Needless to say, it's been awhile. & there was much in the sporting world I missed out on discussing: most importantly the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup. However, since I was trapped in England & missed out on the majority of the playoffs I was relatively bitter so I refused to write.
But! with my impending return to the US of A set for the end of September, you can expect more action here.
And so that brings us to the first post of the Fall season: Fantasy Football!
This will be my third season as a participant in a fantasy football league & for me I began since my boyfriend at the time was in one & I had just discovered my love for the game. Now, if you're a girl that is simply a casual observer of the game but are worried about your boyfriend ignoring you in favor of fantasy football stats, missing out on the office pool & ensuing banter or simply have a gambling problem then this is the guide for you!
1. The Name - as girls, we like to be witty & clever while tending to look down upon men as, well, not. The exception to this seems to be the fantasy football team name; you'd be surprised at what these boys will come up with. Some examples: Favre Dollar Footlongs, Kibbles & Vick, Corn on the Schaub & Washing Some Headskins. For the most part, boys will do a play on words refrencing specific players or teams but there are also the ubiquitous options of names such as Multiple Scoregasams, TDs & Beer and Fourth Down Syndrome.
Now clearly being politically correct is not a requirement so go wild out there & try to come up with something that is original, football based & makes the guys say 'Oh shit, this girl knows her stuff.' (Even if you have to cheat by Google'ing football terms & going from there.)
2. The Draft - the first draft I was involved in I set it to auto-draft which will pick the best player available according to the site's ranking of players. While this is a good way to get a decent team I prefer to do it myself as I'm prone to picking a QB first (a big FF no-no as you're meant to take a solid RB first.) I go for the QB because if you get a good one that throws a lot of TDs that's easy points. So usually, I pick the best QB available then start going down the recommended list. Don't get all fancy & pick 'underdogs' that are way down the list. While they might have a breakout year, odds are you're going to spend the year breaking down about being in last.
Another positive on the live draft is the shit-talking; even if you don't participate it's like being invited into the boy's club as they tend to not moderate what they say due to only the one or two ladies present.
3. Match play - depending on the set-up of your league game play should be head-to-head match play meaning your team goes up against another team in your league. This is prime time to talk shit & its particularly sweet to beat the boys. While odds are the boys are going to have the better team, you'll still win at least a game or two & that will be a sweet, sweet day to taunt the men.
Some final tips: don't bet more than $20-30 unless you're rolling in the dough as its unlikely you'll win (sad but true.) Do not, I repeat, do NOT ever whine if a guy trash talks in an inappropriate manner or a trade doesn't go through your way - you're playing in their territory & you will automatically validate all womanly complaints they had about letting 'a chick in the league' (again - sad but true.) And finally, have fun out there. Its just a game & it ends up being an amusing distraction on those hungover Monday's at work trying to see if you won your match or if you still have players to go in MNF.
Now obviously this guide is not telling you how to win. Because lets face it, I've never come in higher than 5th in my league. What it will give you is a good time, a little casual gambling & a chance to piss off a bunch of guys by getting involved in their business. Additional benefits of joining a fantasy league is you tend to pay more attention to what is going on in games (besides just your hometown team) because you have certain players you're interested in. Nothing like a little competitive action to spice up your Sunday!
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