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Fantasy Football Destroys True Football Fans (1 Viewer)

Moldy Potato said:
Fantasy Football Destroys Fan Base
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by Michael MimsIn the epic world of fantasy football, I consider myself somewhat of a deity.

This year, I am a member of two high-stakes leagues. Both of my fantasy teams are currently in first place, giving me a very real chance at winning more than $1,500 in prizes.

But despite my success this year, I have realized a grave truth about fantasy football - it is destroying the idea of a true football fan.

This realization struck me this past weekend when I heard the news about Minnesota's rookie running back Adrian Peterson - a player I was lucky enough to nab in the fifth round of both my fantasy leagues.

In case you haven't heard, Peterson rushed for 296 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, setting a NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game by a running back.

In doing so, he earned both my teams an almost unheard of number of points.

I was beyond ecstatic when I heard the news. I had to share my enthusiasm with somebody, but I was stuck in the car with my family at the time.

"Mom! One of my fantasy players rushed for 296 yards and three touchdowns," I shouted. "That's, like, a whole lot of points!"

"That's exciting, Michael," she responded calmly. She obviously didn't understand or appreciate my fantasy prowess.

So I called my league mates to talk smack. They responded with expletives, clearly jealous of my dominance.

That's when it hit me. Thinking only in terms of our fantasy teams, we were all missing the big picture,.

Peterson's performance this season has been truly historic for the NFL. Having only played eight games in the league, he has already broken the record for most rushing yards in a game - against one of the league's top rush defenses in San Diego no less.

He is on pace to rush for more than 2,000 yards. That's a feat only five running backs in the history of the NFL have ever accomplished.

To top it off, he is doing all of this without any aid from the passing game. The Vikings rank third to last in the NFL in passing offense, and starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson sports an abysmal 50.6 quarterback rating.

Teams have been keying in on Peterson, putting eight or nine defenders in the box in a desperate attempt to stop him. He's beaten them anyway.

And he's a rookie.

But instead of admiring the fact that we might be witnessing the next Jim Brown or Earl Campbell, most football fans I know either love Peterson or hate him depending on how he has affected their fantasy teams.

Even players are starting to notice this new breed of football fan.

"All they care about is whether I get 150 yards and two touchdown., Whereas all I care about is whether or not we win," Tiki Barber, former NFL running back, told ESPN this past year. "So there's an incongruity in the wants."

Former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer had more to say about the issue.

"I think it's ruined the game, actually," Plummer told ESPN. "There are no true fans anymore. ... If I lose a game, I come out of Invesco Field, and there's not a Denver fan mad that I lost but happy because I threw three TDs."

Obviously, fantasy football is good for the business side of the NFL. Fifty-five percent of fantasy sports players said they watch more sports on television than they did before joining fantasy leagues, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

FSTA studies also report fantasy players buy more tickets and spend money at stadiums at a much higher rate than general sports fans.

I believe fantasy football is destroying fans' appreciation for the game of football itself, however.

Many fans care more about stats than about wins. They cheer for their fantasy team rather than their home team. I have even seen fellow Saints fans cheer for Falcons players - an unforgivable sin.

I am not advocating an end to fantasy football. I have been the commissioner of one league for several years now, and I have no plans to step down next year.

But I am asking fellow football fans to remember why we fell in love with this sport in the first place.

It's not because of gaudy statistics and the ability to predict the league's best players.

It's because of the intense strategy of the game, the unparalleled ferocity of its smashmouth battles and the irreplaceable thrill of cheering your team to victory - all elements that make the fantasies of true football fans.

 
Moldy Potato said:
I love fantasy football as much as anyone. But I've noticed a few things this year...

Read my opinion piece from The Daily Reveille, LSU's college newspaper:

Fantasy Football Destroys Fan Base

Feel free to leave some comments on the Web site! We love input!
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Well written. However, I respectfully disagree. I believe it has brought a wealth of knowledge to an otherwise disinterested element -- creating a larger fan base and more income to the NFL.
 
Moldy Potato said:
AnonymousBob said:
You can't copy and paste?
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We're a college newspaper. We need all the traffic we can get. Someone can copy and paste if they like, but I'd love to see people actually visit our site. Our sports coverage is top notch!
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I have no problem clicking your link to give you traffic. I think most people will help your school e-paper out, just be upfront next time with what you're looking for.I was rather indifferent to football before I started fantasy football. Baseball has always been and will always be my #1. Following football for fantasy reasons has strengthened by love for the 49'ers (I know we're a fantasy wasteland) and it's improved my overall knowledge of the game.
 
I can definately see your side of the coin. I do know that I have taken a much bigger interest in every facet of the game because of Fantasy Football. I used to care only about wins and losses, how well the offense or defense was playing. Now I like to look at blocking schemes, route running, playcalling inside the red zone. I see a lot more of the details of the game now than I ever did before. I was watching a kick return about 3 weeks ago and I shouted "Oh! He's going to fumble the ball!" About 2 seconds later there was a live ball on the ground. I see a lot more of the techniques and design of the game I didn't notice before. Just like real coordinators I am always looking for matchups that benefit my team.

 
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I think it's actually a little more complicated than what you're describing. My first few years in fantasy football, I felt exactly the way you describe in your article. However, there's a maturing process that happens over the years as you continue to play season after season. After 10+ years, the intense study you've put in begins to make you appreciate many aspects of the game that you never did before. You pay more attention to different offensive systems and defensive schemes. Watching 10-15 times as many games as you previously did causes you to be (or aspire to be) a student of the game. After that happens you still care about your fantasy squad, but you have a new appreciation for pro football and for how your own favorite NFL team is playing.

I also strongly disagree with your assertion that fantasy football owners "hate" ADP based on what he's done against them. Every single owner I've talked to - even the ones who've lost because of him - are really in awe of what he's accomplished, think he's a stud and want him on their team for next year. It's also given the rest of us a reason to watch Minnesota Vikings games because - let's face it - there was little reason to tune in before he broke out unless you really love defense or are a die-hard Vikings fan.

One constructive criticism, which you can take for what it's worth: if you want to sway people with your opinion, you might not want them to start disliking you early in your article. Calling yourself a "deity" is a little off-putting, even if you happen to be one.

Just my $.02.

 
Ralphie said:
I think it's actually a little more complicated than what you're describing. My first few years in fantasy football, I felt exactly the way you describe in your article. However, there's a maturing process that happens over the years as you continue to play season after season. After 10+ years, the intense study you've put in begins to make you appreciate many aspects of the game that you never did before. You pay more attention to different offensive systems and defensive schemes. Watching 10-15 times as many games as you previously did causes you to be (or aspire to be) a student of the game. After that happens you still care about your fantasy squad, but you have a new appreciation for pro football and for how your own favorite NFL team is playing.

I also strongly disagree with your assertion that fantasy football owners "hate" ADP based on what he's done against them. Every single owner I've talked to - even the ones who've lost because of him - are really in awe of what he's accomplished, think he's a stud and want him on their team for next year. It's also given the rest of us a reason to watch Minnesota Vikings games because - let's face it - there was little reason to tune in before he broke out unless you really love defense or are a die-hard Vikings fan.

One constructive criticism, which you can take for what it's worth: if you want to sway people with your opinion, you might not want them to start disliking you early in your article. Calling yourself a "deity" is a little off-putting, even if you happen to be one.

Just my $.02.
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I was going for humor. But I guess it didn't work.Also, I mentioned my success to establish that I'm not simply bitter because my teams suck. I've been doing really well, but have still seen problems.

Thanks for the advice.

 
The solution is to be involved in so many fantasy leagues that individual player performances both hurt and hinder your fantasy success. That way when you watch football you forget about the who has and who needs what side of it and you can go back to being a fan of your team again. That's what happened to me anyway.

 
Moldy Potato said:
I love fantasy football as much as anyone. But I've noticed a few things this year...

Read my opinion piece from The Daily Reveille, LSU's college newspaper:

Fantasy Football Destroys Fan Base

Feel free to leave some comments on the Web site! We love input!
Click to expand...
Did you ever consider how many fans it has brought to the NFL?I completely stopped watching the NFL during college. FF is what renewed my interest in the pro game.

 
I believe fantasy actually enhances the game for true football fans. As a few of the posters described above I look at the game now with way more detail than I ever have which is a good thing. If fantasy football can actually destroy a real fan, I question whether they were a real fan to begin with.

 
Christo said:
Moldy Potato said:
I love fantasy football as much as anyone. But I've noticed a few things this year...

Read my opinion piece from The Daily Reveille, LSU's college newspaper:

Fantasy Football Destroys Fan Base

Feel free to leave some comments on the Web site! We love input!
Click to expand...
Did you ever consider how many fans it has brought to the NFL?I completely stopped watching the NFL during college. FF is what renewed my interest in the pro game.
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I am well aware of how much it helps the NFL as a business, as I stated.I just think the idea of the traditional football fan is evolving.

And I think -- this is the part that is the biggest question -- it is for the worse. I believe the spirit of the football fan was geared much more toward a desire to see a team win, as opposed to the desire to see certain individuals perform well.

Kind of like the old Lombardi quote about choosing the "best 53" instead of the "53 best." People these days just look at the "53 best."

 
Ralphie said:
I think it's actually a little more complicated than what you're describing. My first few years in fantasy football, I felt exactly the way you describe in your article. However, there's a maturing process that happens over the years as you continue to play season after season. After 10+ years, the intense study you've put in begins to make you appreciate many aspects of the game that you never did before. You pay more attention to different offensive systems and defensive schemes. Watching 10-15 times as many games as you previously did causes you to be (or aspire to be) a student of the game. After that happens you still care about your fantasy squad, but you have a new appreciation for pro football and for how your own favorite NFL team is playing. I also strongly disagree with your assertion that fantasy football owners "hate" ADP based on what he's done against them. Every single owner I've talked to - even the ones who've lost because of him - are really in awe of what he's accomplished, think he's a stud and want him on their team for next year. It's also given the rest of us a reason to watch Minnesota Vikings games because - let's face it - there was little reason to tune in before he broke out unless you really love defense or are a die-hard Vikings fan.One constructive criticism, which you can take for what it's worth: if you want to sway people with your opinion, you might not want them to start disliking you early in your article. Calling yourself a "deity" is a little off-putting, even if you happen to be one.Just my $.02.
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:goodposting: I used to ignore every other team in the league until the week they played the 49ers. BTW, real point of the article: Look everyone I drafted ADP!
 
I think if you were a football fan before fantasy, you still are. as many fantasy teams as I have, they all take a backseat when the Saints are playing. sure, I may pay attention to whatever stats scroll along the bottom of the screen during updates, but my emotion is 100% invested in my team when they're on the field. my joy and pain is tied to every play during THAT game, and trying to will them to victory. so I don't think fantasy has diminished my love for the game or my team at all...it has possibly even enhanced it.

and as of right now, my joy and pain is exactly .500 :goodposting:

 
"I think it's ruined the game, actually," Plummer told ESPN. "There are no true fans anymore. ... If I lose a game, I come out of Invesco Field, and there's not a Denver fan mad that I lost but happy because I threw three TDs."
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- Jake PlummerPlummer please. It is the age of free agency that has ruined the sport more than fantasy.
 
I think true football fans still root for their team. And I am in the camp that fantasy is by far a net positive for football -- the extra viewership has certainly helped Jake to make the big bucks. I've loved the Eagles since high school, but it is only because of Fantasy that I now know the name of most starting position player in the league and watch many of the other games -- even the ones that are 52-7.

 
I like it, though I think you missed a point. I personally think it ruins the game for me because of my inability to just watch a game and enjoy it. Even if my team is playing. Everything revolves around the stat line. I played FF for the first time in 5 or 6 years this year. Next year I won't be playing FF again. I just don't like what it does to my ability to enjoy Sundays.

 
MarcO said:
"I think it's ruined the game, actually," Plummer told ESPN. "There are no true fans anymore. ... If I lose a game, I come out of Invesco Field, and there's not a Denver fan mad that I lost but happy because I threw three TDs."
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- Jake PlummerPlummer please. It is the age of free agency that has ruined the sport more than fantasy.
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Way to go Jake. Given the fact that you didn't throw 3 TD's in any losing effort at Invesco field in '05 and '06, this is merely self serving. The fact is, if you could have thrown 3 TD's when the Broncos needed it, you'd probably still be employed.
 
Fantasy Football has enhanced my enjoyment of football and undertstanding of it.

People who can't step back and appreciate what is actaully happening regardless of whether their team is rocking or sucking are indeed missing the point.

Although I rarely get blown out or pound someone mercilessly early, it is nice to just turn the computer off at halftime of the first game, if not I enjoy the games regardless.

 
Tanner9919 said:
Moldy Potato said:
I love fantasy football as much as anyone. But I've noticed a few things this year...

Read my opinion piece from The Daily Reveille, LSU's college newspaper:

Fantasy Football Destroys Fan Base

Feel free to leave some comments on the Web site! We love input!
Click to expand...
:rolleyes: am I supposed to grade this?
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How did Tanner sneek in here. Usher!Seriously though. Fantasy Football is a two edged sword in regards to fandom. It drives fans to the league while blunting old alliegences. Whom among us hasn't said well Its not so bad if X X loses so long as i get a win in my chuck-n-duck fantasy league.

 
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The Giants come first for me. FF has increased my interest in football and awareness of how special Peterson's 296 was, how great LT, Manning, Gates and Brady are. Because of FF I became interested in players other than the biggest name guys, and I always root for former sleepers and game winners of mine even when I didn't have them on my team like Rod Smith, Moulds, Robert Edwards, Warner, Thomas Jones, Chrebet and several others. Heck, FF made me want to watch Aaron Brooks for quite a few years!

Never having a pick low enough to grab Emmitt Smith fueled my hatred of the Cowboys and his owners in my leagues as they claimed to be FF gods as Emmitt took many FF teams with awful depth into the playoffs.

 
1. Denver Broncos

2-4.(tie) Shredhead's 3 fantasy teams

5. Whoever is playing against the Raiders

6-35.The rest of the league

36.Oakland Raiders

 
FF makes NFL fans out of people who would normally not follow the sport. True fans enjoy watching the game and FF is just some added drama. In no way is FF ruining the game, the added fanbase only adds value

 
Fullback Fro said:
The solution is to be involved in so many fantasy leagues that individual player performances both hurt and hinder your fantasy success. That way when you watch football you forget about the who has and who needs what side of it and you can go back to being a fan of your team again. That's what happened to me anyway.
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I totally agree with Fro. I'm in so many FF leagues that I still have an appreciation for the game itself. Individual player performances help me or hurt me across various leagues so I just enjoy the game. Now, when it gets down to Monday night, I might be rooting for a couple of guys that might mean the difference in a couple of close matchups. But, I don't see how additional people getting excited about what would normally be boring games as a bad thing. I'm a little confused about your high stakes leagues quote as well. Most of the leauges I'm in are at least a $100 buy in so a $1,500 possible win between two leagues isn't a big deal. Try WCOFF or NFFC for what I consider to be high stakes leagues.
 
radballs said:
I'm a little confused about your high stakes leagues quote as well. Most of the leauges I'm in are at least a $100 buy in so a $1,500 possible win between two leagues isn't a big deal. Try WCOFF or NFFC for what I consider to be high stakes leagues.
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Ollie,He's in college dude. 1500 bucks is a lot of pizza and beer.FWIW, I think that you have a point. However, I have seen many people get into FF to get a better understanding of the game and it kindles their interest in Football. A coworker of mine got her first NFL.com FF team this year and she's loving it. She was not much of a fan before.Gator
 
i've heard this argument before and it's completely off point.

there's a few different types of fans we're dealing with here

1-the die hard fans that happen to play fantasy

fantasy doesn't change a thing for them except they keep up with some of the other teams as well. they have a reason to watch every game, when they may not have before.

many of these people are terrible fantasy players and if anything, draft too many players from their team.

fantasy is secondary to these people.

if they happen to be dolphin or rams fans, fantasy is keeping the season enjoyable for them.

2-the die hard fans that are knowledgeable fantasy players

this would include many of the FBGs.

these people are smart enough to realize one thing: they don't personally control anything.

they build their fantasy team to win and go enjoy NFL football as well. (this is incredibly doable)

this is a small percentage of people.

3-the newbies/didn't watch football until fantasy

these people don't follow a specific team and wouldn't watch football without fantasy (or wouldn't watch as much).

arguments like this are geared toward these kinds of people.

the missing factor, of course, is that, while these may not be ideal football "fans", they would be at home depot on sundays if fantasy didn't exist. after a while,, these people are so wrapped up in fantasy, they spend their days in sports bars watching every game. at some point, they become much larger consumers than single-team die hard fans (which isn't hard to do in many cases).

only 31 cities have nfl teams, so that means the nfl needs people in the rest of the country to be buying sunday ticket and filling the sports bars. the fantasy people drive this market more than grandpas at home following a singular home state team.

this is somewhat similar to what gambling has done for the nfl.

the nfl has always benefitted greatly from the gamblers, but they couldn't really market toward them. fantasy has a similar effect, but the nfl can actually publically embrace the fantasy players.

this "fantasy destroys fans" argument is old and incorrect.

if fantasy destroys a fan, it's b/c they weren't much a fan in the 1st place.

congratulations for drafting ADP, though.

 
Moldy Potato said:
I just think the idea of the traditional football fan is evolving.And I think -- this is the part that is the biggest question -- it is for the worse. I believe the spirit of the football fan was geared much more toward a desire to see a team win, as opposed to the desire to see certain individuals perform well.Kind of like the old Lombardi quote about choosing the "best 53" instead of the "53 best." People these days just look at the "53 best."
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:fishing:From my experience, this paradigm shift isn't nearly as severe or widespread as you may think it is.A Redskins loss will kill a day (or even a week) for me much, much more than a loss for any of my fantasy football. I know other NFL fans, that also participate in FF, that feel the same about their teams.
 
Fullback Fro said:
The solution is to be involved in so many fantasy leagues that individual player performances both hurt and hinder your fantasy success. That way when you watch football you forget about the who has and who needs what side of it and you can go back to being a fan of your team again. That's what happened to me anyway.
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Good point. Most people say multiple teams "drive them crazy" because they don't know who to root for. Once you get past needing to "root" for anyone, you just enjoy watching the game and let the chips fall where they may. The article says that 55% of fantasy players watch more football now. I think that's a tad low. I was already a very avid football fan, and while I watched every game, I might not have hung in that 35-3 football game in the 4th quarter on Sunday night to see if the losing team picks up some yards during trash time that ends up winning for me or beating me. So for me, I watch more football even it only increased my watching to a couple a quarters a week.
 
re: Adrian Peterson in particular.

I own him in both of my dynasty leagues. I now watch every Minn game because of him. But, if I didn't own him in a single league, I'd be watching every Minn game because of him.

Last week, when he ran wild, I actually could care less about the actual stats and how it was helping my team. I was just rooting for him to break the record and continue to run wild. I can honestly say that his point total on my team is the last one I look for. Those extra yards and TDs didn't make my fantasy day any better, they made my NFL day better.

I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way, ADP owner or not.

 
I also think the quote made by Jake Plummer that he comes out of Invesco Field and "nobody" cares that they lost because he put up good fantasy numbers is total crap. I go to NFL football games and I see those crowds. These people aren't wearing team colors and painting themselves those same colors because they happen to have the home team's TE on their fantasy squad. I'm sure it's good persuasive speaking (or writing) to take some random blurbs from pros and make them out to be gospel, but I think anyone that's attended the games would venture to guess that a VERY low percent of the home crowd doesn't care if the home team wins the game, only that they put up good fantasy numbers. I'm thinking 1 - 3% of the home crowd would be out there with that mindset.

 
Real fans root for their NFL team, first and foremost. Period.

I don't care if Aaron Kampman has 3 sacks, if the NFL result is a Packer loss. Does it feel good to win a fantasy battle? Sure. But will I leave the stadium whooping and hollering because Kampman got 3 sacks, if the Packers lose? Uh, no. Anybody who acts that way isn't a true fan. Jake Plummer is an idiot.

 
Fullback Fro said:
The solution is to be involved in so many fantasy leagues that individual player performances both hurt and hinder your fantasy success. That way when you watch football you forget about the who has and who needs what side of it and you can go back to being a fan of your team again. That's what happened to me anyway.
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:rant: 3 dynastys and 1 redraft and come sunday I watch G Men and figure it all out later.
 
I can't speak to what the hobby has done for other fans, but I know that it hasn't changed my passion about the Eagles in any way shape or form. I'm MUCH more depressed if the Eagles lose than if my fantasy teams come up short. And in cases where my fantasy players are going against my boys, I root for an absolute bust of a performance.

 
Tecmo said:
FF makes NFL fans out of people who would normally not follow the sport. True fans enjoy watching the game and FF is just some added drama. In no way is FF ruining the game, the added fanbase only adds value
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:rant: Thanks to FF (this site in particular), I now know the difference between the Mike, Sam and Will. I look at targets, 3-4, 4-3, RBBC's. I know more about EVERY other team, so I know when my team signs a free agent, I know who he is and what he brings to the table.Yes, I get P.O.'d about garbage TD's against me, but my knowledge of the game is 1000x what it was 15 years ago.
 
That Favre to Jennings OT TD cost me three fantasy wins. I was still :rant: when he went into the end zone.

It sounds like you're in your 'honeymoon' phase with FF. It's not always like that.

 
Thanks for all the input, guys.

Given the audience of this web site, I didn't expect many people here to agree with me. But I was really happy to see so many people add insight to the issue.

I hope some of you your arguments on the Reveille web site.

Oh, and kudos to Gatorman for pointing out that, yes, $1500 is a lot of money for a college student.

:goodposting:

 
I wrote an article on this 5 years ago.

I was at a Lion game and I was happy because my player scored the winning TD to beat the Lions.

Last year it was around the 14th week of the season and I had no idea what teams were in first place, what teams were in the wildcard hunt, but I could name the TDs and yardage for every skill player in the NFL.

I was at a golf out 2 weeks ago, many of the people golfing are FF junkies. We get into the clubhouse around 4:15 on a Sunday. They are asking the bartender what is going on in the games. The guy says The Lions are winning..the people are saying "We don`t care who is winning..who is scoring the TDs???"

 
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