From the editor: Fantasy football brings excitement to sports fans
Josh McCarty
Issue date: 8/26/08 Section: Sports
As we enter the fall season, we are beginning arguably the most exciting time of the year to be a sports fan. The baseball pennant races are coming to a head, and football games will be played for the next five months.
What has millions of fans worldwide excited, however, is a game that doesn't take place on a field or in a stadium, but on a computer. The multi-billion dollar industry of fantasy football is back for another season and is in full swing as drafts are already taking place for 2008.
The hesitancy of those unfamiliar with the game is understandable. To the untrained ear, fantasy football sounds like some sort of video game.
But those who criticize but have participated have never felt the excitement of watching their player score multiple times and carry the fantasy team to victory. They have also never felt the frustration of watching a player with a juicy match-up fall to injury early in the game and leave the lineup with zero points for the week.
The primary joy of fantasy football is the bragging rights that come with victory.
Sports' fans spend countless hours debating topics with no resolution in sight. Who is the best quarterback of all time? Dan Marino has the statistics, but Joe Montana has the championships. At the end of the day, it's all just opinion, and there is no way to prove one side or the other.
What fantasy sports offer is an answer to those debates. We can't definitively state Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning, but if Tom Brady throws four touchdowns to Manning's two, then the argument is settled - for this week anyway.
The arguments start on draft day when everybody thinks they have all of the answers. Getting criticized for drafting a player too early, or waiting one round too late to grab a sleeper is all part of the process.
The strategy involved is building a team based on statistical projections that will outperform your opponents on a weekly basis.
There are hardly universal rules for this sport. Between keeper leagues, dynasty leagues and auction leagues, there is something for everyone.
As every year goes by, fantasy diehards learn more about the sport they love. A few years back, the strategy was to draft running backs early and fill in the rest of the roster throughout the draft. As time has gone on, people are learning that the dynamic wide receiver or the prolific quarterback can be just as valuable for the all-important early round picks.
So, whether this is your first season or you are an old pro, fantasy football participation will entertain you in a whole new way.
What has millions of fans worldwide excited, however, is a game that doesn't take place on a field or in a stadium, but on a computer. The multi-billion dollar industry of fantasy football is back for another season and is in full swing as drafts are already taking place for 2008.
The hesitancy of those unfamiliar with the game is understandable. To the untrained ear, fantasy football sounds like some sort of video game.
But those who criticize but have participated have never felt the excitement of watching their player score multiple times and carry the fantasy team to victory. They have also never felt the frustration of watching a player with a juicy match-up fall to injury early in the game and leave the lineup with zero points for the week.
The primary joy of fantasy football is the bragging rights that come with victory.
Sports' fans spend countless hours debating topics with no resolution in sight. Who is the best quarterback of all time? Dan Marino has the statistics, but Joe Montana has the championships. At the end of the day, it's all just opinion, and there is no way to prove one side or the other.
What fantasy sports offer is an answer to those debates. We can't definitively state Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning, but if Tom Brady throws four touchdowns to Manning's two, then the argument is settled - for this week anyway.
The arguments start on draft day when everybody thinks they have all of the answers. Getting criticized for drafting a player too early, or waiting one round too late to grab a sleeper is all part of the process.
The strategy involved is building a team based on statistical projections that will outperform your opponents on a weekly basis.
There are hardly universal rules for this sport. Between keeper leagues, dynasty leagues and auction leagues, there is something for everyone.
As every year goes by, fantasy diehards learn more about the sport they love. A few years back, the strategy was to draft running backs early and fill in the rest of the roster throughout the draft. As time has gone on, people are learning that the dynamic wide receiver or the prolific quarterback can be just as valuable for the all-important early round picks.
So, whether this is your first season or you are an old pro, fantasy football participation will entertain you in a whole new way.
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