Not just for geeks anymore (1 Viewer)

[BustedKnuckles]

Not just for geeks anymore — ESPN bets on full-time fantasy football show.

The divide between sports traditionalists and fantasy players can make for great TV. Take the hilarious debate Thursday between Woody Paige and ESPN Radio's Erik Kuselias after Jay Crawford asked on ESPN2's Cold Pizza whether fantasy football was "cool" or for "geeks."

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man."

Kuselias countered: "It's not just kids; it's not just computer people; it's everybody. It's here to stay. The only people not on board are crotchety old white men."

Most TV specials on fantasy football have been unwatchable. But if ESPN2 can generate the kind of buzz we saw Thursday, it could hit the jackpot with its first weekly fantasy football program, The Fantasy Show.

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m. Thursday slot for an 18-week run. Hosted by Rob Stone, the half-hour show will feature analyst Ron Jaworski, fantasy expert Matthew Berry and others.

Everybody involved in the show, including former quarterback Jaworski, plays in one or more leagues, says Jamie Horowitz, senior producer for ESPN Original Entertainment. "This is a fantasy football show created by people who play fantasy football."

Compared to previous fantasy specials — where on-air talent were clueless or dropped obvious observations about players — the show will feature the latest data on who's up and who's down in the parallel universe of fantasy football, says Berry.

"A lot of these (TV analysts) don't play. They say you should start Shaun Alexander (the Seattle Seahawks running back who set the single-season touchdown record last season with 28) on Sunday. Well, thanks genius," says Berry, who plays in more than 10 fantasy football leagues.

Paige on Thursday called Berry a "geek" with no life. But Berry counters many fantasy footballers play to stay in touch with old friends from home or college, while still getting their competitive juices flowing. He points out celebrities such as actor Vince Vaughn play fantasy sports.

"Vince Vaughn makes $20 million per movie and dates Jennifer Aniston. I don't think you'd call him a geek."

 

[AB in DC]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m. Thursday slot for an 18-week run. Hosted by Rob Stone, the half-hour show will feature analyst Ron Jaworski, fantasy expert Matthew Berry and others.

Who??Though Jaws = big

 

[jerseyjeff]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m. Thursday slot for an 18-week run. Hosted by Rob Stone, the half-hour show will feature analyst Ron Jaworski, fantasy expert Matthew Berry and others.

Who??Though Jaws = big

He has the website, talentedMr.Roto. He has been on ESPN lately giving insight. Not a huge fan personally, but he seems to have credentials.

 

[GroveDiesel]

It's about time. It's amazing that it took ESPN this long to get something going. I really like Jaws so hopefully this will be a good show. Hopefully they can do a great job of putting together any insider info that they may have with its impact on fantasy football. It'd also be great if they can manage to get in depth with strategies while not becoming overly geeky (and not just being flash without any substance like that horrendous fantasy draft they did last week).

 

[Capt Hook]

Matthew Berry

AKA The Talented Mr. Roto

AKA the founder of Rotopass

In the industry we kid Matt a lot because he is ALWAYS pimping his sites, but he is definitely well connected and does play in a lot of FF and baseball leagues. He does know his stuff - although you might not get that impression from the dumbing it down for the ESPN FF rules etc. I would expect him to be much better on the regular show (IF he can lose the nervousness I see from him on TV that is not there in person).

 

[BustedKnuckles]

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man."

Woody Paige is a TOOL of epic proportions

 

[massraider]

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man."

He better hope no one takes his advice, or Cold Pizza's going off the air.

 

[pizzatyme]

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man." Woody hayes is a TOOL of epic proportions

So is Woody Paige!

 

[BustedKnuckles]

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man." Woody hayes is a TOOL of epic proportions

So is Woody Paige!

Thats too freakin funny...oops....just had a vascectomy this morning...not myself yet

 

[bocksheesh]

Is there a link to this article?

 

[jestertj]

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man."

Just in case I needed another reason to hate Woody Paige. He was bad enough on Around the Horn, and he's even worse on Cold Pizza. I realize some of his on air stuff is a bit, but he's just an idiot in every sense of the word.

 

[aposulli]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m. Thursday slot for an 18-week run. Hosted by Rob Stone, the half-hour show will feature analyst Ron Jaworski, fantasy expert Matthew Berry and others.

Who??Though Jaws = big

Actuall the first thing that came to my mind was... uh oh... a football analyst (Jaws) analyzing FF.Having Berry on board will be the only thing that gives this show legitimacy.

Can't wait!

 

[JimmyD]

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man."

He better hope no one takes his advice, or Cold Pizza's going off the air.

 

[valhallan]

Still waiting for the fantasy football Real World house. Imagine the trades and backstabbing..

 

[North]

Still waiting for the fantasy football Real World house. Imagine the trades and backstabbing..

When I started my 1st league 18 years ago it was looked at totally differently. When I used to bring it up in conversation no one knew what I was talking about. Now more mainstream but I do have a problem with a lot of so-called experts and their opinions. They are just that, opinions.

 

[GiantsRule]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m. Thursday slot for an 18-week run. Hosted by Rob Stone, the half-hour show will feature analyst Ron Jaworski, fantasy expert Matthew Berry and others.

Who??Though Jaws = big

Not so fast. Back in 2002, Jaws did a weekly fantasy football show (albeit online; NFL Fantasy Live) along with two fantasy football experts (Adam Kaplan and John Hansen). http://www.nfl.com/fantasy/index_live.html

Jaws never looked more out of his element. He tried to stay enthusiastic and interested, but he always seemed like he was just humoring his co-hosts as he mulled over what happened to his career.

Maybe he's embraced the hobby more in the past few years. But if he's anything like he was in '02, it's going to suck as bad as the one-shot fantasy draft specials.

On a similar topic, anyone know if Fox Sports Network plans on bringing back The Ultimate Fantasy Football Show (another joke of a program with Warren Moon, Eric Kramer, the guy that looks like Jughead from the Archie comics, and a Chris Rose wannabe)? I keep checking my cable menu and haven't seen anything yet. Yes, it's crap, but it's a program about fantasy football. Plus, it's amusing when they pick their unheard of sleepers -- Shaun Alexander, Chad Johnson, and Peyton Manning -- for their 6-team league!

 

[GiantsRule]

Bumping because now I'm really curious about this Ultimate Fantasy Football Show thing. The link on Fox Sports Net goes right to the NFL fantasy page with no mention of the show.

How am I going to set my lineup each week if I can't ignore their advice?

 

[pizzatyme]

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man." Woody hayes is a TOOL of epic proportions

So is Woody Paige!

Thats too freakin funny...oops....just had a vascectomy this morning...not myself yet

Right about now I bet you're having a tough time trying to figure out if you're ahem coming or going! :X Sorry man!

 

[WhoDat]

Not so fast. Back in 2002, Jaws did a weekly fantasy football show (albeit online; NFL Fantasy Live) along with two fantasy football experts (Adam Kaplan and John Hansen).

http://www.nfl.com/fantasy/index_live.html

Jaws never looked more out of his element. He tried to stay enthusiastic and interested, but he always seemed like he was just humoring his co-hosts as he mulled over what happened to his career.

That show aired live on Direct TV. It was part of the Ticket Package. I disagree, though, about the show and Jaws. It was delivered with the idea that everyone watching had an average to high acumen of the hobby and the content was excellent. Nothing was dumbed down, which is the exact opposite of the other shows popping up no CSB, Fox and ESPN. There was an interesting dynamic between Jaws and the two FF gurus, Kaplan & Hansen, but it was not uncomfortable.

If someone can recreate the delivery method and content that show had, then they'll have something worth watching.

 

[plymkr]

You may have to change your name from BustedKnuckles to Busted.......

"You show me a fantasy football player, I'll show you a person who's a failure in life," declared Paige. "Spend time with your family. Do something. Be a man." Woody hayes is a TOOL of epic proportions

So is Woody Paige!

Thats too freakin funny...oops....just had a vascectomy this morning...not myself yet

Right about now I bet you're having a tough time trying to figure out if you're ahem coming or going! :X Sorry man!

 

[Armando]

Matthew Berry's articles were freaking UNBEARABLE on Rotoworld.com. The best moment in Rotoworld history was his departure.

I don't doubt he doesn't know quite a bit, but it always took going down to about paragraph five to get fantasy content. He'd spend the first four telling what he ate last week for breakfast, how his mom still dresses him in the morning, how he brushes his teeth with his finger.

And I'm not exaggerating with anything I posted. I just hope he's better on air than he was in articles.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Matthew Berry's articles were freaking UNBEARABLE on Rotoworld.com. The best moment in Rotoworld history was his departure. I don't doubt he doesn't know quite a bit, but it always took going down to about paragraph five to get fantasy content. He'd spend the first four telling what he ate last week for breakfast, how his mom still dresses him in the morning, how he brushes his teeth with his finger. And I'm not exaggerating with anything I posted. I just hope he's better on air than he was in articles.

Berry was on some fantasy content programming (NBA and MLB) on Comcast's On-Demand. It wasn't too bad... because each program was only a few minutes. Hopefully this show will be better. Regarding another FF show, anybody else watch Fox's show with Warren Moon, Erik Kramer, Andrew Siciliano and the host (sorry, I can't remember his name)?

 

[BigRed]

The only people not on board are crotchety old white men."

Good ol racist ESPN. Can a sports network get any lamer?

 

[RKMoney]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m. Thursday slot for an 18-week run. Hosted by Rob Stone, the half-hour show will feature analyst Ron Jaworski, fantasy expert Matthew Berry and others.

Who??Though Jaws = big

You don't know Berry? Seriously>

 

[Doug B]

If done right, ESPN's involvement can be a boon to the hobby. Many of the ESPN football reporters have inside contacts in the league. Maybe, just maybe, better perspective on injury reports, positional battles, etc. can be presented to the fantasy fan. It's true that Mike Shanahan won't want to spill his guts to Mark Sclereth every week any more than Skeletor would want to tip his hand to opposing coaches -- but guys like Sclereth, having face-to-face access to Shanny, should be able to read body language and help interpret the coachspeak and the foggy injury reports.

As far broadcasting drafts ... who really wants to see the ESPN talking heads doing an 8-team draft, like they did last year? It would be far, far better for them to actually broadcast some WCOFF drafts (considerably sped up, of course). Another way to go might be to invite 12-16 recognized fantasy "experts" -- guys who have/write for long-standing sites/magazines -- to draft a league on television.

 

[3nOut]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m.

Too bad 95% drafts of all drafts have already been held by then.

 

[Armando]

Where's Eric Karabell, Engel and Cockcroft in all this?

Is this show going to cost extra and be Insider content?

 

[Armando]

And what about Hector and Victor with their projections? Any word if they'll be apart of this? Will it cost extra to get their insight?

 

[Del Griffith]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m.

Too bad 95% drafts of all drafts have already been held by then.

I guess I'm in the 5% . I'll check out the show, then.

 

[Del Griffith]

And what about Hector and Victor with their projections? Any word if they'll be apart of this? Will it cost extra to get their insight?

Hopefully not

 

[Armando]

And what about Hector and Victor with their projections? Any word if they'll be apart of this? Will it cost extra to get their insight?

Hopefully not

It'd be the best thing to hit sports television since Scooter the talking baseball on FOX.

 

[The Jerk]

The show debuts with a draft special at 5:30 p.m. ET Aug. 31, then slides into a 6:30 p.m.

Too bad 95% drafts of all drafts have already been held by then.

I don't have any drafts before then. I agree it would be better to have it a week earlier, but if 95% of YOUR leagues draft by then, you might want to talk to your leagues about drafting later.

 

[BustedKnuckles]

BIG BUMP FOR TONITE

 

[Sinrman]

A lot of commentators hold fantasy football in contempt. They HATE it. Hell, I remember not to long ago during one of the halftime shows, Bob Costas made some crack about some fantasy geek maybe being up in the booth with them.

They're all idiots. Not all fantasy footballers are pimply-faced geeks who sit behind computers all day, every day. A lot of us DO have lives (even I do, and I'm in a ton of leagues each year). Hell, they should be THANKFUL for fantasy sports, because it gives some of us (if not a lot of us) an even greater appreciation for the sport of football. I always liked football prior to starting fantasy football (back in '97). But once I caught the fantasy football bug, I watch it religiously.

It's a multi-million dollar hobby now that has grown a LOT over the years. More and more big names out there in the entertainment industry play it (see the Vince Vaughn example in the original post). People love it!

They need to get over themselves...

 

[NoFBinLA]

I know it's not for everybody, but exactly when will it get old to bash FF players as a bunch of no-life losers who never saw a playing field in any sport, never got laid and have no life?

Will it take one of us punching these fat overpaid windbags?

 

[mightyeskimo]

Ok the chick is hot but I just heard a prediction that Chris Chambers will be the #1 WR in fantasy football. Kind of killed it.

 

[BustedKnuckles]

I thought the injury news on Portis was good...saying it`s not a re-acuring type of injury

 

[RabidRabbit]

Now if they only put it on at a time when most of us will be able to watch. WTF. You don't have a Fantasy show start at 6:30 p.m. eastern.

You run it at 10:30 Eastern and have it before SportsCenter. Or you put it on after Sportscenter. Have it take the Baseball Tonight spot.

 

[Ned]

Ok the chick is hot but I just heard a prediction that Chris Chambers will be the #1 WR in fantasy football. Kind of killed it.

not that big of a stretch...and yes shes hott

 

[BustedKnuckles]

Now if they only put it on at a time when most of us will be able to watch. WTF. You don't have a Fantasy show start at 6:30 p.m. eastern.You run it at 10:30 Eastern and have it before SportsCenter. Or you put it on after Sportscenter. Have it take the Baseball Tonight spot.

I guess they should have checked your schedule...imagine the nerve of those people at espn

 

[Mystery Achiever]

Now if they only put it on at a time when most of us will be able to watch. WTF. You don't have a Fantasy show start at 6:30 p.m. eastern.You run it at 10:30 Eastern and have it before SportsCenter. Or you put it on after Sportscenter. Have it take the Baseball Tonight spot.

I guess they should have checked your schedule...imagine the nerve of those people at espn

it os actually 5:30 eastern -- at least in n.y.

 

[BustedKnuckles]

Now if they only put it on at a time when most of us will be able to watch. WTF. You don't have a Fantasy show start at 6:30 p.m. eastern.You run it at 10:30 Eastern and have it before SportsCenter. Or you put it on after Sportscenter. Have it take the Baseball Tonight spot.

I guess they should have checked your schedule...imagine the nerve of those people at espn

it os actually 5:30 eastern -- at least in n.y.

That was just the first show at 5:30....next week and every week after the show will be at 6:30 eastern time.

 

[bonesman]

It's a multi-million dollar hobby now that has grown a LOT over the years. More and more big names out there in the entertainment industry play it (see the Vince Vaughn example in the original post). People love it!

well... he's not a BIG name in the entertainment industry... but Money-B, from Digital Underground plays FF... i talked to him about it for a good 15-20 minutes the year before last