Fantasy Fanatics

In the world of sports many people have come to terms that they will never become an all-star NFL or MLB player. A lot of these people really want to be involved in a sport. Well with the new technology in world, and a major helping hand from the sports heads themselves, Fantasy sports has become a major form involvement for the sports fanatics out in the world.

For those who are new to the term fantasy sports, fantasy sports is a game in which people come together and form a "league". They have a draft, where they select players from teams in the sport, choosing different positions to fulfill. Each week member select their starters for the week and based on how their draftees perform, points are rewarded. a few weeks before the actual sports playoffs there is usually a playoffs for the league eventually crowning a winner.

Fantasy sports have been around for a long time. Years ago, before espn.com nfl.com and mlb.com, fantasy sports was done by hand. Leagues typically would meet once a week to sit down and use the newspaper-printed stats to score their players. Now a days, there are apps and other tech-savvy ways to real time score for fantasy sports.

Fantasy sports has inspired a new fanaticism that have captivated the sports world. Shows like The League, have shown how far some avid players go to win. Under the table trading, monetary rewards, and punishments for losing have taken the game to a whole new level. Recently on CNN there was a report of a group of guys that play Fantasy Football every year together. Each year, the ultimate winner of their league gets to choose a tattoo that the last place finisher has to get. Many people, take this fantasy world so seriously that it has harmed their relationships with their friends. Is the desire to win worth losing a friend over? In my case, yes.

I have been in fantasy leagues for a few years. I have played fantasy football, basketball and NASCAR. Yes, there is fantasy NASCAR. My first year playing, I just played fantasy football. After getting a third place finish, I was hooked. Over the past few years, it has become something I check as religiously as my Facebook or Twitter. I have lost a few friends because of fantasy sports. Oh well, I'll get new ones. Fantasy sports has become a way of life. It has become something that I can do anywhere, anytime, and however I want.

Be cautious when playing, it does come with side effects.