How Fantasy Football has changed the way we look at the NFL!

[Jrick35]

This thread was inspired by the thread started by another huddler who was bashing Brett Favre.

 

I remember watching the NFL prior to the advent of fantasy football. Back then, as fans, we were satisfied with the players on our favorite team so long as they were winning games, making the playoffs and maybe even every so often get into and, should the football Gods allow, maybe even win a Super Bowl.

 

That is not to say that we were not looking at stats, we were, but we were looking at stats in relation to our teams place in the standings. As a Cowboys fan I grew up watching Staubach play for the Cowboys.

 

Now Staubach is a HOF QB who had a great knack for finding ways to win games. So long as Roger was playing the Cowboys had a chance to win. One of my favorite Staubach memories is of a MNF game against the skin's when the 'Boys came back from 2 different 17 point deficits to win 35-34, it was an incredible game to watch. Staubach is probably the biggest reason that the NFL keeps track of how many times a QB leads his team to comeback wins in the 4th quarter, and he was universally admired by Cowboy fans.

 

But as a fantasy QB he would have SUCKED. In 10 years he only threw for more than 3000 yds in a season twice. And he only had more than 20 TD's in a season 3 times. But his record as a starter, his lifestyle & his post-season record made him a great QB and when he had less than stellar games or even seasons it was ok, because we knew he would bounce back and the cowboys would win games.

 

If we had been playing Fantasy Football in the 70's, we would have had an entirely different view of Staubach as a QB.

 

Flash forward to 2008 with Fantasy Football in full swing and still growing we look at each player through a magnifying glass, and fans of the Jets are no longer satisfied that Favre found a way to win his game this week despite not playing to his best potential, rather they say he sucks because he put up less than stellar Fantasy Points and that he is only the 13th ranked QB in the league.

 

There are 32 starting QB's in the NFL, how can being the 13th ranked among those 32 mean you suck? At 13th, the old man has a better ranking than 19 other QB's in the league, it is bizarre to think that equates to him sucking.

 

He is on a brand new team, in an brand new conference and he has already led his new team to as many wins this year(4) in 7 games as they had all of last year in 16 games. Of the 16 Starting QB's in the AFC Favre is ranked 6th in Passer rating. IS he playing as well as ever? Probably not, does he suck, definitely not.

 

Fantasy Football is a great hobby but it has caused us as fans to look at players through a microscope, taking a 1 game snapshot, 1 week at a time and using that weeks stat line as the basis for our opinion of that player. I feel that it is important as fans to separate a players value as a Fantasy Player from his value as a player on his team in the NFL, failure to do so can take away all of the enjoyment of watching your team find a way to win a game that they were in danger of losing.

[G.K.Trey]

"Flash forward to 2008 with Fantasy Football in full swing and still growing we look at each player through a magnifying glass, and fans of the Jets are no longer satisfied that Favre found a way to win his game this week despite not playing to his best potential, rather they say he sucks because he put up less than stellar Fantasy Points and that he is only the 13th ranked QB in the league."

 

I do agree with you for the most part , except that most of the people complaining are not Jet fans ,they just have him on their FF team. I think for the most part any knowledgeable Jet (or football ) Fan would realize that their team is not that good and Favre is learning a new system and that he will not look like the one in GB , at least not yet.

[DMD]

My counter is that people who enjoy fantasy football do so in addition of their rooting of their favorite team, not in replacement. FF is an extension of the love for football and a way to integrate yourself into game results instead of merely being a spectator. My desire to see America's Team return to their rightful throne is entirely separate from FF and what I want to see Clinton Portis or McNabb do in a given week.

[Bricktop]

I agree with you as well...........but this is a Fantasy Football Forum, what do you think people are going to b@tch about????? Players not putting up points.

[Cunning Runt]

My counter is that people who enjoy fantasy football do so in addition of their rooting of their favorite team, not in replacement.

 

Maybe some, but not all.

 

I would rather my FF team win than the Colts win.

[Jrick35]

My counter is that people who enjoy fantasy football do so in addition of their rooting of their favorite team, not in replacement. FF is an extension of the love for football and a way to integrate yourself into game results instead of merely being a spectator. My desire to see America's Team return to their rightful throne is entirely separate from FF and what I want to see Clinton Portis or McNabb do in a given week.

 

 

Oh I ompletely agree, I love FF and the way it gives otherwsie irrelevant games relevance, I just think there are a lot of people out there who allow the FF results of a given player for a given week influence their opinion of that players value outside the realm of FF. And doing so can and probably does, diminish their overall enjoyment of the game.

 

That is why I said Staubach was a great NFL QB, but would have sucked as a FF QB.

 

But so far this year Favre has not 'sucked' in either aspect. He is ranked in the Top 10 of QB's in my league (we use standard scoring) and he has led the Jets to a 4-3 record and within 1 game of the lead for their division.

 

But because he threw 3 int's yesterday, or because he is not ranking as high right now as last year, many have decided that he sucks. For FF maybe but hey, the Jets won on a Favre TD pass, he found a way to win.

[Jackass]

This thread was inspired by the thread started by another huddler who was bashing Brett Favre.

 

I remember watching the NFL prior to the advent of fantasy football. Back then, as fans, we were satisfied with the players on our favorite team so long as they were winning games, making the playoffs and maybe even every so often get into and, should the football Gods allow, maybe even win a Super Bowl.

 

That is not to say that we were not looking at stats, we were, but we were looking at stats in relation to our teams place in the standings. As a Cowboys fan I grew up watching Staubach play for the Cowboys.

 

Now Staubach is a HOF QB who had a great knack for finding ways to win games. So long as Roger was playing the Cowboys had a chance to win. One of my favorite Staubach memories is of a MNF game against the skin's when the 'Boys came back from 2 different 17 point deficits to win 35-34, it was an incredible game to watch. Staubach is probably the biggest reason that the NFL keeps track of how many times a QB leads his team to comeback wins in the 4th quarter, and he was universally admired by Cowboy fans.

 

But as a fantasy QB he would have SUCKED. In 10 years he only threw for more than 3000 yds in a season twice. And he only had more than 20 TD's in a season 3 times. But his record as a starter, his lifestyle & his post-season record made him a great QB and when he had less than stellar games or even seasons it was ok, because we knew he would bounce back and the cowboys would win games.

 

If we had been playing Fantasy Football in the 70's, we would have had an entirely different view of Staubach as a QB.

 

Flash forward to 2008 with Fantasy Football in full swing and still growing we look at each player through a magnifying glass, and fans of the Jets are no longer satisfied that Favre found a way to win his game this week despite not playing to his best potential, rather they say he sucks because he put up less than stellar Fantasy Points and that he is only the 13th ranked QB in the league.

 

There are 32 starting QB's in the NFL, how can being the 13th ranked among those 32 mean you suck? At 13th, the old man has a better ranking than 19 other QB's in the league, it is bizarre to think that equates to him sucking.

 

He is on a brand new team, in an brand new conference and he has already led his new team to as many wins this year(4) in 7 games as they had all of last year in 16 games. Of the 16 Starting QB's in the AFC Favre is ranked 6th in Passer rating. IS he playing as well as ever? Probably not, does he suck, definitely not.

 

Fantasy Football is a great hobby but it has caused us as fans to look at players through a microscope, taking a 1 game snapshot, 1 week at a time and using that weeks stat line as the basis for our opinion of that player. I feel that it is important as fans to separate a players value as a Fantasy Player from his value as a player on his team in the NFL, failure to do so can take away all of the enjoyment of watching your team find a way to win a game that they were in danger of losing.

 

I wouldn't read too much into the reaction of Jets fans. Plus, feelings about Favre being overrated or over the hill seem to stir a strong reaction in people. I'm not completely sure why. Maybe it's about how people like to build heroes up and then tear them down.

Edited October 27, 2008 by Jackass

[Hat Trick]

Oh I ompletely agree, I love FF and the way it gives otherwsie irrelevant games relevance, I just think there are a lot of people out there who allow the FF results of a given player for a given week influence their opinion of that players value outside the realm of FF. And doing so can and probably does, diminish their overall enjoyment of the game.

 

That is why I said Staubach was a great NFL QB, but would have sucked as a FF QB.

 

But so far this year Favre has not 'sucked' in either aspect. He is ranked in the Top 10 of QB's in my league (we use standard scoring) and he has led the Jets to a 4-3 record and within 1 game of the lead for their division.

 

But because he threw 3 int's yesterday, or because he is not ranking as high right now as last year, many have decided that he sucks. For FF maybe but hey, the Jets won on a Favre TD pass, he found a way to win.

I totally get what you are saying, however any die hard fan SHOULD be able to evaulate the value of most players outside of FF. We are die hard fans