Coming Out Of Fantasy Football Retirement
BOSTON (CBS) - Fantasy Football for me began in the late 80's. We used to watch football every Sunday over my Uncle George's house. People my uncle worked with had just started up a league.
My dad had a great idea: get a team of our own, so my cousin Nick and I would have something more to root for each week. It would make us bigger football fans and we'd have much more fun.
Well it only took a few weeks before my dad was hooked. All fantasy, all the time. When he traded away Eric Dickerson, he also mailed the guy he traded him to a pair of Rec Spec goggles, just like the ones the running back used to sport. My dad was all in.
The next season, Nick and I were making fun of my dad about something. He threatened that if we kept it up, he'd trade away our stud runner, Christian Okoye. I looked at him and bluntly said "It would hurt you more than it hurt us." Then my dad paused for a second, and said "You know, you're right."
So as the years went on we had a blast playing Fantasy Football. Won a few titles – our "Three Amigo" backfield of Terry Allen, Terrell Davis, and Ricky Watters in 1996 is still hard to beat.
And eventually, when one of my friends needed someone to take a franchise to fill out his league at work, I got my own team. 1999. I somehow ended up with Kurt Warner in his breakout season. Edgerrin James in a fantastic rookie year. Emmitt Smith, Terrence Mathis, Terry Glenn, and so on – I was stacked. Not only did I win the league, but I had high points almost every week. It was awesome.
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But as the years passed on, Fantasy Football began to actually detract from my enjoyment of the game itself. As any fantasy player knows, at some point all you care about is: Who scored? Did he get a bonus? He's hurt? How long will he be out? And praying you can snag the top guy on the waiver wire, etc.
I wasn't able to just sit down and enjoy watching a game on TV. All I could think about was "I knew I should have started this guy" or "Why didn't I draft that guy when I had the chance."
All the pleasure of watching my favorite sport was gone. Instead of rooting for teams I liked, all I cared about was "Can I get the backup tight end in Detroit?" And "Should I cut this guy I really like to pick up a warm body to play during someone's bye week?"
nd then the time came when I knew I had to give it up. Three years ago, my wife and I had a son. Most of my free time was gone. So I decided to make a grown up decision.
Sad as it was, I had to retire from Fantasy Football.
But you know what? The strangest thing happened. I actually got to enjoy football again. Really enjoy it. If Miles Austin caught a game-winning bomb to win it for the Cowboys in overtime, I could be "Wow what a great play!" instead of immediately jump to "Oh no! Austin is on the best team in my division and now that guy will stay one game up on me in the standings!"
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It was fantastic. No more worrying about if guys got bonus. No fretting over who I started and who I sat. No anguish over losing out on a waiver claim. And football was awesome again. I could giggle when the guys in the office – Rochie, Sully & Matty G. – would all be suffering over "a stupid made up game that is basically all luck and doesn't mean anything."
I used to suffer like that. The backup running back in Seattle scoring two touchdowns used to ruin my day. Well, not anymore.
Each season my friends or my dad would ask me if I wanted to get a team again. "No way!" I would always tell them. I was a free man.
Then a few weeks ago, the worst thing happened. My mother-in-law's computer broke, and she needed me to help her draft her football team, because she couldn't get access to the web.
"OK, fine" I thought. Even though I didn't play anymore, I still keep up with what's going on in the league. I think once fantasy players do that sort of thing, you never really stop, whether you're playing or not.
So I picked her squad. She had her heart set on one player, so I grabbed him in the first round, but it really threw off the rest of my drafting strategy. I wasn't too psyched about the team I ended up with. No doubt a little rusty in the process. Waited one round too long on a few guys I really wanted.
Week one of the NFL came this past Sunday. Even though it was technically my mother-in-law's team, I couldn't stop checking the league scoreboard, the ticker on TV, and the box scores online.
We were getting crushed. Had the lowest score of any team. To say I was miserable would be a strong word, but I was close.
My mother-in-law called me Monday morning, and told me I should manage the team because I'm more up to date with the NFL this year anyways. Ugh. This could be a black cloud over the whole season.
But then Monday night came. That player my mother-in-law insisted I pick no matter what in the first round? That would be Tom Brady.
I also ended up picking Wes Welker. Obviously, those guys had yet to play at the end of Sunday, when my team was the worst in the league.
By the end of Monday night, my team was the highest scoring team in the league and blew everyone away. Oh baby! Shazam! What a rush!
So I guess like it or not, I'm back in Fantasy Football. Back big. For better or worse. My son's a little older now, so I think I can sneak a few peeks at the player updates on my smart phone while he's watching Curious George.
I hope I'm still able to enjoy this NFL season. It'd be a shame if the beauty of the game was once again obscured by random stats by a guy on a team I have no ties to. Only time will tell.
Now excuse me, I have to get to sleep early. I put in a waiver move for Cadillac Williams. I have the last pick in the waiver order, so I probably won't get him.
But just to be sure, I gotta wake up at 3 am to check the web…
Follow Joe Giza on twitter @GizaWBZ
