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Football purists and fantasy football fans


whomper
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I know a person can be both . I have loved football since the first time I ever saw it but there are people out there that feel fantasy football cheapens the joy of actually watching football. I disagree . I try not to let fantasy interfere with watching the Cowboys but when watching a game between 2 teams I have no interest in I enjoy the game for itself just because I love watching football but I also enjoy the fantasy aspect that makes me watch the game on a different level..The strange thing is that is what many people say they dislike about fantasy. The fact that you may not be watching for true football purposes .The other night during the colts/ bears game they compared Mannings early career #s to Grossmans..As many remember Manning had rough numbers and High ints early on and I liked the discussion from a football perspective..All of a sudden Kornheiser says " you mean to tell me that you would want Grossman over Manning on your fantasy team if you had to chose right now". I dont know why but hearing that line made me so Fin mad. It was good football talk cheapened by a useless point about fantasy football..What are your thoughts on Real football as opposed to fantasy football ?

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I know a person can be both . I have loved football since the first time I ever saw it but there are people out there that feel fantasy football cheapens the joy of actually watching football. I disagree . I try not to let fantasy interfere with watching the Cowboys but when watching a game between 2 teams I have no interest in I enjoy the game for itself just because I love watching football but I also enjoy the fantasy aspect that makes me watch the game on a different level..The strange thing is that is what many people say they dislike about fantasy. The fact that you may not be watching for true football purposes .The other night during the colts/ bears game they compared Mannings early career #s to Grossmans..As many remember Manning had rough numbers and High ints early on and I liked the discussion from a football perspective..All of a sudden Kornheiser says " you mean to tell me that you would want Grossman over Manning on your fantasy team if you had to chose right now". I dont know why but hearing that line made me so Fin mad. It was good football talk cheapened by a useless point about fantasy football..What are your thoughts on Real football as opposed to fantasy football ?

 

 

He could have easily said "would you want Manning or Grossman to build your football team around". The fantasy line wasn't necessary to make the same point.

 

"Fantasy" is thrown around too much these days; too bad it is so popular.

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Good topic: I've been thinking the same thing for some time now.

 

The other day, I was watching some sort of ESPN Fantasy Draft Show, where the celebrities were drafting their teams. These were guys like Trey Wingo, Meril Hodge, etc. For some reason, I find this totally absurd. To me, they are supposed to be the experts, giving us the up-to-date information we like about all the teams. To listen to them go on about how so-and-so is an idiot for taking a qb in the first round---that just makes them look like shmucks to me. Do we really need nationally broadcast fantatsy football tv and radio shows? No. We need REGULAR football shows that talk about the teams and players, and then WE as fantasy owners take that information and use it for OUR purposes.

 

Anyway, that's my rant.

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I know a person can be both . I have loved football since the first time I ever saw it but there are people out there that feel fantasy football cheapens the joy of actually watching football. I disagree . I try not to let fantasy interfere with watching the Cowboys but when watching a game between 2 teams I have no interest in I enjoy the game for itself just because I love watching football but I also enjoy the fantasy aspect that makes me watch the game on a different level..The strange thing is that is what many people say they dislike about fantasy. The fact that you may not be watching for true football purposes .The other night during the colts/ bears game they compared Mannings early career #s to Grossmans..As many remember Manning had rough numbers and High ints early on and I liked the discussion from a football perspective..All of a sudden Kornheiser says " you mean to tell me that you would want Grossman over Manning on your fantasy team if you had to chose right now". I dont know why but hearing that line made me so Fin mad. It was good football talk cheapened by a useless point about fantasy football..What are your thoughts on Real football as opposed to fantasy football ?

 

I've been watching football for over 40 years and agree with your point, in general. The fantasy aspect sometimes makes me root against my own interests in "real life" football...if that makes sense.

 

One minor point...I don't think Kornheiser mentioned fantasy football in the statement about Manning vs. Grossman. I may be wrong, but I remember the statement pretty clearly, as it was a stupid one. The entire point of the comparison was to look at where both QBs were after about 2 years of experience, not where there are right now.

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I hate it when you are discussing, say, Manning vs Brady - and someone drops the "fantasy" factor into it - whether it's "well, I play fantasy and Manning owns Brady statistically" or "I had Brady on my fantasy team last year and he sucked"

 

As much as I enjoy fantasy football, FF to "real" football is like Risk is to actually commanding armies. A player's fantasy impact (or lack thereof) really doesn't mean squat.

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I've been watching football for over 40 years and agree with your point, in general. The fantasy aspect sometimes makes me root against my own interests in "real life" football...if that makes sense.

 

One minor point...I don't think Kornheiser mentioned fantasy football in the statement about Manning vs. Grossman. I may be wrong, but I remember the statement pretty clearly, as it was a stupid one. The entire point of the comparison was to look at where both QBs were after about 2 years of experience, not where there are right now.

 

 

I remember it as clear as day..They were saying there could be hope for Grossman :D based on looking at the first 3 years of each of their careers..It was an interesting comparison then Tony K said..Do you mean to tell me you would take Grossman over Manning on your fantasy team right now ? He just crowbared in fantasy talk to a conversation where it had no place..

Edited by whomper
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I think it was in a sense calling Jaws' at-face-value ridiculous statement on the carpet.

 

I'd have rather he'd said "..so you'd build your team around Grossman instead of Manning?" as well, but Kornheiser busts out the fantasy talk every now and again - I think he thinks it's sorta funny, and how many fantasy owners do you know who can't shut up about their teams whether its on topic or not, anyway? (Sample conversation: "I mean, yeah, Emmitt has the tds, but Sanders had less around him, y'know?" "I drafted LT with the first pick in my money league!")

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I think it was in a sense calling Jaws' at-face-value ridiculous statement on the carpet.

 

I'd have rather he'd said "..so you'd build your team around Grossman instead of Manning?" as well, but Kornheiser busts out the fantasy talk every now and again - I think he thinks it's sorta funny, and how many fantasy owners do you know who can't shut up about their teams whether its on topic or not, anyway? (Sample conversation: "I mean, yeah, Emmitt has the tds, but Sanders had less around him, y'know?" "I drafted LT with the first pick in my money league!")

 

 

Yep..I agree it was for emphasis to defuse Jaws but for some reason I dont like the commentators throwing in fantasy..Ironically I dont mind the ticker during the game but I think back and cant picture Cosell or some of the old school guys making those statements. Fantasy is hugh hugh business though. Not sure why that comment from K struck such a nerve but I just saw red when I heard it..

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I remember it as clear as day..They were saying there could be hope for Grossman :D based on looking at the first 3 years of each of their careers..It was an interesting comparison then Tony K said..Do you mean to tell me you would take Grossman over Manning on your fantasy team right now ? He just crowbared in fantasy talk to a conversation where it had no place..

 

+1

 

he definitely mentioned fantasy team. i think they know that many people around the country paying close attention to these pre-season games are fantasy players and they are trying to cater to that. wouldn't surprise me if the espn brass have instructed the guys to throw in the fantasy angle on some regular basis.

 

i agree whomp, i don't need them doing that. this is the greatest game on earth and fantasy is an extension of that, not the cause. by having the network try to butter up to the fantasy guys, it's a cheap ploy for ratings and i think underestimates the fantasy players true love of the game.

 

having said that, there probably were multitudes out there who do respond to it and thought tony's comment was funny and "edgy" ...

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Good topic: I've been thinking the same thing for some time now.

 

The other day, I was watching some sort of ESPN Fantasy Draft Show, where the celebrities were drafting their teams. These were guys like Trey Wingo, Meril Hodge, etc. For some reason, I find this totally absurd. To me, they are supposed to be the experts, giving us the up-to-date information we like about all the teams. To listen to them go on about how so-and-so is an idiot for taking a qb in the first round---that just makes them look like shmucks to me. Do we really need nationally broadcast fantatsy football tv and radio shows? No. We need REGULAR football shows that talk about the teams and players, and then WE as fantasy owners take that information and use it for OUR purposes.

 

Anyway, that's my rant.

Amen :D Just talk about the real world and leave our fantasies to us!!

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+1

 

he definitely mentioned fantasy team. i think they know that many people around the country paying close attention to these pre-season games are fantasy players and they are trying to cater to that. wouldn't surprise me if the espn brass have instructed the guys to throw in the fantasy angle on some regular basis.

 

i agree whomp, i don't need them doing that. this is the greatest game on earth and fantasy is an extension of that, not the cause. by having the network try to butter up to the fantasy guys, it's a cheap ploy for ratings and i think underestimates the fantasy players true love of the game.

 

having said that, there probably were multitudes out there who do respond to it and thought tony's comment was funny and "edgy" ...

 

Perfect response. I couldn't have said it better myself. I was a football fan first and then FF player/owner. I do think that as much as I continue to enjoy the game outside of the fantasy realm, the hobby has changed the way I view and participate in watching football now. While watching the game/s (Cowboys in particular) I can't help but be thinkng about which one of my 5-7 opponents (depending on # of leagues I'm in) has a player in that game? If someone scores I find myself wondering who just benefitted from that? Many times I can't even sit watching the game as I'm jumping up to check all the live scoring tickers for my leagues. At the same time you're keeping an eye on injury updates that may have an impact on who's available and making decisions if it's worth adding them and how much to bid for them.

 

Then you have those moments of truth which have really put me on the edge as a fan of both fantasy and being a fan of the Cowboys and the game of football. You know the ones, especially if it's playoff time, your fantasy opponent for the week has Owens and Romo on his team and in the real game it's the 4th qtr, 4 min left and the Eagles are up by 4 and have the ball but it's 3rd and 10. All of the players from your fantasy team are finished and you're winning by 8 points or less. There you find yourself standing in front of the TV thinking, "Come on Boys make a stop!!" and at that very same moment you think,"Oh Sh1t, my fantasy opponent has Romo and Owens!!" Knowing damn well if the Cowboys get the ball back there's a real shot of you losing your playoff game. :D

 

But in the end I'm a Cowboy fan first and a fantasy football fan/owner second. But I would be lying if I said it wasn't very difficult at times and has definitely changed the way I view things.

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Bah. If someone told me "you will finish oh-fer in all your fantasy leagues, but that will help the Packers win the Super Bowl" I'd agree to that in a heartbeat.

 

I recall being at a Brewer game a few years back with a buddy and I was betting him a dollar a baserunner that the guy would get stranded. He went "why would you make that bet against the Brewers?" I told him I am the world's worst gambler and "I will gladly pay a dollar for my team to score a run." He thought my theory was sound.

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i can't believe that anyone would root for an outcome that hurts their real team to win a FF game. I am a steelers fan first and a FF fan last. i have been in FF for over 15 years but i have been a steelers fan since i was 12. i will root to lose my FF game so the steelers can get into the playoffs and hopefully the SB. real football #1 anything else last.

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This probably won't be popular but . . . if I had a chance to win several thousand dollars to pay bills, put away for the kids' education, etc., I'd take a FF victory even if it meant my favorite team missing the playoffs. I grew up a Redskins fan (after moving to Houston several years ago, I've also adopted the Texans). As a kid, I'd live and die each week watching the 'Skins play -- the Super Bowl loss to the Raiders still makes me mad. While I will still go to games and enjoy them immensely (can't wait until my sons are old enough to go), it is difficult for me to get too excited when I see a lot of the players treat fans like crap, owners fleecing fans by making them pay for stadiums with public funds while charging them 10 bucks for a beer, etc. It is such a "business" now that it is difficult sometimes to treat it otherwise. I wish I could go back and feel the way I did when I was 10 years old watching the 'Skins play or listening to the Orioles on the radio late at night, but I guess I'm a little too jaded for that.

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