ESPN has created the perfect storm of sports betting games - Streak for the Cash. If you have visited ESPN.com or watched ESPN in the last few months, you have seen the ads for it. A quaint little game where you pick a few winners, build up a streak of correct picks and bam, you win a million dollars.

What ESPN fails to tell you is that this game will envelope your soul. I made my first pick on September 5th (correctly choosing the Red Sox over the Rangers). One hundred and fifty picks later, I have not even come close to winning the one million dollar grand prize, which is awarded to someone who reaches a streak of 25. I have twice reached six in a row.

So why do I care? Why do I still cling to the absurd hope that I can walk away from this game with a million dollars? Simple. It seems so easy. If you are a sports fan, you immediately thought, "I can do that, no problem," when you first heard about the contest. And while I still feel that way, my 79-72 overall record would suggest otherwise.

The game is tricky because not only are there every day matchups (NFL, NBA, etc.) to pick from, but there are obscure ones (cricket, European soccer, etc.) that most people have no clue about. And granted, you can abstain from picking as muchas you'd like. But what's the fun in that. My co-workers and I discuss our picks daily, and argue just as much about them.

Will I win a million dollars? Probably not. Will I tear some hair out in doing so? Definitely. But, the contest only runs through the end of December, so I've got to get back to picking. The Rapid Vienna-Austria Vienna Austrian Bundesliga game is nearly complete.

Damn you ESPN...