Been a good run...I'm done with the FF (1 Viewer)

[LawFitz]

1. Limit your leagues to just one or at most two.

2. Limit your entry fees to something minor - just enough to moderately reward winning but not really punish losing.

3. Play only with friends - no online leagues with randoms.

4. Play only redraft. No Dynasty. No College. No DFS.

5. Watch only one game per week. This is the tough one, but you can do it. Trust me it will make all the difference. And by watch, that includes checking the stats in real time on your phone. Don't do it. Unplug. Enjoy your one game. Look up all the stats and watch highlights on NFL now later. Spend only enough time to make lineup decisions on Sundays and that's all.

6. Limit your Sharkpool visitation to a max of 30 minutes per day.

This is a list for me to keep myself from quitting next year. I did many of these things this year and it helped a lot. #5 will free your world.

 

[Catbird]

Hey Sabre

I will miss your posts. Nearly always a fresh view and likely to stick to your guns whatever else. I respect your choice and reasons, and wish you the best in your FF retirement.

I've played since 1985, first in a 16 team re-draft that's still going and gradually expanding into 3 dynasties. If I believed its all or even mostly all luck, I'd have quit long ago. It may be impossible to recover when Dalton goes down in playoff round 1, but if you have better depth and less injury prone players those will give you an edge over time. So will knowing what in rookie skills translates well to the NFL and seeing who has it. So will watching regular guys who others find unsexy, but who do the job every week. So will working through the new names on the wire every week to figure out who they are and what role is available to them. Trading is a separate skill completely. There are dozens of ways you can get an edge and if you can dabble in and get a handle on more of those than the guys you play against, you will do better game to game and year to year. I'm still alive in all four - sometimes the luck is good luck.

I am old enough not to be stealing time from kids, but I spend good quality time with my wife. I think the key, like anything in one's life, is pace and balance. Play for amounts that won't hurt you too badly to lose, but which hold your interest. I don't watch Thursday and watch the rest with the sound off (which REALLY helps). You can actually have people who don't care about football in your Sunday life and its easy to talk during commercials and just watch during plays. For me it works to do something else on Sunday when that matters more or will be more fun, but I watch some of the 2 day games and some of the 2 night games - often all of a couple. But the thing is to keep it within what works for you and your life. If it isn't taking over, if losing is unfortunate but not life-threatening, if you believe the study and work pays off and find that the prep is something you LIKE doing and makes a difference more often than not, I think there is room for a very happy fantasy life. Its probably very individual, but it makes my life better, at least so far.

I hope I'll have as much sense as you and quit when it doesn't. Thanks again for all your thoughts and contributions.

 

[JackReacher]

Was it the short-sighted trade for the Denver defense that did it?

 

[bagger]

Going to drop my final two leagues after this playoffs. Been fun bantering with you guys. The game just isn't what I started playing 20 years ago. Like most things in life it just isn't fun after a while. Going to focus all this time and money on something productive.

Go Pack Go.

see you next year.

 

[bagger]

Commish is such a thankless job.

yes sending out two emails a year and having mfl and Cbs sports line do all the work for you is really tough.This isn't 1999 when you're calculating the stats off the Monday morning paper in excel.

 

[Sabertooth]

Dear Fantasy Football,



From the moment

I started ignoring my kids recitals

And trolling imaginary

Would-be friends

On the interenet

I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all

From my mind & body

To my spirit & soul.

As a fifty-six-year-old man

Deeply in love with you

I never saw the end of the tunnel.

I only saw myself

Running out of one.



And so I read..

I read up and down every roto site

After every message board for you.

You asked for my PayPal payment

I gave you my heart

Because it came with so much more.



I played through the bad luck and hurt

Not because challenge called me

But because YOU called me.

I did everything for YOU

Because thats what you do

When someone makes you feel as

Alive as youve made me feel.



You gave a fifty-six-year-old man his title

And Ill always love you for it.

But I cant love you obsessively for much longer.

This season is all I have left to give.

My heart can take the pounding

My mind can handle the grind

But my body knows its time to say goodbye.



And thats OK.

Im ready to let you go.

I want you to know now

So we both can savor every moment we have left together.

The good and the bad.

We have given each other

All that we have.



And we both know, no matter what I do next

Ill always be that man

With the riled up children

Garbage left on the side of the road

:05 seconds on the clock

Please do not throw it

5 4 3 2 1





Love you always,

Sabre

lol. I'm 41.

 

[Sabertooth]

It's not the money. It's $100. It isn't like I'm mortgaging my kids future here. It's the time.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Commish is such a thankless job.

yes sending out two emails a year and having mfl and Cbs sports line do all the work for you is really tough.This isn't 1999 when you're calculating the stats off the Monday morning paper in excel.

Yeah, and TBH I get a #### ton of thank you messages every year.

 

[Sabertooth]

I don't think I've ever gotten a thank you for commish in a league.

 

[jmo87usc]

Commish is such a thankless job.

yes sending out two emails a year and having mfl and Cbs sports line do all the work for you is really tough.This isn't 1999 when you're calculating the stats off the Monday morning paper in excel.

Yeah, and TBH I get a #### ton of thank you messages every year.

If you guys have figured out how to run a league by sending out two emails and done then more power to you. I have a feeling Sabertooth is referring to the time spent coordinating the draft date to fit schedules, answering countless emails about rules that are clearly posted yet no one looks, putting in lineup changes for people who screw up on sunday at 1pm, answering complaints about unfair trades/rules, collecting money from the two slackers who never seem to pay before January.

Yes its easier than it was 10 years ago, but it still takes a decent amount of effort to make a quality league function well. And there are rarely thank you emails. Mostly #####ing.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Going to drop my final two leagues after this playoffs. Been fun bantering with you guys. The game just isn't what I started playing 20 years ago. Like most things in life it just isn't fun after a while. Going to focus all this time and money on something productive.

Go Pack Go.

 

[meanjoegreen]

When the Panthers beat your GB team this year, you came into the Panther thread and told us we just won our Super Bowl. It was a bunch of sour grapes and juvenile. I think you are too much of a bad sport to enjoy this hobby, so it is best you walk away from it. My guess is OBJ knocked you out of the playoffs, and you just can't handle it. Your mental state will be better if you don't play, but more than likely, you will be back next year. You just needed some extra attention right now.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Commish is such a thankless job.

yes sending out two emails a year and having mfl and Cbs sports line do all the work for you is really tough.This isn't 1999 when you're calculating the stats off the Monday morning paper in excel.

Yeah, and TBH I get a #### ton of thank you messages every year.

If you guys have figured out how to run a league by sending out two emails and done then more power to you. I have a feeling Sabertooth is referring to the time spent coordinating the draft date to fit schedules, answering countless emails about rules that are clearly posted yet no one looks, putting in lineup changes for people who screw up on sunday at 1pm, answering complaints about unfair trades/rules, collecting money from the two slackers who never seem to pay before January.

Yes its easier than it was 10 years ago, but it still takes a decent amount of effort to make a quality league function well. And there are rarely thank you emails. Mostly #####ing.

I glossed over the two emails comment. Definitely takes some effort. The communication is ongoing, probably 10-15 emails preseason, and probably bi-weekly during the season. Besides league emails, I and several league members post on the league board all the time. We also text, stay in touch on FB, meet up for coffee or drinks. hang out at another board, see each other in the summer. it's not hard for friends to show appreciation and gratitude for one another.

But I guess I play in different leagues than most when it comes to complaining and negativity. Almost all of us know each other outside of the league, and have been friends for 25-40 years. Probably a different dynamic than what you and Saber are referring to; there is a guy in my office who runs a league, and he has one complainer who is trying to get a lineup move undone (claims it didn't save or something.) That would be a pain if I had to deal with childish behavior. I remember a year or two ago someone couldn't get a signal in the stadium to switch out a player who had been declared out. I wish he would have been able to text/email/call, I would have manually set it for him, but he couldn't. He didn't try to argue his way into it, just apologized for not having a legal lineup.

We've never had a clubhouse lawyer in 22 years. There's no bad seeds or trouble makers or chronic complainers. We had one guy who pulled some shenanigans the first couple years, but he resigned. We like to compete for bragging rights, medium stakes that won't change anyone's life, and we enjoy the camaraderie. If I had to commish a bunch of internet strangers, I probably would not enjoy it as much.

 

[ImTheScientist]

FPC would make you love FF again. You don't have to commish, you don't have to deal with dumb trades or wrong roster moves, nobody complains, and you have more competition. As a former 15 year commish it was the best thing I did.

 

[Jack White]

I said the same thing last year and got sucked back in this season so Im not going to make any definitive statements but I'm also leaning towards giving it up. The opening up of easily accessible information via the Internet has leveled the playing field to the point that picking up key sleepers is more a matter of extreme luck and having key waiver wire placement nowadays compared to previously when you could scoop players if you did more research than the next guy. Now you pretty much can ignore research, read a few waiver columns on a Tuesday and win your league.

Luck has always been a big part of FF but for me the analysis was the fun part. Now it's almost a waste of time to read up.

This. You used to be able to be good at your league year-in and year-out if you worked hard enough (and out-worked the other guys with preparation). These days, any idiot with an internet connection can show up 10 minutes before the draft, do a search, and draft a solid team. And if they then follow online suggestions/predictions, they can field a good team weekly. Sure, the new age fantasy football great for noobs, but less satisfying for folks who really invest the time that *used* to be paid back in results. Now it's a heck of a lot more random.

I made the playoffs with both of my teams, so I'm not whining. But the proliferation of quality information (which allows many owners to "autopilot" their teams) has whittled the "skill" angle way, WAY down. Which is a lot less fun for me. YMMV.

I have to agree. In my home money league, the six playoff teams were all either 9-5 or 8-6, and two other teams went 7-7.

I'm not quite to the point of quitting FF yet. Next year will be Year 12. We've only lost one owner, who moved out of state.

I have plans to kill my TV. So next year, I won't be watching any games. I'll probably spend about an hour on Wednesday and an hour on Saturday figuring out FAAB bids and starting lineups. Then I'll set and forget and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[DocHolliday]

Good for you Sabertooth. You have to do what is best for you.

I have been thinking about dropping out of my last league for a few years but will continue because it is something I share with some longtime friends. I have been in this league for about 15 years. My brother is the Commish and always talks me into playing. FF is more about the friends than the football these days.

I won the league 7 years ago and finished second two years in a row after that. It was great beating my friends. Now, I know that I have little hope of winning. The entry fee is only $100. I piss away $100 on one dinner. I can go weeks without even watching an NFL game. I never watch an entire game. The NFL has become more business than sport at this point. The games are just not that entertaining.

Instead of dropping FF all together, I have made FF a hobby that does not consume much time. I read up on the NFL and my players for a few minutes each morning. I put my line-ups in and live my life. I spend my free time with my daughter and wife. That is what life is about. Most weeks, I do not even check my score until my daughter is asleep.

This year has truly been trying for many of us due to injuries. I bet lots of people call it quits after this season. Drafting a great team only took you so far this season. I drafted Charles, Forsett, and Hyde. My team went from great to horrible. That is ok. I had fun for a few weeks and even won a few bucks being the high scorer for the week. I will play again next season. I will enjoy draft day. I will enjoy the season-long banter. I will enjoy hanging with my friends again.

I had a good time at our draft. After repeated attempts to get some banter going on our message boards I just stopped. Our group just seems disinterested, lots of guys wouldn't even respond to trades or what not. No thanks.

You are making the right decision by quitting FF. FF (or any hobby for that matter) should not be a chore.

 

[Da Guru]

3 years ago a guy who missed the draft won our league on Auto-Pick, right then I knew the golden era of FF was over. Guy did zero homework, computer made the picks. Made a couple of drops and adds and no trades.

The serious days of scouring magazines and the USA Today to get a one up on your league are long gone. Now it is just for fun and half the time I don`t watch the games anymore..just check the scores on Monday morning. I used to watch football from the 1pm games until 11pm on Sundays....now my Sundays are so much more enjoyable.

 

[Shutout]

I guess I don't see what's so stressful. I play in 7 leagues and do fine putting in a few hours a week. If someone beats me because they researched the WW better, whatever. It still gives me something to talk to friends about.

People saying the game is worse now...yes. But to me that's more reason to have FF reasons to care. Just watching NFL games other than my own team is a pretty lame product.

It is interesting to see so many people universally agreeing that the actual game of football is pretty bad, yet everyone clings to it. You'd think we would walk away from a bad product. It's like we are all in a room clamoring about how bad Norton Anti-virus is...yet asking one another when the next patch comes out.

 

[voiceofunreason]

I quit watching 3 or 4 years ago. I basically run my team by some stats evaluation, draft pedigree, etc. I can't bother to watch anymore, the games are too boring. Cut the million commercials and get rid of the video game passing. Unfortunately the concussion problems have probably changed things for worse forever and will eventually kill the game in 10 to 20 years.

I haven't quit any leagues but haven't joined any for a while. I do agree that the Thursday games are just horrible. It'd be so much easier to check your lineups Sunday morning and make any last minute moves. Now it seems like every day you are doing something and it does get really old.

For those talking about Daily leagues, I can't even imagine how much I'd hate them. No interest whatsover in adding even more luck to things and spending way more time going over lineup decisions. They'll be over soon anyways when they are banned.

 

[habsfan]

I guess I don't see what's so stressful. I play in 7 leagues and do fine putting in a few hours a week. If someone beats me because they researched the WW better, whatever. It still gives me something to talk to friends about.

People saying the game is worse now...yes. But to me that's more reason to have FF reasons to care. Just watching NFL games other than my own team is a pretty lame product.

It is interesting to see so many people universally agreeing that the actual game of football is pretty bad, yet everyone clings to it. You'd think we would walk away from a bad product. It's like we are all in a room clamoring about how bad Norton Anti-virus is...yet asking one another when the next patch comes out.

Commercials affect every product in a negative way. I'm wondering if people with no interest in fantasy feel that the product is bad/declining?

 

[Shutout]

3 years ago a guy who missed the draft won our league on Auto-Pick, right then I knew the golden era of FF was over. Guy did zero homework, computer made the picks. Made a couple of drops and adds and no trades.

The serious days of scouring magazines and the USA Today to get a one up on your league are long gone. Now it is just for fun and half the time I don`t watch the games anymore..just check the scores on Monday morning. I used to watch football from the 1pm games until 11pm on Sundays....now my Sundays are so much more enjoyable.

Kind of summarizes the entire thing. That really is what is has come to. Someone above said the information hasn't made it easier and there are still ways to get the edge but then they went on to list 4-5 very ongoing, time consuming activities you need to do to find that information and even then, it's rarely true.

Just a few weeks ago, when C. West got banged up, I invested maybe 3 minutes into searching on the Internet and found that the local Chiefs cover people had already speculated (and posted) that Spencer Ware was likely to be called up from the PS. Click. Click. Done. I'll take my 20 points on Sunday. It is THAT easy.

There is no need to kid ourselves with "working harder" or "scouting more" or "mining deeper". That's all baloney. The true division line in FF today is connectivity (who is connected to the feeds and accounts of those who break the news quickest), speed (how quickly we can see it and react), and energy (who isn't lazy and remains energetic and industrious enough to actually work their team each and every day of the year).

I would guess that 85% of my most significant FF moves over the past few years has come down to random "pick a guy up on Wednesday because of what I heard happened at practice" type things. It's not about the draft—that info is saturated. The days are gone where a guy strolls into a draft and selects Carl Pickens, gets laughed at, and then collects money. These days, EVERYBODY knows the entire relevant depth chart, the PS, and even the rumors of where FA are taking physicals. It's known or can be known in a matter of clicks.

The ONE area that truly smart FFers used to be able to get by on was knowing real football tendencies related to health and coaching but these days the league plays mind games with health status and the coaches try to outthink themselves instead of just leaning on their strengths. The entire league has gone the way of "scoring by smoke and mirrors". Somewhere, salary must be tied to style points and trickery vs. just lining up your 220 pound rb and getting that yard at the goal line.

There are so many things going against football and FF maintaining the synergy it once had.

 

[Shutout]

I guess I don't see what's so stressful. I play in 7 leagues and do fine putting in a few hours a week. If someone beats me because they researched the WW better, whatever. It still gives me something to talk to friends about.

People saying the game is worse now...yes. But to me that's more reason to have FF reasons to care. Just watching NFL games other than my own team is a pretty lame product.

It is interesting to see so many people universally agreeing that the actual game of football is pretty bad, yet everyone clings to it. You'd think we would walk away from a bad product. It's like we are all in a room clamoring about how bad Norton Anti-virus is...yet asking one another when the next patch comes out.

Commercials affect every product in a negative way. I'm wondering if people with no interest in fantasy feel that the product is bad/declining?

My guess from what I see in younger people is that there are fewer kids "growing up on football" these days. In today's world of instant gratification everything and "boom..boom..move", football has a hard time holding kid's attention. Maybe the kids I know are atypical but if I sit down with 2-3 7-13 year olds to watch a game, 30 minutes in, two of them have broken off to entertain one another and the other has outright walked out because they don't want to watch 3 minutes of game to every 6 minutes of commercials that are in no way targeting them.

 

[VaTerp]

We all know there is a huge amount of luck involved in this game. I'd offer two thoughts on that:

1) As my HS basketball coach always use to say, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." The better prepare you are, the better chance you have of maximizing opportunities when they come around, and consequently the more luck you will have.

2) I highly recommend payouts to the teams with the best reg. season record and most total points. Both of my main leagues have significant payouts to best reg. season winner and numerous other categories. This balances out the luck factor a little bit as you are rewarding more that just the team that is able to go on a 2-3 game win streak at the end of the year.

ETA- Actually meant to post this in another thread but I guess it applies here as well.

 

[VaTerp]

Commish is such a thankless job.

yes sending out two emails a year and having mfl and Cbs sports line do all the work for you is really tough.This isn't 1999 when you're calculating the stats off the Monday morning paper in excel.

Do you serve as Commish in any of your leagues?

The internet has certainly made the job much easier. I never Commished pre- web hosting days.

But its also more than sending out two emails. You have to schedule the draft, which is always a bear trying to coordinate 11 or so other grown men's schedules. You have to collect money, which can always be interesting with certain individuals. You have to resolve disputes, rule change proposals, etc.

Is it a huge undertaking? No. But it is certainly more time/energy consuming than sending two emails and I can see how it would significantly reduce the enjoyment of the game for some.

 

[AngryPatriot]

Surely a smart move- if you take advantage. I may be right behind you. I just get tired and want to devote more time to better things. I will admit I don't like daily and the degradation and sleeze that it brings with it. ANy monkey can draft a good team with the rankings right on the draft site, the ads during a game are ridiculous, the refs are lousy.. but still a great game.

The Pats/Brady winning their 4th also had a closure effect, very lucky with that.

And F Goodell and his nonsense... that too.

 

[Da Guru]

Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:52 AM, said:Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:52 AM, said:

habsfan, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:44 AM, said:habsfan, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:44 AM, said:

Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:33 AM, said:Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:33 AM, said:

cheese, on 15 Dec 2015 - 10:10 PM, said:cheese, on 15 Dec 2015 - 10:10 PM, said:I guess I don't see what's so stressful. I play in 7 leagues and do fine putting in a few hours a week. If someone beats me because they researched the WW better, whatever. It still gives me something to talk to friends about.

People saying the game is worse now...yes. But to me that's more reason to have FF reasons to care. Just watching NFL games other than my own team is a pretty lame product.

It is interesting to see so many people universally agreeing that the actual game of football is pretty bad, yet everyone clings to it. You'd think we would walk away from a bad product. It's like we are all in a room clamoring about how bad Norton Anti-virus is...yet asking one another when the next patch comes out.

Commercials affect every product in a negative way. I'm wondering if people with no interest in fantasy feel that the product is bad/declining?

My guess from what I see in younger people is that there are fewer kids "growing up on football" these days. In today's world of instant gratification everything and "boom..boom..move", football has a hard time holding kid's attention. Maybe the kids I know are atypical but if I sit down with 2-3 7-13 year olds to watch a game, 30 minutes in, two of them have broken off to entertain one another and the other has outright walked out because they don't want to watch 3 minutes of game to every 6 minutes of commercials that are in no way targeting them.

Hell..I do that myself now. If it gets into the fourth quarter and the game is tight I will watch until the end. The rest of the game I usually have the TV on but and doing other things.

Before CBS Sportslines instant stat updates we used to try to catch every play..and then when the update ticker came on you tried to see who was scoring. Now you just click on your phone or Ipad.

A few years ago my wife and kids were gone and I sat in my home office and drank some beers while just watching the scores and monitoring the games on my computer on CBS. Have a 60 inch HDTV in my family room and I am sitting in an office staring at my computer screen. No live plays..just constant scores and stat updates. I would watch that little field on the screen that shows the football moving one way or the other. Seeing if my players are getting points. After 4 hours by myself I walked out of my office and thought "I am mentally ill"

 

[Pietaster2]

You'll be back.

I did the same thing about seven years ago and took three years off because of the time expenditure and futility of one playoff game ruining countless hours of work and effort during the year. Ended up coming back because it's my favorite hobby.

It has its ups and downs but I couldn't imagine wasting my time on anything else.

 

[Hankmoody]

Like several have mentioned, the random luck has eclipsed the value of the time investment that used to reward those who studied the game. There comes a point these days where you realize that the amount of time you put into it netted you about $0.14/hour and, in the end, getting that $0.14 payout was really just the result of a coin flip on whether some guy had a better waiver priority or saw the tweet first.

There's your problem. You're turning it into an ROI analysis. I look at this as entertainment I pay for (or get paid for). I could go to a movie for $20 ($5 per hour), golf for $50 ($10 per hour), I could take the kids to Five Guys for $50 ($20 per hour). Or I can pay $175 for my three leagues (or less with winnings) and spend what, 200, 300 hours a year? More?

My buddy was flabbergasted that I would actually pay $50 to take over a crappy new dynasty team to rebuild it - "why not try to compete?" he asked, "what a waste of money". I told him between RFA, the draft, the research, and the trade discussions I expected to put in about 100 hour a year. That costs me $.50 per hour to be entertained. Something I find REALLY fun, and REALLY enjoy doing. Something I can do any time I want (pickup email or IM trade talks at midnight, hit a quick text from the golf course, stinker tinker my lineup Sunday mornings from the can, read forums whenever) and can put down any time I want with little real consequence. The only thing I'm truly "tied" to is that final hour checking inactives/tinkering, and I learned long ago to let that go and just take the safe play and live with the results when I can't get to it.

@Saber - for sure if it's not fun, get out. I've always said that, to leaguemates, to friends, to anyone that discusses it. Time and life are too precious to spend (more) on something you feel you "have" to do for someone else.

 

[Catbird]

I don't think I've ever gotten a thank you for commish in a league.

I'm going over and sending a 'Thanks' to all my Commishes now. Maybe I'll surprise someone. Even having been one for years, you forget how much time, attention and inescapability it imposes.

Its funny to me how we, I guess as humans, want everyone else to do what we do and think like we do. Shutout, BobbyLayne and jmo87usc are quitting and want us to quit with them. SO is claiming the rest of us are clinging to football - when we just like FF even if he doesn't any more. At least a dozen guys (including me?)have told Sabertooth what he should do so that he can stay and enjoy it. Adam has a whole new form of the game he wants us to play so as not suffer the shortcomings some are leaving over. Not surprisingly, I'm the Scientist is hating on everyone, I assume because he is just the hateful person he has always seemed. Its great to each explain why we do as we choose, but its a funny thing in people that we want everyone else to reach the same conclusion. While I'm thinking of it (for once), instead of trying to convince anyone, I'll say I hope everyone makes good choices for themselves and finds a way to play or stop playing that works for them. You probably shouldn't be doing it unless you like doing it.

 

[jmo87usc]

I don't think I've ever gotten a thank you for commish in a league.

I'm going over and sending a 'Thanks' to all my Commishes now. Maybe I'll surprise someone. Even having been one for years, you forget how much time, attention and inescapability it imposes.

Its funny to me how we, I guess as humans, want everyone else to do what we do and think like we do. Shutout, BobbyLayne and jmo87usc are quitting and want us to quit with them. SO is claiming the rest of us are clinging to football - when we just like FF even if he doesn't any more. At least a dozen guys (including me?)have told Sabertooth what he should do so that he can stay and enjoy it. Adam has a whole new form of the game he wants us to play so as not suffer the shortcomings some are leaving over. Not surprisingly, I'm the Scientist is hating on everyone, I assume because he is just the hateful person he has always seemed. Its great to each explain why we do as we choose, but its a funny thing in people that we want everyone else to reach the same conclusion. While I'm thinking of it (for once), instead of trying to convince anyone, I'll say I hope everyone makes good choices for themselves and finds a way to play or stop playing that works for them. You probably shouldn't be doing it unless you like doing it.

​

It's very true that we humans operate in that manner. We feel what is good for us is generally good for all. I do try and keep an open mind when discussing a topic like this and try not to act like everyonehas the same issues that I do.

I personally am unable to enjoy fantasy football in a manner where I can keep it from interfering with my life in a negative way. I don't mean to imply that no one can do it. I just know from talking at depth with the 50 or so people in various leagues, that the majority feel like me in a way. Therefore my general conclusion is that most lives are better off without fantasy football. However, there are those who can play it without affecting their lives and some who it may even improve their quality of life. To them I say, good for you and play on!

 

[Shutout]

We all know there is a huge amount of luck involved in this game. I'd offer two thoughts on that:

1) As my HS basketball coach always use to say, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." The better prepare you are, the better chance you have of maximizing opportunities when they come around, and consequently the more luck you will have.

2) I highly recommend payouts to the teams with the best reg. season record and most total points. Both of my main leagues have significant payouts to best reg. season winner and numerous other categories. This balances out the luck factor a little bit as you are rewarding more that just the team that is able to go on a 2-3 game win streak at the end of the year.

ETA- Actually meant to post this in another thread but I guess it applies here as well.

We do your 2nd listed point in my leagues and make a point to emphasize and divide the title "regular season champ" and "playoff champ". There is the same amount awarded to the regular season champ as there is the playoff. Most guys in the leagues probably still think of the playoff winner as the "league champ" but there are a handful of us that always separate the two. In my opinion, that is how it should be. If I had to guess, I'd say that the regular season champ gets by more on work and skill and the playoff champ on luck. I'd also say that you could split a FF season into 3-4 "mini seasons" of 3-5 weeks and you might end up with 2-3 "champs" by the time you finished your playoffs.

I usually see a blend of ups and downs of teams over the year and sometimes you see one team that completely leaves the others in the dust but, as LUCK would have it, seems like every time I see a team that kills it all season, they ALWAYS fall apart in the playoffs (they lose a guy..their guys slow down. their opponents pick up that Tim Hightower).

 

[ratbast]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

 

[Shutout]

Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:52 AM, said:Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:52 AM, said:

habsfan, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:44 AM, said:habsfan, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:44 AM, said:

Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:33 AM, said:Shutout, on 16 Dec 2015 - 10:33 AM, said:

cheese, on 15 Dec 2015 - 10:10 PM, said:cheese, on 15 Dec 2015 - 10:10 PM, said:I guess I don't see what's so stressful. I play in 7 leagues and do fine putting in a few hours a week. If someone beats me because they researched the WW better, whatever. It still gives me something to talk to friends about.

People saying the game is worse now...yes. But to me that's more reason to have FF reasons to care. Just watching NFL games other than my own team is a pretty lame product.

It is interesting to see so many people universally agreeing that the actual game of football is pretty bad, yet everyone clings to it. You'd think we would walk away from a bad product. It's like we are all in a room clamoring about how bad Norton Anti-virus is...yet asking one another when the next patch comes out.

Commercials affect every product in a negative way. I'm wondering if people with no interest in fantasy feel that the product is bad/declining?

My guess from what I see in younger people is that there are fewer kids "growing up on football" these days. In today's world of instant gratification everything and "boom..boom..move", football has a hard time holding kid's attention. Maybe the kids I know are atypical but if I sit down with 2-3 7-13 year olds to watch a game, 30 minutes in, two of them have broken off to entertain one another and the other has outright walked out because they don't want to watch 3 minutes of game to every 6 minutes of commercials that are in no way targeting them.

Hell..I do that myself now. If it gets into the fourth quarter and the game is tight I will watch until the end. The rest of the game I usually have the TV on but and doing other things.

Before CBS Sportslines instant stat updates we used to try to catch every play..and then when the update ticker came on you tried to see who was scoring. Now you just click on your phone or Ipad.

A few years ago my wife and kids were gone and I sat in my home office and drank some beers while just watching the scores and monitoring the games on my computer on CBS. Have a 60 inch HDTV in my family room and I am sitting in an office staring at my computer screen. No live plays..just constant scores and stat updates. I would watch that little field on the screen that shows the football moving one way or the other. Seeing if my players are getting points. After 4 hours by myself I walked out of my office and thought "I am mentally ill"

Been there. done that. I'm as mentally ill as you are and I know a lot of other "patients".

If we have been around long enough, there are some of us that would have to admit strange things like pulling over to the side of the road when you have reception to check the status of a score or player or, probably my favorite: BACK IN THE DAY, before it all went hi-tech, I was watching the game I had in my market, which was the Eagles and I think it was the Bucs (it was that Ricky Watters "alligator arms" game).

As any self-respecting FFer did back in the day, I had my notebook sitting there and I was recording my scores and my opponents and I had cleverly anticpated the next commercial just in time for my microwave to finish popping popcorn. Commercial comes on, I do my best 40 to the kitchen, pick up the bowl that was already sitting out (pre-planned), swipe open the door, grab that scalding bag and rip it open and popcorn is hitting the bowl before my other hand has even shut the microwave. I grab a beer from the fridge and I'm on my way back to the living room when....

I hear that old NBC "dong-dong-dong" chime that rolled around every ten minutes, updating scores (and they had recently gotten slick and started putting who was doing the scoring). Well, like Pavlov's dog, I break into another 40...I round that kitchen opening and catch my knee on the side of a chair and me, that popcorn, that beer, and my dignity go flying across the room about 6 feet. I land. I look up just in time to catch that Brett Favre had thrown his 3rd TD (I had Favre) and I smiled.

"Totally worth it," I mumble.

I am a stupid, stupid man.

 

[Dizzy]

Commish is such a thankless job.

...but at least the hours are long and pay is bad!

It is a labor of love. I've commished our league for (wrapping up) 23 years and love it. I arrange all of the; pre-draft crap, setting up the website, weekly updates, tracking the award categories, support graphics, fake news stories, real news stories, record keeping, Babe of the Day, Photoshopping, Hall of Fame voting, winter meetings, rule book revising (as voted/needed), etc. etc.... but it has never felt like a burden to me.

It's a small group, all original members, low stakes... at this point we have all basically have grown up (loose terms) together and watched each others children do the same.

Weird thing... no way I can envision myself watching today's NFL without fantasy football.... since it basically feels (to me) like Goodell has turned it into a fantasy producing stat monster with enough increased judgement calls to make it feel extremely corruptible.

 

[Shutout]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

Can't speak from others but, to be honest, I am active here because I have a job where I can be. I RARELY post on the weekends or after work and I will on MNF sometimes just because I'm watching some craptastic game that has my football hinging on it and I'm just bored...so I go into the MNF thread and heckle with those guys.

 

[drm1125]

I've not enjoyed this year very much either but I think it has more to do with being in 4 leagues this year, at least 1 to many. My biggest issue is with the NFL itself these days, as a woman- they way they handle domestic violence issues and other player misconduct makes me feel bad for following a sport that gives lip service to women and not even good lip service! The thing with Deanglo Williams is a perfect example of it. He wanted to wear pink for his dead mother who died of cancer, but it wasn't the sanctioned stuff so they fined him! Why, what would it have hurt?

It also feels like there were way more injuries this year than any other year. Plus, all the concussions make me feel like I'm almost watching players kill themselves.

I've played fantasy for 20 years and this is the first year I could see myself cutting way back but probably not all the way because I do still enjoy the games and I'm a browns fan so it's not fun watching them these days.

 

[Da Guru]

I ruined my wifes birthday dinner because of a FF playoff game I was in. I was already agitated because I wanted to watch the games at home. We meet her parents at a steakhouse. While at the table I could see the TV in the bar but it was quite a ways away. I was playing against Clinton Portis in the game he scored 5 YDs. I kept thinking they were showing replays..after awhile I could not take it and walked into the bar and asked the bartender if that was the replays they keep showing..he says no Portis has 5 TDs and about 200 yards rushing.

I walked back to the table and pouted the rest of the meal because I knew I was getting destroyed. My wife was so pissed she wanted me to quit right then and there.

 

[cstu]

My guess from what I see in younger people is that there are fewer kids "growing up on football" these days. In today's world of instant gratification everything and "boom..boom..move", football has a hard time holding kid's attention. Maybe the kids I know are atypical but if I sit down with 2-3 7-13 year olds to watch a game, 30 minutes in, two of them have broken off to entertain one another and the other has outright walked out because they don't want to watch 3 minutes of game to every 6 minutes of commercials that are in no way targeting them.

Watching sports in general is in decline - way too many options out there for your time. When people do say they 'watched the game' I believe they are watching only parts off it while doing other things on their phone or tablet.

Young people watching less TV.

 

[cstu]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

Most of my posts are from work - what else am I going to do?

 

[cockroach]

I ruined my wifes birthday dinner because of a FF playoff game I was in. I was already agitated because I wanted to watch the games at home. We meet her parents at a steakhouse. While at the table I could see the TV in the bar but it was quite a ways away. I was playing against Clinton Portis in the game he scored 5 YDs. I kept thinking they were showing replays..after awhile I could not take it and walked into the bar and asked the bartender if that was the replays they keep showing..he says no Portis has 5 TDs and about 200 yards rushing.

I walked back to the table and pouted the rest of the meal because I knew I was getting destroyed. My wife was so pissed she wanted me to quit right then and there.

Was up by like 30 Monday night and was sure Odell wouldn't have his 2nd best game of the year, so I invited my GF to lunch on Tues, thinking it'd be a bit of a victory meal.

Well, 85 yd TD later and I'm crushed, feeling exactly like Sabertooth. THankfully I listened to the Nerdist podcast, and Fred Savage was on, and I don't recall the details... but there was a story and the moral was, "Don't ruin other people's day because you're upset over some BS". Needed to hear that, and although I was still a little pissy and upset, I managed to subdue it and we had a nice lunch in the park.

Still tempted to leave FF, but my teams are good and it's not like I could sell them to the highest bidder, so I'll pay and play next year also. I think I'm nearing the end of my rope though.

 

[tone1oc]

I ruined my wifes birthday dinner because of a FF playoff game I was in. I was already agitated because I wanted to watch the games at home. We meet her parents at a steakhouse. While at the table I could see the TV in the bar but it was quite a ways away. I was playing against Clinton Portis in the game he scored 5 YDs. I kept thinking they were showing replays..after awhile I could not take it and walked into the bar and asked the bartender if that was the replays they keep showing..he says no Portis has 5 TDs and about 200 yards rushing.

I walked back to the table and pouted the rest of the meal because I knew I was getting destroyed. My wife was so pissed she wanted me to quit right then and there.

Was up by like 30 Monday night and was sure Odell wouldn't have his 2nd best game of the year, so I invited my GF to lunch on Tues, thinking it'd be a bit of a victory meal.

Well, 85 yd TD later and I'm crushed, feeling exactly like Sabertooth. THankfully I listened to the Nerdist podcast, and Fred Savage was on, and I don't recall the details... but there was a story and the moral was, "Don't ruin other people's day because you're upset over some BS". Needed to hear that, and although I was still a little pissy and upset, I managed to subdue it and we had a nice lunch in the park.

Still tempted to leave FF, but my teams are good and it's not like I could sell them to the highest bidder, so I'll pay and play next year also. I think I'm nearing the end of my rope though.

If anyone wants more inspiration in the vein of none of this really matters.. Check out David Foster Wallace's "This is Water" speech, which is based on an essay he wrote. I try to watch this a few times a year for perspective (including right now).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI

 

[ratbast]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

Most of my posts are from work - what else am I going to do?

Maybe manage a fantasy team so that you don't have to spend time outside of work? Just sayin' if time is the issue and you have time to post umpteen times on a fantasy website, well perhaps start there before you quit playing.

 

[slackjawedyokel]

We see these posts every year around this time, but I can identify with it more than ever. As someone posted already, a major issue is the decline in the return on investment of research and focus. It used to matter if you followed a college team and loved the talent of a WR and knew he would be a diamond in the rough, yet now there are no undiscovered gems. Google search rookie rankings or dynasty values, etc., and the research of pros is immediately available to anyone who can click a mouse. It's made luck the driving force more than ever before because there is a limited advantage to be had by anyone. People glued to their phones waiting for twitter alerts have the best shot and picking up players when news breaks and that's a terrible injustice to the way we used to play.

I'm in 6 leagues. I would say that I actually enjoy playing in three of them because of relationships and/or the inherent uniqueness of the leagues. As a result I will be backing out of 3, maybe 4, right after the season ends... Not waiting until preseason.

What is most challenging about quitting is when you have a stellar team built and future picks, etc. Walking away from a team in shambles is easy, but walking away from Gurley, Julio, Gronk, Freeman, Watkins, Robinson, Evans etc all on a single team is terribly difficult in comparison.

Someone above mentioned missing out on the first 10 years of their son's life and it really hit me hard. It can feel so empty wasting a Sunday watching the games.

FF brings joy in many ways as an escape from the duldrums of life... but sometimes at the expense of the fleeting precious moments of life too. It's worth a moment to introspectively consider if FF is worthy of our investment in the future.

 

[Jed]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

Most of my posts are from work - what else am I going to do?

I dunno. Work?

 

[Van Dyman]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

Most of my posts are from work - what else am I going to do?

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

Most of my posts are from work - what else am I going to do?

Do your job. If that isn't enough to keep you occupied, ask for more work. Or a promotion. Aim higher.

 

[cstu]

Most of you who are posting you are seriously considering leaving based on the time involved are some of the most active posters in this forum.

Take a break from posting? Maybe? Perhaps?

Most of my posts are from work - what else am I going to do?

Maybe manage a fantasy team so that you don't have to spend time outside of work? Just sayin' if time is the issue and you have time to post umpteen times on a fantasy website, well perhaps start there before you quit playing.

The difference is that I can post when I want to compared to worrying about researching waivers by Wednesday at 5:30 pm or getting up early Sunday morning to look find out who is playing/not playing. Having a kid has changed a lot and FF has become more of a chore than fun during the season. I still love researching players during the off-season but the weekly grind isn't fun anymore - not to solely blame Thursday games but it hasn't helped.

 

[comfortably numb]

For me, the Thursday game is what changed this from a hobby to just a tad more of an obligation.

You used to be able to get your weeks results on Monday night and chill til Thursday afternoon at which point you would do your WW, then check in Sunday and set your lineups.

Now......after your weeks results you wake up Tuesday already thinking about the WW and who is playing on Thur.

You mess with your WW and are torn because your WR AJ Green is listed as Questionable for Thursday.

You know he would most likely be fine for Sunday but being it is a Thursday game you are now not sure and have to figure this out between Tue/Wed

Now you have to check in minutes before the game to make your decision.

He is OUT, great. You throw a backup in for Sun.

Friday/Sat rolls around. These are normally days when you might be doing stuff like going out, chores, travelling etc...You wake up SUN morning set your lineup and enjoy the games.

The Thursday game doesn't give you that break you need and forces your hand having to make tough decisions that imo eventually take some of the fun out FF.

 

[duaneok66]

I ruined my wifes birthday dinner because of a FF playoff game I was in. I was already agitated because I wanted to watch the games at home. We meet her parents at a steakhouse. While at the table I could see the TV in the bar but it was quite a ways away. I was playing against Clinton Portis in the game he scored 5 YDs. I kept thinking they were showing replays..after awhile I could not take it and walked into the bar and asked the bartender if that was the replays they keep showing..he says no Portis has 5 TDs and about 200 yards rushing.

I walked back to the table and pouted the rest of the meal because I knew I was getting destroyed. My wife was so pissed she wanted me to quit right then and there.

sounds like me.

If I have to go out to a restaurant or do anything between 1pm and 7pm (eastern) on Sunday then I am upset.

Yes I know its lame.

 

[DallasDMac]

Enjoy your free time Sabre. I quit probably 8 or 10 years ago. Unlike what some are/have said in here, I didn't miss it a bit. Was invited back to several leagues and was never even remotely tempted. Without FF, I quit watching all the craptastic games (like most Thursday night ones) because there was no scrub player on the team that I needed FF points from. Now I am like the teens mentioned previously, I rarely sit through a whole game. I can say without a doubt, my wife is MUCH happier to have me not moping after a bad FF weekend. So go forth and prosper. You really won't be missing anything.