Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football - I love it. But it's definately for someone without a family.

---A quick indoctrination for those of you unfamiliary with Fantasy Football (FFL), FFL is where ten to twelve people (players) get together and form a league. Then each player picks a roster of National League Football players for their fantasy team, and monitors their progress over the NFL season getting points depending on how well their players perform.---

My friend and I had a laugh the other night about how we used to mail, fax and phone calls in order to make changes to our roster and update our statistics every week when we first started. And then ESPN came along with their online league for $29.99 and did everything at the touch of a button. Now joining a league is free. How times have progressed.

But back to the point of why FFL isn't for a family man. This week was our league's draft. I'd purchased one of those fantasy guide books as I had every year for the last eleven years and joined the same league I've been in for just as long. After getting the boys to bed, I tried to cram my football research into my head, but most nights I found myself waking up in the wee hours of the morning with the guide book on the floor, the couch or my chest not sure where I left off, but sure I hadn't progressed more than a page.

Doing well in FFL (Fantasy Football) requires lots of research. More than that, it requires watching the games. Sure a family man can read the papers and statistics after the kids go to bed, but as for watching the games forget it. Especially, after Monday Night Football left ABC for ESPN. And watching football is the most important thing a Fantasy Footballer can do. That's the only way one can really get a feel for how NFL players and NFL teams are doing. The drop balls. The steadiness of a quarterback in the pocket. How good the running back really is versus the offensive or opposing defensive line.

So John, why don't you watch the games, you ask For example, have your kids watch the game with you or tell the wife you're going out? First, young kids are hard pressed to sit still and watch anything for three hours that doesn't have light sabers or hot wheels flashing across the screen. Not to mention constantly wanting your attention (I've got my kids to sit through a quarter of football, but that's it.) As for leaving the wife and kids to go to a bar? A weekend consists of two days. Do I really want to give up one of those two days to watch football instead of being with the kids? It's a hard choice, but in the end, the kids win out-most of the time.

So my FFL record:
Prekids - most years I reached the playoff round.
Since the kids - I don't think I've made it once.
Why do I keep playing? I like it. Also, when I tried to bow out last year my old friends used all kinds of creative terms to force me to maintain some sense of male pride. It's also given me ample ammunition into shaming anyone of those "old friends" who try to bow out now.

So if you're that guy who bowed out this year or the other guy who thought about it, don't forget to put on your skirt the next time you step outside.