Fantasy Sports

[Turkeytop]

I'm not a sports fan. There is no sport that I follow. Lately I've been hearing about something they call fantasy sports. What does it mean?

[Honeyman]

I'm not a sports fan. There is no sport that I follow. Lately I've been hearing about something they call fantasy sports. What does it mean?

It's when you make a declaration of statements like, "The Lions will win the Super Bowl!"


Honestly, it's a VERY popular way to wager on sports, especially football. You draft your own '"team" which consists of players from multiple different NFL teams. Depending how they do weekly determines your score which competes with other players in your fantasy league.

[moldyoldie]

I just want to point out that it doesn't have to be about wagering, it can be a fun and engaging way to actively participate in the sport without actually playing the sport. There was just the small initial cost of participation. All the decisions and nuances that go into running a team are at your command.
We started a fantasy football league at work and I can honestly say it got me back into football after several years of practically ignoring the NFL. It can also be very addictive!

Our annual Super Bowl winner won a small plastic horse's ass trophy he/she could proudly display.

[edj]

NFL is by far the most popular, but there are also fantasy NBA, MLB, NHL, even golf leagues.

[Honeyman]

I got into fantasy waaaaaaaay before it was a thing, late 1980's. Friend of mine had heard about it, got 10 together and started a league. We used to tabulate scores by hand since there weren't computer programs or websites to do it all. My teams did very well and I made some bucks, especially one year with Randall Cunningham who I drafted late. But I had issues with it. If somebody else drafted Barry Sanders, I'd want him tackled on the 1 yard line. Or if I had a bet on a ballgame, it would skew my whole rooting, so I had to give it up.

[moldyoldie]

I got into fantasy waaaaaaaay before it was a thing, late 1980's. Friend of mine had heard about it, got 10 together and started a league. We used to tabulate scores by hand since there weren't computer programs or websites to do it all. My teams did very well and I made some bucks, especially one year with Randall Cunningham who I drafted late. But I had issues with it. If somebody else drafted Barry Sanders, I'd want him tackled on the 1 yard line. Or if I had a bet on a ballgame, it would skew my whole rooting, so I had to give it up.

My first year playing fantasy was '91. I had the "good fortune" of drafting Randall Cunningham in the first round. He proceeded to tear his ACL, MCL, and PCL in his left knee in the first game of the season. I was stuck playing KC's Steve Deberg at QB the rest of the season.

Yes, eventually after a few seasons it was getting to the point where I was actively rooting against the Lions and realized how perverse that was.

[Honeyman]

I got into fantasy waaaaaaaay before it was a thing, late 1980's. Friend of mine had heard about it, got 10 together and started a league. We used to tabulate scores by hand since there weren't computer programs or websites to do it all. My teams did very well and I made some bucks, especially one year with Randall Cunningham who I drafted late. But I had issues with it. If somebody else drafted Barry Sanders, I'd want him tackled on the 1 yard line. Or if I had a bet on a ballgame, it would skew my whole rooting, so I had to give it up.

My first year playing fantasy was '91. I had the "good fortune" of drafting Randall Cunningham in the first round. He proceeded to tear his ACL, MCL, and PCL in his left knee in the first game of the season. I was stuck playing KC's Steve Deberg at QB the rest of the season.

Yes, eventually after a few seasons it was getting to the point where I was actively rooting against the Lions and realized how perverse that was.

Yep, I had him in '90 and won the league. He was my hold for the '91 season, cried on opening day.