Point-Counter Point
17 Sundays with the Ghettoblastahs
Tory Pitts
Issue date: 11/8/05 Section: Opinion
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I have a dirty secret I need to share with you, my friends. I spend every Sunday in lockdown, paying the price for my sins and a vice I can't seem to shake. I'm virtually handcuffed to a chair and my computer thinking about the next deal I want to make. This has been my life for the last seven years.
Seven years of watching the National Football League and the performance of my fantasy football team.
Every Sunday I watch sixteen of the best professional players in the world and they play for my team…the Milwaukee Ghettoblastahs.
Point
My league is made up of twelve owners living throughout the United States. These are people I know well even though I have never seen some of them. To be honest I couldn't recall their real names if you asked me.
In my world they are my archrivals: the KC Krazies, the Cleveland Steamers, and the Pimp Juice.
Fantasy football is one of the only ways we keep in touch. At least twice a season I get a phone call from a friend who is at an NFL game watching his players run all over me.
This year I was forced to listen to four such voicemails that the owner of the Aquaboogies left on my phone telling me that Shawn Alexander scored a touchdown against me. Four touchdowns. Four voicemails. (You're number one, Aquaboogies. You can be sure I'm not using my index finger.)
Another owner has a nasty habit of trash talking on his Crackberry. Folks, this isn't like communications class where you make the worst presentation of your life and everyone tells you that it was awesome. If you screw up you'll hear about it from everyone in the league. I don't care if my team is two and five for the season. I need to get inside your head. Hopefully, you'll second guess yourself and make a mistake.
Back in the day when I worked at the University of Bristol (a.k.a. ESPN.com), I would draft about ten teams a year. Heck, it was my job.
If you think that I owned too many teams you should ask the dozen or so people that each pay to manage over a hundred teams every year. These owners would win a large percentage of their leagues and in return for their efforts would proudly add a few dozen t-shirts and hats to their wardrobe. I'm sure they don't do it for the free ESPN schwag. They do it for the pride, the challenge, and the honor of saying they outsmarted hundreds of other fantasy owners.
Critics say that fantasy football owners have no loyalty to a specific NFL team, but I know of some owners that load their fantasy team with players from their favorite team. Seeking to double their pleasure, they ultimately double the pain when their team loses.
I never make that mistake. During football season I make sure that the two worlds never collide.
When the season is over life will go back to normal. I will be a free man once again. But for now I have to decide if I should deal away T-O for the Edge.
Seven years of watching the National Football League and the performance of my fantasy football team.
Every Sunday I watch sixteen of the best professional players in the world and they play for my team…the Milwaukee Ghettoblastahs.
Point
My league is made up of twelve owners living throughout the United States. These are people I know well even though I have never seen some of them. To be honest I couldn't recall their real names if you asked me.
In my world they are my archrivals: the KC Krazies, the Cleveland Steamers, and the Pimp Juice.
Fantasy football is one of the only ways we keep in touch. At least twice a season I get a phone call from a friend who is at an NFL game watching his players run all over me.
This year I was forced to listen to four such voicemails that the owner of the Aquaboogies left on my phone telling me that Shawn Alexander scored a touchdown against me. Four touchdowns. Four voicemails. (You're number one, Aquaboogies. You can be sure I'm not using my index finger.)
Another owner has a nasty habit of trash talking on his Crackberry. Folks, this isn't like communications class where you make the worst presentation of your life and everyone tells you that it was awesome. If you screw up you'll hear about it from everyone in the league. I don't care if my team is two and five for the season. I need to get inside your head. Hopefully, you'll second guess yourself and make a mistake.
Back in the day when I worked at the University of Bristol (a.k.a. ESPN.com), I would draft about ten teams a year. Heck, it was my job.
If you think that I owned too many teams you should ask the dozen or so people that each pay to manage over a hundred teams every year. These owners would win a large percentage of their leagues and in return for their efforts would proudly add a few dozen t-shirts and hats to their wardrobe. I'm sure they don't do it for the free ESPN schwag. They do it for the pride, the challenge, and the honor of saying they outsmarted hundreds of other fantasy owners.
Critics say that fantasy football owners have no loyalty to a specific NFL team, but I know of some owners that load their fantasy team with players from their favorite team. Seeking to double their pleasure, they ultimately double the pain when their team loses.
I never make that mistake. During football season I make sure that the two worlds never collide.
When the season is over life will go back to normal. I will be a free man once again. But for now I have to decide if I should deal away T-O for the Edge.