The Fantasy Effect

Right off the bat I'd just like to say I'm a huge proponent of fantasy sports of all kinds. I would not consider myself a fantasy expert but it's been on my mind lately so I thought I would throw down some of my thoughts. I lost my fantasy virginity about 10 years ago and have been actively involved since. My first experience was an English Premier League fantasy soccer league. To be honest I didn't even understand how to play or really what the concept was I just joined in an attempt to quell my obsession for soccer. Since then, I've seen fantasy evolve into a mainstream, ubiquitous obsession which at times takes priority over all other responsibility. It has become a multi-million dollar industry and has become the topic at the water cooler.

Fantasy has created a new type of fan. It has changed the way we watch sports. It has changed television ie. the bottom line, sports tickers, pre-game, post-game shows. It has changed my relationship with my teams and also my affection for them. In the past I watched my teams and no one else. Fast-forward to last night, I need Anquan Boldin to score 15 or more fantasy points if I'm gonna win my head-to-head match-up for the week. I'm watching Sunday Night Football praying for a miracle. In the past I didn't waste my time.

Deep down every fan wants to be part of a winning team with all-star players. Unfortunately, there are only a few teams in each major sports league that fit the criteria. In other words, for every Yankees team we have 10 Royals, for every Lakers team we have 15 Bobcats. It's the nature of professional sports. And to fans credit they remain loyal even when they're team stinks, when they haven't made the playoffs in a decade, and when ownership decides to move a team, change the logo, or the team colors, or trade it's best player.

The beauty of fantasy is you are the owner and you can orchestrate a team of all-stars. There's no loyalty necessary. You can pick up and drop players at your leisure, it's very business like. Your relationship with your fantasy players is strictly performance-based. If you need to change things up you don't hesitate negotiating a trade because the guy's been with the team for a decade. If your team sucks there's always next year. You might lose a little money but you don't have to agonize over your team's inability because you have no one to blame but yourself.

If you have never played fantasy football, start there. After a year or two of fantasy football you can start to tinker with fantasy basketball, soccer, and, if you're really bored at work, fantasy baseball, Nascar, you name it they've probably got it. Fantasy is more than just an obsession with sports, it's a way to stay in touch with friends when you are spread across the country, it's a way to re-live an inside joke for years after high school is over. Plus you can come up with clever names like, my personal favorite, Faulking Awesome or Vick in a Box. Really there's no end to the jokes.

Fantasy sports somehow get us through the deadlines and projects of the work week to escape to another world. A world where my favorite football team is like the 49ers on Tecmo Super Bowl. We love a rigged team. We love a team that puts up some serious stats and for most of us rooting for a team of all-stars is unrealistic. So the cynics can criticize all they want but the fact remains; fantasy is better than reality I can promise you that.


Tell us why you love fantasy sports?