The terribly amazing addiction that is fantasy football

If you know me, you know that I am a diehard sports fan. Sometimes, too diehard. Nothing in life get me more excited than sports do. However, there is one thing that gets my heart pumping like nothing else in sports can.

Fantasy football.

People who don’t play fantasy football would probably laugh in my face if I said that. Really, dude? Fantasy football?

Yes. Fantasy football.

Being that it’s late-July, fantasy football draft preparations are in full swing and hopes are as high as ever. Year after year, it’s at this exact time where every fantasy football player is thinking the same thought - “this is my year.”

I have to admit, I’m as guilty of this as anyone is. I was thinking “this is my year” all last preseason after I grabbed Dez Bryant and Jordy Nelson in the first two rounds for both of my competitive leagues. But with my luck, Jordy Nelson tore his ACL in August and Dez Bryant got injured week one and had to sit out 10+ weeks.

However, no matter what happens the year before, I come back to this game like the girl who goes back to her boyfriend who cheats on her every other weekend. No matter how loyal I’ve been to this game, it’s rarely been loyal to me. But like the girl, I’ll never leave and I’ll never give up on it.

Can’t believe that was the analogy I came up with.

In all seriousness, fantasy is this deadly combination of luck and skill that eats you alive. Once you think you’ve got it down to a science, bad luck will come your way. If you rely too much on luck, though, then those with the adequate preparation and skill will out-strategize you. The thing is, it’s virtually impossible to achieve the perfect balance of the two.

To raise the stakes even higher, the main competition of fantasy is your friends. While it may seem like it’s all fun and games from the outside, I can assure you that it’s not, especially being as competitive as myself and my friends are. I’ll be the first to tell you that nothing is worse than losing in fantasy leagues with your friends.

Like anything else, the only goal of the game is to win. However, in this game, it’s almost impossible to have any sort of advantage. You can’t use size, speed, or any other physical component - you can only use your head. Even then, you can listen to Matthew Berry and company all you want, but in the end, all of your team’s decisions are made by one person – you.

With so many factors playing into the game, it proves to be the ULTIMATE love/hate relationship (that pun was intended, Matthew Berry). When you’re winning, it’s the best thing in the world. When you’re losing, it’s the worst. There really is no in-between.

There is no break in the loving and hating, either. Fantasy football, unlike the usual sporting event, drives you nuts 24/7.

There have been times that I have been on my feet, screaming at my T.V. on the verge of some sort of cardiac arrest during a meaningless Monday Night Football game when the home team is up by 28 late in the fourth quarter.

There have been times that I’ll be sitting in class on a sport-less Wednesday afternoon and all I will be able to think about is whether I should start Jordan Matthews or Melvin Gordon in my flex slot (sorry for zoning out, Professor).

There have been times that Chris Ivory ran for 75 yards on Monday Night Football when I needed him to run for 76 yards, sending me into a physical and emotional depression for an entire week.

There have been times that I set an alarm at 6AM to see if I got my target guy on waivers (craziest part is, I KNOW I’m not the only one that has done it).

Those are all true stories, and it’s a fact that no other sporting event or game can have that effect. It’s a sickness that only fantasy football can cause.

To put it simply, fantasy football is a terribly amazing addiction. It can be your best of friends one day, and your worst of enemies the next.

In the end, though, I can’t picture what my life was like before fantasy. And no matter what cruelty fantasy dishes out at me, I know that I will be back next year, refueled with hope.

Feeding into the addiction yet again.

 

H&F: Villanova's ESPY that should've been, Henrik Stenson, and Ryan Fitzpatrick

HINDSIGHT                                                                               

---Kris Jenkins and Villanova got absolutely robbed of “Best Play” ESPY

At the ESPY’s this past week, the ESPY for “Best Play” of the year was awarded to Aaron Rodgers and Richard Rodgers, for their game-winning Hail Mary connection against the Lions in December. While that play was quite impressive, I was BAFFLED that it beat out Kris Jenkins’ game-winning buzzer-beater in the National Championship. To me, that was one of the clutchest plays of ALL-TIME, and it didn’t even win play of the YEAR. Seriously, when has a major sports championship ever ended on a game-winning play as time expired? Very few times, and those few times were probably all game-winning field goals. For this reason, I thought it was absurd that a game-winning Hail Mary, a play that has happened countless times in recent football history, beat out a play that may not ever happen again in sports history.

---Henrik Stenson was unbelievable

Unbelievable. That is the only word to describe Henrik Stenson’s victory at the British Open this past weekend. Seriously, it is hard to believe how he won it and what he had to do to win it. Phil Mickelson, who knows a thing or two about majors, played virtually perfect golf all weekend, which included a 63 on the first day and a five-under 66 in the final round – his best final round score in his major career. If someone had told me that at the beginning of the week, I’d bet my college tuition that he won. Clearly, though, Stenson had other thoughts, as he remained consistently low for the first three days and then dropped a jaw-dropping 63 to clinch his first major. Not only did he win the championship, but he broke The British Open scoring record, tie the major cumulative scoring record, and tied the all-time low major round… Unbelievable.

FORESIGHT

---Ryan Fitzpatrick will be signed by Jets within two weeks

After signing Muhammad Wilkerson with plenty of cap space left, it seems like a Fitzpatrick-Jets reunion is inevitable. I compare this situation to a relationship between two people who bring out the best in each other, but just broke up and are waiting for the “I miss you” text from the other, even though they both know that they are meant for each other. Something’s got to give, and while Fitzpatrick may not be the long-term answer for the Jets, it would be detrimental to the Jets if they did not bring him back for at least another year.

Tim Duncan was different in every sense of the word

Tim Duncan was just different.

In a sport that is dominated by flashiness, fame, and attention, Tim Duncan was bigger and brighter than it all in the quietest way.

Duncan was the second legend in the past year to announce his retirement, alongside Kobe Bryant.

Kobe announced his retirement at the beginning of the season, and went on a season-long farewell tour, where teams gave him gifts, and basketball fans nationwide thanked him. Eventually it led up to his highly-anticipated finale, where he dramatically dropped 60-points in one of the most exciting and memorable games in recent history.

Through it all, the league and its fans speculated that Duncan would also retire after the season. But he didn’t need a farewell tour. He didn’t need gifts or thank you’s. He didn’t need a hyped-up finale. He didn’t want those things.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with what Kobe did. In fact, it seemed pretty normal for a legend to go out like that.

But Tim Duncan was just different.

To this day, people hate Kobe Bryant. People hate Lebron James. People hate Steph Curry. People hate Michael Jordan.

But no one hates Tim Duncan.

Because Tim Duncan was just different.

His consistency was different. His morale was different. He was just a different type of athlete.

Duncan represented the epitome of what an athlete should be. Day-in and day-out for 19 seasons, he was a hard-worker, he was a leader, he was loyal to his team, he had a stellar attitude, and above all, he was a fearless competitor and a winner.

He finished his career with five championships, three N.B.A Finals M.V.P.’s, and two regular season M.V.P.’s . Those three trophies are undoubtedly the three most sought-after trophies for any individual player in basketball, and Duncan won them all. Multiple times.

To add to it, Duncan won 1,001 regular season games, the third most ever by a player. In his 19 seasons, he missed the playoffs only once. He won 157 games in those playoffs, the second most ever by a player. You can pick and choose your stats, because there are so many and they’re all equally unbelievable.

But yet again, Duncan didn’t get the recognition he may have deserved for his level of superstardom. Despite how consistently he won, he never came close to leading jersey sales, he was never the flashiest player, and he was never the most exciting to watch in the league.

He was just… different.

Regardless of how much recognition he has received, it’s important to know just how special Tim Duncan was to the NBA. Not only was he the purest of winners, but he handled himself with a level of class that was unmatched. He won with grace, lost with grace, and eventually retired with grace. It’s going to be weird witnessing the Spurs take the court without Tim Duncan present, as I have never known anything else. Duncan will surely be missed on the court, but his legacy will surely live on. It goes without saying that there will never be another Tim Duncan ever again.

Because Tim Duncan was just different.

H&F: Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, soccer flops, and why this is the worst time of year for sports

HINDSIGHT

---Dwyane Wade

If you’re a Miami fan, there should be absolutely no reason to be angry at Dwyane Wade for signing with Chicago. If anything, be angry at the Miami front office. It was pretty clear the whole time that Wade wanted to return to Miami, but Pat Riley and the rest of the front office took him for granted. $10 million a year offer (with all this cap space) to the player who has been the face of your franchise and STILL has some gas left in the tank? Disrespectful. If you’re burning D-Wade’s jersey, you are the worst type of sports fan there is.

---Thank you, Tim Duncan

Earlier today, NBA legend Tim Duncan retired. To me, Timmy D was the ideal basketball player. Not only did he play at a scary consistent level, but he carried himself with class, and never let his emotions get the best of him. In a lot of ways, Timmy D was the Derek Jeter of the Spurs. While he may not be as iconic, he did a lot of things that Jeter did -much more quietly for that matter. Regardless, similar to Jeter, it’s virtually impossible to hate Tim Duncan. With that being said, it goes without saying that fans everywhere will miss Tim Duncan. Thank you Timmy D.

---Soccer flops

I watched about 50 minutes of the Euro Championship between Portugal and France, and I could not believe some of the plays I was watching. Excluding Ronaldo, who was actually injured, every time that there was some sort of extra contact, the player would fall to the ground and would roll around as if he had broken his femur and torn his ACL at the same time. Then, he would be up and sprinting in a matter of two minutes. This is an embarrassment to the game in my opinion. It is a shame that these professional athletes can’t take a hit without flailing and rolling around on the turf. This is all too common and I always lose some respect for the athletes when I see this.

FORESIGHT

---This is the worst time of year for sports

With the M.L.B. All-Star Game Tuesday, I am fairly confident that this is statistically the worst week of sports in a calendar year, as there is literally nothing happening. To make it worse, I am not the biggest baseball fan during their brutal 162 game regular season, so I feel as if there is nothing to watch anymore. Even if you are a baseball fan, nothing really exciting is happening being that it's right in the middle of the year. Here’s to hoping that the Olympics and the N.F.L. regular season get here in no time.

Kevin Durant: Superstar turned coward

I have lost all my respect for Kevin Durant.

Durant, the most valuable free-agent on the market since Lebron James “took his talents to South Beach” in 2010, had all the options that a player could ask for. He could make big bucks and return to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that was one win away from the Finals and acquired a young star in Victor Oladipo in free-agency. Or, he could leave and go to virtually any other NBA team.

As we all know, Durant did end up leaving his team. But it was not this decision that is what angered the NBA and its fans. It's that he left his team for their rivals- the 73-9, Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors.

As a diehard fan of sports, I live off of the thrill of competition. Every sports fan does. That is why it pains me so much to see something like this happen, as the competition of the NBA clearly takes a hit.

But it also pains me to see a superstar like Kevin Durant take the so-called "easy road" and sign with a team that just (barely) beat him in the Western Conference Finals. That’s not a superstar move. That's not sports. That’s not competition. It's never been and it never will be.

The concept of forming "super teams" with other stars is not rare (see 2007 Boston Celtics, 2010 Miami Heat), but this is different. This is worse.

Kevin Durant is a top-three (top-five at worst) player in the NBA, and that’s pretty much a fact. What player of that caliber has ever left a contending team for the best team? The answer is never. Because players of that caliber don’t do that.  

You could say it was a “basketball move” or that it was “in his best interest” to sign with the Warriors, obviously because they give him the best chance to win. But to me, not only does that defeat the purpose of sports and the beauty of competition, but it makes Kevin Durant look like a complete and total coward, for lack of a better word.

Instead of working for his ring, he used the loophole of joining a superteam to get one. And while it certainly isn’t a guarantee that he does get a ring, it's clear that he is trying to take the easy way out.

When it comes to sports, there should be no easy way out. There should be no loopholes. 

In any sport, winning a title is a huge accomplishment, largely because of how difficult it is. However, if the Warriors were to win it this year, no one would really be impressed. Is that really how you want to win one, Durant? I’m sure it is not.

I am confident that down the road, no matter how many rings Durant wins with Golden State, he will not be remembered as a true winner and competitor. He will be remembered as a coward.