that describe labor struggles, class anxiety, gender discrimination, and homesickness. In 2019, musicians Maja Heurling and Ola Sandström set some of the poems to music and released it as a record through Kakafon Records. According to the Museum, they blend “folk stylings and the Swedish visa tradition together to underscore the continued relevance and impact of Signe’s words.” Today they’ll be joined by Livet Nord to perform this music. Tickets are $20, and masks are required. (MC)
It’s the fourth anniversary of Wild & Sublime, the live talk show and podcast about sex, relationships, and kink hosted by sex educator Karen Yates. Those 21+ with proof of COVID-19 vaccination can be in the audience for tonight’s podcast recording, which will feature an interview with Caitlin V, host of the Discovery+ show Good Sex, a panel discussion on exploring porn (“what’s out there, what’s awesome, and what you should know,”), entertainment from drag performer Dusty Bahls, and more. It all starts at 8 PM at Hungry Brain (2319 W. Belmont); advance tickets are available here. (SCJ)
Home Movie Day, Baroque Heroes, Irrbloss, and sex talk Read More »
You may have heard about Backpage, a website where you could find ads for just about anything you can think of. That’s because it made national headlines a few years back because some unsavory people were using it for questionable reasons. That said, many people used Backpage legitimately such as buying or selling regular goods like you can do on popular sites such as OfferUp.
While Craigslist is one possible (and popular) alternative to Backpage, it no longer has personal ads either. So, read on to learn more about twenty of the best Backpage alternative websites. First, we’ll cover Backpage alternatives in terms of meeting people for casual dating or hookup purposes (like Tinder), then we’ll cover alternatives for buying and selling goods.
A lot of people appreciated Backpage for its personal ads page as a way to find other people looking for “casual” encounters. So, we’re going to start off by looking at some of the best Backpage alternatives when it comes to casual online dating or finding hookups.There’s a large variety here, so you’ll want to read through to find out which site or app may be the best choice for you. Also, you should be aware that some of these pages may have some of the same issues that plagued Backpage and ended up getting that site taken down. So, please take into account the following disclaimer:
While most of these sites are perfectly legitimate, there are a few that might have scams and/or ads for illegal activities. In general, you should always exercise extreme caution when using largely unvetted public sites or Backpage-type websites. Remember to meet in a public place and always trust your gut.
1.) Tinder
This one doesn’t really require an introduction, as just about everyone and their mom has heard of Tinder. It’s gone global and is now the number one dating app in the world in terms of registered accounts, largely due to its popularity with millennials and gen Z. In case you’re unfamiliar, Tinder is a pretty straightforward app. You see random profiles in your area, with photos and a little bit of text. You then swipe right to indicate your interest, or left, if you don’t. Then, you’ll be matched with people who you swiped right on who also swiped right on your profile. From there, you can start messaging and go from there. As with the other sites, there’s a free version as well as a paid tier (Tinder Gold) for additional features and unlimited swiping.
2.) Ashley Madison
You’ve probably seen ads for Ashley Madison on *ahem* those websites. That’s because this site is all about connecting adults who are looking for casual hookups. One big plus for Ashley Madison is that it really prioritizes discretion. For example, if you decide to become a paying member, your credit card statement will simply read “Online services.” And you will probably want to do that if you’d like to take advantage of everything this website has to offer, including features such as “Traveling Man,” which lets you reach out to people from the area you’ll soon be visiting. Check out our full Ashley Madison review.
When it comes to alternatives to Backpage for romantic encounters, Adult Friend Finder is easily one of the top choices. It cites itself as “The World’s Largest Sex Dating Site & Swinger Personals Community,” and it has a staggering amount of people signed up—over 100 million accounts, in fact. Just as with Ashley Madison, there’s a free option but it’s rather limited compared to the paid subscription tier. There are chatrooms, vlogs, messaging, and a (paid) feature called Stories that lets you discuss your dream dating life so other people can see if they share the same vibe or goals. Click here to read more about Adult Friend Finder.
4.) Kasual
Kasual, formerly known as Yumi, is a cool Backpage alternative because it’s really unique. Instead of getting matched up via algorithm or swiping, you get connected randomly to a person and the two of you can begin talking right away and see if there’s a connection. This app is available for Android and iOS, and the free version is pretty complete. If you like, though, you can always opt for the Premium membership. Ultimately, Kasual is a breath of fresh air compared to many hookup sites like Tinder because it’s ultra-focused on casual hookups (hence the rebranded name).
5.) Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish, or POF, refers to the old dating mantra that there are “plenty of fish in the sea”—in other words, don’t sweat being single or getting broken up with, because there are a whole lot of people out there (billions, in fact). You can use POF as a website or app, which is kind of nice. It’s a pretty typical dating site, where you get matched up with people based on shared interests. They also have a nice video-date feature that may make you feel safer (especially women) about meeting up with someone after seeing them over video first.
6.) Pernals
Logo
Pernals is an app that’s all about personal ads. It allows you to create your own personal ad for free so you can state exactly what you’re looking for (a relationship, casual hookup, friend, etc.). Pernals even lists itself as a direct alternative to Backpage classified ads. They feature relationship categories like Backpage’s personals page used to: platonic, woman seeking woman, woman seeking man, man seeking woman, etc. It’s only available as an app, which you can download either with Google Play or the Apple Store.
7.) Bedpage
Bedpage is another Backpage alternative. Although it features many different categories, the ones that may be of most interest to people looking for a Backpage alternative would be the “Dating” and “Adult” categories. You should definitely proceed carefully with this site, however, as there are no doubt many people trying to use it to scam people and/or conduct illicit activities.
8.) Doublelist
Doublelist is another site that’s similar to Backpage. One slightly annoying aspect is you have to sign up in order to browse their site, which leads with the tagline “Connect with straight, gay, bi and curious!” So, it isn’t hard to know what most people are looking for with Doublelist. They claim to have more than three million users in the U.S., however, so there might be a good chance you can find something that you vibe well with. As always, watch out for catfishers and other scammers.
9.) Oodle
Oodle has features very similar to old personals sites, with categories such as “Men Seek Women,” “Women Seek Men,” etc. There are also some filters including age, which can be nice if you want to narrow things down. There don’t appear to be a ton of people using this site, but it might be worth a shot. At least for my area, there are a lot more men posting on it than women, so depending on what you’re looking for it might not be a great option.
10.) Locanto
Locanto has a similar set up to Oodle and the other Backpage personals imitations. For example, there’s a “Casual Encounters” category with lots of subcategories. You can post a personal ad to let people know what you’re looking for. Like with Oodle, it appears to be mostly men posting and some of the female postings seem rather scammy. As long as you use your best judgment, Locanto could end up being a solid option for meeting people.
11.) eBackpage
Ebackpage is—you guessed it—a Backpage clone that’s just about identical to Bedpage in terms of its look. Like Backpage, there are personal ads available, and like Bedpage, there are both “Dating” and “Adult” categories with the usual options. This site didn’t appear to have many people posting, however. In the “Women seek men,” section, for example, the last posts were from May 2021. You can give this site a try but be aware that there are plenty of scammers on it.
While the above websites and apps all have the goal of connecting people for dating purposes, Backpage was really a one-stop shop for everything. So, this next batch of Backpage alternatives will focus on sites where you can post ads for buying and selling goods, whether that’s an electric guitar, Playstation, couch, or other items.
1.) Craigslist
If you’re in the U.S., Craigslist probably doesn’t need much introduction as it’s been a household name for a while. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Craigslist. As with any of the sites listed in this review, you have to watch out for scams, but in general I’ve had dozens of easy, smooth transactions with people in my community. Although Craigslist no longer has a “personals” page in the wake of the Backpage scandal, it’s definitely one of the best places to go if you’re looking to buy or sell something in your area.
2.) Offerup
Offerup is a website for the buying and selling goods, whether that’s shoes, clothing, headphones, guitars, furniture, you name it. While you can use it on your desktop, the app itself is a bit better. Also, unlike Craiglist, there is an option for shipping, so you can find stuff from all over the country as long as the person is willing to ship whatever it is that they’re selling. As a buyer and seller, this opens you up to more options. Another cool feature with Offerup is there’s a “free” section so you can take advantage of what people are trying to just quickly get rid of.
3.) Pennysaver
PennySaver is another popular website for those of us out there who are always trying to save money. You can look for real estate listing, cars and motorcycles, jobs, services, even pets! There are a ton of different ways to save money through the PennySaver, which has been in operation for more than fifty years with its original printed classifieds and mailers. This is another great Backpage alternative with a local focus so you can save money whether that’s on a plumber of dining out.
4.) Kijiji
Kijiji is the perfect Backpage alternative if you just so happen to live in Canada. Since it’s a Canadian site, you can browse in English or in French, plus there’s a Kijiji Autos page just for people looking to buy or sell their car. As with Backpage, you select your region and then your city. You can find just about anything on Kijiji, as with PennySaver, so that means getting deals on cars, apartments, services, and pets.
5.) Geebo
Geebo bills itself as “Safe Community Classifieds.” To this end, Geebo has a “Scams & Shams” page that encourages its users to follow certain safety practices, such as purchasing locally, meeting in public, bringing a friend, and following your gut. These are good rules to apply in general to all the sites reviewed here, but it’s nice that Geebo goes out of its way to try to encourage a safer experience. Geebo also has a job portal that can help you potentially find your next employee—it does seem like an expensive service, however, at $299 for 1 month of access.
6.) Gumtree
Gumtree is the Craigslist of the U.K., so if you happen to live there then this is definitely one of your top options. You can peruse job listings, cars, gaming consoles, apartment listings, etc. Gumtree also has an option to rate people who you conduct business with, which is a nice feature as you’ll have a better sense of whether or not someone is trustworthy before you start engaging with them. In general, Gumtree has solid online reviews, as people appreciate the easy-to-use interface.
7.) Free Ads Time
Free Ads Time is a global classifieds website, which is nice because you can potentially use it all over the world wherever you go. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to have many active users, as I could hardly find any postings for my city (a relatively good-sized one). As with most of these sites, Free Ads Time has all the usual categories, meaning that you can look for apartments or houses to rent, roommates, jobs, pets, cars, furniture, clothes, etc.
8.) Want Ad Digest
Want Ad Digest is like Penny Saver in that it goes back some 50+ years. This site has a specific focus on the East Coast, catering to states such as New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, etc. You can use Want Ad Digest to find watches, electronics, cars, campers, even farm equipment! It’s got all the usual categories that you’re accustomed to finding on other sites, with a special focus on cars, trucks, powersports, trailers, boats, and the like.
9.) LetGo
The basic idea of LetGo is right there in the name, encouraging us to let go of what we have so that others might enjoy it. LetGo is a newer app that shares a fair amount in common with OfferUp (see above). This means that it’s only accessible via mobile app (iOS or Android). Like OfferUp, LetGo is all about letting you access the “secret economy right in your neighborhood,” as their website says. As with Gumtree and OfferUp, you can rate other users on the site who you transact with, which makes these sites feel a little safer than some of the others reviewed here.
As you can see, there are a ton of options in terms of Backpage alternatives. If you read all of these reviews, however, you can see that that definitely doesn’t mean that they’re all created equal. In fact, some of these are much better than others.
In general, if you’re in the U.S., your best bet is probably to stick with one of the major dating or hookup sites, such as Tinder, Adult Friend Finder, or AshleyMadison (or another one that’s similar to those). And if you’re looking to buy and sell stuff, then your best bet is to probably stick with OfferUp or LetGo. If you’re in Canada, then Kijiji, and if you’re in the U.K., then Gumtree.
Some of the other sites may be okay, but a fair amount seem to host quite a lot of scams, so remember to be extra careful if you’re using one of the lesser-known sites. Make sure you follow basic common sense and never send strangers any money before you’ve actually met with them and have verified that everything is legit. When in doubt, trust your gut and stay safe out there!
Are you a would-be sugar baby or sugar daddy? If so, you may have already explored some of the options out there when it comes to sugar sites and apps. But hey, there are a ton! This article is all about helping break them down for you so you can spend less time trying different sites and instead lock down one or two that are best for you.
As you might imagine, sugar sites have gained a ton in popularity in recent years. This is in part because society has become more accepting of sugar relationships, but also simply because of economic factors. There are many wealthy men out there who have gotten wealthier, and there are many young women out there who have taken on student loans or other forms of debt. These circumstances have created a ton of demand for sugar relationships.
Unfortunately, many of the sugar sites that have popped up are not at all worth your time. They’re absolutely full of bots and scammers and may not have any real customer service or support infrastructure to help you out if you have a problem.
So, read on to go through our new 2022 rankings of the very best sites for sugar babies and sugar daddies.
RankSiteBest For1.Secret BenefitsBest for babies2.Ashley MadisonJudgement-free sugar dating3.Seeking ArrangementBest overall4.SugarDaddy.comLargest community5.SugarDaddyMeetVerifying someone’s wealth6.SugarDaddyForMeQuick matching7.What’s Your PriceMost transparent8.Sugar SearchBest search function9.R/SugarBabyBest free platform10.Elite SinglesMeet sophisticated babies11.Established MenBest for long-term arrangements12.RichMeetBeautifulMost secure13.Miss TravelBest for traveling14.Wealthy MenBest for rich daddies15.AgeMatchFind younger women16.SudyBest user interface17.SugarBookBest sugar app for babies
1. Secret Benefits – Best for sugar babies
Secret Benefits is a pretty underrated sugar site. It has a more streamlined and modern look than many of its competitors. Plus, it’s been successful at attracting a large userbase for a relatively newer site. Since it’s popular in the sugar community, there are people constantly signing up, which can be done for free. Unlike Seeking, this site tends to be more of a 50/50 split, meaning it’s equally competitive among daddies and babies.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies get to use Secret Benefits for free, as they do with most other sites. One great aspect of Secret Benefits is they have robust security and moderation, which helps keep everything safe and secure. This means fewer bots and less time wasted. You can also verify your profile with a short video, which will also bring many more sugar daddies your way. Lots of babies have gotten the sugar relationship they were hoping to find with Secret Benefits, so it’s worth a shot!
From a daddy’s perspective:
Like most sugar sites, Secret Benefits requires daddies to purchase credits in order to communicate with babies. That said, it’s a really quick and easy sign-up process. You can create a simple profile and use their handy features to find babies right away. One neat feature is that you can hide your profile and browse profiles anonymously. These privacy features are much appreciated by many daddies who may want to be as discreet as possible.
2. Ashley Madison – Judgement-free sugar option
You’ve probably heard of Ashley Madison and maybe seen their ads on *those* sites: “Life is short. Have an affair.” So, right off the bat, you know what you’re getting into with Ashley Madison. It’s full of people who are looking for something casual (and often extra-marital). Although it has its affair angle, many people have begun using Ashley Madison for sugar relationships. It’s a very open-minded community that both sugar babies and daddies tend to love.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies like Ashley Madison because there are quite a lot of older, well-to-do men on there. It’s usually not too hard to find a good match. Plus, sugar babies can use Ashley Madison for free, meaning a lot of younger women have already signed up. Want to learn even more about Ashley Madison? Check out our full review.
From a daddy’s perpsective:
There are quite a few sugar daddies on Ashley Madison. As is usually the case with these sites, the daddies will have to sign up in order to communicate with the women they’re interested in. Unfortunately, there’s no filtering on Ashley Madison to home in on sugar babies. So, sgar daddies will have to take their time and do some digging. You can sort by age preference, though, so there’s that.
3. Seeking Arrangement – Best and most popular sugar dating platform
Seeking (formerly known as Seeking Arrangement) is likely the most popular and well-known sugar site around. It’s something like the Tinder of sugar dating sites. Seeking has recently tried to go a bit more mainstream, but it remains one of the most popular sugar sites.
With over 10 million users in more than 130 countries, it’s never been easier to get into the sugar relationship of your dreams. Seeking wins points for having discreet billing and good cybersecurity, though scammers and bots may still manage to slip through the cracks. You can check out our full review here.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies also appreciate Seeking because it’s made it easier than ever for young people to find a daddy who will spoil them and make them feel like royalty. Seeking has a lot of transparency, so babies can even see the net worth of the various daddies they may be interested in. The site is also free for sugar babies (once again, it’s the daddies who pay!).
From a daddy’s perspective:
Seeking is definitely a great site for sugar daddies or would-be sugar daddies. That’s because it features a very high female-to-male ratio, meaning that there’s more competition among the females than the males. Sugar daddies love Seeking because they can typically find women there who are totally open for low-key, no-strings-attached relationships. Daddies generally have to pay to use Seeking, like most sugar sites.
4. SugarDaddy.com – Largest community
Sugardaddy.com has been around a long time and has earned a reputation as a reliable sugar site. They definitely made a move early to lock down that url! One thing that is appreciated by both daddies and babies is the fact that all members must get verified. With around ten million members, chances are you can find the kind of sugar relationship you’re hoping to find! The site is roughly one-third daddies and two-third babies.
Sugardaddy.com has a lot of handy features, but memberships are pretty much required to properly use the site. The site is built around a credit system, and each credit costs $0.25.
From a baby’s perspective:
As one of the biggest sugar sites, sugardaddy.com has attracted plenty of sugar babies. While some sugar sites look kind of sketchy or outdated, sugardaddy.com has kept its site looking sleek and modern. This appeals to the younger generations who tend to be the babies on these sites. The only real downside for would-be sugar babies on sugardaddy.com is that the site is full of competition with about 65% of the membership being sugar babies.
From a daddy’s perspective:
Since roughly two-thirds of the members on sugardaddy.com are sugar babies, this is a great site for daddies as they’ll have more than their pick of would-be babies. Daddies will need to shell out for credits, but they don’t cost a ton—and hey, you’re supposed to be well off anyway. Privacy is important to sugardaddy.com, so daddies can rest well knowing that it’s a relatively safe and secure site when it comes to privacy and scammers and the like.
5. SugarDaddyMeet – Best verification of daddies
SugarDaddyMeet is an exclusive sugar site that has been around for a while now. It limits its membership to the twenty wealthiest countries in the world, helping keep its sugar daddies desirable for would-be sugar babies. It also does this by verifying both overall wealth and annual income, helping ensure that sugar babies don’t get duped.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies appreciate SugarDaddyMeet because of its rigorous verification of daddies. This helps keep them from being duped by poor guys pretending to be rich. This helps the site feel more safe and secure. It also uses algorithms to help match you up based on the preferences that you provide. Plus, it’s free for sugar babies—what’s not to like?!
From a daddy’s perspective:
Since there’s thorough verification on SugarDaddyMeet, you can’t sign up for this site unless you have the legit qualifications to be a sugar daddy (i.e. be wealthy). The platform is streamlined and has the feel of most social media sites, making it easy to use and familiar even for first-time users. This is another great option for daddies looking for casual arrangements.
5. SugarDaddyForMe – Speedy matching process
SugarDaddyForMe, as you might guess from the name, is all about helping sugar babies find sugar daddies. It’s a well-designed site with a variety of useful features. While this site doesn’t quite have the userbase of the big names above, it’s growing fast.
From a baby’s perspective:
SugarDaddyForMe is yet another sugar site that’s free for sugar babies, making it another nice option to explore. The sign-up process is simple and there’s no need to verify income like the sugar daddies have to do. That means it’s a reliable site, though. You’ll also get to specify your ideal arrangement, meaning less wasted time all the way around.
From a daddy’s perspective:
SugarDaddyForMe has a unique payment system. Instead of paying for access for various things, the different membership tiers give you a certain amount of time. Besides that, you’ll need to verify your income, which is fairly common for the better sugar sites. Once you’re all set up, you’ll be able to browse around right away.
6. What’s Your Price – Most transparent
What’s Your Price offers a very unique style of sugar site. As the name suggests, it’s quite transparent about establishing a financial arrangement. On many sugar sites it’s simply left to the sugar daddy and baby how they want to work it out. But on What’s Your Price, the two sides come to a formalized arrangement that can then make the whole question of finances more of a background thing. This site was also established by the people who created Seeking, which means they have plenty of experience in this domain.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies appreciated What’s Your Price because it lets them set their price—literally—and avoid sugar daddies who might end up wasting their time. The one downside is that there is plenty of competition among babies on What’s Your Price, with around 3 million members and more joining every day.
From a daddy’s perspective:
Depending on the person, sugar daddies may love or hate What’s Your Price. In many ways, it’s almost like online shopping. That sounds weird to say, but it’s true—and, after all, sugar relationships tend to have a prominent financial component. So, sugar daddies get to scroll attractive women and assess the price that they have listed. You can then bid on anyone you like. These bids are sometimes as low as $10, so you don’t necessarily have to be super wealthy or anything.
8. Sugar Search – Best search function
Sugar Search functions, as you might expect, as a way to easily search for a local sugar relationship. At the moment, there are only a handful of cities that are eligible, so you’ll have to check. Some of the more prominent cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston. Sugar Search verifies accounts, though it’s inevitable that there are some bots and scammers that make their way through.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar Search is a great way for sugar babies to find the sugar daddy they’re looking for wherever they live. Due to the site’s strict verification process, it’s much less likely that babies will end up getting ripped off by some dude pretending to be rich. There are a lot of options here and you’ll be finding someone locally, so there’s a lot to like here.
From a daddy’s perspective:
Sugar daddies will like Sugar Search’s simple sign-up process and the fact that it has a local focus. This greatly increases the chance of being able to meet in person sooner rather than later. There are nice features as well, including an intuitive chat. You can also opt for a pricier membership tier to stand out more when people search. There’s already a good ratio of sugar babies to sugar daddies, though, so competition isn’t too stiff.
9. Reddit (r/SugarBaby) – Best free platform
Reddit is one of the internet’s most popular forms of social media not named Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok, and this is especially the case in North America. Whether you knew it or not, Reddit also has a sugar forum that can be a free way for you to find a sugar relationship. FYI, it tends to be an NSFW page.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies can post freely on r/SugarBaby and describe the kind of arrangement they’re looking for. Daddies will message you if they’re interested. There’s a verification process in order to post, but it isn’t that difficult or time-consuming. If you want to explore an alternative to other sugar sites, r/SugarBaby is worth a try.
From a daddy’s perspective:
There are more than 80,000 people on r/SugarBaby. So, while it might not compete with the likes of a Seeking, it can still get the job done. You’re not allowed to post as a sugar daddy, so you’ll have to browse through and DM the babies you’re interested in. One big plus is that it’s completely free to browse and message people, unlike most the sugar sites listed here.
10. Elite Singles – Most sophisticated
Elite Singles is not technically a sugar site. Instead, it bills itself as a luxury dating site that focuses on a specific clientele, one that’s educated, successful, and chic. That said, it so happens that many people who are educated and successful are also looking for sugar relationships. So, Elite Singles may be worth a shot for those looking for that kind of arrangement.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies may benefit from Elite Singles but it’s important to keep in mind that it isn’t strictly a sugar site. So, well you may be able to find people who are looking for that kind of relationship, it’s no guarantee. Instead, you might find people who are looking for a more serious partner. To fit in on this site, it’s best that you’re educated and somewhat successful (or at least working hard to get there).
From a daddy’s perspective:
Elite Singles is perfect for people who are interested in finding other intelligent and independent people. The people here are not necessarily looking for sugar relationsihps, so you’ll have to keep that in mind. You may come across many people who are looking to find something serious, which means this may or may not be a good fit for you.
11. Established Men – Best for long-term arrangements
Established Men isn’t all that different from Elite Singles in that it focuses on a certain kind of clientele. In this case, it’s all about successful men. On the other hand, there are a lot of people interested in sugar relationships, so it’s got that going for it. You may have to get to know a few people to see who works best for you, as there will be people looking for different things here.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies looking for daddies have a lot to like about Established Men. It does a good job of keeping its clientele to men who are legitimately successful. That said, there’s a fair amount of competition so you’ll have to do your best to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
From a daddy’s perspective:
Sugar daddies have to pay to use Established Men, which is pretty normal for sugar sites. Assuming you are successful, however, it shouldn’t pose any real problem. The site lets you flirt with women and send them gifts. There’s not too much that sets Established Men apart from other sites.
12. RichMeetBeautiful – Most secure
RichMeetBeautiful has a name that gives away that it’s a sugar site pretty quickly. After all, the stereotype of sugar relationships is a young, beautiful woman and an older, wealthy man. That said, you don’t have to be outrageously wealthy to be a sugar daddy or use a site like RichMeetBeautiful. One big plus that this platform has going for it is its security as it uses top-of-the-line encryption.
From a baby’s perspective:
RichMeetsBeautiful is not necessarily only a sugar site but it definitely has that vibe. In general, it’s another good option for sugar babies to find sugar daddies, though there may be people who are looking for something more like a traditional relationship.
From a daddy’s perspective:
You can be “rich” in more ways than one on RichMeetBeautiful. For example, your experience, style, passion, romantic sensibilities, etc. all contribute to making you an attractive partner (in addition to your wealth). There are plenty of young women on here, making it a worthy platform for would-be sugar daddies to check out. It also sports an algorithm that does a good job of pairing people up by personal preferences.
13. Miss Travel – Best for the adventurous
Miss Travel revolves around a really cool concept. For people with the means and/or time/flexibility, it encourages you to travel to/with people who may be a good match for you. Travel is one of the perks that many sugar babies like best, so Miss Travel is a smart play on that aspect of sugar relationships.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies can generally count on a variety of perks: free dinners, gifts, even cash. Yet getting to travel is a unique perk that offers social and cultural opportunities as well. Miss Travel can help you see the world and get spoiled all at the same time by connecting you with a sugar daddy. The “Create a Trip” feature lets you plan everything out with ease. All in all, Miss Travel is definitely worth checking out if you’re a sugar baby who’s excited about travel or simply having sugar daddies come to you.
From a daddy’s perspective:
Sugar daddies may be fans of Miss Travel if they are looking for relationships with a little bit of distance from their home base. For example, they could use it to check out areas where they will be traveling for business. It’s also possible to pay for women to come to you, making Miss Travel a really cool option that’s worth considering.
14. Wealthy Men – Most straightforward
Wealthy Men is just about what it sounds like. It’s a sugar site that features sugar daddies for sugar babies to find. It even has a guarantee for paying members that they will connect with someone within three months.
From a baby’s perspective:
Wealthy Men is straightforward and lets sugar babies find a sugar daddy near them. Unfortunately, there isn’t a free version for sugar babies like there is with most other sugar sites, so this one might be worth skipping unless you get desperate.
From a daddy’s perspective:
Wealthy Men verifies income ($85k minimum), so that will be your first step. You also have to say how much you’re willing to spend on a given sugar baby, which can be a little awkward if you’re just getting into this or don’t have a ton of money. After that, though, the site is relatively straightforward and there are plenty of sugar babies here.
15. AgeMatch – Best for large age gaps
AgeMatch isn’t explicitly a platform for sugar dating. It can easily function this way, however, as it’s specifically about matching people up with a large age gap. As many sugar relationships feature a significant age cap, this means there are plenty of sugar opportunities on AgeMatch if you want to explore that option.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies may like AgeMatch if they are generally into older men. The only thing is that it isn’t explicitly about setting up sugar arrangements, so you’ll need to be clear about that if that’s your expectation.
From a daddy’s perspective:
If you want a strictly sugar relationship, AgeMatch may not be the best platform for you as that’s not strictly the idea there. But if you like the idea of spoiling someone who simply likes you for who you are, this could be a great option to check out.
16. Sudy – Best sugar mobile app
Sudy is a newer sugar option that mainly focuses on its app. It has slick functionality and everything is set up quite intuitively. It’s straightforward in terms of how you find potential matches and talk with them. It’s toward the bottom of our list simply because it’s new and doesn’t yet have a large userbase.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sudy is like most sugar sites in that there are more women than men. What that means is that it can be competitive. Sugar babies do benefit from the fact that Sudy verifies the daddies, which helps keep everyone safer and less likely to be wasting their time.
From a daddy’s perspective:
Sudy verifies income of sugar daddies, and it’s a fairly steep minimum ($200k). There’s a ton of women on Sudy, though, so you should be in good shape so long as you meet that minimum. These women will know that you’re plenty wealthy to satisfy them (at least most of them), meaning that they’ll be looking forward to meeting you. There have been some complaints online about difficulty deleting profiles, so you may want to proceed carefully if privacy is a concern of yours.
17. SugarBook – Best for alternative arrangements
SugarBook is yet another sugar site that focuses on pairing up daddies and babies. That said, it recognizes that arrangements don’t have to be purely financial (especially in terms of luxury gifts). There are some babies who may be looking for legitimate connections, business opportunities, help with paying their university tuition, etc.
From a baby’s perspective:
Sugar babies have to pay up for more access to the site and all its features, but you can get by decently without doing so. You might try it out free and see if you want to continue. After all, there are plenty of other sugar sites that are entirely free for the would-be babies. One plus of SugarBook is that it verifies income of daddies, which helps keep off scammers and fakes.
From a daddy’s perspective:
SugarBook verifies the income of sugar daddies, which is fairly standard of the more legitimate sugar sites. There’s even a free option for men, but, as you might expect, it’s quite limited. You’ll pretty much need to opt for the premium option to fully benefit from the site.
