Just Wait Until Next Year, Boys!
“Hey, Dad. So did you win last night?” Zane queries as he enters the car after school. I am in one of those Fantasy Football Leagues and Zane is very interested in how my team fares from week to week. He’ll sit with me on Thursdays as we look at the upcoming games and match-ups attempting to make roster adjustments and optimize my line up.
It’s a grand effort in futility. I add players and drop players. Sit or play guys depending on who their opponents are for the week. I call myself analyzing when in reality it’s all a gamble. I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned, but I’m a horrible gambler. Horrible, I say.
It’s all usually in vain. Two weeks ago I almost got beaten by a guy who started two bye-week players, one player on injured reserve and and a mascot. Seriously!!
Zane eats it all up. He loves it. He’s even taken to ribbing me for some of my questionable decisions. Early in the season, for reasons still not fully understood, I benched the Saints defense. That particular week they scored nearly 30 fantasy points. All I heard for three days was, “How could you?!”
It’s all good fun and he has really seemed to enjoy himself. I think it’s kind of neat because he is learning about football and I feel that I’m able to impart valuable life lessons on losing graciously. It’s what we call in the business a win-win scenario.
So anyway, he says to me in the car, “Well, when I checked last night you were doing pretty good. You’re still not going to catch St. Paul Strikeforce or Discover the Ravens but you’re doing OK.”
The kid is seven and knows who is leading my fantasy league. I don’t know who is leading the league. Hell, I don’t even know the teams. He knows where everyone is ranked.
So I said, “Zane, you know I think we’re going to have to set you up a team all for yourself next year.”
“Yes!!” he shouted from the back seat. “Yes!!”
Then he quickly added, “But they’re going to have to start a little bit earlier because my bedtime is 8:00.”
(Referring to the 10:30pm start time for the draft before the season began.)
I have never done any sort of fantasy football. But I bet my 10-year-old would love it. Do you do this online? Is it safe? Or are there crazies aplenty?
I’m stoopid when it comes to football . . .
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Ed Reply:
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:16 pm
It’s all online (ours is ESPN). I’ve heard stories about some pretty decent banter back and forth between teams in certain leagues. But our guys are pretty quiet. Like I said–one guy started two players on a bye week so they’re not real serious about it. It’s made me appreciate NFL games a lot more. Oh, and don’t worry about not knowing–just keep two or three kickers on your team and you’ll be fine.
That’s a pretty cool thing to have going with your son. Beats Pokemon cards.