Fantasy Sports – Regular Guy

Bragging About Nothing

brian — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 13:04:29 +0000

I have to admit, I used to do this. I still might do it on occasion, but I try to avoid this particular annoyance as much as possible these days. Partially because I realize it doesn’t matter, but mostly because I have realized how stupid it sounds.

People have to stop bragging about not doing things.

I’m not talking about the not doing things that I admire, like spending a whole day on your couch in sweats watching TV for no good reason. That is admirable and should be shared with the world. I’m talking about the kind of not doing things that annoying sports business writer Darren Rovell tweeted about over the weekend.

Realize it’s not what majority want to do, but it’s my 8th year of not filling out a bracket. Don’t think I will ever go back.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 15, 2015

This one got me for a couple of reasons. First of all, I love March Madness and fill out brackets like they are going out of style. I have done this forever so the fact that not filling out a bracket is some sort of badge of honor just makes me roll my eyes. Second, it was from Rovell, who is a twit.

But this isn’t just about March Madness brackets. We see it with any cultural phenomenon. People like to brag that they don’t care about the Super Bowl or Super Bowl commercials or the Oscars (I have been guilty of that) or pretty much any sports or pop culture event that brings people together.

I like some of those things and don’t like others, but why should I or anyone else feel compelled to puff our chest out when we aren’t interested in something a lot of other people like? Twitter and Facebook, that’s why.

I love social networks like those, but that’s pretty much the whole reason for this. People who love these events talk about them a lot, and those who are not included feel like they need to join the conversation if only to say they don’t want to join the conversation. It’s the ultimate “look at me move.”

Which is why the ultimate “look at me” guy Darren Rovell was the one that kind of set me over the edge. As I said, I am sure I have done this, usually with the Oscars and Grammys. I think I have learned my lesson. If you want credit for not doing something, you’re probably the kind of guy people don’t want joining them while they enjoy their favorite things. So just shut up.

Much Better

brian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:27:32 +0000

As baseball season comes to a close today, so does my fantasy baseball team’s campaign. I have played in the same league since the early 1990s, which amazes me.

I finished in sixth out of 12 teams this year. That might sound pretty unremarkable, but this is my best finish since 2001 when I finished in fourth. I managed to avoid major injuries for much of the season and looked like I would finish “in the money” (top 5) for a while, but just couldn’t get that extra push.

Even though I had pretty much set up shop in the bottom three of the league in recent years, I never really thought about leaving the league. First off, I would be in contention some years for a while before injuries and my lack of attention to which players would really help me did me in. Secondly, our regular meetings are a great chance to hang out, watch baseball and have a few beers.

Sometimes you hear criticisms about fantasy sports ruining the enjoyment of the sport itself. I’m sure that can be true for some people. But without this league, I would probably hardly notice what happened in baseball. I am much more interested in soccer and have so many other things going on in life.

I keep in touch with the sport mainly because baseball affords me the opportunity to engage in competition and have a few beers with friends every few weeks. That suits me just fine.

Baseball Defeats Terrorists

brian — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:02:46 +0000

The Fourth of July plays an important role in baseball. According to lore, the standings on our nation’s birthday play a big factor in who ends up with bragging rights once fall comes.

I don’t know how accurate this tale is, but it means a lot to me because of my fantasy baseball team. Right now, I’m in fourth place with a shot to move up to third on any given day.

This is huge. I have been in this league for 15 years now and only finished in the top half of the standings (we have 12 teams) a handful of times. The past few years, I have finished ninth, 11th, 10th, 11th, 12th (setting a league record for worst season ever), eighth and fourth.

That fourth place finish came in 2001 so maybe I should blame the terrorists instead of my own knowledge of the sport. Does that mean if I finish in the top half of the league, we have officially defeated the terrorists?

If so, thank Justin Duchscherer and Ian Kinsler.

Fantasy Dream

brian — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:20:22 +0000

Fantasy football has taken off the past few years. I have played it in some form for I don’t know how long, but it hasn’t been as pervasive until recently. This year, I think I’ll be in two leagues – one of which is just myself and two other friends so it’s hard to consider it alongside the bigger leagues out there.

Besides growing in popularity, fantasy football took another step this week when Stations Casinos announced it would start accepting wagers on fantasy points for players. Stations has 14 properties, nine of which are in Vegas although none are on The Strip.

The plan is to pick 24 players each week for the line. Touchdowns count as six points and players will get one point for every 30 yards passing and one point for every 10 points rushing or receiving. The bet will be a simple over/under prop bet. For Week One, Donovan McNabb has a line of 16.

I pretty much like any kind of gambling I can find, so this is awesome news. None of the other books in Vegas seem to be following suit, from the story. I might be headed to Vegas later this fall and might just have to go to a Stations property to place one of these bets.

A Fantasy of Success

brian — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 18:08:32 +0000

I will spend hours upon hours Friday night looking over documents. I will pore over reams of documents searching for the perfect solution to my problems. Taxes? Nope. It’s time for my fantasy baseball draft.

This is serious business. Sure, there is money at stake, but I’m not as worried about that as I am about undoing the past two years.
Two years ago, I finished dead last. Last year, I managed to move up one spot to finish in 11th. The Baltimore Orioles envy the futility of my past two seasons.

I joined this league in 1993 or 1994 and have never come close to winning. One year I did threaten for the title in one of the closest races ever, but fell from first to seventh in less than a month.

A lesser person might walk away from that history. A better person would find a better way to spend the money I allocate for this hobby each year.

Luckily, I’m neither that big nor that good.

Playing fantasy baseball is about more than bragging rights or prizes. If I got out of the league, I would turn my back on the food and beer served at our draft and the meetings we hold throughout the year.

People give me free food and beverages at those meetings. We sit around and watch sports. We swap stories and make fun of each other.

How can a guy turn that down?

I also hold onto the illusion that each year might be the one I turn things around. Every draft gives me the hope that I might actually buy the beer for the next year’s draft, an honor bestowed on the champion.

I had that feeling last year. I sat down and looked at the spreadsheets I had prepared. I scanned my lists of preferred players. I filled up my plate with wings and pizza.

Nothing could stop me now. Until the time came for my first pick. I had the ninth choice in the first round and as the guys ahead of me wrote their selections on the board, I faced a horrible realization.

Barry Bonds was the top player available when my turn came. Getting one of the best players in baseball with the ninth pick was too good to be true.

I once played in a free league online with my nephew and some of his college friends. One of them kept trying to trade me a player I hated. He couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t budge. I told him I could only root for a player I hated if I stood to win a lot of money.

I hate Barry Bonds. Always have, even before we all found out (and you know it’s true) that he has used steroids or something similar to improve his performance. I shook my head in disgust as I wrote his name on the board.

Every time I looked at my name near the bottom of the standings, I recalled that moment. Perhaps my performance wasn’t a sign of my incompetence, but a lesson in disguise. Maybe I would have done better if I had picked a player that wasn’t on drugs.

If I keep telling myself that, maybe I’ll have some confidence when I make my picks this year. I have the second pick in the first round this year and am pretty sure Barry Bonds will be available.

I won’t make the same mistake twice. This year, I’ll have someone else to blame when I bring up the rear.