ESPN’s Streak for the Cash: It’s a Way of Life

It was a Tuesday morning in mid-April of 2013.

I was sitting behind the computer screen, tired, bored, and procrasinating on work I had to get done.

Scrolling through ESPN, I skimmed through some headlines about the NBA playoff races, NHL postseason scenarios, and the MLB regular season getting underway.

But on that morning, it was something else that caught my attention.

A small gray box asking for the winner of the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild game that night starred at me, asking to be clicked.

At first, I thought it was just another hockey poll.

But when I checked the “Blackhawks” square, no percentages showed up. Confused, I studied the box a bit closer and noticed that this was no poll.

This was a prop for an ESPN fantasy game called “Streak for the Cash”.

I had heard of this contest before, but never bothered to look into it.

Today would be no different.

I closed ESPN and shut down the computer.

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Three days later was a Friday, and while doing some mental NHL analysis, something popped into my head – “Hey, that Streak game!”

The Blackhawks had beaten the Wild on Tuesday night, and that meant that I had checked the correct square.

To see exactly what this meant and what I had potentially won, I went onto the Streak for the Cash website and was mesmerized by what I saw.

From hockey to baseball to soccer and everywhere in between, at least 20 sports props were ready and waiting to be picked.

They ranged from full-game props like “Who will win this game?” to in-game props like “Will Chelsea score a goal in the first half?”

Upon further research, I found out that the point of this contest was to build a streak of consecutive correct picks. You could pick as frequently or as infrequently as you wanted, but you could only pick one prop at a time.

Then, at the end of that month, the ESPN user with the longest winning streak would win a large sum of money.

This appeared so easy, yet when I began playing, it turned out to be a lot harder than I thought.

And though I kept losing and did not consistently play, as the months went by, I became more and more hooked.

All of the props, discussion boards, greens, reds, and streaks made this game insanely addictive, and in February of 2014, I started playing full force, meaning that I would never miss a prop just because I wasn’t paying attention.

Going full-out like I did, you discover that with 4-7 seperate props every day, this game starts to become a part of your every day life.

After February and acquiring what to this day remains my personal-best winning streak (I got 10 in a row, and trust me, it’s harder than it sounds), I actually had to take a break to focus on other things because the game was on my mind a lot on a daily basis.

I’ve been playing on and off since then, and though I have never come close to winning the grand prize, it creates a very fun competition among friends or family.

In addition, there are props 365 days of the year so you don’t have to wait in anticipation for the game to start.

And if you live a busy life, there’s no worries. As I mentioned earlier, you can pick as frequently or infrequently as you want, and some say that picking slowly is one of the best strategies out there.

So what are you waiting for? Get off this blog and start building your winning streak.

But I warn: it’s very hard…and extremely addictive.

 

Want to win a $10 Amazon gift card.? Follow me on Twitter @jacobs_sports, and click on the following link for more information: https://jacobssportstalk.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/annoucing-jacobs-sports-talk-nfl-twitter-trivia-contest

Fantasy Football: Revolutionizing the Game Forever

It was August of 2012.

I had just started writing this blog and was on the official NFL website doing some research for the upcoming season.

And when looking through some statistics, out of the corner of my eye, that’s when I saw it – a fantasy football advertisement.

At first, I considered it no more significant than any other internet ad.

But after studying it a little closer and recalling all of the other fantasy advertisements that I had seen on TV, I couldn’t resist the urge.

I clicked the ad.

Immediately after, I was taken into a brand-new world. A world with millions of people, thousands of leagues, hundreds of points, and one confused person.

What the heck was I supposed to do?

I had no idea there was even a live draft, much less who to pick. Fantasy terms like “sleeper”, “waiver wire”, and “PPR” were as foreign as another language, and looking back at how I did in my first league makes me laugh to this very day.

But you know what? I’m glad I joined.

Because that year, I learned more about football than I could have ever imagined. I went from a guy who only knew the root players of most teams to a guy who is mastering the knowledge of third-string running backs.

Today, I’m a someone who starts mock drafting in May, reads fantasy articles year-round, and scares others with the knowledge of players most casual fans have never even heard of.

The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) estimates that, today, approximately 33 million people play fantasy football. And though most of those folks don’t take it nearly as seriously I do, there are thousands who take it to the next level and show extreme passion and dedication to their teams.

It is then when the way you watch football completely changes.

You don’t root as much for whole clubs, but rather for an individual player to get make the big reception and score the touchdown to keep your team alive that week.

For some (including myself), it completely alters your football-viewing experience, and in my opinion, it’s for the better.

I now have a rooting interest in way more games than I typically would, and if quarterback Matt Ryan makes a touchdown pass, I can shout and holler instead of just casually looking at my television..

It increases emotions, creates a fun competition among friends or strangers, and makes NFL Sundays that much better.

If you wanna start playing now, you’re in luck.

Join a league today.

 

Want to win a $10 Amazon gift card.? Follow me on Twitter @jacobs_sports, and click on the following link for more information: https://jacobssportstalk.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/annoucing-jacobs-sports-talk-nfl-twitter-trivia-contest/