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I'm Walking Away... (1 Viewer)

Beau Tocks

Footballguy
Yesterday I informed my 10 man league that I have been running for the past 15 years that I'm leaving fantasy football. It was met with disbelief and shock to some of my friends who knew I carried such a passion for it. Recently,somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost the desire to be involved with running and even playing in fantasy sports.

To preface this I have been playing fantasy football in some form for the past 20+ years but like everything in life all things must pass and now came the time for me. I won't lie to you and say I will not miss the league and the bantering amoung my peers during the football season but I feel I need a break and to re-examine the priorities in my life. I'm sure over the years I have slighted my family with time spent watching scores and having my computer as my closest companion on many a Sundays which has made me take stock recently on what really is important. I consider myself a good family man but I also have a competitive nature which rears it's head when I get involved in "the game" and I can occasionally lose sight for the concern of loved ones.

I don't know if many of you have experienced what I'm going through but it was a decision that I had to make and feel good about but I have to be honest it will feel strange going through a season without fantasy football. I think though I will find it refreshing to not take on the stress that I put on myself as the Sunday afternoons wear into the evenings. Or to simply watch a game without having to be concerned who scored and from how far out.

It was an enjoyable ride no doubt but I am looking forward to going through this fall and winter with a whole new perspective away from fantasy football lifestyle.

Thanks for the read, just needed to get this off my chest

 
Yesterday I informed my 10 man league that I have been running for the past 15 years that I'm leaving fantasy football. It was met with disbelief and shock to some of my friends who knew I carried such a passion for it. Recently,somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost the desire to be involved with running and even playing in fantasy sports. To preface this I have been playing fantasy football in some form for the past 20+ years but like everything in life all things must pass and now came the time for me. I won't lie to you and say I will not miss the league and the bantering amoung my peers during the football season but I feel I need a break and to re-examine the priorities in my life. I'm sure over the years I have slighted my family with time spent watching scores and having my computer as my closest companion on many a Sundays which has made me take stock recently on what really is important. I consider myself a good family man but I also have a competitive nature which rears it's head when I get involved in "the game" and I can occasionally lose sight for the concern of loved ones. I don't know if many of you have experienced what I'm going through but it was a decision that I had to make and feel good about but I have to be honest it will feel strange going through a season without fantasy football. I think though I will find it refreshing to not take on the stress that I put on myself as the Sunday afternoons wear into the evenings. Or to simply watch a game without having to be concerned who scored and from how far out. It was an enjoyable ride no doubt but I am looking forward to going through this fall and winter with a whole new perspective away from fantasy football lifestyle. Thanks for the read, just needed to get this off my chest
good for you. I have been tailing off my involvment for the past several years, getting down to just one last year. I don't think I am ready to walk away, yet, but I get it.
 
Sounds like the right choice for you right now. Completely giving up something you enjoy seems like an extreme solution, though.

If nothing else, maybe a break will allow you to gain the perspective needed to balance things better.

 
Yesterday I informed my 10 man league that I have been running for the past 15 years that I'm leaving fantasy football. It was met with disbelief and shock to some of my friends who knew I carried such a passion for it. Recently,somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost the desire to be involved with running and even playing in fantasy sports. To preface this I have been playing fantasy football in some form for the past 20+ years but like everything in life all things must pass and now came the time for me. I won't lie to you and say I will not miss the league and the bantering amoung my peers during the football season but I feel I need a break and to re-examine the priorities in my life. I'm sure over the years I have slighted my family with time spent watching scores and having my computer as my closest companion on many a Sundays which has made me take stock recently on what really is important. I consider myself a good family man but I also have a competitive nature which rears it's head when I get involved in "the game" and I can occasionally lose sight for the concern of loved ones. I don't know if many of you have experienced what I'm going through but it was a decision that I had to make and feel good about but I have to be honest it will feel strange going through a season without fantasy football. I think though I will find it refreshing to not take on the stress that I put on myself as the Sunday afternoons wear into the evenings. Or to simply watch a game without having to be concerned who scored and from how far out. It was an enjoyable ride no doubt but I am looking forward to going through this fall and winter with a whole new perspective away from fantasy football lifestyle. Thanks for the read, just needed to get this off my chest
good for you. I have been tailing off my involvment for the past several years, getting down to just one last year. I don't think I am ready to walk away, yet, but I get it.
I love quitters. :thumbup: Someone needed to say it.
 
Congrats. I quit about 3 years ago. It is so nice to be able to watch football on a Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday) and not have to worry about and track performance. It took some time for my brain to stop calculating each play in tenths of points, but eventually it did. I can now focus on my favorite team, and not care about what my RB4 did in some game not on tv, or what my buddy's WR6 did in his game. Just doesn't matter that much. It is nice to just watch football for football. I still check out this site for NFL insight. I just don't care about it from a fantasy football angle. I care more about what my real NFL team does. Relax, you will enjoy being retired. And you can always go back if you really want to - for me I've decided it wasn't worth the countless hours of preparation for a draft, then all the trades, free agency, weekly lineups, etc of the season.

 
Yesterday I informed my 10 man league that I have been running for the past 15 years that I'm leaving fantasy football. It was met with disbelief and shock to some of my friends who knew I carried such a passion for it. Recently,somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost the desire to be involved with running and even playing in fantasy sports. To preface this I have been playing fantasy football in some form for the past 20+ years but like everything in life all things must pass and now came the time for me. I won't lie to you and say I will not miss the league and the bantering amoung my peers during the football season but I feel I need a break and to re-examine the priorities in my life. I'm sure over the years I have slighted my family with time spent watching scores and having my computer as my closest companion on many a Sundays which has made me take stock recently on what really is important. I consider myself a good family man but I also have a competitive nature which rears it's head when I get involved in "the game" and I can occasionally lose sight for the concern of loved ones. I don't know if many of you have experienced what I'm going through but it was a decision that I had to make and feel good about but I have to be honest it will feel strange going through a season without fantasy football. I think though I will find it refreshing to not take on the stress that I put on myself as the Sunday afternoons wear into the evenings. Or to simply watch a game without having to be concerned who scored and from how far out. It was an enjoyable ride no doubt but I am looking forward to going through this fall and winter with a whole new perspective away from fantasy football lifestyle. Thanks for the read, just needed to get this off my chest
I hear ya, man.I'm in 9 leagues, and now that I have two kids under 3 yrs in the house, I simply can't devote the time and concentration required. It's just game of a game, so really, in the grand scheme of life, it means ****.What matters is that afternoon spent with your family. That is what you'll remember when you're old and taking stock of your life, not if you didnt start Player X over Player Y way back in Week 4 of the 2014 season...
 
Glad you're comfortable with your decision and I'm sure your family will appreciate it.

If you do find yourself jonesing for a little bit of fantasy football though, I'll throw out a suggestion. There are some leagues, survivor and otherwise, where you just draft and then don't touch the team after that. No lineups, no trades, no waivers. Gives you a bit of fun and something interesting for when you do watch a game... but you don't have to spend time absorbing all the latest news or obsessing over your team so much.

In any event, hope it turns out to be the right choice for you. :)

 
I thought I was at that point last season I cut down to 1 league, I even left a couple behind that I already paid for. Turns out I just needed a break, I'm back at it full force now.

 
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I've been at this as well for 20+ years and about 2 years ago I hit a wall. I had been successful, but had stopped enjoying playing and only wanted to keep winning. To re-energize myself I decided to completely overhaul my team (a team that was in 9 of the last 10 SBs) and have been having a great time with it. The trades I am making are lopsided in favor of my opponents, but I am shooting for draft picks and challenging myself to rebuild through the draft. I'm having a great time and can stop swearing at the TV all day Sunday.

I hear you about spending time with family, the last couple years I have stepped away from the TV on Sundays to go play with my son and I found out that my players don't perform any better or worse with me not watching, but my son is certainly happier.

 
Fantasy football probably only works for me because the season is relatively short. I tried fantasy basketball once but couldn't get into it. I've never even done any NFL post-season fantasy stuff because I'm kinda burnt on FF by that point and I don't need a fantasy investment in playoff games to make them "more interesting."

If anything I should cut down on my offseason FF reading. Ahem.

 
I've been at this as well for 20+ years and about 2 years ago I hit a wall. I had been successful, but had stopped enjoying playing and only wanted to keep winning. To re-energize myself I decided to completely overhaul my team (a team that was in 9 of the last 10 SBs) and have been having a great time with it. The trades I am making are lopsided in favor of my opponents, but I am shooting for draft picks and challenging myself to rebuild through the draft. I'm having a great time and can stop swearing at the TV all day Sunday.I hear you about spending time with family, the last couple years I have stepped away from the TV on Sundays to go play with my son and I found out that my players don't perform any better or worse with me not watching, but my son is certainly happier.
This is what I am making points to do.Just go out enjoy your sunday, get an update off your phone if you want while waiting or in traffic and then watch some of the sun/mon games.Honestly, I will only REALLY watch, if my matchup hinges on the outcome of the stats in that game.That has worked better for me then sitting in front of a TV and laptop on the side, getting pissed that I am down 37pts already 90 minutes into the games.Too many mood swings.
 
Yesterday I informed my 10 man league that I have been running for the past 15 years that I'm leaving fantasy football. It was met with disbelief and shock to some of my friends who knew I carried such a passion for it. Recently,somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost the desire to be involved with running and even playing in fantasy sports. To preface this I have been playing fantasy football in some form for the past 20+ years but like everything in life all things must pass and now came the time for me. I won't lie to you and say I will not miss the league and the bantering amoung my peers during the football season but I feel I need a break and to re-examine the priorities in my life. I'm sure over the years I have slighted my family with time spent watching scores and having my computer as my closest companion on many a Sundays which has made me take stock recently on what really is important. I consider myself a good family man but I also have a competitive nature which rears it's head when I get involved in "the game" and I can occasionally lose sight for the concern of loved ones. I don't know if many of you have experienced what I'm going through but it was a decision that I had to make and feel good about but I have to be honest it will feel strange going through a season without fantasy football. I think though I will find it refreshing to not take on the stress that I put on myself as the Sunday afternoons wear into the evenings. Or to simply watch a game without having to be concerned who scored and from how far out. It was an enjoyable ride no doubt but I am looking forward to going through this fall and winter with a whole new perspective away from fantasy football lifestyle. Thanks for the read, just needed to get this off my chest
good for you. I have been tailing off my involvment for the past several years, getting down to just one last year. I don't think I am ready to walk away, yet, but I get it.
I love quitters. :thumbup: Someone needed to say it.
Sounds like gb Beau has more than paid his dues if he's run this league for 15 years. The remaining league dudes have plenty of time to get themselves hitched up to the wagon before the season starts.Hyper competitive people can also do themselves a service by stepping away from the brink every once in a while. So good luck with your sabbatical, Beau.
 
It's really interesting how in some cases, I experience more 'explosive' mood swings with FF than I do as a Falcons fan. And I'm a BIG Falcons fan. The interesting thing though is in a lot of cases, that 'explosivesness' manifests itself in a negative way, meaning my lows are lower than my highs are high. Not to compare, but I've heard coaches say the same thing - that while they enjoy the wins, it's almost of feeling or sense of relief when they come versus the despair they feel upon a loss.

Cetainly at the level they are at, it's no comparison, but I think it speaks to ones involvement. As a fan of a <insert team name here>, I know that my involvement has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the outcome. As such, while I'll lament a loss, I can more easily let it go. But with FF, you do agonize. I remember in '09, losing the championship because I sat Ochocinco for Sidney Rice. It was a decision I went back and forth on all the week prior and ultimately made the wrong one. And TBH, I still think about it 1.5 years later.

That said, I'm hooked on FF. The comrardeie I have with my friends in the league is unrivaled and I find that FF actually helps keep those friendships intact as our lives become increasingly cluttered and busy from personal and professional standpoints. But I also see that a burnout factor, whether its temporary or permanent, exists and should not be dismissed. Sometimes, you simply don't have the stomach for it anymore.

 
Football is easy for me to keep because it's once a week. I do take off certain times to just take my girlfriend out because she will whine I care more about football than her. Baseball I am most likely quitting next week because it's everyday, but like I said the once a week in football is easy for me. I normally only do 1-2 teams so it's not terribly hard to follow, however the competitiveness and arguments between friends that arise over it definitely bother me and have made me ponder if I'd be more relaxed away from the game.

 
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It's really interesting how in some cases, I experience more 'explosive' mood swings with FF than I do as a Falcons fan. And I'm a BIG Falcons fan. The interesting thing though is in a lot of cases, that 'explosivesness' manifests itself in a negative way, meaning my lows are lower than my highs are high. Not to compare, but I've heard coaches say the same thing - that while they enjoy the wins, it's almost of feeling or sense of relief when they come versus the despair they feel upon a loss.

Cetainly at the level they are at, it's no comparison, but I think it speaks to ones involvement. As a fan of a <insert team name here>, I know that my involvement has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the outcome. As such, while I'll lament a loss, I can more easily let it go. But with FF, you do agonize. I remember in '09, losing the championship because I sat Ochocinco for Sidney Rice. It was a decision I went back and forth on all the week prior and ultimately made the wrong one. And TBH, I still think about it 1.5 years later.

That said, I'm hooked on FF. The comrardeie I have with my friends in the league is unrivaled and I find that FF actually helps keep those friendships intact as our lives become increasingly cluttered and busy from personal and professional standpoints. But I also see that a burnout factor, whether its temporary or permanent, exists and should not be dismissed. Sometimes, you simply don't have the stomach for it anymore.
With your avatar who he is, as soon as I read the part in bold I got this mental image of you watching your opponent's RB score a touchdown on TV, and throwing yourself on the coffee table and smashing it.GB Chris Farley.

 
I think you're echoing a very natural evolution in your fandom, and one that is wholly understandable in the context of how long you've been at it. There have been times when I've felt waning interest in certain things. Sometimes I'll take some time off from them and come back with renewed vigor, other times I'm done with them for good. I gave up fantasy baseball for two seasons, and have LOVED it over the three years since I came back. With it came a focus (I was in 10+ leagues when I stopped, now I'm in two), and a better appreciation for aspects of the hobby I had lost sight of. On the other hand my passion for caber tossing has never returned, and that's okay.

:thumbup:

 
I can definitely relate. I am competitive and have a hard time doing anything half-###ed. I have had a problem with the competitive nature in me and have a hard time enjoying games. I get frustrated, angry and upset over the lack of my players' production and when I lose. I generally do pretty well, but I don't take the losses well. It's just a game, so why do I take it so darn serious? My wife has expressed her frustration over my addiction as well. I'm glued to the TV and computer come game day. My inability to relax and enjoy the games was becoming evident. I made a conscious effort to calm down this past year and I did improve. I've been in 6 leagues the past few years, and will definitely cut back. I'm dropping out of WCOFF this year, partially due to my general feelings and also due to the debacle it has become. I may drop out of one dynasty leagues that is pretty boring and poorly run. I could drop out of two more leagues without much thought. I am getting to the point where I could just drop it all and not be all that bothered about it. I've booked a trip during the opening weekend of the NFL season, (assuming it starts when it is supposed to start.) It would be hard to drop the two leagues I run with guys I know. I still enjoy those quite a bit, but I do feel like I'm outgrowing it, or something to that effect. Having three kids under the age of 8 does change your perspective a bit. I still enjoy it, but it has slipped down my priority list.

 
Good for you, there's a ton of fun awaiting you out there, lol I have 2 little girls and I've also pulled back, get outside more. My family doesn't always need an obsessed fanatic around on Sundays (some Thu's, Sat's, Mondays...). I co-commish a small league so that helps too. I can get out sledding if the chance is there.

 
i wish you luck in your future endeavors and hope that you will become a shining star in whatever field of fun you choose to run congrats and be at pease my brother

 
Yesterday I informed my 10 man league that I have been running for the past 15 years that I'm leaving fantasy football. It was met with disbelief and shock to some of my friends who knew I carried such a passion for it. Recently,somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost the desire to be involved with running and even playing in fantasy sports. To preface this I have been playing fantasy football in some form for the past 20+ years but like everything in life all things must pass and now came the time for me. I won't lie to you and say I will not miss the league and the bantering amoung my peers during the football season but I feel I need a break and to re-examine the priorities in my life. I'm sure over the years I have slighted my family with time spent watching scores and having my computer as my closest companion on many a Sundays which has made me take stock recently on what really is important. I consider myself a good family man but I also have a competitive nature which rears it's head when I get involved in "the game" and I can occasionally lose sight for the concern of loved ones. I don't know if many of you have experienced what I'm going through but it was a decision that I had to make and feel good about but I have to be honest it will feel strange going through a season without fantasy football. I think though I will find it refreshing to not take on the stress that I put on myself as the Sunday afternoons wear into the evenings. Or to simply watch a game without having to be concerned who scored and from how far out. It was an enjoyable ride no doubt but I am looking forward to going through this fall and winter with a whole new perspective away from fantasy football lifestyle. Thanks for the read, just needed to get this off my chest
I just came across this thread and haven't bothered to read more than the original post but I congratulate you greatly. For someone to come to the realization that they would rather spend more time with their family than the hobby they have so dearly enjoyed being a part of is refreshing to say the least...family comes first above all else, so bravo my friend. I wish you and your family well.
 
You know......its bad when you'd rather watch football stats than spend time with your family. I have been guilty of that.

Go enjoy your family, and ff will be here when you want it to be.

Good luck brother.

 
I hear you. Ran a league for 20 years and hung up my commissioner and FF duties for 3 years now. Just have one full dynasty league team left that I'm just an owner in the league and have moved back from hyper analysis and Sunday stress. I think the 2 biggest factors (other than the commish BS that comes about every year from some owners if you have to run a league...) are the increasing amount of major player injuries (or so it seems to me as compared to a decade+ ago) and the continual starting lineup frustrations (bench outscoring starters too often and costing games).

As some posters mentioned above, it became not worth the frustration and grumpy attitudes around the house after a wrong lineup blows a game during some Sundays in the year, or X player goes off vs you or your the #2 scoring team who happened to be head to head vs the #1 scoring team that week, or Y player gets injured and 0 pts when you could have just started Z player instead... tis the bane of a highly competitive spirit.

It will take you a bit to adjust and you probably will feel like sitting down to watch games a lot the first year, just won't have all those added stat watching factors. In a way, you'll probably enjoy it, figuring, yeah, I would have had player X who had a big week or player Y on your team, etc.. so it should still be fun and if something else with the family comes up on a Sunday, you won't really feel like you missed out not seeing a game or two.

As was suggested above too, you might want to be in the FBG's contest, since it's draft everyone at the start and it's just on autopilot or a similar league. Could lessen the edge some so it's not cold turkey, but still not as necessary to really stat watch so you can grab the next FA gem before anyone else since those leagues typically are draft once and don't do anything the rest of the year.

 
Balance.

You need to find it in your work and in your play. It's sometimes too easy to overstep and find yourself on the wrong end of the teeter totter. I think you have made the wise choice of stepping off. Take a season and enjoy the game and your family. And next season, see if you can't find that balance again.

 
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Not sure how many leagues you were in, but my guess is that it's more than one. Maybe you should play in only one league and make a rule that you're not going to check your computer for stats until after the early game and only once after the second game. If there's a late game don't watch it unless it's your team and don't check the stats until after the game is over. There's ways to enjoy fantasy football without obsessing. Too much of anything isn't good, especially if it affects your family. Going cold turkey seems a little excessive and unnecessary. It's not like this is quitting smoking, LOL.

 
Am I alone in still considering myself to be competitive but am not glued to the TV? I have a soon to be 3 year old as well as a 1 year old who take up all of my time and when they're done I usually am too. I watch the games when I can and when I'm not running around, playing or watching Sponge Bob lol. Once the games start it's all out of my hands and whatever happens, happens. I'm very much into it during the week but there nothing you can do when the games start.

 
Balance. You need to find it in your work and in your play. It's sometimes too easy to overstep and find yourself on the wrong end of the teeter totter. I think you have made the wise choice of stepping off. Take a season and enjoy the game and your family. And next season, see if you can't find that balance again.
:goodposting: "Balance" was exactly the first word that came to my mind. Is it the game that is the problem or the compulsive nature of some of us? It doesn't matter if its drinking, smoking, work or play, you can ruin a good thing if you let it consume you.I love the game and the hobby. Like most of you, I pay attention year round, but consider it a welcome break from real world responsibilities. There are highs and lows associated with winning and losing; hitting on a draft pick or even player injury. It's just a game. I've always felt it a positive experience. If not, I would walk away.
 
I think you're echoing a very natural evolution in your fandom, and one that is wholly understandable in the context of how long you've been at it. There have been times when I've felt waning interest in certain things. Sometimes I'll take some time off from them and come back with renewed vigor, other times I'm done with them for good. I gave up fantasy baseball for two seasons, and have LOVED it over the three years since I came back. With it came a focus (I was in 10+ leagues when I stopped, now I'm in two), and a better appreciation for aspects of the hobby I had lost sight of. On the other hand my passion for caber tossing has never returned, and that's okay. :thumbup:
This is along the lines of my thinking. I was in just two leagues but the one I run with my close friends was my prime focus. Stepping away from an activity where you have tight bonds is a tough one. I will still make it a point to stay in contact with them but I feel a break is needed from FF, I'm not sure if it's a haitus or not but we will see what the future brings. I do appreciate the feedback and a survivor type format has some merit with a lesser degree of involvement but a cold turkey term seems to fit the bill for me right now. ;)
 
Agree. Your method is the way I've always done it

Not sure how many leagues you were in, but my guess is that it's more than one. Maybe you should play in only one league and make a rule that you're not going to check your computer for stats until after the early game and only once after the second game. If there's a late game don't watch it unless it's your team and don't check the stats until after the game is over. There's ways to enjoy fantasy football without obsessing. Too much of anything isn't good, especially if it affects your family. Going cold turkey seems a little excessive and unnecessary. It's not like this is quitting smoking, LOL.
 
I hit a similar wall with FF as the OP a couple years ago (also having many years of success in multiple leagues and league formats). At first I cut out my year round dynasty salary cap leagues and focused only on the redraft league I'd been running with friends for 15 years. That lasted just one season. I found I still couldn't find my heart in the game anymore, and preferred focusing on my wife and family. Thus last year I walked away from the league I founded and ran for over 15 years and haven't looked back since.

It's amazing how much different Sunday's are. The self-imposed stresses are gone. Hell, I barely watched football last year, didn't care when players got hurt, held out, etc. It was liberating. I don't miss the game itself at all... what I do miss is the camaraderie with friends. If I ever do get back into the game, that will be the only reason why, but right now I'm enjoying my self-imposed retirement and looking forward to another season away from the game.

 
I hit a similar wall with FF as the OP a couple years ago (also having many years of success in multiple leagues and league formats). At first I cut out my year round dynasty salary cap leagues and focused only on the redraft league I'd been running with friends for 15 years. That lasted just one season. I found I still couldn't find my heart in the game anymore, and preferred focusing on my wife and family. Thus last year I walked away from the league I founded and ran for over 15 years and haven't looked back since.It's amazing how much different Sunday's are. The self-imposed stresses are gone. Hell, I barely watched football last year, didn't care when players got hurt, held out, etc. It was liberating. I don't miss the game itself at all... what I do miss is the camaraderie with friends. If I ever do get back into the game, that will be the only reason why, but right now I'm enjoying my self-imposed retirement and looking forward to another season away from the game.
Sounds like you don't even like watching football :confused:Even if I quit my fantasy teams I would still be glued to the tv on sunday for a minimum of 3 hours anyways.I get way more mad when the vikes do bad than when my fantasy team does bad.
 
'TheDirtyWord said:
It's really interesting how in some cases, I experience more 'explosive' mood swings with FF than I do as a Falcons fan. And I'm a BIG Falcons fan. The interesting thing though is in a lot of cases, that 'explosivesness' manifests itself in a negative way, meaning my lows are lower than my highs are high. Not to compare, but I've heard coaches say the same thing - that while they enjoy the wins, it's almost of feeling or sense of relief when they come versus the despair they feel upon a loss.
I can seriously relate to this post. When Gore got hurt last year it cost me a chance at several championships and some serious cheddar. It took me weeks to get over the disappointment and had me re-evaluating my priorities. I have since found renewed enthusiasm despite the lock out, but I have cut down on my leagues.
 
I hit a similar wall with FF as the OP a couple years ago (also having many years of success in multiple leagues and league formats). At first I cut out my year round dynasty salary cap leagues and focused only on the redraft league I'd been running with friends for 15 years. That lasted just one season. I found I still couldn't find my heart in the game anymore, and preferred focusing on my wife and family. Thus last year I walked away from the league I founded and ran for over 15 years and haven't looked back since.It's amazing how much different Sunday's are. The self-imposed stresses are gone. Hell, I barely watched football last year, didn't care when players got hurt, held out, etc. It was liberating. I don't miss the game itself at all... what I do miss is the camaraderie with friends. If I ever do get back into the game, that will be the only reason why, but right now I'm enjoying my self-imposed retirement and looking forward to another season away from the game.
Sounds like you don't even like watching football :confused:Even if I quit my fantasy teams I would still be glued to the tv on sunday for a minimum of 3 hours anyways.I get way more mad when the vikes do bad than when my fantasy team does bad.
I used to love watching football, but living amongst one of the worst run franchises in the game (Bills) gets old after 40+ years of terrible meddling ownership and piss poor management (the Polian era was the exception not the rule). It's easy to lose interest in not only the local team but also the league as a whole. Maybe once the Bills are freed from the tyranny that is Ralph Wilson I'll give a damn again, though that will likely include a relocation of the franchise, so it's likely a mute point.
 
If I ever decide to walk away from this hobby I sure as hell won't feel the need to tell this board. By telling everyone here, what you're really wanting is someone to give you a reason not to quit.

 
If I ever decide to walk away from this hobby I sure as hell won't feel the need to tell this board. By telling everyone here, what you're really wanting is someone to give you a reason not to quit.
That's exactly what I was thinking. He's walking away, but he's posting it on a football board, in the SHARK POOL of all places.
 
I've had to take a step back and look at priorities before as well. I'm sure my wife doesn't appreciate it when I spend the rest of the night being snippy at her because some ######## that doesn't even know who I am just decided that my running back needed a breather when they had the ball inside the 5 yard line and I was losing my fantasy game by 3 points with 2 minutes left. But that's a me problem, not an FF problem.

As far as enjoying the games more without having to worry about which player is scoring and who's in the game, etc, that's exactly why I refuse to play fantasy college football. That said, I can watch just about any college football game and have a good reason to be rooting for one team or the other. But I'm sorry, in the NFL, if the Lions are playing the Cardinals then without FF I just could not care less about that game. With fantasy football, on the other hand, Lions vs. Cardinals is actually a damned entertaining matchup.

 
'TheDirtyWord said:
It's really interesting how in some cases, I experience more 'explosive' mood swings with FF than I do as a Falcons fan. And I'm a BIG Falcons fan. The interesting thing though is in a lot of cases, that 'explosivesness' manifests itself in a negative way, meaning my lows are lower than my highs are high. Not to compare, but I've heard coaches say the same thing - that while they enjoy the wins, it's almost of feeling or sense of relief when they come versus the despair they feel upon a loss.
It's so true. And it's even worse when you're a good team, especially as a coach or QB who's going to be considered by many to be the cause of the win or loss.When I played, we were very good and expected to win every game. The *only* reason I ever felt nervous is that we were going to lose and people were going to think "these guys aren't really that good at all". Any time we won I just felt like "phew, survived another week".A win was just maintaining the status quo, whereas a loss was "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKK I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP FOR A WEEK".
 
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If I ever decide to walk away from this hobby I sure as hell won't feel the need to tell this board. By telling everyone here, what you're really wanting is someone to give you a reason not to quit.
Right! :goodposting: It'd be kinda funny to see what the OP would be like with a real addiction.Stop with the crying Sallys. The OP is being about as dramatic as a teen girl. He still finds some enjoyment in FF(he'll miss aspects), but because he can't find a way to create boundaries like "don't check FF scores before they're final" he has to "reexamine his priorities in life" and give it up completely!? Then a bunch of people have the attitude of, "yeah I know what you mean, it's rough"Have you ever heard of the saying, "wherever you go, there you are?" It's not a problem with fantasy football, it's a problem with you. If it isn't FF then something else will take over, so quit with the attention grabbing drama and rejoin, because like another poster pointed out... it isn't blow.
 
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Baseball I am most likely quitting next week. . .
What? Are you really going to quit playing fantasy baseball during the middle of the season? I'm sure everyone in your league will be thrilled. Play out the season like a man and show some character. Play out the string (I assume your team is near the bottom of the standings) and then retire after the season.
 
Tips/Rules to enjoy fantasy football without obsessing or taking away from your family:

1. Only enter 1 league

Only being in 1 league means there are only several NFL games each week that really matter.

2. No fantasy football until kids are in bed

Buy or rent a couple PVRs and record 4 different games on Sunday. Then watch them Sunday night once the kids are in bed - you can use the "skip 30 seconds" button to skip huddles, commercials and all and can watch a full game in about 45 minutes. Or, just pick 1 game each Sunday to sit back, relaz and enjoy for a few hours.

3. Do NOT check stats on Sundays

Checking stats throughout the day Sunday only gets you more obssessed and on edge. Waiting until Monday morning gives you something to look forward to for the work week! If you follow rule #2 above, then checking stats isn't an option anyway as you would spoil the games you PVRed.

4. Try to avoid knowing which players your opponent is starting

Yes, this is possible. Don't check rosters, match-ups etc througout the week. Just focus on your own team and no one elses - you can't affect other people's teams anyway. If you don't really know who your opponent has come gameday, then you don't get stressed out when his players are doing well. Knowing its gameover at half time of the morning game because my opponents QB tossed 4 and his RBs had over 200 yards and 3 TDs combined used to wreck the rest of my day.

5. Make a strict guideline to follow for difficult lineup decisions

This takes away the anguish later that you made the wrong choice as you were simply following your own rule you established and follow religiously.

Ex - if I can't decide, then I will always follow FBG rankings. Or, if its a toss up, then I will always pick the guy who is playing in a national audience game.

And yes, this is possible too.

 
Doing the same for different reasons. I enjoy crunching the numbers, plotting a lineup and watching it either excel or come up short. Winning in FF is all about the research first and then luck. Some say luck is essentially opportunity meeting prepartion but I digress.

To me, FF meant hanging out with the buddies watching games and having a good time- win or lose. As life moves on, the impacts on FF can and will be detrimental. It is a game that bachelors love to no end and that the family guy/gal can enjoy if their significant other is on board with it contingent upon FF not taking center stage in a player's life. Of course, there are rare situations in which a married couple are involved in an active league.

As time went by for me, the majority of the wives grew despondant and down right hateful of FF. My wife actually enjoys the NFL and was cool with me hosting a few of the guys 2 to 3 times a month to come out and watch the games. However, the other wives hated it and barely tolerated the hoopla and fun of getting together. I accepted this but then came two other resounding factors. One was the impact that money had on the behavior of owners and the other was the nature of how owners that cannot win will spoil a league. Drafts started to become unfriendly. My wife was actually insulted on a league message board for no reason. Owners started to cheat and other owners played without paying- which was being covered up by the commish.

When I won my last SB- I treated my friends to a big spread at my house as a good will kick off to the 2009 season and put in the majority of ideas that helped the draft run about as smoothe as any other draft in the history of the league. Last year those rules went out the window and the draft was a complete nightmare starting at 6 pm and ending at 1 am. I left at 9 pm after drafting only 10 players from a 20 man roster due to the bickering and the nonsense. I ended posting the most points in the league and ended up in third place due to the structure of the league- taking in a profit again.

It was obvious to me that the negatives out weighed the positives.

I plan to just get in a free league and then hang out here and throw around football and FF related talk.

I am not interested in joining another $ league and actual think that the less owners in a league- the better!

 
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Agree. Your method is the way I've always done it

Not sure how many leagues you were in, but my guess is that it's more than one. Maybe you should play in only one league and make a rule that you're not going to check your computer for stats until after the early game and only once after the second game. If there's a late game don't watch it unless it's your team and don't check the stats until after the game is over. There's ways to enjoy fantasy football without obsessing. Too much of anything isn't good, especially if it affects your family. Going cold turkey seems a little excessive and unnecessary. It's not like this is quitting smoking, LOL.
Haven't always done it that way, but have recently. :thumbup: Works great, except I torture myself with 49er games.
 

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