As the temperatures in Wisconsin begin to fall, the level of competition begins to rise. The end of summer brings on the change from swimsuits to game-day gear. If you are a Wisconsin native the appropriate colors are green and gold. And if you are me, you will soon find yourself declared – a football widow.
In the attempt to integrate into American culture, I have discovered the tradition that is Sunday, Monday and even Thursday night football games. I accept this, the Packers play once a week; and we must watch. In fact in my household this day has been declared “Christmas” and anyone that plans an activity on game day is declared “the Grinch” for stealing Christmas.
And then came fantasy football…
If you are not familiar with this billion dollar industry, let me explain. Sports fans join a league, then spend a lengthy amount of time gathering information on players. A draft day is set. Drafting can be done in the comfort of a fan’s home, or leagues may choose to host a drafting party. Popular draft party locations include Buffalo Wild Wings and Hooters. Each member of the league is able to draft one NFL player at a time. During the NFL season members of the league compete against each other. Each week, each member is matched up against, another member. NFL players real-time stats are converted into fantasy points. And that is how games are won, or lost.
According to the FSTA (Fantasy Sports Trade Association) over 33 million people in the USA will participate in a fantasy sport in 2013. At least 80% of those are expected to have a fantasy football team. It is not uncommon to participate in three or four leagues.
While preparing for the draft, league members view websites to review the stats of the NFL players. These will help them to determine who to draft and in what order. Each league has its own set of rules. But in a standard league each person picks 14 players. As the season goes on, players can pick up or drop players based on their needs. Injuries often result in a frantic scrambling of members to find a replacement for their team. Up to 30% of fantasy players admit to using at least six websites to find their relevant data.
Since league members are now in essence the “coach” of their team, now every single game has to be watched and scrutinized. Members are looking for players that may be a good pick, to find players that score the highest and perform the best.
As much as fantasy leagues get fans even more committed to the game, they also use a lot of time to run. According to estimates by Challenger, Gray & Christmas in a report via FoxBusiness.com, “The nation’s more than 22 million employed fantasy football participants may be costing employers up to $6.5 billion this year.” Time spent at work can also be time spent on researching players for the game.
I think many people have become so obsessed with their fantasy game that the real game score is forgotten. Headlines such as “Aaron Rodgers wins for fantasy owners in loss to the 49ers” may seem confusing, but show that even when your home team loses a game, their fantasy players may still win their match up based on the results within the game.
Ex-Packer player Greg Jennings commented in a Bleacher report interview, “It’s a unique deal where we mean more to a fan than we ever have. I remember getting hurt and I’m leaving the stadium, and first thing a guy says to me is, ‘Jennings, should I drop you from fantasy?’ And you sit back like, ugh, really?”
If you think it is just hardcore football fans that are playing fantasy sports – think again! Celebrities are getting involved too. Paul Rudd, Ashton Kutcher, Ozzy Osbourne, Zoey Deschanel and Elizabeth Banks have all admitted to managing fantasy teams.
And then there are the NFL players themselves that join leagues. Can you imagine a drafting party where members at the party are drafting teammates, opposing teammates and maybe even themselves? That would be interesting. Players cannot play for money, but playing for “fun” is allowed. Players have commented that they will bench players on their roster if they are playing them in real-life as it seems like a conflict of interest.
The most honest explanation I have read about the craze that is fantasy football is “One does not simply play fantasy football…one lives fantasy football.” I guess that rings true for many fans of the game.