Burnt out on Football/Fantasy? (1 Viewer)

[stbugs]

8 leagues. Lost in 6/7 championships yesterday after my best season ever by far and going into 5 of them as the favorite. Got quite the sour taste in my mouth for it today.

It's all luck dorks. Accept it or stop playing.

Winning the title is. Getting to the playoffs every year is not. The skill is in getting there every year.

Winning it all is the luck part.

Agreed, lately I have won 1 league each year, but usually I am at least in 1 of 3 championship games and almost always in all 3 playoffs with competitive teams. It is hard to win in 3 leagues because unless you draft in the same spot and the same waiver guys are available in all 3 leagues, it is almost impossible to have the same "hot" guys in the playoffs.

That said, I did get burnt out around mid season this year. I am in 3 leagues and around mid season I was around .500 in each after hot starts, I was 4-3, 4-3 and 11-11 (two games each week to try and take the luck out. I was thinking about not playing next year. Part of that was my two sons' sports. I coach baseball and one son played on the all-star team so I was coaching twice as much and another decided to play football, which was twice the practice (including 30 minute drives two nights a week due to practice field availability). FF was just something I didn't want to deal with, but then baseball and football ended and I was in the playoffs in all 3 leagues.

Amazing how things change once you start winning. The one league where I was 100% sure I was going to dump next year is now the league I am potentially going to win the most $$$ in and the league where I love my keeper (keep 1 with ODB in the 10th). At least, it was enjoyable at the end. Heck, even though I sat Sanders and lost out on another $300 it didn't bother me because I was in 2 championships and 1 waiver wire pickup (decided against ODB in one league because I had Calvin, Julio, Wallace and Gordon on the bench and I needed RB help - guess who beat me in week 15) away from the championship in all 3 leagues.

 

[Capella]

8 leagues. Lost in 6/7 championships yesterday after my best season ever by far and going into

5 of them as the favorite. Got quite the sour taste in my mouth for it today.

It's all luck dorks. Accept it or stop playing.

If you played poker and lost 6/7 hands where you were holding QQ and got beat by AJ, you'd be a bit sour too. Doesn't mean you don't accept the minor luck factor, you're just annoyed by it temporarily.

It's not poker. Everybody has access to the same stupid spreadsheets you do. It's not like you're some nfl GM who sees true talent in a preseason game and then drafts him sneakily in round 27 or something.We're just all some loads who draft off the rankings of some guy who doesn't know anymore than you do.

It's exactly like poker. Everyone has the same access to the statistics on hand odds and there are dozens of high-quality poker books to learn the statistically correct plays. It's whether you want to put in the time and effort. The only slight difference is that most sites will give you some free advice.

You don't have access to everybody's cards in poker. If everybody could see the whole table, then yea, it would be all luck.

Like fantasy football is.

 

[Zow]

8 leagues. Lost in 6/7 championships yesterday after my best season ever by far and going into

5 of them as the favorite. Got quite the sour taste in my mouth for it today.

It's all luck dorks. Accept it or stop playing.

If you played poker and lost 6/7 hands where you were holding QQ and got beat by AJ, you'd be a bit sour too. Doesn't mean you don't accept the minor luck factor, you're just annoyed by it temporarily.

It's not poker. Everybody has access to the same stupid spreadsheets you do. It's not like you're some nfl GM who sees true talent in a preseason game and then drafts him sneakily in round 27 or something.We're just all some loads who draft off the rankings of some guy who doesn't know anymore than you do.

It's exactly like poker. Everyone has the same access to the statistics on hand odds and there are dozens of high-quality poker books to learn the statistically correct plays. It's whether you want to put in the time and effort. The only slight difference is that most sites will give you some free advice.

You don't have access to everybody's cards in poker. If everybody could see the whole table, then yea, it would be all luck.

Like fantasy football is.

wat

 

[Sabertooth]

No. I have to agree with Capella. Poker is a game that can be learned and you can actually become an expert. Fantasy football isn't. Aces don't become 4s in Poker. But Josh Gordons do become Josh Morgans.

Bad example. Aces become 4s before you look at the cards. You can learn to avoid traps like Gordon.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[MattFancy]

Does FF go the way over poker the next few years? Seems like there's a really large FF bubble right now. I remember when I first started playing it about 15 years ago, there weren't a ton of other people that did. It used to be a struggle to field 8 team leagues.

Now, we have dynasty leagues, daily leagues, 32-team leagues, etc. You have FF Now on Sundays, buttloads of different fantasy sites to get info from, magazines, etc. Kinda like poker did in the mid-'00s when it was all over ESPN and you couldn't go anywhere without someone talking about poker.

Just feel like it's at the point where it is becoming a drain on people. All the time and effort people put into it will start to outweigh the benefits. I mean in one of my leagues this year, 2 guys came into the draft with the FBGs app. Neither of them have any ideas what FBGs is, but they searched for fantasy apps on the App Store and used it for the draft. They did no other leg work before the draft, just downloaded the app minutes before the draft and went to town. So other people that actually had been doing research before the draft, were negated by those 2 who just found an app and used that to make every single pick.

There's just SO much info out there anymore that it's harder to really have that advantage over others in your league. Kinda feels like the bubble has to burst at some point, right?

 

[Sabertooth]

I agree. I am probably not going to do any redrafts next season. Too much time investment. I'll do my two dynasty leagues probably still. My brother went down to one dynasty, doesn't even have to pay attention until in season really. Just pop up a list from a trusted site for his rookie draft and blamo...free money.

 

[ghostguy123]

I think thursday games and waivers wednesday/friday has ruined quite a bit of the enjoyment people used to have, especially for people in multiple leagues.

 

[Willie Neslon]

It is OK to walk away if you want to.

 

[skol asylum]

skill if you won. luck if you lost

Yeah, Andrew Luck.

 

[Dentist]

I think some of us are just getting older now. It was a lot of fun when I was 25 or whatever. But I've been playing for 20 years or so now. Same thing happened with video games. I don't even have a console anymore. I couldn't care less about the new Madden or whatever.

I think it's just called growing up.

Yeah, this.

The entire sport of football just isn't that interesting to me anymore by comparison.

The league adding Thursdays in really chapped me and still does to this day. The parity is super annoying as well.

I don't play seriously anymore.. just in two leagues that I run with guys I know.

Really, it's just for the draft party which I always look forward to.... FFL is now just an excuse to have a dudes weekend that continues to be harder and harder to pull off as you get older and have kids stuff in the way.... and for that I love it.

As a fantasy sport though, football blows due to the low number of games, high variance, etc.

 

[Dentist]

Does FF go the way over poker the next few years? Seems like there's a really large FF bubble right now. I remember when I first started playing it about 15 years ago, there weren't a ton of other people that did. It used to be a struggle to field 8 team leagues.

Now, we have dynasty leagues, daily leagues, 32-team leagues, etc. You have FF Now on Sundays, buttloads of different fantasy sites to get info from, magazines, etc. Kinda like poker did in the mid-'00s when it was all over ESPN and you couldn't go anywhere without someone talking about poker.

Just feel like it's at the point where it is becoming a drain on people. All the time and effort people put into it will start to outweigh the benefits. I mean in one of my leagues this year, 2 guys came into the draft with the FBGs app. Neither of them have any ideas what FBGs is, but they searched for fantasy apps on the App Store and used it for the draft. They did no other leg work before the draft, just downloaded the app minutes before the draft and went to town. So other people that actually had been doing research before the draft, were negated by those 2 who just found an app and used that to make every single pick.

There's just SO much info out there anymore that it's harder to really have that advantage over others in your league. Kinda feels like the bubble has to burst at some point, right?

I agree... who is watching all the FFL shows that are produced?

It used to be you got an edge by watching the games... then an edge by getting online... then there was a brief edge gained in the twitter news era.... now if you just pay attention the news and information is there... there is no stone un-turned just by logging into your league website and looking... the info is there.

So at this point I just try to enjoy it and move on... The time I would spend getting an edge won't have any EV.. if i played big money in the daily leagues I could see there being an edge.

But I've thought FFL peaked for about 3-4 years now and there are just more shows and more twitter feeds and websites

 

[cstu]

No. I have to agree with Capella. Poker is a game that can be learned and you can actually become an expert. Fantasy football isn't. Aces don't become 4s in Poker. But Josh Gordons do become Josh Morgans.

The main difference is poker is purely mathematical while FF dealing with real people. Basically you're trying to guess year to year or week to week how other human beings are working, feeling, etc. At the same time trying to figure out what head coaches - who have zero interest in your team - are planning. All this is all done with very little good information.

 

[ghostguy123]

Just like the NFL. More and more people doing it yet enjoying the product less and less. Like a drug

 

[Dentist]

Just like the NFL. More and more people doing it yet enjoying the product less and less. Like a drug

i want to agree with you, but i don't really understand what you just said.

 

[ghostguy123]

Just like the NFL. More and more people doing it yet enjoying the product less and less. Like a drug

i want to agree with you, but i don't really understand what you just said.

Me either

Like the NFL. More and more people are watching the NFL, and it's making more and more money than ever, but the product is getting worse. I think that can apply to fantasy football a bit.

As for drugs, they are addictive. I think fantasy is addictive I guess is what I am saying, I don't know. That and drugs aren't as good the more and more you keep using them (so I have heard I guess), just like fantasy.

I still dont know what I just said

 

[Zegras11]

Does FF go the way over poker the next few years? Seems like there's a really large FF bubble right now. I remember when I first started playing it about 15 years ago, there weren't a ton of other people that did. It used to be a struggle to field 8 team leagues.

Now, we have dynasty leagues, daily leagues, 32-team leagues, etc. You have FF Now on Sundays, buttloads of different fantasy sites to get info from, magazines, etc. Kinda like poker did in the mid-'00s when it was all over ESPN and you couldn't go anywhere without someone talking about poker.

Just feel like it's at the point where it is becoming a drain on people. All the time and effort people put into it will start to outweigh the benefits. I mean in one of my leagues this year, 2 guys came into the draft with the FBGs app. Neither of them have any ideas what FBGs is, but they searched for fantasy apps on the App Store and used it for the draft. They did no other leg work before the draft, just downloaded the app minutes before the draft and went to town. So other people that actually had been doing research before the draft, were negated by those 2 who just found an app and used that to make every single pick.

There's just SO much info out there anymore that it's harder to really have that advantage over others in your league. Kinda feels like the bubble has to burst at some point, right?

Thursday games did this.

You use to have Tue, Wed, Thur off.

 

[ghostguy123]

Thursday games did this.

You use to gave Tue, Wed, Thur off.

It really is as simple as this. Thursday games are just fdghfowdhgksahgq

I know the NFL makes money on thursday games, but they also make quite a bit of money directly because of fantasy football. I would think they would want to make sure the fantasy community is happy also for long term revenue.

Ya wanna make more money NFL??? Make the season 18 weeks and give each team two bye weeks. An extra week of night games plus regular games for TV.

 

[Dentist]

Does FF go the way over poker the next few years? Seems like there's a really large FF bubble right now. I remember when I first started playing it about 15 years ago, there weren't a ton of other people that did. It used to be a struggle to field 8 team leagues.

Now, we have dynasty leagues, daily leagues, 32-team leagues, etc. You have FF Now on Sundays, buttloads of different fantasy sites to get info from, magazines, etc. Kinda like poker did in the mid-'00s when it was all over ESPN and you couldn't go anywhere without someone talking about poker.

Just feel like it's at the point where it is becoming a drain on people. All the time and effort people put into it will start to outweigh the benefits. I mean in one of my leagues this year, 2 guys came into the draft with the FBGs app. Neither of them have any ideas what FBGs is, but they searched for fantasy apps on the App Store and used it for the draft. They did no other leg work before the draft, just downloaded the app minutes before the draft and went to town. So other people that actually had been doing research before the draft, were negated by those 2 who just found an app and used that to make every single pick.

There's just SO much info out there anymore that it's harder to really have that advantage over others in your league. Kinda feels like the bubble has to burst at some point, right?

Thursday games did this.

You use to have Tue, Wed, Thur off.

I'm not sure if it is coincidence or not but Thursday games started exactly at the time my football enthusiasm waned. It's just so terrible. The games are generally so bad and it sucks for ffl and Pick'em.

F you nfl

 

[flapgreen]

Nope

 

[Fariq]

Does FF go the way over poker the next few years? Seems like there's a really large FF bubble right now. I remember when I first started playing it about 15 years ago, there weren't a ton of other people that did. It used to be a struggle to field 8 team leagues.

Now, we have dynasty leagues, daily leagues, 32-team leagues, etc. You have FF Now on Sundays, buttloads of different fantasy sites to get info from, magazines, etc. Kinda like poker did in the mid-'00s when it was all over ESPN and you couldn't go anywhere without someone talking about poker.

Just feel like it's at the point where it is becoming a drain on people. All the time and effort people put into it will start to outweigh the benefits. I mean in one of my leagues this year, 2 guys came into the draft with the FBGs app. Neither of them have any ideas what FBGs is, but they searched for fantasy apps on the App Store and used it for the draft. They did no other leg work before the draft, just downloaded the app minutes before the draft and went to town. So other people that actually had been doing research before the draft, were negated by those 2 who just found an app and used that to make every single pick.

There's just SO much info out there anymore that it's harder to really have that advantage over others in your league. Kinda feels like the bubble has to burst at some point, right?

Thursday games did this.

You use to have Tue, Wed, Thur off.

I'm not sure if it is coincidence or not but Thursday games started exactly at the time my football enthusiasm waned. It's just so terrible. The games are generally so bad and it sucks for ffl and Pick'em.F you nfl

In my office pool this year, we ignored the Thursday games except for Thanksgiving week. Too bad there is no way to ignore the Thursday games for fantasy leagues.

 

[Aerial Assault]

I have always liked the Thursday games because I just adore sports at night under the lights. So adding a third night game each week has been great for me. It's also fun to see them go to venues where SNF/MNF never tread, like Jacksonville this past week, e.g. I get really bored of the SNF/MNF skeds when the Steelers are on in prime time three out of four weeks, followed by the obligatory game in Indianapolis, then two games in two weeks in Foxborough, etc. TNF goes to Jax, Buffalo, Nashville, etc., which is nice.

It also used to be great to hear Nessler and Mayock and their different approaches to announcing. However, making it just another Nantz/Simms game definitely takes away a lot of the luster.

 

[joffer]

Oh

The idea that having one game on Thursday has changed everything is a load of ####

 

[Dentist]

Oh

The idea that having one game on Thursday has changed everything is a load of ####

Oh but it has. one horrible game per week, earlier deadlines on pick 'em.... having to make a decision on whether to start someone days before the rest of the nfl.

it starts with thursday, then they have friday game... then they think oh.. well how about Wednesday?

It's a gateway.

 

[glumpy]

Just like the NFL. More and more people doing it yet enjoying the product less and less. Like a drug

i want to agree with you, but i don't really understand what you just said.

Me either

Like the NFL. More and more people are watching the NFL, and it's making more and more money than ever, but the product is getting worse. I think that can apply to fantasy football a bit.

As for drugs, they are addictive. I think fantasy is addictive I guess is what I am saying, I don't know. That and drugs aren't as good the more and more you keep using them (so I have heard I guess), just like fantasy.

I still dont know what I just said

lol. I'm addicted but it's not as much the games as the competition and the friendships. Down to one league for the past several years. This year I took a canned sheet after reviewing FBG's, missed the party and had to draft by phone, did not watch a single game (nor any other tv program for the past several months) due to other endeavors. Last place for the first time despite being more active in waivers than ever before. But--it kept me in touch with some longstanding good friends and gave me a little balance in the midst of all the crazy. This week I'm trying to schedule the annual playoff draft party!

Actually have done the same thing with a college football pickem pool for the past 20 years. Maybe worse--I was late paying this year but nobody worried about it, and when I got the chance I went ahead and sent a check for the next three seasons. About 40 in the pool, I have no clue so the standard OP for the last several years is that if I don't get to make picks I'm on board for all home games. Not like I expect to win the thing--just keeping in touch!

 

[Dentist]

Just like the NFL. More and more people doing it yet enjoying the product less and less. Like a drug

i want to agree with you, but i don't really understand what you just said.

Me either

Like the NFL. More and more people are watching the NFL, and it's making more and more money than ever, but the product is getting worse. I think that can apply to fantasy football a bit.

As for drugs, they are addictive. I think fantasy is addictive I guess is what I am saying, I don't know. That and drugs aren't as good the more and more you keep using them (so I have heard I guess), just like fantasy.

I still dont know what I just said

lol. I'm addicted but it's not as much the games as the competition and the friendships. Down to one league for the past several years. This year I took a canned sheet after reviewing FBG's, missed the party and had to draft by phone, did not watch a single game (nor any other tv program for the past several months) due to other endeavors. Last place for the first time despite being more active in waivers than ever before. But--it kept me in touch with some longstanding good friends and gave me a little balance in the midst of all the crazy. This week I'm trying to schedule the annual playoff draft party!

Actually have done the same thing with a college football pickem pool for the past 20 years. Maybe worse--I was late paying this year but nobody worried about it, and when I got the chance I went ahead and sent a check for the next three seasons. About 40 in the pool, I have no clue so the standard OP for the last several years is that if I don't get to make picks I'm on board for all home games. Not like I expect to win the thing--just keeping in touch!

glad you stayed for the friendships but why is your life so busy that you couldn't make the draft?

I've never understood "too busy" guy. Why schedule your life like that?

 

[Zow]

Oh

The idea that having one game on Thursday has changed everything is a load of ####

Oh but it has. one horrible game per week, earlier deadlines on pick 'em.... having to make a decision on whether to start someone days before the rest of the nfl.

it starts with thursday, then they have friday game... then they think oh.. well how about Wednesday?

It's a gateway.

No.

 

[Dentist]

Oh

The idea that having one game on Thursday has changed everything is a load of ####

Oh but it has. one horrible game per week, earlier deadlines on pick 'em.... having to make a decision on whether to start someone days before the rest of the nfl.

it starts with thursday, then they have friday game... then they think oh.. well how about Wednesday?

It's a gateway.

No.

look, those basspoles aren't going to stop at where they are... they can't let enough be enough... look for longer schedules, expanded playoffs from their already too high variance format, games every day of the week.

They had a nice product that a lot of people liked and while I understand you have to strike while the iron is hot because all things run in cycles and eventually another sport will be king just like baseball used to be king... but I hate it when corporate greed brings a good product down.

 

[Aerial Assault]

Oh

The idea that having one game on Thursday has changed everything is a load of ####

Oh but it has. one horrible game per week, earlier deadlines on pick 'em.... having to make a decision on whether to start someone days before the rest of the nfl.

it starts with thursday, then they have friday game... then they think oh.. well how about Wednesday?

It's a gateway.

Oof, nice slippery slope argument.

 

[glumpy]

Just like the NFL. More and more people doing it yet enjoying the product less and less. Like a drug

i want to agree with you, but i don't really understand what you just said.

Me either

Like the NFL. More and more people are watching the NFL, and it's making more and more money than ever, but the product is getting worse. I think that can apply to fantasy football a bit.

As for drugs, they are addictive. I think fantasy is addictive I guess is what I am saying, I don't know. That and drugs aren't as good the more and more you keep using them (so I have heard I guess), just like fantasy.

I still dont know what I just said

lol. I'm addicted but it's not as much the games as the competition and the friendships. Down to one league for the past several years. This year I took a canned sheet after reviewing FBG's, missed the party and had to draft by phone, did not watch a single game (nor any other tv program for the past several months) due to other endeavors. Last place for the first time despite being more active in waivers than ever before. But--it kept me in touch with some longstanding good friends and gave me a little balance in the midst of all the crazy. This week I'm trying to schedule the annual playoff draft party!

Actually have done the same thing with a college football pickem pool for the past 20 years. Maybe worse--I was late paying this year but nobody worried about it, and when I got the chance I went ahead and sent a check for the next three seasons. About 40 in the pool, I have no clue so the standard OP for the last several years is that if I don't get to make picks I'm on board for all home games. Not like I expect to win the thing--just keeping in touch!

glad you stayed for the friendships but why is your life so busy that you couldn't make the draft?

I've never understood "too busy" guy. Why schedule your life like that?

I didn't do the schedule!

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=683728&page=2 post 94. It's all good.

 

[ghostguy123]

Oh

The idea that having one game on Thursday has changed everything is a load of ####

Well it has though. Instead of relaxing for a few days you have to hustle to get your waivers together, plus its too early to even know who may or may not be active for that week.

Its a huge pain for people who have other life responsibilities.

So yeah, it has changed FF quite a bit and not in a good way.

 

[ghostguy123]

Actually the one small league i commish i kept friday waivers and you are just out of luck if you want a thursday guy.

The league appreciated it.

Be nice if leagues would do wednesday waivers for only thursday players, but none of my leagues do that.

 

[The Z Machine]

I burned out in 2006. Then I got deep into European and world football. I don't play fantasy as it's just lame. Better to simply wager money directly on sports.

 

[Papa Georgio]

Dropped all leagues this year but only had 2 and both were dynasty leagues. I have been in one for 25 years and another one for 10. It's strange right now. I am so programmed in my routine that I still check news sites and think about prospects for next year. I am very certain that I will miss it some but just as certain that I will be glad I finally made the move.

2 main reason I did it was to free up more time and all my real friends I started playing in the leagues with have already quit and now it's a bunch of faceless ######s that I have never met. The age of the internet league has done as much to ruin the fun as it has to revolutionize the hobby for me.