Every year, for the past three years, I've joined a fantasy football league with some friends from high school. The Foxes yahoo fantasy football league has been a way for me to stay in touch with friends from Roxbury Latin as well as add some fun personal fun to the football games played on Sundays and Mondays. Currently, I'm fifth in the league with a 4-4 record. However, I'm winning this week. I enjoy participating in the fantasy league, but I've noticed a few trends emerging in how I watch football.
Less care about team play
Since fantasy football is more about individual stats than team play, I've found that I will watch games just to see the particular player on my fantasy team do well. I couldn't care less about the rest of the team. I got upset this weekend when a particular running back on my team didn't play well. Turns out his team didn't run the ball well this weekend, but all I care about is the player.
Random anger at specific players for poor performance or great performance
When a guy on my team is doing poorly, I get really upset, as if their poor performance is causing me physical harm. Last week, Mike Sims-Walker, wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, had nine yards on two or three catches. Not a great outing by any stretch, but it happens. It didn't help my fantasy team. I could have used the projected nine points. On the flip side, this weekend I played someone who had Wes Welker on his team. He and Tom Brady hooked up from 84 yards. During the game, I was a mess every time Welker touched the ball.
Obsessive attention to player stats and team rankings
Suddenly, I find myself doing comparative research on how well a team's pass defense is against certain players. Now, as a follower of football, I have a higher general knowledge of how teams are doing, but my desire to know how well Hines Ward has done in the past against the Denver Broncos pass defense is just a tad bit much.
Luckily, I'm not anywhere near as bad as these guys. Let me be clear, I like fantasy football, it's fun and adds a new dimension to my enjoyment of the football season. It's just funny because I'm fully aware of how it's changing the way I watch football, and maybe I'm OK with it.
You should be a statistician or break down game film for a team, which would eventually lead to a head coaching postion. Then I could sit in the front row of EVERY SINGLE GAAAMMMMEEE!!!!!!
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