Why I'm never going to win Streak for the Cash
I'm never going to win ESPN's $1,000,000 Streak for the Cash. If for some reason you're not familiar with SFTC, first off, what planet have you been living on? And secondly, the idea is that every day ESPN offers a series of matchups that you choose from and your goal is to pick them correctly and build the longest winning streak possible. The seven people who build the longest streak win $10,000 automatically, plus they have a 1 in 7 shot at winning $1,000,000 during a "pick-off" this December.
One of the matchups listed yesterday was Minnesota vs. Chicago.
And the Twins vs. White Sox matchup illustrates perfectly why I'm never going to win this stupid game. I lost an eight-game streak on Sunday night when I picked Atlanta to beat Philly. Oh well. Then I got going again, winning twice on Monday and twice on Tuesday to get back to W4.
And then I picked the Twins on Wednesday.
Minnesota led 2-0 in the ninth with All-Star closer Joe Nathan on the mound and Chicago down to its last strike. And the result? Back-to-back home runs tied the game 2-2, back-to-back walks put the go-ahead run in scoring position, and a single and a wild pitch took care of the rest as Chicago won 4-2.
Back to zero for me. Again.
Then today I learn that Joe Nathan pitched 448 consecutive games without allowing more than one home run - until last night.
Are you kidding me? That's when I realized I will never win this game. I should have figured it out a month ago when I was at W11. I had the SFTC page opened on my laptop and was mulling over which matchup I should pick to get to W12 when I decided to go downstairs and get something to drink.
I came back a few minutes later and my eight-year-old niece was sitting at my laptop. "You like Tampa, right?" she asked me. I told her yes. "Good," she said. "Cause that's who I picked for you."
Uh oh.
In a panic, I tried to hit the "cancel" icon at the top of the page but the matchup was already locked.
And it was back to zero for me. Again.
I understand now, finally, that there really is no point for me to continue playing this game. I'll probably keep doing it, but there's no point. And I suspect a lot of Braves fans are in a similar mood today. Last night's loss was tough. We had the lead, gave up a big inning, rallied to get close, hit a ninth-inning homer to tie it, and . . . lost on a walk-off.
The fact Colorado and San Francisco both won last night hurts even worse. I know that right now there are a lot of Atlanta fans who feel the same way about the Braves as I do about SFTC - sure we're going to keep playing, but what's the point because we're not going to catch the Rockies and Giants, right?
Well, I'm not giving up on Atlanta.
I just won 12 of 13 on SFTC and all I got for it is . . . back to zero. If the Braves, on the other hand, could have just one stretch like that - just one! - then we'll be in this thing right up to the end. And you never know. You just really never know.
Trivia tidbit: Too bad Pete Moylan wasn't pitching in the ninth yesterday for Atlanta - actually, I wish he could have pitched the ninth for Minnesota too. Moylan set a major league record yesterday because he did not give up a home run. It was his 75th appearance this season and no one has taken him yard yet, and that gives him the longest such streak to start a season in baseball history.
Major League Baseball (Foreword by Zack Hample)
David:
it always sucks to go so far in an event:
and then have to start all over again.
It's almost like getting slapped across the face.
It's impossible to get the money that's why they made the game: to advertise and have no winners.
That's usually how it goes - but if you are the lucky fan that wins,
It would be one of the greatest moments ever.
You seem like you know your baseball:
and I would expect you to do as well as you have done in SFTC.
New post up - my favorite one I have done yet. ;-)
--Ted
http://tribewithted.mlblogs.com/
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