I have participated in football pools for years. I’ve long been a football fan, but only by participating in a pool am I able to stay interested in what happens with every game each weekend. The friendly competition with others in the pool, and the random chance that the right picks could put some extra bucks in my pocket, greatly increases my enjoyment of football season.
I have never previously participated in a fantasy football leagues, but this year I found myself invited to join two different ones, and so I gave it a shot. In each case, my approach was based on my own cluelessness and an inactive approach towards trades and managing my bench. Rookie mistakes such as leaving players in my lineup during a ‘bye’ week reflected my ineptitude as a fantasy owner/coach.
I named my teams Old Guys Rule and the Montclair Mopes. I made a few good picks in the draft. I had #1 ranked Quarterback Carson Palmer leading the Old Guys, and Peyton Manning for the Mopes. But my key player was one I had on each of my teams, Kansas City running back Larry Johnson.
The Mopes went 7-6, and I made the playoffs as a wild card team. After two playoff victories, I found myself in the big game. And I made my fatal mistake in trying to coach. I benched some players in favor of some other newly acquired replacements, thinking I could improve my score. But my replacements choked, leaving me in second place where I would have won it all if I had stuck with my original starters. But the Old Guys did indeed Rule! With a 10-4 record on the season, the Old Guys rolled over most challengers, and we won the big game against the boss last week.
I was a bit surprised how much I enjoyed these leagues. Where my regular pool peaks my interest in how each team does each week, the fantasy league created new interest in the performance of individual players. It got tricky sometimes. You might find yourself looking for a good performance from your Quarterback, but not wanting his receivers to do well. Regardless, it was fun and the fact that I did as well as I did my first time out was probably enough to hook me for seasons to come.