JT 'The Brick'- 'most fantasy football fans seem addicted& (1 Viewer)

[azcards33]

By JT the Brick

MSNBC contributor

Updated: 1:42 p.m. MT Aug 23, 2006

JT the Brick

jtthebrick@foxsports.com

This is the time of year when I am bombarded with e-mails and calls to my radio show about fantasy football. I am invited to play in several leagues by strangers from all over the globe.

I have never played fantasy football and I do not plan to dip my big toe into the water this season, but I can understand why so many people want to participate in this phenomenon. I’m very opinionated on any topic that deals with sports fans and what makes them tick.

I consider myself a die-hard fan with a passion for several different sports, but only a few teams that I root for at all costs.

Over the past few football seasons, I have accepted fantasy football fans for what they truly are, sports fans that have too much time on their hands and should get out more. I am not talking about every fantasy freak, but some that I have crossed paths with over the past decade.

The typical fantasy football player rarely goes to any football games throughout the course of the season. There are plenty who are season ticket holders in your town and support the home team at all costs, but the majority never drives a car into the parking lot of a stadium, sets up the grill and drinks a few cold ones before kickoff. I go to NFL games almost every week and interact with thousands of fans who can care less who you are starting at wide receiver in your fantasy league because they care more about the outcome of the game that they are actually attending.

Millions of dollars are being lost each year by companies that pay individuals to come to work and earn an honest living only to discover that their employees care more about their fantasy team than the products or services that they are paid to produce or sell. You all have friends who claim to go to work for a living but continue to use hand signals to warn their co-workers that the boss is walking out of his office and might catch you looking at your fantasy team’s statistics on your company computer. Most businesses have caught on to the typical fantasy fan that spends the majority of his/her day setting up their team for the upcoming week. Thousands of businesses have installed filters that block certain sports sites from computers in the office, but fantasy fans now have upgraded to cell phones, blackberries and other personal hand-held computers that can satisfy their need to surf for statistics and injuries without being an obvious at their work desk.

I will give fantasy fans a lot of credit for the knowledge they bring to any conversation that involves their favorite sport. They are loaded with all types of statistics about not only the players that they have drafted to play on their team, but also can tell you about every other player in the league and why they are an asset or liability. I only have so much time in my day to watch and digest highlights and statistics from every NFL game that was played during the course of a week, but fantasy freaks know more about those third- and fourth-string players who are about to break out and become the future stars of the league.

Knowledge is a good thing when it comes to sports but sometimes it can get in the way of becoming a more passionate sports fan. Have you ever listened to a sports radio show that consists of only fantasy talk? It is easily the most embarrassing format on the dial with insecure men who cannot think for themselves. Imagine grown men calling into sports talk shows only to ask questions about how they should set their roster for the upcoming Sunday. You would think that if an individual invested enough time and money to play in a fantasy league, they would not need the advice from a host who never played professional football. I get sick to my stomach when a listener calls into my show with his voice cracking as if he just saw a ghost and asks me my advice on which quarterback he should start in one of his three fantasy leagues. Be a man, set your own roster and stop wasting my time with this nonsense. Why would you want to root for a quarterback other than the one that is leading your home team into battle against your most hated rival?

I believe that most men who play fantasy sports need to look in the mirror and answer a few simple questions before they continue down this road with their computers and friends.

1. Are you spending more much time with your fantasy football league than you spend with your family? How do you think your wife or girlfriend feels every time that they walk into the living room and you are looking at statistics or on the phone with a friend talking about your next game? Should you be outside with your kid(s) teaching them how to shoot a proper jump shot or giving them advice on how to field a ground ball? A see and feel a lot of guilt from guys who realize that most of their free time is being gobbled up by a fantasy league instead of enjoying the memories of their families. Between video games and fantasy football, many men are not part-time husbands and fathers. I know the truth hurts, but get off your butt, turn off the computer and teach a kid how to play sports.

2. If you are single and looking to find your potential soul mate, do you think winning your fantasy football league helps make you a better “catch”? I do not think that many women are impressed by your 26-point lead after Week 3 of the fantasy season when you look to break the ice on a date. There are only so many social hours in a week for a fantasy player and most men are not at the top of their game when it comes to interacting with women after breaking down NFL statistics all week long. Fantasy football should be a hobby, not a lifestyle. If you are older than 30 and have a Brett Favre poster on your bedroom wall, you might want to sit out this upcoming fantasy football season and get back to basics. Get a new haircut, buy some new cloths and admit that you want to succeed in some real goals at life other than finishing another fantasy season in the top three.

3. Are you truly giving your employer 100 percent each time you arrive at work. Your top priorities in life should be your family, your health and your job. How sad would your life end up being if you lost your job because you were more concerned about starting Chad Johnson at wide receiver instead of Larry Fitzgerald? This happens more than you think and believe me when I tell you that your boss thinks you are a loser if you spend more than 10 minutes on fantasy football each day.

4. Are you a better sports fan because you play fantasy sports? This is a tough question because I know that most football fans that break down the statistics of every player in the NFL are more knowledgeable than fans that do not care about these facts. I’m also confident that fans that stand in the rain in the final two minutes of a live game get more out of that experience than the guys who are sitting in a sports bar staring at their fantasy stats and could care less who wins any particular game.

Here's the link to his message board with reader reaction:

http://boards.live.com/MSNBCboards/thread....am=HIPDelay%3d1

 

[doughboydeluxe]

 

[acefootball]

 

[joffer]

Are you spending more much time with your fantasy football league than you spend with your family?

way more, my family lives 1500 miles away

How do you think your wife or girlfriend feels every time that they walk into the living room and you are looking at statistics or on the phone with a friend talking about your next game?

about the same way i feel when she ##### herself over a shoe sale

Should you be outside with your kid(s) teaching them how to shoot a proper jump shot or giving them advice on how to field a ground ball?

no kids

A see and feel a lot of guilt from guys who realize that most of their free time is being gobbled up by a fantasy league instead of enjoying the memories of their families. Between video games and fantasy football, many men are not part-time husbands and fathers. I know the truth hurts, but get off your butt, turn off the computer and teach a kid how to play sports.

i suppose i could get a real job, like a talk show radio host

 

[Wally Cleaver]

Very well put, but reading that took too much time, ive got studying to do!!!!

 

[LHUCKS]

########

 

[Sputnikv8]

This clown is probably a 3x divorcee that is already at the station before his kids go to school and still at the office until after they go to bed.

I mean... what the heck....

And point 3 is ludicrous. Nobody is going to have to decide between Chad Johnson and Fitz at WR. Either you won't have both or you'd start both unless you're in a start 1WR league. Moron!

 

[WhoDat]

Ok, let me see if I have this straight.

A former J. Rome clone, who most likely read scripted calls...(blanking) scripted calls... after sitting on hold for hours at a time... day after day... is passing judgment on fantasy football players.

 

[Jiggyonthehut]

He doesnt know that Norville screws psycotic chicks. Or that LHUCKS is a 9/10.

In fact, what does he know?

 

[TwinTurbo]

Is there a bigger waste of space than sports talk radio personalities? As if JT the Brick is helping solve the world's problems by discussing the latest T.O. crisis ad nauseam. What makes him any better or more valuable than his FFB counterparts?

 

[The Jerk]

Good post. I don't have time to visit msnbc. I'm very busy between all my trips to the doctor, family counseling, and the unemployment center.

 

[mcjc4]

JT at work,

"Ok, I need to write an article, well theres alot of Fantasy Footballers out there, I know, go with the old retread, geeks and losers playing pretend GM story"

This is the same crap every year right around draft time. Come up with something original JT. Oh that may be difficult since your whole shstick and personality is a rip off as well!

 

[None_More_Black]

I love when sports radio guys bash their audience. I guess you should just follow football to be a "fan". God forbid you do something besides root for the home team and grill meat.

 

[lions327]

I only had enough time to read a little bit of the article, because I am too busy with my fantasy teams.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Anything in there about lost El Caminos?

 

[Coolerheads]

What is odd is that he doesn't see the irony that the reason HE has a job is due in large part to the fact that WE have a hobby. Anyone who thinks that the NFL passing MLB as "The most popular sport in the USA" has everything to do with baseball's past labor and current steroid problems is really not taking into account fantasy football. Not to mention the fact that his Arbitron numbers would be substantially lower without us...

As far as spending time with the kids, working hard at your job (what an insult!), etc./blah-blah-blah; cast the first stone, and tell me about your career path vs. "quality time".

 

[BrentBlack]

Ok, let me see if I have this straight. A former J. Rome clone, who most likely read scripted calls...(blanking) scripted calls... after sitting on hold for hours at a time... day after day... is passing judgment on fantasy football players.

And now he rips on him....dude is such a hypocrite.

 

[RamMan]

JT the Brick's schtik is so overdone that he's painful to listen to in my opinion. I'm so tired of the screaming, self-important, chest-thumping sports radio clowns who claim to have a corner on the sportsworld. JT, you are nothing more than unimaginative, sports-talk retread clone. You giving us advice on "ethics" is like Pamela Anderson giving our daughters advice on virignity. Schmuck!

 

[sholditch]

Good post. I don't have time to visit msnbc. I'm very busy between all my trips to the doctor, family counseling, and the unemployment center.

Interestningly enough these articles always come out at this time of year. Being a writer this is either a common trick of feature writing or sincere. The trick is to take whatever the majority is into/following/beleives in and deride it intellectually. It paints the author as A) a maverick, B) a truth-teller, and C) a firebrand. Take the article posted on yahoo about Rice's retirement. The article basically bashed him for wanting to retire a a niner because he made the decision to go to the Raiders and Broncos. The key is choosing a somewhat defensible position, which this is and so is the article.He is employing this little trick. Either that, or he really hates fantasy sports and fantasy players.Of course most everything he says in the article seems right to casual observer, because it is basically all truisms and could apply to anything: spend time with your kids, pay attention to your wife, go out in the world, work hard at your job, etc. Only it's all too easy to rip apart based on actual reality, which someone did a great job of doing earlier. IN the words of Built to Spill, "what's the use of conventional wisdom when the world acts just so unconventional."Then there's the possibility that there is something in what we do that annoys the pants out of regular sports guys. Maybe it's the fact that your typical fantasy junkie knows twice what they do about players in the league and they feel we are invading their turf. Maybe it counteracts their notions of teams and fans. Don't know, but there certainly seems to be a prevalent trend of anti-fantasy among sportswriters.

 

[azcards33]

who's gonna go to his message board forum and let him know what a loser and hypocrite he is?

I know he reads it too because he made mention of some of the reader reaction on his show last night and made fun of the insults that he had received there

 

[J-Co]

A see and feel a lot of guilt from guys who realize that most of their free time is being gobbled up by a fantasy league instead of enjoying the memories of their families. Between video games and fantasy football, many men are not part-time husbands and fathers. I know the truth hurts, but get off your butt, turn off the computer and teach a kid how to play sports.

i suppose i could get a real job, like a talk show radio host

 

[duaneok66]

people have to criticize others to make themselves feel better . . .

I feel sorry for him . . .

 

[Couch Potato]

Is there a bigger waste of space than sports talk radio personalities? As if JT the Brick is helping solve the world's problems by discussing the latest T.O. crisis ad nauseam. What makes him any better or more valuable than his FFB counterparts?

Careful there. You're lumping a lot of good people in together with one particular guy. Just like in any business, some are good and some not so good, and different types suit different tastes.I'm not a JT fan, but there are a lot of radio guys that are solid.

 

[Gr00vus]

Who is JT the Brick? Any relation to Vic the Brick? Same person?

 

[Silver & Black]

Dude needs to chill out.

 

[AnonymousBob]

Am I the only one who has no problem with his article? He's not into fantasy football. I am. Big deal. I think anything, not just ff, becomes a problem when you spend more time with it than you do with your friends, family, etc.

 

[BrentBlack]

Used to claim he was a Giants Fan-Now that the Raiders pay him, he acts like Oakland is his squad.

Used to brag about how he takes the most calls of any host and doesnt need a co-host-Now has a co-host.

Used to hammer the fact that he only talks sports, no "brittney spears crap"-Now has a daily segment called Pop-Looney that is nothing more than non-sports news (hosted by the co-host he never needed)

GB Sirius. I haven't had to listen to this hypocrite/blowhard in months.

 

[intrinsic]

These people exist, but im betting they represent about 3.5% of the fantasy sports population, so who cares? If they werent obsessed with FF they would be compulsive gamblers or feeding some other dependency.

And wasting time at work has existed for as long as jobs have existed, fantasy sports is only 1 of the many outlets to waste time with. I cant tell you how many hours i spent in literati before i had fantasy football info to scour over during my work day

 

[bcannon521]

Good post. I don't have time to visit msnbc. I'm very busy between all my trips to the doctor, family counseling, and the unemployment center.

Interestningly enough these articles always come out at this time of year. Being a writer this is either a common trick of feature writing or sincere. The trick is to take whatever the majority is into/following/beleives in and deride it intellectually. It paints the author as A) a maverick, B) a truth-teller, and C) a firebrand. Take the article posted on yahoo about Rice's retirement. The article basically bashed him for wanting to retire a a niner because he made the decision to go to the Raiders and Broncos. The key is choosing a somewhat defensible position, which this is and so is the article.

He is employing this little trick. Either that, or he really hates fantasy sports and fantasy players.

Of course most everything he says in the article seems right to casual observer, because it is basically all truisms and could apply to anything: spend time with your kids, pay attention to your wife, go out in the world, work hard at your job, etc. Only it's all too easy to rip apart based on actual reality, which someone did a great job of doing earlier. IN the words of Built to Spill, "what's the use of conventional wisdom when the world acts just so unconventional."

Then there's the possibility that there is something in what we do that annoys the pants out of regular sports guys. Maybe it's the fact that your typical fantasy junkie knows twice what they do about players in the league and they feel we are invading their turf. Maybe it counteracts their notions of teams and fans. Don't know, but there certainly seems to be a prevalent trend of anti-fantasy among sportswriters.

Well put - the only things he left out were, "floss daily", "look both ways before crossing the street", and "eat your vegetables" - things that I am sure must also suffer greatly during the pre-draft frenzy... anyone heard of an outbreak of scurvy amongst the "sharks"?Almost hate to post, as it is giving the guy just what he wants, but I read on Yahoo last week about a study done on fantasy football in the workplace:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060816/sp_nm/...ts_fantasy_dc_4

The conclusion: "The potential damage to morale and loyalty resulting from a fantasy football ban could be far worse than the loss of productivity caused by 10 minutes of online team management," said Challenger.

Good enough for me - now, will someone please post our new friend's e-mail address. I would like to extend an invite to him, as my league just came up one team short. Others feel free to do the same...

 

[azcards33]

Good post. I don't have time to visit msnbc. I'm very busy between all my trips to the doctor, family counseling, and the unemployment center.

Interestningly enough these articles always come out at this time of year. Being a writer this is either a common trick of feature writing or sincere. The trick is to take whatever the majority is into/following/beleives in and deride it intellectually. It paints the author as A) a maverick, B) a truth-teller, and C) a firebrand. Take the article posted on yahoo about Rice's retirement. The article basically bashed him for wanting to retire a a niner because he made the decision to go to the Raiders and Broncos. The key is choosing a somewhat defensible position, which this is and so is the article.

He is employing this little trick. Either that, or he really hates fantasy sports and fantasy players.

Of course most everything he says in the article seems right to casual observer, because it is basically all truisms and could apply to anything: spend time with your kids, pay attention to your wife, go out in the world, work hard at your job, etc. Only it's all too easy to rip apart based on actual reality, which someone did a great job of doing earlier. IN the words of Built to Spill, "what's the use of conventional wisdom when the world acts just so unconventional."

Then there's the possibility that there is something in what we do that annoys the pants out of regular sports guys. Maybe it's the fact that your typical fantasy junkie knows twice what they do about players in the league and they feel we are invading their turf. Maybe it counteracts their notions of teams and fans. Don't know, but there certainly seems to be a prevalent trend of anti-fantasy among sportswriters.

Well put - the only things he left out were, "floss daily", "look both ways before crossing the street", and "eat your vegetables" - things that I am sure must also suffer greatly during the pre-draft frenzy... anyone heard of an outbreak of scurvy amongst the "sharks"?Almost hate to post, as it is giving the guy just what he wants, but I read on Yahoo last week about a study done on fantasy football in the workplace:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060816/sp_nm/...ts_fantasy_dc_4

The conclusion: "The potential damage to morale and loyalty resulting from a fantasy football ban could be far worse than the loss of productivity caused by 10 minutes of online team management," said Challenger.

Good enough for me - now, will someone please post our new friend's e-mail address. I would like to extend an invite to him, as my league just came up one team short. Others feel free to do the same...

jtthebrick@foxsports.comI also added the email address to the first post

 

[JohnnyU]

Blast away, but a lot of what he's saying is true. Not everything, but a lot.

 

[ArcticEdge]

Who is JT the Brick? Any relation to Vic the Brick? Same person?

He was a stock broker on wall street who was a huge Knicks fan, in fact, he used to be called JT the Knick. He then(somehow) moved to a late night sports talk show and called himself JT the Brick. I liked his show, I used to listen to it all the time in the late 90s on my way home from late scheduled hockey games. Actually got on his show one time to talk about the Vikes. It was a good show last I listened, but our local stations cut the show for ESPN radio.

 

[Delusions Of Adequacy]

Bad idea to draw conclusions about a group from those who call in to radio talk shows, given that the callers tend to be the most fanatical/unbalanced of the bunch.

 

[Gr00vus]

Who is JT the Brick? Any relation to Vic the Brick? Same person?

He was a stock broker on wall street who was a huge Knicks fan, in fact, he used to be called JT the Knick. He then(somehow) moved to a late night sports talk show and called himself JT the Brick. I liked his show, I used to listen to it all the time in the late 90s on my way home from late scheduled hockey games. Actually got on his show one time to talk about the Vikes. It was a good show last I listened, but our local stations cut the show for ESPN radio.

Thanks, I appreciate the answer.

 

[ArcticEdge]

Bad idea to draw conclusions about a group from those who call in to radio talk shows, given that the callers tend to be the most fanatical/unbalanced of the bunch.

 

[PatsFanCT]

I don't have a Brett Favre poster on my bedroom wall, so I'm off the hook.

Don't know about the rest of you losers.

 

[The Kansas Comet]

I guess JT had to find some way to kill time while waiting on hold for Romey to get to him.

Over the past few football seasons, I have accepted fantasy football fans for what they truly are, sports fans that have too much time on their hands and should get out more. I am not talking about every fantasy freak, but some that I have crossed paths with over the past decade.

Way to take a few personal experiences and distort them to cover all fantasy football players. Frankly, the points he made about taking a look at yourself and how you spend your time could apply to sports fans in general, including the

thousands of fans who can care less who you are starting at wide receiver in your fantasy league because they care more about the outcome of the game that they are actually attending.

And how does that make these people exempt from having to address those same questions that JT poses to fantasy footballers? I think anyone with any type of hobby could and should ask themselves those questions from time to time.

I’m also confident that fans that stand in the rain in the final two minutes of a live game get more out of that experience than the guys who are sitting in a sports bar staring at their fantasy stats and could care less who wins any particular game.

Yes, they get pneumonia. But beyond that, JT seems to think that just because you root for individual players on other teams to do well, you are incapable of actually rooting for a team. That's just asinine. From reading the posts of other members of this board, as well as from my own personal experience, it is easy to see that the majority of fantasy football players can be and are passionate about their favorite team (oops, did I just take a little anecdotal evidence and apply it to a broader group of people? Well, it worked for JT.)Perhaps since JT himself lacks the ability to put anything sports-related into perspective, he figures that everyone else is that way too. But to make such sweeping generalizations without much thought or insight shows that he should stick to his imitation radio show and never attempt to be a real sportswriter. Leave it for people who can actually write. It's fine to have an opinion that differs from mine, JT, but if you are going to blast my hobby, at least do so intelligently with factual analysis. I guess he forgot one of the rules he should have learned from waiting on hold for Rome so many times, "Have a take, and don't suck."

I know the truth hurts, but get off your butt, turn off the computer radio and teach a kid how to play sports.

Fixed.

 

[ArcticEdge]

I don't have a Brett Favre poster on my bedroom wall, so I'm off the hook.Don't know about the rest of you losers.

Framed Tommy Kramer poster in my home office.... Here's to you Tommy.

 

[JohnnyU]

I don't have a Brett Favre poster on my bedroom wall, so I'm off the hook.Don't know about the rest of you losers.

I have a Peyton Manning and Johnny Unitas signed picture in my den, among many other sports memorabilia dating back to the 1950s. Nothing wrong with that regardless of your age. That part I too disagreed with the "Brick".

 

[RamMan]

I just wrote the following e-mail to JT:

Hi JT,

In my opinion, a lesson in personal ethics coming from you is akin to a lesson in social graces from Mike Tyson. Why don’t you come off of your soapbox and admit that you’re part of the problem. Do you really think someone sitting around listening to your show for 3 hours is any more “enlightened” than a guy who spends a couple of hours a day enjoying Fantasy Football? It’s all pabulum for the masses and nothing more than a harmless diversion from all the BS going on around us. Like anything, an unhealthy obsession with Fantasy Football is just as dangerous as any obsession. The guy who spends 14 hours a day at his job is just as warped as the obsessive Fantasy geek. A guy sitting around listening to your loud, obnoxious show for hours on end is similarly affected. A well balanced life should be the goal. And by the way, I play FF and very much enjoy it. I’m not obsessive about it but I do spend a couple of hours a day with it during the season. And you know what? I have 6 kids (one in college), own my own company ( 2 companies, in fact), travel the world, and enjoy a wonderful life with my wife. When you suggest that we take our kids outside to teach them a jump shot, why don’t you instead teach your kids empathy, tolerance, critical thinking skills, instead of the crap you put on your show. What does your kid think about you yelling at people on the radio and degrading them in public? Do you really think you’re teaching him or her how to be a better person in the world?

What a hypocrite you are

 

[JohnnyU]

Even though a lot of what he said is true, any obsession can lead to bad things. Too much of anything is probably not a good idea. It's like the fat out of shape guy telling the alcoholic not to drink, or the gambler not to gamble. Maybe he should eat a few less Twinkies, then throw stones. Like I said, I agree with a lot of what he's saying, but that doesn't make it right to say IMO, unless you are free of fault. Then again, it probably isn't right either way.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I just wrote the following e-mail to JT:

Hi JT,

In my opinion, a lesson in personal ethics coming from you is akin to a lesson in social graces from Mike Tyson. Why don’t you come off of your soapbox and admit that you’re part of the problem. Do you really think someone sitting around listening to your show for 3 hours is any more “enlightened” than a guy who spends a couple of hours a day enjoying Fantasy Football? It’s all pabulum for the masses and nothing more than a harmless diversion from all the BS going on around us. Like anything, an unhealthy obsession with Fantasy Football is just as dangerous as any obsession. The guy who spends 14 hours a day at his job is just as warped as the obsessive Fantasy geek. A guy sitting around listening to your loud, obnoxious show for hours on end is similarly affected. A well balanced life should be the goal. And by the way, I play FF and very much enjoy it. I’m not obsessive about it but I do spend a couple of hours a day with it during the season. And you know what? I have 6 kids (one in college), own my own company ( 2 companies, in fact), travel the world, and enjoy a wonderful life with my wife. When you suggest that we take our kids outside to teach them a jump shot, why don’t you instead teach your kids empathy, tolerance, critical thinking skills, instead of the crap you put on your show. What does your kid think about you yelling at people on the radio and degrading them in public? Do you really think you’re teaching him or her how to be a better person in the world?

What a hypocrite you are

That'll learn him.

 

[PsychoMan]

haha i love all the reactions. everyone is in denial that it's RUINING THEIR LIVES!!!!

 

[SoloMatisse]

he's a knucklehead. we like fantasy football. he hates it. I think fake hair is weak. he wears it and promotes it. which is weaker?....fantasy football or fake hair? kindof simple, but I wont be a gasser and overcomplicate this anymore than the Brick has done himself. he's never played. he doesnt get it. and he seems to like fake hair. Ive never had fake hair, so maybe I shouldnt pass judgement either............

 

[Qbert89]

I just wrote the following e-mail to JT:

Hi JT,

In my opinion, a lesson in personal ethics coming from you is akin to a lesson in social graces from Mike Tyson. Why don’t you come off of your soapbox and admit that you’re part of the problem. Do you really think someone sitting around listening to your show for 3 hours is any more “enlightened” than a guy who spends a couple of hours a day enjoying Fantasy Football? It’s all pabulum for the masses and nothing more than a harmless diversion from all the BS going on around us. Like anything, an unhealthy obsession with Fantasy Football is just as dangerous as any obsession. The guy who spends 14 hours a day at his job is just as warped as the obsessive Fantasy geek. A guy sitting around listening to your loud, obnoxious show for hours on end is similarly affected. A well balanced life should be the goal. And by the way, I play FF and very much enjoy it. I’m not obsessive about it but I do spend a couple of hours a day with it during the season. And you know what? I have 6 kids (one in college), own my own company ( 2 companies, in fact), travel the world, and enjoy a wonderful life with my wife. When you suggest that we take our kids outside to teach them a jump shot, why don’t you instead teach your kids empathy, tolerance, critical thinking skills, instead of the crap you put on your show. What does your kid think about you yelling at people on the radio and degrading them in public? Do you really think you’re teaching him or her how to be a better person in the world?

What a hypocrite you are

Well written. Awesome post man

 

[Jiggyonthehut]

I don't have a Brett Favre poster on my bedroom wall, so I'm off the hook.

Don't know about the rest of you losers.

Framed Tommy Andrea Kramer Suzy Kolber poster in my home office.... Here's to you Suzy.

 

[Gr00vus]

he's a knucklehead. we like fantasy football. he hates it. I think fake hair is weak. he wears it and promotes it. which is weaker?....fantasy football or fake hair? kindof simple, but I wont be a gasser and overcomplicate this anymore than the Brick has done himself. he's never played. he doesnt get it. and he seems to like fake hair. Ive never had fake hair, so maybe I shouldnt pass judgement either............

Fake hair? You mean a toupee? Or a fake fur coat or wrap or something?I guess either way it doesn't really matter..

 

[Christo]

Who is this guy?

 

[Lauryn]

a kicked dog always yelps...if you replied angrily, what he said probably hit home.

personally i don't have a problem with it, and some of what he said is true... so what?

 

[azcards33]

Here was the reaction from his messageboard that he specifically mentioned on his show last night and made fun of:

I am one of those "fantasy freaks" described in JT's article as well as a huge sports fan. I do have favorite teams and attend their games regularly. I have many friends who are the same way. I would attend a game over sitting at home watching Sportscenter to stay on top of the latest stats and highlights any day. Anyone who would probably wasn't that big of a sports fan to begin with. My argument is, for those people who are 'casual' fans, if fantasy games sparks a greater interest for them in sports, what's wrong with that? The sports make more money, hack radio hosts like JT get bigger ratings, everyone benefits.

To JT's point of fantasy sports causing people to ignore their families, ah yes, the last resort of all brain dead arguments. WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?????!!!!!! This is particularity a favorite point for ultra right wing conservatives like JT, so this is no surprise. But that's a whole different issue. Who says a father can't bond with his children while playing fantasy games? A child doesn't care if you spend time with him throwing a baseball around or discussing the merits of one running back over another one, as long as you are spending time with them and including them in your world, that's all they care about. Plus when you play fantasy, odds are you are going to watch the games. While you do that, you can be watching with your children. Some of the best times my father and I had together was when we were watching sports. There are much bigger issues out there. Many dads would rather be out at a bar all night drinking then at home. If they are sitting on the internet setting their team that's much better than some other things they could be doing. At least they are home.

Lets face it though, all these radio hosts and sports announcers hate fantasy and why? Because they are jaded. They live sports. They talk to athletes on a daily basis. Their so called jobs consist of reading the paper and searching the internet for sports topics to discuss with other sports fans all day long. That's a dream for all sports fans. While we sit in our cubicles 8-10 hours a day at jobs we hate, you are making millions of dollars doing something that most of us would do for free. So its understandable that after you spend all day studying sports the last thing you want to do when you get home is worry about starting Carson Palmer or Jake Delhomme on your team this weekend. For you that would be like work. For us, its a vacation.