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By Brian George
bgeorge@pigskinpodcast.com
Christmas.
Birthday.
Fantasy Football draft.
Three days I look forward to every year, and the latter just may be the best.
Presents are great, sure, but do I really need that new necktie or box of Titleist Pro Vs I'll surely duck-hook into the woods? For my money, I'll take the No. 1 overall pick in my fantasy draft and watch LaDainian Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson carry me to fantasy immortality.
A recent survey by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association estimated more than 15 million adult Americans play fantasy sport -- more than 90 percent fantasy football. The sport -- if you want to call it that -- has changed the way people follow the NFL. Prior to immersing myself in the fantasy world, I cared as much about a Cardinals-Niners game as I did about my ex-girlfriend's new diet plan. (Hopefully, it fails). But now, if Frank Gore can't pick up this 4th-and-2 to put him over a hundred, I might throw this remote through the TV.
Heck, that's two more fantasy points!
The truth is I'm much more involved in the NFL than I ever thought I would be. Just about everyone in my 12-team league subscribes to DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket, and if they don't, it's simply because they're cheap and also refuse to pay a couple bucks for a waiver wire pickup on Tuesday morning. I'll watch every second of a Steelers game -- that won't ever change -- but I also now find myself bouncing around to every other game that has fantasy implications. Stats are constantly updated across the screen on every game. Stats, stats and more stats; I can't get enough. The left button on my mousepad is worn out from hitting 'refresh' on my computer.
I doubt very much I'm alone in any of these prior statements, and without question, there are people much more involved than I am. To maintain sanity, I limit myself to one money league and no more than two 'for fun' leagues. Anymore, and my head's spinning on Sundays -- I get enough of that from the Miller Lite I'm bound to consume while watching the big game.
Fantasy football has become nearly as big as the NFL itself. It gives the everyday Joe a chance to manage a roster full of NFL stars with a chance of a big payday when all is said and done. If you're not in, you're not 'in.'
My advice is to play just to play, or play to win big, but play nonetheless. It makes the games more exciting, you'll find yourself much more involved and if you're lucky enough, you may win yourself a couple bucks. We're living in a fantasy world, and it's time you pay the rent. I couldn't tell you how many days until Christmas or my birthday, but it's 61 days until my fantasy football draft.
I need to get to work.
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