One man in Erie, Colorado, had his world rocked when he woke up last Friday morning to phone calls from strangers asking about his house being for sale.
“I just thought there was a paper with a typo. Then I read the ad and it all came together,” Brian Lusk, of Erie, Colorado, told ABC News of the epic prank that’s gone viral.
His buddy, Brian Rauk, is a diehard Steelers fan. Lusk, however, is a huge Broncos fan. When the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl, a slightly bitter Rauk decided to have a little fun with Lusk by putting a fake advertisement in three local Denver-area newspapers saying his house was for sale. The asking price? Tickets to the Super Bowl.
“Getting divorced; Leaving her with nothing,” the ad read. “Will sell home for two tickets to the Super Bowl with airfare and lodging. Must act fast! Serious inquiries only!”
The phone was ringing off the hook. Lusk was averaging about 50 calls and 20 text messages a day.
“What’s really amazing to me is how many people think this is a legitimate offer,” said Lusk. “The most legitimate one I got was from a guy who called and said, ‘This house would be perfect for my daughter and her husband. I’ve got two seats on the 45-yard line, 20 rows up, with first class airfare to San Francisco and a suite at the Embassy for the stay.’”
Although he admits that’s a pretty nice offer, Lusk is not getting divorced, nor is he selling his house.
“I called my wife and I said, ‘Hey babe, are we still married?’ And she says, ‘As far as I know,’” he joked. “She knows my buddy as well and she just thought it was funny.”
Rauk apparently has a long history with pranks, but Lusk isn’t letting this one slide. He wants revenge, and he wants the public’s help coming up with a master plan.
“I’m looking for great ideas to get him back,” said Lusk. “I know there’s somebody out there with the perfect most creative way to get him back, but I don’t know if I’ve heard it yet. But I’m looking for it.”
He’s in no rush to get his retaliation, though.
“I’m not in a hurry to do it,” he explained. “I’ve got to plan it out, and honestly, the most fun part is him looking over his shoulder until it does come. He’s gonna see some ghosts.”
“Bring it on,” Rauk replied. “I’ve got handfuls of ‘em. This is going to last a long time.”