As National Football League (NFL) Reporter Scott Hanson used to say, “Twelve hours of commercial free football starts now!” NFL fans have limited hours to watch and enjoy their favorite sport. But there is also a way they can get inside the game any day of the week for as many hours as they want: fantasy football. Fantasy football is loved by many in and outside of the United States. Some just join a league for a social event, others take hours or even days to research and prepare for league drafts. It’s all fun and games until the rivalries begin.
Fantasy Football is a game that around 500 million people play worldwide. It is based on the NFL and started in 1962 by Bill Wink who was a sports reporter traveling with the Oakland Raiders. In 1991, a soccer version based off of the Premier League was created. Today, many people play fantasy baseball, basketball, and many other sports as well. For fantasy football, each league has a different scoring and team format that is ultimately decided by the league Commissioner. A common layout for a fantasy football team is one Quarterback, two Running backs, two Wide Receivers, one Tight End, one Kicker, and one Defense in a starting line up. There are also usually five players on a team’s bench and one spot for a player on the Injury Reserve.
The way that games are scored each week is different for every player position. A quarterback gets .04 points per passing yards and 4 points for a passing touchdown. Any player that rushes the ball gets .1 per yard and 6 points for a touchdown. It’s the same with someone who catches the ball, except in many leagues they get an automatic 1 point per catch. A kicker will get 1 point per extra point that they kick and start at 3 points for a field goal, an amount that increases for a longer field goal. Defenses start with 10 points, lose points by giving up touchdowns and field goals, and can gain some back by getting a sack, interception, fumble recovery, or scoring a touchdown.
As previously stated, fantasy football is just a social event until the intense rivalries start. So why do so many people come back every year? WO Instructor and fantasy football enthusiast Caleb Fuller said,“I keep coming back to fantasy football because it helps me stay connected and intrigued in the games going on around the country. Also, [I enjoy] watching players play from their college days into the professional leagues.” Through the ups and downs, staying connected to the league helps people stay in the game. Like many other sports traditions, fantasy football is a staple throughout households that no one can seem to get away from.
Another popular aspect of fantasy football is the last place punishments. Many leagues, especially high school leagues, create punishments for the loser of the league. One such punishment is “the cage,” which is being trapped in a dog cage and having the other people from the league pour and throw food over you. Two other popular punishments are the “milk mile,” which includes running a mile while drinking a gallon of milk; or staying 24 hours at IHOP while trying to eat as much food as possible to lower the timer. Sr. Kyler Comment said, “Punishments are the best thing about fantasy, the enjoyment of watching the hilarious punishments is awesome. Throughout the league, sweating the wins making sure you don’t fall to last place is what it’s all about. [They are} some of the funniest moments I have been a part of.”
To go along with the punishments, there are also, of course, rewards for winning. A common fee to join a league is anywhere from ten to one hundred dollars. Depending on the amount of players in the league, the winnings will then grow or shrink. For example, in a twelve person league with a buy-in of twenty dollars, the winner can leave the season with one hundred and twenty dollars, second place with forty dollars, third place with thirty dollars, then fourth and fifth place with twenty five dollars each. This reward can be split up however the league members and commissioner see fit. Other leagues sometimes have in-week incentives as well. An example of this would be the top scoring team getting extra money at the end of the season.
In the end, people stick with fantasy football because it’s fun and brings league participants together. It gives friends something to laugh about, argue over, and look forward to each week. Even the dreaded punishments make the whole thing more entertaining and unforgettable. Whether someone takes it super seriously or just joins for fun, fantasy football always finds a way to make the NFL season better. It’s a simple game, but it ends up becoming a big part of people’s fall and winter every year.
