BY MARISSA SPRING

Some women actually like watching sports on television, and in recent years, I've become one of them. I used to be an

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archetypal sports widow who didn't know the difference between Deion Sanders and Dennis Rodman, but now I've fallen madly in love with the NFL and the NBA, not to mention the PGA, the NHL, the NCAA and MLB. It's not the thrill of victory (or the agony of defeat, for that matter) that excites me. It's the connection between pro sports, gambling and torrid sex.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not talking about anything illegal, or even immoral. I'm talking about a wholesome family game you can play at home with your partner. (Well, not that wholesome. But to take a line from Rodman himself, "It's only as bad as you wanna be.") The gambling is strictly between you and your mate, and the pro sports are on your very own TV set.

I found out about this game by accident a couple of years ago when I was half-watching a fairly boring football game with my friends Hank and Helen. I couldn't imagine why they were both riveted to the screen as the match entered the fourth quarter with a score of 6 to 3.

"We're going to kick your butt, Hank," said Helen, with a kind of wicked glee.

"Don't be so sure," Hank muttered. "I'd say the butt in question is still up for grabs."

"What are you guys talking about?" I demanded. "Do you have money on this game?"

"Not money," they said in unison. Both began to giggle.

"Should I tell her?" Helen asked Hank.

"In the kitchen," he said.

Once Helen and I got into the girl-talk zone, she confided that they did indeed have a bet. And what a bet it was: If Helen's team lost, she would wind up tied to their bed, blindfolded, while Hank did...well, she didn't go into what Hank would do, but I could imagine. And if Hank's team lost, he would have to fulfill Helen's erotic fantasy.

Helen gave me a sly look. "To be honest, this is one game you really can't lose."

I couldn't wait for the next Sunday. My husband would be back from his business trip, and for once I'd have something to tell him about football.