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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

To discuss males fantasizing about Tom Brady's passing stats

Fantasy Football.
It’s a funny-sounding phrase, isn’t it? As if visions of Tom Brady floating on marshmallow clouds flutter around in the minds of grown men. Well, actually, that part’s true. Except Ladainian Tomlinson is up there, too. Wearing rainbow-colored suspenders. Oh, LT. I love you and your guaranteed 15 touchdowns.
Ladies, I wish there’s a simply explanation why your man spends more time looking up Peyton Manning’s touchdown-to-interception ratio than he does looking down your shirt.
There are some guys I know who would outright turn down a night with their girlfriend so they can watch 10 NFL games at once and calculate live stats. In the words of Jay from 40 Year-Old Virgin, that’s putting the football on the pedestal.
But, here’s the thing.
Fantasy football is fun.
I mean, real (fake) fun.
I spent 3-plus hours on Saturday drafting my fantasy team online. Three. I didn't move from my chair for three hours so I could look up stats, scout players and analyze draft picks in the hope that I might win a league that doesn't matter to anyone but the 12 guys participating. If it would have been possible, I would have worn an adult diaper so as to avoid any need to leave my computer. The fantasy football draft is basically a late summer Christmas, without all of the unnecessary gift-giving and holiday cheer. It's nothing but gift-receiving, and those gifts are wide receivers, quarterbacks and tight ends.
Man, it was sweet.
I’m probably a mid-level fantasy footballer. I’ve played for a few years in a competitive league where you gotta put down money and there’s a pot (money, not weed) for the winner. I check my team’s performance regularly, I keep an eye on all the games, although not at the sake of other facets of life. Once in a while, I catch myself saying absurd things like, “Ben Roethlisberger really needs to play well for me today. I need him to throw two touchdowns.” As if I own him.
Oh, that’s right.
Cause I do! On a fantasy team, for those who don’t know, you “draft” NFL players to fill out a roster. You get points based on how those players perform. So when your boyfriend (or girlfriend- I know some women who play and do really well) has a team, they’re checking all Sunday to see how “his” players did.
I like it because instead of just rooting for one team (like, say, the Steelers and their awesomeness), I can have interest in all the games. It's the only reason I'd ever watch the Arizona Cardinals or Atlanta Falcons. Actually, I'm not sure that even people living in Arizona or Atlanta watch those teams.
Fantasy football also gives us a sense of connection with other dudes, because we can talk about how our teams are doing, what trades we’re making, what place we’re in, all while scratching ourselves and growing chest hair (I’ve got three so far!*).
I know that for most of you ladies this all seems a bit childish and makes little sense. I mean, it’s fantasy, right? Not something that actually matters.
Well it does, and here’s why. The guys who play fantasy football don’t play in the NFL. We’re not real athletes. We’re never going to get on TV for making the winning touchdown pass or get caught organizing an illegal dog fighting ring.** The closest we can get to gridiron glory is online.
I’m not denying we're all a bunch of nerds. We definitely are. Just understand that if we could trade in a fantasy championship for a Super Bowl championship, we would in a second. Then you could find a new thing to get mad at us for... like looking down your shirt.
* Chest hairs, not testicles.
** Ok, that was just the Falcon's Mike Vick. When I read what he did to those dogs, I had to google "rape stand." Look it up. It'll make you sick. It's basically a way to keep the female dog in place while she gets raped by a male dog. Not cool, Mike Vick. Not cool.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

my boyfriend banned me from all fantasy leagues.... i guess i get a little too competitive, and don't spend enough time doing well, anything "real" during football and baseball season, which doesnt leave a lot of time to get anything done at all. i'm so jealous of you right now.

Unknown said...

"visions of Tom Brady floating on marshmallow clouds flutter around in the minds of grown men"... so funny! That's exactly what it sounds like!!

Anonymous said...

Where are my boyfriends Adrian Peterson and Ladainian Tomlinson located on your fantasy roster? Show some love!

Anonymous said...

I'm in my fourth year of an autodraft league... I just got my team today. With the whole pre-draft rankings thing, autodrafting is a different art altogether. And by "art," I mean dumb luck. Anyway, so who all did you get?

Amy xxoo said...

I dont participate in fantasy football, but I do enter a tipping competetion every rugby league season. That is, every weekend before the first game of the round is played i sit down, go through the game draw, and pick which team is going to win each game.

Its gets highly obsessive and competetive too! I'm reading up on stats, checking which players are injured or suspenders, who has home ground advantage....

Andy - Instafather said...

Wandering- What kind of bf bans a fine woman from fantasy football? It's bonding time, isn't it? You really must have been a competitive lady.
Tracie- It also makes me think of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.
Haute- Does Boyfriend know of your NFL boyfriends?
Josh: Starters for me: Tony Romo, Clinton Portis, Reggie Wayne, Laveraneus Coles, DeAngelo Williams, Fred Taylor, Heath Miller, Steelers D, Rob Bironas.

Amy- What in God's name are "suspenders" in relation to rugby? We may well need a guest post to explain this mythical sport. Let's just say only drunken college guys play rugby here. That, and people love wearing rugby shirts.

Amy xxoo said...

My apologies - that should read " suspended " - as in players who arent allowed to play because they broke the rules during another game.

This is what happens when i read blogs first thing in the morning whilst eating breakfast....

Amy xxoo said...

oh, and PS - i just re-read your comment to me, and I was talking about rugby LEAGUE, not rugby UNION , which is what you were referring to. Two different sports!!

Perhaps a guest post is in order...

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