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Fantasy sports: 'Worst trend of the last three decades'

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Dick Whitman, Jan 14, 2011.

  1. Layman

    Layman Well-Known Member

    Understand, completely, what you mean.

    Funny thing is, I find that the more I "know" (IMO, at least) about a sport, the worse I do in the fantasy version. I pride myself on being a knowledgeable football fan.....but just STINK at fantasy football. Haven't watched an NBA game in 20 years, but since being talked into a fantasy hoops league a few years ago, I've pretty much dominated my group. For me, fantasy hoops is a straight, analytical exercise.
     
  2. spikechiquet

    spikechiquet Well-Known Member

    Then play college fantasy football...if that's what you follow instead. I've been playing for 5 or 6 years now and it's a lot of fun. Much harder too, I think. Since instead of 32 QBs to draft from, you have more than a 100. I took Dwight Dasher (MTSU) with my first pick. The bastard screwed me over, but I still finished in the money thanks to picking up Ryan Aplin from Ark. St. off the wire. Having Ohio St's. D and both of ECU's WRs helped as well.
     
  3. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    Football is the hardest one and the least dependent on actual knowledge/preparation and most dependent on luck.

    I compare baseball and basketball, in a lot of ways, to Scrabble. You don't have to know what the words mean in Scrabble. You just have to know that those letters go together. Because of the nature of basketball and baseball, especially baseball, you can be fairly successful just taking it on as a purely mathematical exercise.
     
  4. JakeandElwood

    JakeandElwood Well-Known Member

    Where do you play that?
     
  5. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    By "commodification," I assume the letter-writer meant the act of using sports only as a random number generator. Without mythology or loyalty or regional passion, what do sports become?
     
  6. Layman

    Layman Well-Known Member

    Actually, if not for fantasy, I'm not sure I'd still follow baseball.

    I'm a kid of the 60's & 70's. Growing up, baseball was EVERYTHING to me. One of those kids who went to sleep with his glove under his pillow & listening to Herb Score call the Indians game.

    Due to the labor issues, steroid foolishness, etc., I'd really lost interest in the game....with the exception of a long standing, AL only, keeper league. It kept me interested & I'm (slowly) re-finding some affection for the game. I'm glad for that.
     
  7. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    Betting the spreads is exciting too, but I don't like all the loops I have to jump through to get a check from BetUS. Plus all of the fees.
     
  8. OnTheRiver

    OnTheRiver Active Member

    It's something fun you can do with some friends.

    Dude needs to lighten the fuck up.
     
  9. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    I've found that participating in both Football and Baseball fantasy sports leagues has increased my overall knowledge of the games and players.

    There are players I've come across that I never realized how productive they were until I had them on my fantasy team. There are also players I thought were very productive only to find that it was not the case. David Wright comes to mind as one of those players. Great stats at end of year but awful in fantasy league because he is so streaky.

    Juan Uribe - never realized that he was a 20 hr a year player until I needed a 2B.

    Dave Roberts - had him the year he was traded to the Red Sox. He was my SB player playing every day with Padres. Tons of steals. Knew when he came in to pinch run that the Yankees were screwed. Would not have known otherwise had Roberts not been on my fantasy team.



    It has no impact on how I root for teams.
     
  10. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    No, I did not write that letter to SI.
    But I don't get the fascination with fantasy sports and, as you all know, I don't give a damn about how your fantasy team is doing.

    A lot of my friends who play have said the same thing Boom did about increasing their knowledge of more teams and players.
     
  11. Big Circus

    Big Circus Well-Known Member

    This.
     
  12. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    The fantasy taxpayers of my fantasy team's municipality will vote tomorrow on a bond to fund our new stadium. The public debate today on fantasy talk radio figures to be spirited, if not spnited.
     
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