What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

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

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.
This is what I hope for. I have some goals with my wife I'd like to do.

 
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.
This is what I hope for. I have some goals with my wife I'd like to do.
:pickle:

 
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.
Thursday games definitely have made this a full time gig. I like it though, waiting from Tues-Thurs was painful.

 
I just don't live my life totally around football any more. With all the information out there. You don't need to so much. You miss out on some eye ball tests that might make a difference, but I don't play for big money, just for fun. Doesn't have to be all or nothing.

 
ratbast said:
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.
Government make-work job?

 
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.
I had this thought because I play in dynasty and have perennial playoff teams that don't appear to be going south anytime soon. I have one team that is ridiculously on auto-pilot. BUT, two things that help give me proper judgment on it is

1. I have seen it before. In my main league, an owner that had a terrific young team just up and quit one day and never looked back. I have reached out to him a few times and asked how things are going and if he ever played again and if he regretted giving up such a great team and his answers were and always are "I'm doing great now that I don't waste my time on ff. Nope. Nope."

So, It can be done. I'm not going to have fear of the unknown.

2. You might look at your team and think you're great for a long run but you NEVER know. Did people who had Finley and Hernandez and Josh Gordon and Hakeem Nicks think they were good to go for a while? How many times have I seen on the boards THIS year about the people who had Foster/Lewis or Charles/Dez or Bell/Allen? Even great teams can go south in a hurry. I play in one league where a guy lost Benjamin, Charles, Graham, and has been neutered by Dez being hurt and having no QB. Just 12 weeks ago, I was ready to concede we were all playing for 2nd place.

Point being, you NEVER KNOW. SO, go when it's time, without attempting to predict how great the next 203 years is going to be because FF changes so fast, you'll probably be surprised, one way or the other.

 
ratbast said:
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.
Government make-work job?
LOL. NO. I just am able to make my own schedule of when I get things done and I'm efficient. Don't waste a lot of time at a water cooler or taking breaks so when the work is there, it gets done and then I take a few minutes to unwind before I focus on the next thing.

 
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.

 
The best is the people posting about quitting who still post a ton here. So awesome.
I don't think the two have to be married. You can have extreme interest in something or be wiling to share your thoughts/knowledge on something without being infused into it.

I frequent boards on home refurbishment all the time but I'm not always into a project at my home. I see a lot of guys on the FFA talking music, tv, politics, video games, etc. TO be honest, although I post a lot less over in the FFA, I spend much more time reading others' thoughts there than I do here.

 
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
I would say that is true to a degree but as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have already watched a few games the past few weeks where I have checked out of FF and it has already been extremely refreshing and different and better. Hard to explain, but when I'm not sitting on a seat, staring at a screen, hinging every single miserable play review on how it impacts fantasy, the game is much more enjoyable. I found myself thinking in terms of "will the Cardinals stop the Vikings on this drive" versus "Can the Vikes get this to OT solely because I'd like a few more Adrian Peterson points".

It helps my patience with it, too. One of my criticisms of the NFL is the saturation of commercials and the time it takes to replay and decide a play. That is because of my anxiety and wanting to know. But the other night, the commercials didn't bother me. I actually stood my ### up and went to the kitchen and got my own drink and food and when it took them 3 minutes to decide a TD, I didn't care as much.

 
I've read most of this and have a few suggestions to those who feel its become too much:

Don't be a commish

Play in only the friends and family leagues

Consider not watching football as much.

Consider posting on boards less
Please consider moving this to the top of the list.

 
ratbast said:
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.
Government make-work job?
My government job blocks fantasy sites and this board. I only post here via my phone during breaks or when I am home.

 
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
True. But it will free up a lot of time for other things. It's such a time suck. I think that's the biggest thing for me. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what I do. It won't be boredom. But something else will definitely emerge. My brother told me "it just seems like you don't do any of the things you used to enjoy anymore". Which I think was interesting. I don't even own an Xbox anymore. Just don't have any interest I it. I looked at buying a board game the other day that I'd heard is really good (settler of katan) but couldn't think of three guys who would actually play it with me. So I passed. Definitely at a crossroads in my life in terms of the social aspects of it.
 
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
True. But it will free up a lot of time for other things. It's such a time suck. I think that's the biggest thing for me. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what I do. It won't be boredom. But something else will definitely emerge. My brother told me "it just seems like you don't do any of the things you used to enjoy anymore". Which I think was interesting. I don't even own an Xbox anymore. Just don't have any interest I it. I looked at buying a board game the other day that I'd heard is really good (settler of katan) but couldn't think of three guys who would actually play it with me. So I passed. Definitely at a crossroads in my life in terms of the social aspects of it.
Settlers is a very fun game and easy to play casually with any group of people that you find yourself getting together with.

There is an app for it on tablet (iPad) that is pretty true to the board game so you can try it out there, too.

There is an extension to the game but it is only necessary if you think you will end up with more than 4 people playing.

 
Maybe you just need a break. 1-2 years off, come back, re-invent yourself in a 8-10 redraft league. That would eliminate the off-season ties to FF at least.

Me for example: heavily involved from Aug thru week 17... then drop it like a bad habit 'til next Aug.

 
Shutout said:
JamesTheScot said:
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
I would say that is true to a degree but as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have already watched a few games the past few weeks where I have checked out of FF and it has already been extremely refreshing and different and better. Hard to explain, but when I'm not sitting on a seat, staring at a screen, hinging every single miserable play review on how it impacts fantasy, the game is much more enjoyable. I found myself thinking in terms of "will the Cardinals stop the Vikings on this drive" versus "Can the Vikes get this to OT solely because I'd like a few more Adrian Peterson points". It helps my patience with it, too. One of my criticisms of the NFL is the saturation of commercials and the time it takes to replay and decide a play. That is because of my anxiety and wanting to know. But the other night, the commercials didn't bother me. I actually stood my ### up and went to the kitchen and got my own drink and food and when it took them 3 minutes to decide a TD, I didn't care as much.
This nails it. Good post

 
Shutout said:
JamesTheScot said:
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
I would say that is true to a degree but as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have already watched a few games the past few weeks where I have checked out of FF and it has already been extremely refreshing and different and better. Hard to explain, but when I'm not sitting on a seat, staring at a screen, hinging every single miserable play review on how it impacts fantasy, the game is much more enjoyable. I found myself thinking in terms of "will the Cardinals stop the Vikings on this drive" versus "Can the Vikes get this to OT solely because I'd like a few more Adrian Peterson points".

It helps my patience with it, too. One of my criticisms of the NFL is the saturation of commercials and the time it takes to replay and decide a play. That is because of my anxiety and wanting to know. But the other night, the commercials didn't bother me. I actually stood my ### up and went to the kitchen and got my own drink and food and when it took them 3 minutes to decide a TD, I didn't care as much.
Why can you not set a lineup and NOT care? It is not like you watching actually changes anything. Why not have a team, do your homework, apply add/drops, set the lineup and let it roll. DONT stare the screen, DONT hinge on every single miserable play and DO go get your own drink and food--it does not matter. Set your lineup good or bad, repeat.

Seems like the best of both world, unless you cannot do what is described above, which I know may be a hard task.

 
Shutout said:
JamesTheScot said:
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
I would say that is true to a degree but as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have already watched a few games the past few weeks where I have checked out of FF and it has already been extremely refreshing and different and better. Hard to explain, but when I'm not sitting on a seat, staring at a screen, hinging every single miserable play review on how it impacts fantasy, the game is much more enjoyable. I found myself thinking in terms of "will the Cardinals stop the Vikings on this drive" versus "Can the Vikes get this to OT solely because I'd like a few more Adrian Peterson points".

It helps my patience with it, too. One of my criticisms of the NFL is the saturation of commercials and the time it takes to replay and decide a play. That is because of my anxiety and wanting to know. But the other night, the commercials didn't bother me. I actually stood my ### up and went to the kitchen and got my own drink and food and when it took them 3 minutes to decide a TD, I didn't care as much.
Why can you not set a lineup and NOT care? It is not like you watching actually changes anything. Why not have a team, do your homework, apply add/drops, set the lineup and let it roll. DONT stare the screen, DONT hinge on every single miserable play and DO go get your own drink and food--it does not matter. Set your lineup good or bad, repeat.

Seems like the best of both world, unless you cannot do what is described above, which I know may be a hard task.
Cause I'm a highly motivated, truly dedicated individual. Hoorah!

That's like asking a duck to go to the pond and NOT swim.

In all seriousness, I just have the mindset of whatever I do, no matter what it is, I want to do it to the best of my ability and I want to understand it front to back, sideways, etc. If I go to a cooking class with my wife (that's her thing, not mine), I'm the type that I'm reading up on where the dish came from, etc, before we go just to get an idea of how it came to be.

I guess I have always felt like I don't want to look at a stat line of 4/89/1 and assume that was great, not great, etc. I want to see the game, watch the player, understand if his game was his effort or bad calls or poor plan to stop him, etc. I've just always felt it makes me understand more instead of reading straight numbers.

 
Shutout said:
JamesTheScot said:
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
I would say that is true to a degree but as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have already watched a few games the past few weeks where I have checked out of FF and it has already been extremely refreshing and different and better. Hard to explain, but when I'm not sitting on a seat, staring at a screen, hinging every single miserable play review on how it impacts fantasy, the game is much more enjoyable. I found myself thinking in terms of "will the Cardinals stop the Vikings on this drive" versus "Can the Vikes get this to OT solely because I'd like a few more Adrian Peterson points".

It helps my patience with it, too. One of my criticisms of the NFL is the saturation of commercials and the time it takes to replay and decide a play. That is because of my anxiety and wanting to know. But the other night, the commercials didn't bother me. I actually stood my ### up and went to the kitchen and got my own drink and food and when it took them 3 minutes to decide a TD, I didn't care as much.
Why can you not set a lineup and NOT care? It is not like you watching actually changes anything. Why not have a team, do your homework, apply add/drops, set the lineup and let it roll. DONT stare the screen, DONT hinge on every single miserable play and DO go get your own drink and food--it does not matter. Set your lineup good or bad, repeat.

Seems like the best of both world, unless you cannot do what is described above, which I know may be a hard task.
Cause I'm a highly motivated, truly dedicated individual. Hoorah!

That's like asking a duck to go to the pond and NOT swim.

In all seriousness, I just have the mindset of whatever I do, no matter what it is, I want to do it to the best of my ability and I want to understand it front to back, sideways, etc. If I go to a cooking class with my wife (that's her thing, not mine), I'm the type that I'm reading up on where the dish came from, etc, before we go just to get an idea of how it came to be.

I guess I have always felt like I don't want to look at a stat line of 4/89/1 and assume that was great, not great, etc. I want to see the game, watch the player, understand if his game was his effort or bad calls or poor plan to stop him, etc. I've just always felt it makes me understand more instead of reading straight numbers.
Yeah, I get it, but we do agree that watching the game, won't actually change the numbers right, so I guess "caring less" is one way to go, but I truly understand it is hard. I used to feel the way you did, but I realized that I could choose two paths. The first, just not deal with fantasy anymore and become a football purist; you know, like the game for the game, or second, just not care about the OUTCOME of fantasy as much. I still do my fantasy homework, read up on sites, etc, but once the lineup is set, it is now out of my hands. I watch my favorite team and have my fantasy game on the live gametracker. It feels like stocks, just see matchup go back and forth. I can always check the highlights and read the forums to get a feel as to what happened. Not seeing the football games "live" for games I would not have seen absent a fantasy player, has helped while my actual fantasy record has not suffered at all, and the enjoyment of playing has increased.

Anyhow, I am not telling you what to do, just sharing what helped when I felt I was in the same boat as you.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Shutout said:
JamesTheScot said:
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
I would say that is true to a degree but as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have already watched a few games the past few weeks where I have checked out of FF and it has already been extremely refreshing and different and better. Hard to explain, but when I'm not sitting on a seat, staring at a screen, hinging every single miserable play review on how it impacts fantasy, the game is much more enjoyable. I found myself thinking in terms of "will the Cardinals stop the Vikings on this drive" versus "Can the Vikes get this to OT solely because I'd like a few more Adrian Peterson points".

It helps my patience with it, too. One of my criticisms of the NFL is the saturation of commercials and the time it takes to replay and decide a play. That is because of my anxiety and wanting to know. But the other night, the commercials didn't bother me. I actually stood my ### up and went to the kitchen and got my own drink and food and when it took them 3 minutes to decide a TD, I didn't care as much.
Why can you not set a lineup and NOT care? It is not like you watching actually changes anything. Why not have a team, do your homework, apply add/drops, set the lineup and let it roll. DONT stare the screen, DONT hinge on every single miserable play and DO go get your own drink and food--it does not matter. Set your lineup good or bad, repeat.

Seems like the best of both world, unless you cannot do what is described above, which I know may be a hard task.
Cause I'm a highly motivated, truly dedicated individual. Hoorah!

That's like asking a duck to go to the pond and NOT swim.

In all seriousness, I just have the mindset of whatever I do, no matter what it is, I want to do it to the best of my ability and I want to understand it front to back, sideways, etc. If I go to a cooking class with my wife (that's her thing, not mine), I'm the type that I'm reading up on where the dish came from, etc, before we go just to get an idea of how it came to be.

I guess I have always felt like I don't want to look at a stat line of 4/89/1 and assume that was great, not great, etc. I want to see the game, watch the player, understand if his game was his effort or bad calls or poor plan to stop him, etc. I've just always felt it makes me understand more instead of reading straight numbers.
Oof, that would be "in too deep" for my liking.

I set my line-up and go fishing (seriously). Because if I sit home with nothing to do, I fall into this same rut. Then 10:30p rolls around and I feel like I squandered half of my entire weekend.

I'm fine catching the highlights and stat lines. I'll watch TNF if it's a good matchup... SNF and MNF (if I have a player involved). Sundays I get out of the house and stay out, especially this time of year when all your free time is under the cover of darkness Mon-Fri.

 
I've read through this whole thread the past two days and have to say it's one of the most eye opening reads I've had in a while with this hobby.

About 8-10 years ago I was heavily invested in FF and it essentially set me back in a few things, most importantly getting my degree I was working towards when going back to school while working full time and spending time with my wife (we didn't have kids at the time). I had 10 leagues and about 7 of them were really year round endevors. Spent a lot of time posting on now defunct message boards as well (Fantasy Asylum in case anyone else was on there).

Essentially I made the decision to cut back and it allowed me to refocus on what was important before I potentially lost it all. I still play now and the league count has gone back up, but this year especially, it's really been a drain on me as well, for a lot of the reasons already mentioned in this thread. I've definitely been re-assessing my commitment levels as this year comes to a close. It's been the first time in a long time I feel like it's been a burden though and I'm honestly curious if others in my leagues feel the same as well.

 
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.
I had this thought because I play in dynasty and have perennial playoff teams that don't appear to be going south anytime soon. I have one team that is ridiculously on auto-pilot. BUT, two things that help give me proper judgment on it is1. I have seen it before. In my main league, an owner that had a terrific young team just up and quit one day and never looked back. I have reached out to him a few times and asked how things are going and if he ever played again and if he regretted giving up such a great team and his answers were and always are "I'm doing great now that I don't waste my time on ff. Nope. Nope."

So, It can be done. I'm not going to have fear of the unknown.

2. You might look at your team and think you're great for a long run but you NEVER know. Did people who had Finley and Hernandez and Josh Gordon and Hakeem Nicks think they were good to go for a while? How many times have I seen on the boards THIS year about the people who had Foster/Lewis or Charles/Dez or Bell/Allen? Even great teams can go south in a hurry. I play in one league where a guy lost Benjamin, Charles, Graham, and has been neutered by Dez being hurt and having no QB. Just 12 weeks ago, I was ready to concede we were all playing for 2nd place.

Point being, you NEVER KNOW. SO, go when it's time, without attempting to predict how great the next 203 years is going to be because FF changes so fast, you'll probably be surprised, one way or the other.
That's a really good point and ripping off the bandaid is the best approach here.

 
quit 8-10 years ago yet on a ff website thread..... ok :no:
What's so hard to believe? I follow the team threads for my two teams here, and I frequent the FFA. It isn't like these forums contain tons of super awesome FF knowledge. I think there's more general team discussion than anything.

 
quit 8-10 years ago yet on a ff website thread..... ok :no:
What's so hard to believe? I follow the team threads for my two teams here, and I frequent the FFA. It isn't like these forums contain tons of super awesome FF knowledge. I think there's more general team discussion than anything.
But when you are talking about time constraints, well priorities....maybe all some need for a better life is to quit posting in a bunch of forums and facebook too probably, this way they dont have to quit their friends and family leagues.

 
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.
More leagues moving to conditional lineups would help with this aspect. ;)

 
Moderation is key. If you're married, and have kids, your time is likely better spent elsewhere. That said, ffb is a great thing if you have the time and enjoy the hobby. As someone who doesn't bet sports games this gives me a bit of a competitive outlet where I can wager a fixed amount on a season long endeavor(lets not debate betting games to ffb please).

Gl w things Saber!

 
As a followed up, I sent out "resignations" in two leagues and will do so in a 3rd league after I get paid for winning the finals this weekend. Waiting because the commish is notoriously irresponsible and maybe be extra "slow" at sending my $. Last year he took almost 8 months (the whole offseason).

 
I have a guy in my league who quits every year, but he always shows up to the draft and picks a team then next year.

Its the oddest thing when people say they quit but show up to drafts or hang around a board devoted to fantasy football.

I just quit smoking three months ago, its going good.

*puts out 4th cigarette of the day*

 
I have a guy in my league who quits every year, but he always shows up to the draft and picks a team then next year.

Its the oddest thing when people say they quit but show up to drafts or hang around a board devoted to fantasy football.

I just quit smoking three months ago, its going good.

*puts out 4th cigarette of the day*
Those people. Can't trust em. Can't do it.I'm not sure I'd ever quit FF because it's something I truly enjoy. For me, it's about scaling down to a level that is fun but not too much work.

 
I'm really close to stopping after this year. I'm sure I'll be back by June at the latest though.
I'm quitting now. I really wanted to last year but I commish a really competitive league so I got talked into staying. It truly brought me very little joy at all. All season it was more like a burden than anything. I'm actually looking forward to just watching the Packers without worrying about who I have playing against them or whatever.
It isn't what you think it is. It isn't that fantasy football has changed. YOU'VE changed. And you think that when you let go of fantasy football, then the NFL experience will go back to what it was. But it won't. Because YOU are not the same person watching the Packers now you were 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is not something you sell out for. Nothing ever remains the same. Don't invest a lot with the expectation that you can set things back to the way they used to be. You are not going to watch football with the same mindset that you used to, even if you aren't in fantasy football.
True. But it will free up a lot of time for other things. It's such a time suck. I think that's the biggest thing for me. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what I do. It won't be boredom. But something else will definitely emerge. My brother told me "it just seems like you don't do any of the things you used to enjoy anymore". Which I think was interesting. I don't even own an Xbox anymore. Just don't have any interest I it. I looked at buying a board game the other day that I'd heard is really good (settler of katan) but couldn't think of three guys who would actually play it with me. So I passed. Definitely at a crossroads in my life in terms of the social aspects of it.
If FF is really the issue, then good luck.

Being in a few serious leagues shouldn't cause you to miss family stuff, though... With the amount of information on the internet, I can get the same information in 30 minutes after work everyday that it used to take me hours to find (bookmarking each team page and going through info), or even worse - using the newspapers.

I cut back to two serious leagues and let the internet do the stat mining for me. Finding injuries is a breeze now; who practiced - who didn't. NFL Rewind lets me scan a full game in 35 minutes, or look at certain players in 10.

If you are like I was - I actually didn't waste time on FF because I had to. I wasted time mindlessly browsing forums or reading information that really didn't affect my team's lineup. I'd find myself checking for updates throughout the day 10, 15, 20 times - A few times an hour, often. I knew nothing had changed, but it was just habit.

Take time off if you need it, for sure. But if you truly enjoy playing FF, then come back to it in moderation. Do what I did and set times in the day that is your "football time" and stick to it. I set aside two hours today and watched 2 full games on Rewind, checked all injuries, and talked a bit of smack in one of my leagues. I checked the boards here, and now I'm off to hang with some annoying family members at their house.

Plenty of us juggle it just fine, and you can do it too, unless you really are tired of FF, and it's not just being used as a focal point for your "change" - then maybe you should walk away. It's just a game, after all.

 
I think the reason some finally get fed up with FF is that they come to the realization that no matter how much time and effort one puts in, it far too often comes down to luck.

 
I think the reason some finally get fed up with FF is that they come to the realization that no matter how much time and effort one puts in, it far too often comes down to luck.
Correct - I'm sure that is the case for many.
I think so. There's a frustration to being the most prepared and best-built team and stil not win. Owners like this increase the odds of success by adding volume but that goes against the idea of reducing league volume.

I was in six this year. Results:

1. Win division, highest points, in championship. Was 1pt away from losing after a round 1 bye.

2. Missed playoffs, 3rd highest points.

3. Missed playoffs, highest points, 3rd in division. The division winner was 2nd lowest points total.

4. Won division, 2nd highest points, round 1 bye, lost by 50 points n round 2.

5. Won division, barely. Highest points total, split pot in championship.

6. Wild card, barely made it in to playoffs by a fluke set of game outcomes but had the highest total points.

Not a brag attempt. It just shows the random nature of FF even if you put together stellar teams that score more than everyone else. A single fluky game is the dice roll element where no amount of previous success matters in a single moment.

 
I think the reason some finally get fed up with FF is that they come to the realization that no matter how much time and effort one puts in, it far too often comes down to luck.
Correct - I'm sure that is the case for many.
I think so. There's a frustration to being the most prepared and best-built team and stil not win. Owners like this increase the odds of success by adding volume but that goes against the idea of reducing league volume. I was in six this year. Results:

1. Win division, highest points, in championship. Was 1pt away from losing after a round 1 bye.

2. Missed playoffs, 3rd highest points.

3. Missed playoffs, highest points, 3rd in division. The division winner was 2nd lowest points total.

4. Won division, 2nd highest points, round 1 bye, lost by 50 points n round 2.

5. Won division, barely. Highest points total, split pot in championship.

6. Wild card, barely made it in to playoffs by a fluke set of game outcomes but had the highest total points.

Not a brag attempt. It just shows the random nature of FF even if you put together stellar teams that score more than everyone else. A single fluky game is the dice roll element where no amount of previous success matters in a single moment.
I think this kind of post is very useful in putting things into perspective. The bottom line for me is that I've done this long enough and been in enough of leagues that NOTHING surprises me in this hobby. That includes losing by a fraction of a point or get knocked out of the playoffs immediately as the #1 seed. I agree that league volume isn't necessarily the answer, but if you're on two platforms (i.e. ESPN for redraft and MFL for dynasty) it does make things easier, and one may be willing to take a shot at five plus $50 leagues a year. ESPN generally runs waivers Wednesday AM and my MFL leagues all run on Wednesday as well, so I spend about a half hour on Tuesday making claims. I browse NFL news every day just to keep up with the league and diversify my teams at the draft as much as possible so one injury doesn't sink all of my teams. Then again, I'm always looking for a waiver pickup to break out and those guys may end up on most of my teams. I never look at my matchups during the week and therefore root for players that are on my teams and not guys I'm playing against. I wait until the Sunday night games to check my scores so the chance of me rooting against my own guys is slim. I talk general NFL stuff with my buddies and not fantasy (even if they are in my local leagues) because all things considered, no one cares about each other's teams.I love watching Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night games as I usually don't have family obligations at night, but family comes first on Sunday afternoons, and that includes my children's soccer and basketball games, birthday parties, whatever. I honestly don't care what is going on in NFL games when I'm in family mode.

I think it all comes down to perspective- Yes, the league is frustrating to watch with all of the safety protocol and officiating issues among other things, but any given Sunday, anyone can win, and anything can also happen in fantasy. So I just don't take it as seriously because I feel like I've been through every circumstance in fantasy in twelve years doing this. Probably easier said than done, but I just wanted to share my experience.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Like others have said in the luck Vs skill thread. It takes skill (drafting/WW in regular season) to put yourself in a position of luck (in the playoffs). I also think it becomes less fun when too many people these days put too much money into leagues.

I also burned out doing multiple teams years ago. I took a 2 year hiatus and came back to just a single league which I have been in for the past 4 years, a free dynasty. It satisfies the craving for competition without the risk of losing funds, while not overwhelming me keeping track of 5 different rosters. I think a dedicated, active league also helps. Stagnant, trade-wary leagues will certainly get you bored.

 
I think the reason some finally get fed up with FF is that they come to the realization that no matter how much time and effort one puts in, it far too often comes down to luck.
Correct - I'm sure that is the case for many.
Thats what it is for me.
It's simple really and been said before, it takes skill to put a good team together with drafting, trading, and the waiver wire, so skill will get you to the playoffs but luck has to play in winning championships. I'm ok with that and do not let it get me down when I don't win it all. I made the playoffs in 8 of 10 dynasty leagues and that's good enough for me. I've won my share of titles and and I will win and lose my share in the future. I'm in 4 title games and lost ODBjr in two of them and I'm not crying over spilled milk, but instead am trying my best to win without him and if that isn't good enough, well, that's the breaks.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think the reason some finally get fed up with FF is that they come to the realization that no matter how much time and effort one puts in, it far too often comes down to luck.
Correct - I'm sure that is the case for many.
Thats what it is for me.
Moderation is king. If you're playing with the expectation to always win you're in the wrong hobby. Enjoy ffb for what it is. Saber it sounds like you have other priorities you've been neglecting, get back to focusing on what's important and if you get time rejoin us.

gl sir!

 
I think for me its the fatigue of trying to stay on top of everything. I read all I can. Spend hours agonizing over who to pick up, who to play, try not to 2nd guess my choices but fret over last second injury news. Then when you let up for an instant, like deciding to go on a family outing Sunday morning and set your lineup at 10:30 only to find your guy was declared questionable last minute and gave you zero when he barely played. Or on Wednesday night you decided to give your kids a bath when free for all waivers ran and missed out on that sleeper prospects 2 weeks before they blow up because the other vigilant FF die hard doesnt have a family.

That's what killed me this season. A whole off season of prep, studying all year, wasting so much time on my phone and then when I needed to check the most, I didn't because of family. That's a direct conflict that could lead some people to get angry about family time and I don't want to ever get there.

 
I think the reason some finally get fed up with FF is that they come to the realization that no matter how much time and effort one puts in, it far too often comes down to luck.
Correct - I'm sure that is the case for many.
I think so. There's a frustration to being the most prepared and best-built team and stil not win. Owners like this increase the odds of success by adding volume but that goes against the idea of reducing league volume.

I was in six this year. Results:

1. Win division, highest points, in championship. Was 1pt away from losing after a round 1 bye.

2. Missed playoffs, 3rd highest points.

3. Missed playoffs, highest points, 3rd in division. The division winner was 2nd lowest points total.

4. Won division, 2nd highest points, round 1 bye, lost by 50 points n round 2.

5. Won division, barely. Highest points total, split pot in championship.

6. Wild card, barely made it in to playoffs by a fluke set of game outcomes but had the highest total points.

Not a brag attempt. It just shows the random nature of FF even if you put together stellar teams that score more than everyone else. A single fluky game is the dice roll element where no amount of previous success matters in a single moment.
Yeah, it's a tough gig sometimes. I made sure to play in leagues this time around that pay out as much (or almost as much) for high points. With that in mind I look at either points or trophy as a "win". It's pretty fun these days. I enjoy betting money, so that doesn't detract for me, either. If an amount makes me nervous, I don't bet it. It's kept me out of trouble so far.

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top