We launch our Fantasy sports section today with our fantasy football coverage! Some of you that are fans of the Last Word on Sports site may be wondering why people play fantasy football. There are many reasons why people play fantasy football and why you should, too. I have been playing fantasy football for a long time, over 20 years. What I have realized is it is not all about the championships. Although, I am not going to lie they are part of it.
I started playing fantasy football in high school with friends. This lasted on through college. One summer I remember the horrible thought that I may miss the draft for our league. I had joined the Army Reserves a few years earlier and was on my two week summer training that would last until August 5th. The draft was set for August 4th. There was another issue with those dates. I turned 21 on August the 5th that year. This Army thing was really getting in the way. But, what choice did I have. There was only one thing I could do. Work my tail off and get released to go home that night. I did just that and got home in time for the draft. What a great night with my friends! We drafted our teams and then at midnight we went out for my first drink (okay my first legal drink). Fantasy football brought my friends and I together that night and I’ll have those memories forever. Trust me, there are more stories from that night, I will keep those to myself for now. Fantasy football gives people a reason to get together with friends and create memories.
In that league was my best friend. He and I are still in contact today. We are in contact because we run fantasy baseball and football leagues together. Unfortunately, there times in all our lives that cause us to lose contact with people we are close to. This could have happened to Eric and I. We have families, jobs, and all the other distractions life brings us. But, by having the fantasy leagues, we stay in touch with each other.
These leagues have not just kept me close with friends, it has been away for me to share time and conversations with my in-laws. Not long after meeting my wife, I found out that her brother and dad loved sports. Soon after that, we had an opening in our fantasy baseball league. I asked my wife’s brother to join. He fell in love with fantasy sports. Then we brought her dad into the mix. They both joined the football league and now we cannot get together without a discussion on the current status of our teams and at times it is much to the dismay of our wives. Fantasy sports can give those boring family events a whole new purpose, trade talks.
Last year I took another step in bringing family together. My oldest son, Wyatt, has been asking to play fantasy football for years. I decided to ask family members to join a football league so Wyatt could get his first taste in fantasy sports. I got five members of my wife’s family and five of mine to join up for the league. We all had great fun with it. My family in one division and my wife’s in the other. Much fun was had at family events talking about the league. It gave some of us a topic to talk on where we had none before. It was fun and competitive with nothing on the line more than bragging rights. Which by the way, Wyatt has by beating me for the championship. He beat me all three times we played last year. He has had fun pointing out to all the family that he was the Champion.
I love fantasy sports for many reasons. The competition, the stats (I love numbers), following the sport, talking/writing about it, but mostly for the friendships that we have because of it. There is that geeky stat guy stereotype associated with fantasy sports. However, the great thing about today compared to when I started playing fantasy sports is the internet. Back then you had to really look and build your own information. Now, you can just rely on the internet to do the work for you. So do not be scared of joining a fantasy league at work, with friends, or even family. You will find that it gives that group something to talk about and have fun with. Join a league and look here at Last Word on Sports for some great fantasy info. We will work to help you win your league and brag, as Wyatt has, about your championship.
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