Cole Goldenberg

Senior JP Rosales looking at his ESPN Fantasy Football matchup page.

     Sitting on their couches, eyes glued to the TV, eating too many chicken wings, and even betting on NFL games, football fans find many different ways to enjoy the game.

     September marked the National Football League’s exciting return after a seven-month offseason. However, one popular digital game adds deeper meaning to the real games: fantasy football.

     Fantasy football is a competition in which players draft a fake team of NFL players, start or bench players, and earn points based on those players’ performances. This fantasy game has created an incredible uproar as fans are constantly enthralled in playing around this time each year. “It does make football way more fun to watch. I think fantasy football is a great way to connect with friends as well as learn more about a sport that you like,” said senior Cooper Register. 

          A prime example of the fantasy football obsession is sophomore Ryan Worman who said he loves the thrill of the game. “Every Sunday, I sit there following my fantasy team until Monday night because I’m such a big football fan,” said Worman. “I’ve been around football since I was born. It’s just fun to have something to actually do when I’m watching football.”

     Within the game, players can earn points for their team based on the players’ performances, however, only if they’re starters. Ultimately, the team with the most points after Monday night wins the weekly matchup.

     The game is difficult to understand because it requires “ball knowledge:” an understanding of all things football. However, the NFL’s unpredictability makes it largely a game of luck. 

     The key parts of the fantasy cycle are mock drafts, real drafts, the start of Sunday games, Monday night miracle comebacks, and the waiver wire, where players can be added to a team. 

     Losers of fantasy football leagues traditionally receive a “punishment” given to them by their fellow participants, which could be a wide variety of horrid tasks. Sophomore Justin Sephus, who plays in a fantasy football league, said, “We don’t have a ‘punishment’ right now, but the league winner gets to decide what the ‘punishment’ will be.”

     League owners can be creative with “punishments”, especially if a bitter rival is in their league. One “punishment”, dubbed the “milk mile,” forces the loser to chug bottles of milk between running four laps on a track.

     So now that we know what fantasy football entails, the real question is: why is fantasy football so addictive? In a survey conducted about this supposed obsession, almost half of the Shorecrest participants selected “yes” when asked if they play fantasy football. Because of this survey, it was also revealed that ESPN Fantasy is the most popular app used to play fantasy football.

  At Shorecrest, and after NFL games are done for the week, students around the school chat about their fantasy teams, either upset about what they could’ve done better or thrilled about their big win over the weekend. 

     In the end, fantasy football remains a talked about sport, allowing people of all kinds to feel the thrill of the game without the pressure of needing athletic skill to do so, thus continuing the growth of the obsession within the Shorecrest community.