Why do you play fantasy football?

[Kodos]

It's all for the glory for me. No money leagues.

[Ramzavail]

Mostly for the glory, but the winnings is worth it too.

[gottimd]

Can't it be all three?

[Raiders Army]

I play to have a stake in other games.

[Kodos]

Can't it be all three?

No. It's time to ask yourself what you believe, Dr. Jones.

[flere-imsaho]

I don't know anyone who organizes a money game, which is the only reason why I don't play at least one.

[Raiders Army]

No. It's time to ask yourself what you believe, Dr. Jones.
Niiiiiiiice!

[QuikSand]

I play for the glory and bragging rights over friends, first and foremost.

A few of my leagues are money leagues, and while that's not the primary motivation, it's nice to take down a few hundred bucks with a win.

I also find that leagues where there's money involved have a good deal less of the walkaway phenomenon that plagues free leagues (and internet leagues most of all).

If I had a chance to play in a seriously big money league (with obvious caveats included) I'd do it. After more than 15 years of fantasy football, and probably 50 team-seasons in money leagues, I'm substantially ahead financially.

[Icy]

Glory, never played for money, but must be fun too.

[MJ4H]

I hate the entire concept of fantasy football. So I don't play. I know you didn't ask that, but I felt the compulsion to say it anyway. I hate trying to watch a game with someone that plays fantasy football. They seem to care more about x player getting more yards or TDs than the result of the game. I like to watch the games for what they are and that other stuff is just a distraction. I know it apparently isn't a popular opinion I have (which, honestly, baffles me) but it is the opinion I have.

In case someone wants to try to change by opinion, you won't. Probably won't even check this thread again, honestly. Just saw an oppurtunity to express an opinion I never share and took it.

[vtbub]

I hate the entire concept of fantasy football. So I don't play. I know you didn't ask that, but I felt the compulsion to say it anyway. I hate trying to watch a game with someone that plays fantasy football. They seem to care more about x player getting more yards or TDs than the result of the game. I like to watch the games for what they are and that other stuff is just a distraction. I know it apparently isn't a popular opinion I have (which, honestly, baffles me) but it is the opinion I have.

In case someone wants to try to change by opinion, you won't. Probably won't even check this thread again, honestly. Just saw an oppurtunity to express an opinion I never share and took it.
100% agree

[Travis]

Personally, I can see why watching a game with somebody involved in a fantasy league can be brutal. I'd bet though that the same guy, if they weren't in the fantasy league, would find some other way to make watching the game with them just as bad.

Personally, while I like the competitive factor to fantasy football, I play to become more aware of the entire league and each team. Partaking in a 16 team keeper league really has me checking out every teams rosters at the start of each year, reviewing their last couple of drafts to see who might step up this year as well as trying to figure out what changes in scenery are going to pay dividends for who. It used to be that playing Madden and doing numerous league wide redrafts would introduce me to some new players that I'd follow up and check out in real life, but fantasy football has really raised my appreciation of the sport to a league wide level rather than team specific.

That said, while I'm very competitive when it comes to fantasy football, when it's Sunday, it's all about the Seahawks and how they do. I'll check the fantasy scores Monday morning and move on from there but when the games are on, it's about the teams on the field, not the individuals.

[Kodos]

Yeah, I don't even check who's on the opposing team anymore. That way, I can just enjoy the games without worrying about player x too much.

[cthomer5000]

I've played in money leagues for 6 years now, and I think i've cashed in all but 1 season. And this year I'm headed to the title game. Still, I'm hanging up my cash league after this year as it's been too much of a headache. Between all the shit I already have going on in my life, it just feels like a giant pain in my ass.

[johnnyshaka]

I hate the entire concept of fantasy football. So I don't play. I know you didn't ask that, but I felt the compulsion to say it anyway. I hate trying to watch a game with someone that plays fantasy football. They seem to care more about x player getting more yards or TDs than the result of the game. I like to watch the games for what they are and that other stuff is just a distraction. I know it apparently isn't a popular opinion I have (which, honestly, baffles me) but it is the opinion I have.

In case someone wants to try to change by opinion, you won't. Probably won't even check this thread again, honestly. Just saw an oppurtunity to express an opinion I never share and took it.

But, what if you were in a fantasy football league AND picking winners against the spread?? Everything is important in that scenario...who scores and who wins.

[sterlingice]

I'm poor so it's all about the bragging rights ;)

SI

[Zippo]

would "fun" belong in the trout option?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Even though I ruin fantasy leagues (that's from another thread), I've played fantasy football for about 10 years for the glory. I ran a league for 6 or 7 years and put my heart into it. At first, it was just a fun thing for a few BBS friends and myself. Some of the people wanted to get money involved, so we started playing for money. While it was nice to win some money a couple of years, that wasn't my motivation. It was just to be the king of the BBS football league. Finally, that league broke down after I got too involved with college to take care of the league for 10 or 15 hours per week (which I mainly did just for fun, but the other members became very immersed in the league through my work).

A couple of years later, I mentioned fantasy football to someone I worked with, and he invited me into his money league. He didn't know that I had ever run a league or even played. I never broke even in any of years that I played in his league, but it made for bragging rights around work each week, and I was one of the few players who paid attention to the league all season. So I played in that league for three years until this season because I was moving out of New Orleans.

Now, I'm still in leagues, but I'm not a big part of them anymore. The reasons partly involve the move and partly involve the things that happened in New Orleans, along with some other stuff. Currently, I have no intention to join a league next year. It's just not the same anymore. There are a lot of things about fantasy football that I like, but I've started to discover other things that I don't like. I guess I hadn't noticed before, or maybe I just didn't care, but fantasy football has started to suck some of the fun out of watching football for me. Even when my teams have had good stretches over the past few years, I didn't feel like I was going for that glory that I originally wanted.

I wish I could just have that old BBS league back.

[sterlingice]

Wow. What was it like back then, Grandpa? When there was no internet and only BBS's? And you walked up hill both ways in the snow in your bare feet. And you ate rocks for two square meals a day because lunch hadn't been invented yet ;)

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

i agree with MJ4H. I had never played before this year (when my brother declared that we had to have a family game for fun) but I havn't really enjoyed it all that much. To me it ruins the fun of watching a random game and just rooting for a "good football game"

[panerd]

To me it ruins the fun of watching a random game and just rooting for a "good football game"

To me it's the exact opposite. I need nothing more to enjoy a Bengal game or a Rams game, but what fun is a 49er/Jags game? Well yesterday I had Gurroard (not even going to try and spell) and my opponent had Fred Taylor and Lloyd. So I actually could flip that game on for a few minutes and watch. Having money on it makes it even that much more interesting.

Do you guys play cards for fun? Do you roll dice for fun? Come on, fantasy is the best thing to happen to the NFL.