I'm Thankful for Fantasy Football

I wasn't going to do one of these posts at all, because they are a bit cliched. On the other hand, it's an American tradition to give thanks, so who am I to stand in the way?

I'm thankful for fantasy football.

As I said, I wasn't planning on doing this. Then I heard -- via my brother -- that ESPN Radio "personalities" Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg were talking about how they don't play fantasy football this morning. That's fine. I don't care if you don't like fantasy sports, as it's most certainly not for everyone. He also informed me that the two clowns were saying they don't play because they "don't understand it," and they sounded very smug in saying it.

First of all, what a crock. If you know anything about football, you understand fantasy football. You pick an assortment of players from around the league. They compile passing, running and receiving stats. Those are computed very simply into points. If you have more points than your opponent, you win. This is like when an old person claims they don't understand a DVR, as they pop a cassette into their old, trusty VCR.

The real issue here is that people who say this don't want to understand it. I'm fine with that. You don't have to make your viewing life easier with a DVR, and you don't have to play fantasy football. What I don't get is the clinging to this 1995 notion that it's cool to refuse involvement in fantasy. There's still a select few sitting around pounding their chests and talking about how they are superior to you because they don't play. With all (little) due respect, people, get a life.

Earlier this year, I heard Scott Van Pelt on ESPN Radio talking about how we might as well be "fighting Darth Vader in the backyard with a light saber, because it is not real." Wow. Two points here:

1. Do you watch TV shows and/or movies, Scott? Do you realize that's not real? Those are actors. They are actually real people portraying something fictional. It is not real! You hear me? Fake!
2. Fantasy football is kind of real, though. The players are real, and they are playing a real game. It's not like a video game or a movie. They are actually playing.

This isn't just relegated to the media. People seriously go to the effort to enter our fantasy chats and post messages calling us losers and accusing us of "needing to get girlfriends." Well, actually, sir, I'm married. A girlfriend would be a bad idea. Fantasy sports are a hobby, just like any other hobby. This hobby involves sports, so I happen to think that makes it cool. Plus, you just took the time to find a chat that doesn't interest you, sign into it, and post a message. And we're the losers?

As I said, I don't care if you don't play. Ryan Wilson doesn't play. He also doesn't make a big deal about it. You don't have to answer the question, "do you play fantasy football?" with "hell no! I don't play that crap! That's for losers!" You can simply say, "no, I don't."

Really, the only good argument I've ever heard for being anti-fantasy sports is from another ESPN employee. Colin Cowherd said he doesn't like fantasy sports because it takes the focus off where it should be in games. People care more about if a guy gets a late touchdown than if his team wins the game. I can get on board with that. I'd also argue that many wouldn't be watching the game if they didn't have a vested fantasy interest. Again, though, he's well within his rights to say that and not play. (for the record, I think I'm the last blogger in the world who likes 'Herd)

I'm not suggesting these people should stop name-calling and chest-pounding to make themselves feel cool for not playing. Oh no. If you are reading this and you are one of them, please don't. Please post a comment on this post calling me a loser. It's hilarious. It's like the 20-year-old still hanging out with high school kids and calling some of them "losers," because at this point, it's way more cool to play fantasy football than it is to opine about how it's fake, not easily understood, or lame.

So, yeah, I'm thankful for fantasy football.