Many moons ago, I remember rooting for my beloved Angels and only caring whether they won or lost. I was a HUGE fan and my mood that night would revolve around their wins and losses. If they won, I was on cloud 9, eager to read the LA Times Sports page the next morning....if they lost, I'd go right to bed and I'd still read the Sports page but stayed far away from the recap on the loss. It was all Angels all the time. I was concerned about the name on the front of the jersey and had no personal feelings either way about the names on the back. As long as they helped the team win, I was their most ardent fan.
However, since that time (many moons ago), something has changed. Sure, I still root for the Angels to win but my allegiance has now gone from the front of the jersey to the back. No longer do I root for the team to win (per se) but instead root for the team to win AND for my "fantasy players" to do well. If the Angels lose but Guerrero hits 2 bombs, then I am stoked. It is this change of feeling that leads me to believe that.....
The creation of "fantasy" has ruined sports forever.
Don't get me wrong, I am a big participant in fantasy sports. When I was 12 years old, my brother and I created our own fantasy baseball league and it is still going strong 23 years later. I have also played fantasy football, fantasy basketball, and even fantasy golf. I guess you could say I enjoy the competition and the camaraderie that comes with being part of a league but through that participation, I have sacrificed what "rooting for the home team" used to be all about. Now it's, "Root, root, root for the homerun" instead.....because a solo homerun earns me 6 points on the fantasy scale.
What stinks is that in order to get back to rooting for just the Angels themselves, I would have to give up my enjoyment of fantasy sports. It's all or nothing. How many times have the Angels been winning by 2 runs in the 9th, KROD on the mound, and WHACK.....he gives up a 3 run shot to one of my fantasy players? What do I do? How do I react? If anyone is around, I act pissed and yell at Frankie for sucking and then when I'm all alone, I jump up and down because I just got an extra 8 points for the night.
I hate that feeling and yet love it at the same time. I am a "fantasy geek" and know the stats of almost every player and yet, I want that feeling back that I had as a 12 year old where my good nights were dependent on Angel wins instead of fantasy points.
How can I have my cake and eat it too? Answer: I can't.
It's either drop fantasy all together or accept the fact that life's pleasures now revolve around: homeruns, three point baskets, touchdowns, and top 5 finishes instead of just pure wins and losses.
It stinks! I hate fantasy sports!
ps I'm thinking of having a Fantasy NASCAR league? Anyone want in?
10 comments:
One correction to your post, your title should be "Fantasy Sports....Good, Bad, AND Ugly"
Truthfully, I don't mind the fantasy sports, you have learned how to feed this addiction for the most part when I am not around so I never (well almost never) feel neglected. But-I have to put my foot down to Fantasy NASCAR!
I agree with just about everything in your post. I've participated in fantacy leagues, have on occasion won, and I found that my overall sports experience became more negative.
Where a disagree to a certain degree with your post is the fantacy league vs. real sports dichotomy. The dichotomy isn't real sports vs. fantacy league - it is real sports vs. gambling. The addictive element to fantacy leagues is the same element that is found in rolling dice, pulling a lever or waiting for the right card to come out of a deck. On a personal level I found that this element wasn't beneficial to me and have not participated in many years. This doesn't make me any better than anybody else, I have just found that I can enjoy sports much more when I am not in a fantacy league.
Actually, Fantasy Nascar is the best solution to your dilemma. See, your dilemma only exists because you love the Angels so much. Fantasy NASCAR would allow you to fulfill your fantasy needs....fantasy sports needs that is, while still allowing you to commit to the Angels (as long as you abstain from Fantasy baseball.) We all know that's not going to happen, but my point is playing fantasy sports in a sport in which you don't have a faithful allegience is the key. That is what made last weekend's golf tournament so interesting. For some odd reason I picked Jeff Quinney for my fantasy line-up last week only to see him tied for the lead going into Sunday. Next thing you know I'm sweating over whether or not Jeff Quinney, some poindexter little blowhard golfer I've never heard of, makes a 7 foot putt to challenge Phil in an obscure golf tournament I've never cared about in my life. It's a beautiful thing this Fantasy sports. I think you need to realize that Fantasy sports, even fantasy baseball, hasn't detracted from your allegience to the Angels as much as it's added something else to route for. It doesn't replace your allegience, it just adds something to it. It represents your allegience to the game of baseball, of which the Angels are just a part of. It's like how the Book of Mormon adds to the Bible, while not replacing it or detracting from it.
Cort....NICE CALL!!!
Fantasy Sports.."Another Testament of the Washed-up Athlete."
Dro,
Nice post. While I agree somewhat with Cort in the fact that Fantasy Baseball doesn't necessarily take away from your Angels allegience, I do want you to know that your mini fantasy game you play while attending games does take away from your allegience. I hate that game. It sucks when you decide to pick 2-3 players from the opposing team and root for them so you don't walk away from the game $100 bucks down.
By the way, I think Cort still owes me from the last game.
AND That is the true reason I have never joined the Fantasy. I can only barely keep 9 players straight and yes, if they sub. it's all over for me. Then there is the other delima . . . my own life just seems like a fantasy blur right now. AND that's my own testament
Fantasy Baseball was the best thing to happen to the sport, well maybe not the best, it ranks right under steroids and HGH.
In a game that at times that can be boring, I am a huge fan of baseball, it adds interest where interest never was. You always root for your team first, GO YANKEES, and your fantasy players second. Dro you told me that once.
Also, I have played in leagues where there was no money involved it was purely for fun. While it was not as interesting, it stilled filled the competitiveness that is needed in ones life, once he is washed up. I would disagree with kasnow, its not gambling its competition. I'm not joining Dro's league so I can earn a second income, I am joining for camaraderie. Its about maintaining friendships even after you have moved cross country. I mean who knows if I ever would have spoken to Dro again if it wasnt for fantasy sports. (Dro, we know thats not true, I am just trying to prove a point.)
Dro, I know where you're coming from. But fantasy baseball is the best game I've ever played. It's just too much fun combing the stats and competing to let the trifles of allegiance get in the way. It's been over two months since fantasy football ended and I find myself just dying for baseball to start to get going again.
Dude, just play fantasy golf, basketball, and football. Just leave out baseball. Problem solved.
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