Living in a Fantasy World

Don't have a sports team in your city?  Or maybe you simply get tired of watching teams on TV that have no personal connection to you.  I've got the remedy...give fantasy sports a shot.  I joined my first fantasy league during my freshman year of college...baseball I believe it was.  I didn't quite know what to expect from it when I decided to participate, but I'm glad I joined the league.  You see, fantasy leagues do wonders for a waning interest in sports.

I'd like to think that I'm one of the biggest sports fans out there (hence the blog that I've started), but even my interest level in sports fluctuates sometimes.  Most of it can be attributed to the overloads of media coverage in areas that I don't hold a personal connection to.  For example, 5 years ago...an early season matchup on TV between the Padres and Marlins wasn't appealing to me. I'd just go to the next channel and hope that there was a good Adam Sandler movie on or something.

But bring fantasy sports into the mix and all of the sudden, that baseball game sounds like a great option.  Well what's different?  Perhaps I have Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla going for the Marlins that night and Adrian Gonzalez starting for the Padres.  Ok, so big deal...is it really that important? The baseball season runs all summer long.  Well yes it is....maybe that week I happen to be playing against one of my friends in the league who has an endless stream of shit-talk coming from his mouth about how good his team is.  You see, it's not just about bringing meaning to games that wouldn't normally peak your interest.  It's also about competing with friends, family, co-workers, etc.  Heck, you can even try to make some money from participating as many people choose to do.  

If you're a sports fanatic like myself, then I assume that you would welcome the prospect of having a personal connection to as many sporting events as you want.  That's what fantasy sports can do.  The fact that I can go through nearly all of the day's baseball games and have somebody to root for is awesome.  Or if you're more of a football person, wouldn't it be nice to always have someone to cheer for on Sunday regardless of what games Fox and CBS so wisely choose to show?  It's awesome, and in the process you can battle it out with your buddies for some serious bragging rights (and maybe some cash too). 

I understand that getting all charged up for fantasy sports may seem mildly ridiculous to the outsider.  However, if you're a passionate sports fan, fantasy leagues can bring your interest to a whole other level.  It brings meaning to otherwise mundane matchups, it allows you to compete with others harmlessly, and it gives you the opportunity to learn more than you'd ever imagine about some of your favorite sports/players.  So if you're looking to spice up your sports life, try to enter the fantasy world for a season.