ESPN says Fantasy Football Ruining Fans

[mdhprime]

I've never been involved in Fantasy Football just for the reason that I can't root against anyone playng against my team, I can't root for a division opponent, I can't root for a conference opponent, I basically can't root for anyone but the Patriots or a team the Patriots need to win to perhaps get home field advantage or get in the playoffs or some such scenario. However I can see that fantasy has interested so many people in the sport that otherwise probably would not be interested. I see this where ever I look, so I cannot dismiss what it has done for the NFL's popularity.

 

[nukin]

i cant believe any Pats fan is rooting for LT this week... i have several fantasy teams... i want to win, but i dont really care whether i do or not... the only thing that matters is a pats win

Exactly - The patriots are #1 before fantasy football.


Besides, ESPN is full of dopes.

 

[QuiGon]

On todays edition of 1st & 10, 2 of the 3 hosts agreed that fantasy football may be ruining what it means to be a fan. At the root of their opinion was the fact that fantasy football participants don't care who actually WINS the games, only about the performance of the players they have drafted.

I think it is the height of arrogance to tell people how they should "be a fan" when watching football. I am sure there are plenty of Pats fans who's #1 priority is the Patriots. I am sure there are plenty of FFLers out there who's #1 priority is their FFL team. And I am sure there are plenty of gamblers who's favorite team changes from one week to the next.

Don't tell anyone they are not a true fan because they don't have allegience to laundry.

 

[invasian]

I play a lot of fantasy football (in 6 yahoo leagues, 2 fox)

For me, a patriots victory is the number one and only priority on game day. I don't want anyone to score on them, including any players I have on my fantasy team whether I win or not and no matter what the real life situation is (e.g. a blowout)...I still don't care.

I have and never ever will draft a Colt.

 

[PatriotsReign]

I think it is the height of arrogance to tell people how they should "be a fan" when watching football. I am sure there are plenty of Pats fans who's #1 priority is the Patriots. I am sure there are plenty of FFLers out there who's #1 priority is their FFL team. And I am sure there are plenty of gamblers who's favorite team changes from one week to the next.

Don't tell anyone they are not a true fan because they don't have allegience to laundry.

I can state my opinion all I want my brah-thu. Laundry is what all sports are about if you know your sports. God I would hate for my kid to play college football and have the games attended by people who just like football in general but don't care about which team wins.

Besides, it wasn't me who said that stuff, it was ESPN

That's 8 grad pop warner stuff.

Being a FAN is ALL about the uniform (laundry...another stupid term)

 

[denverpatsfan]

I never drafted a Colt player either when I played FF. I am not playing this season. It took up too much time and distracted me from the Pats and other things I should be doing here around the house instead of checking scores and the waiver wire.

 

[QuiGon]

I can state my opinion all I want my brah-thu. Laundry is what all sports are about if you know your sports.

Like I said before... it is the height of arrogance to tell other people how to follow a sport.

Besides, it wasn't me who said that stuff, it was ESPN

You wrote (direct quote, your words): "If you're watching and you don't care who wins, your (sic.) not a fan, your (sic.) just playing fantasy football ... That was (ESPN's) reasoning & I agree."

Don't be a p*ssy now and back down from your own statement.

Being a FAN is ALL about the uniform (laundry...another stupid term)

That may be what "being a fan" means to you. But to other people, "being a fan" can mean something else entirely. Don't tell anyone they are not a true fan because they don't have allegience to laundry.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

ESPN saying that FF is ruining football fans is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. ESPN has fallen greatly in recent years and is a shell of its previous self with mindless drivel ("who's now) and more fluff than stuff instead of the solid sports they used to cover...........

 

[DaBruinz]

I play fantasy football. I have many non-pats players on my team. If they play against the Pats, I bench those players so I don't have a conflict of interest.

 

[PatriotsReign]

Don't tell anyone they are not a true fan because they don't have allegience to laundry.

You're not a true fan unless you have allegiance to your team

 

[PatriotsReign]

I play fantasy football. I have many non-pats players on my team. If they play against the Pats, I bench those players so I don't have a conflict of interest.

THIS guy is a true fan! Hopefully, QuiGon can see the light. can you imagine someone sitting in Gillette stadium cheering wildly for...anybody?!! Please

GO ANYONE!!!

ANYONE, ANYONE, HE'S OUR MAN!!

 

[mgteich]

Sure! You won't feel any conflict when we play Manning in November if you win thousands of dollars if Manning has a good day. Makes no difference. Maybe not. But what if the colts were playing someone else?

Personally, I cannot believe that fantasy fans don't root for their players to win, even if they player for rivals of their own team. That would be like placing a bet and rooting for the other team. Sure, some might do this.

 

[DaBruinz]

Sure! You won't feel any conflict when we play Manning in November if you win thousands of dollars if Manning has a good day. Makes no difference. Maybe not. But what if the colts were playing someone else?

Personally, I cannot believe that fantasy fans don't root for their players to win, even if they player for rivals of their own team. That would be like placing a bet and rooting for the other team. Sure, some might do this.

First and FOREMOST, I root for the Pats. When I play fantasy football, yes, I want to win. Its the competitive nature in me. However, I do root against teams who I might have players on. Manning, for instance. I ended up with him in a couple different leagues. I was rooting against him and the Colts to lose to the Saints. He will be benched when the Colts and Pats play.

Its doesn't make me (or anyone else) any less of a Pats fan because, after the Pats game is over, I look in on other teams.

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

I've never been involved in Fantasy Football just for the reason that I can't root against anyone playng against my team, I can't root for a division opponent, I can't root for a conference opponent, I basically can't root for anyone but the Patriots or a team the Patriots need to win to perhaps get home field advantage or get in the playoffs or some such scenario. However I can see that fantasy has interested so many people in the sport that otherwise probably would not be interested. I see this where ever I look, so I cannot dismiss what it has done for the NFL's popularity.

I could have written that post word for word.

 

[QuiGon]

THIS guy is a true fan! Hopefully, QuiGon can see the light. can you imagine someone sitting in Gillette stadium cheering wildly for...anybody?!! Please

That philosophy is actually very close to my own... believe me, my #1 priority on Sundays is that the Pats win... I would actually be a better FFLer if I wasn't so biased for the Pats... I don't have any Colts on my team, but I made damn sure I got Donte Stallworth

All I am saying is that it is silly to look at a hardcore FFLer and say he isn't a "true fan" because he doesn't pledge allegiance to laundry.

 

[PatriotsReign]

That philosophy is actually very close to my own... believe me, my #1 priority on Sundays is that the Pats win... I would actually be a better FFLer if I wasn't so biased for the Pats... I don't have any Colts on my team, but I made damn sure I got Donte Stallworth

All I am saying is that it is silly to look at a hardcore FFLer and say he isn't a "true fan" because he doesn't pledge allegiance to laundry.

OK, you sound like a true Pats fan to me. I guess you're more of an open minded guy and you don't want to insult others. So I can't knock you for that.

I guess the litmus test, in my opinion, is that if I wanted to have a bunch of people over to watch the game, I surely wouldn't want many people (if any) who didn't care who won.

 

[Fixit]

On todays edition of 1st & 10, 2 of the 3 hosts agreed that fantasy football may be ruining what it means to be a fan. At the root of their opinion was the fact that fantasy football participants don't care who actually WINS the games, only about the performance of the players they have drafted.

The 2 host against the influence of fantasy football said that people who call themselves fans and participate in fantasy football often root for an opposing player...something unthinkable by any REAL fan!

I agree with the latter assessment. If you're a Patriots fan but have LT on your FF team and you secretly are rooting for him, then you can't call yourself a TRUE Patriots fan...just my strong opinion!

I agree one hundred bajillion percent. I hate how fantasy football actually takes up time that could be used to discuss actual sports. Now we have Matthew Berry and Arvid from "Head of the Class" taking up space on SportsCenter, telling me why I should start Olindo Mare over Sebastian Janikowski.

 

[marty]

I've never been involved in FF because to me Football is the ultimate TEAM sport and FF focuses on individuals and takes away from that aspect of the game that I love so much. That being said, there's room for both and I appreciate the added interest that FF has brought to the game.

 

[Bargod]

I used to do FF for 10 years but got away from it when we went Internet. It used to be 12 guys sitting around on Monday night watching the game and comparing how their team did. As the beers flowed the trades began. The on-line thing ruined it for me.

That being said, I always had a rule that i would never start a player against the patriots. Then it happened. The Patriots lost a game and i had a player on the opposing team and benched him. I think it was Torrence Small. I thought to myself, this is stupid, I can start a guy against the Pats and root for the Pats at the same time. I just didn't root for that guy. I know it sounds odd.

The one thing I was guilty of was rooting for guys playing in influential games. I believe I had Curtis Martin the year the Jets beat Green Bay and knocked the Pats out of the play offs. I did root for him trying to rationalize him doing good but the Jets still losing. That sucked.

 

[Stop Being A Jerk]

I've been saying this for years. It seems obvious. It's all flash and whatnot. It's even seeped into media 'experts' including people who have actually played the game.