Fantasy Vs. Reality Deciphered (Well, Football At Least)

Fantasy Vs. Reality Deciphered (Well, Football At Least)

With the proliferation of the Internet and the deluge of information that has come with having a connected device within arms reach at all times we sometimes have a difficult time differentiating what's actually going on in the world and what is merely conjecture or completely made up.  We (most humans) typically try to find a balance between the two (fantasy and reality).  We read newspapers, watch the evening news while at the same time Marvel's movies (Disney's latest talent grab) are raking in the dough at record pace and showing no signs of slowing down…unless they make another Daredevil movie (Sorry Affleck, but that was misery…not miserable…just plain misery).  

This divergence is probably never viewed more clearly than through the lens of fantasy sports, more specifically fantasy football.  We draft players from the NFL universe, strategically reviewing their statistics over the past few years (averages 98 yards rushing per game), building projections (player X is 26 years old and may have a huge breakout season…finally!), analyzing bye weeks (can't have half of your guys out week 6 or you're toast), comparing their strengths to that of their opponents (run first v. run stopping defenses) and a myriad of other factors.  Our teams become essentially more important than our local/favorite real team in the NFL.  Realistically speaking about our fantasy team (can you realistically talk about fantasy?) they mean more to us because we feel like we actually put more into how they were constructed than the local team.  I am a Jets fan (yes, I know…we all make bad decisions) and I have 0.0% of an impact on how this team develops talent, drafts new players and draws big names through free agency.  I love the Jets and I'd like to think that every time they play, they actually care about me watching them on my television at home (wishful thinking, dare I say fanciful thinking…), but when it comes to my fantasy football team I really do not care about what they think of me watching them play on Thursday, Sunday or Monday (and those weirdo Saturday games late in the season).  They are pieces to a puzzle that hopefully wins me a few bucks and bragging rights in the various leagues and groups I compete in.  Player gets hurt, guy goes to jail, beats up a security guard at a club, shoots himself in the leg in a club (it happens), punches out his boo in a casino elevator or the always fun week 5 drug charge that lingers for the rest of the season - you know who you are.  BUT at the end of the day, they are just pieces to the puzzle.  After all (and one of the best parts of fantasy versus reality football) is that you are only in the position you are because you drafted these guys.  Some brain damaged General Manager did not blow the last 4 drafts on kickers and special teams specialists…oh no…this one is on you pal.  For some people that is too much to handle and they shut down and lock themselves in the fantasy cocoon of self denial.

This was just a long winded way of saying that for the first time in a pretty long time, I really have zero fantasy weight on my mind while I settle in for tonight's Jets-Bears game.  I never draft Jets (so I am good there) and I am having a really rough week and pretty much have no hope of winning either of my fantasy leagues regardless of what my players do tonight.  It's pretty liberating (I actually typoed there and wrote liverating)  New word - LIVERATING - the process of punishing my liver while watching sports televised or otherwise.  Like drinking St. Ide's Special Brew while watching intramural volleyball (you know who you are).  Anyway, basically the internal battle for me between putting my favorite team over my potentially money making fantasy team is peacefully on hold for tonight's game.  This does not however mean that there will be anything peaceful about the way in which this game plays out, but still…at least I have some modicum of peace, somewhere.  It's all about perspective...

HAPPY WATCHING!!