With football season in full stride and the NBA shooting into gear, November and December are busy months for sports fans. The dedication shown by followers, however, is much more than tailgates and watch parties. For many, over 75 million to be exact, players on the field of play equate to numbers, stats and points. It’s a season of mock drafts, free agents and hectic waiver wires; it’s fantasy sports season.
Despite its common popularity, some feel fantasy sports is generally a pointless hobby. On the other hand, some say it is an exciting game, worth the effort and hours that they put into it. Others find the prospect of managing their own team to be appealing, and having the managerial control of deciding which players at which positions will play each week.
Junior Nick Wohlbold, who was first introduced to the game by his older brother, identifies fantasy sports as much more than simple amusement.
“Some people don’t think fantasy sports are worth anyone’s time,” Wohlbold said. “In reality, it is a lot of fun on a lot of levels for a lot of people.”
But what makes fantasy sports so interesting for some could be the reason of its unpopularity for others. Most fantasy sports players are gurus, intrigued by the slightest details and tendencies of sports. Applying this knowledge to a field of competition makes the sport attractive for many.
“For people who aren’t necessarily the biggest sports fans, statistics and stuff can kind of seem like pointless numbers,” Wohlbold said. “But for other sports fans, being able to analyze each player and the matchups of different players is really interesting. It’s a part of what makes fantasy sports so fun.”
However, It is not just the statistics and numbers that draw intrigue from fantasy sports players. Sophomore Addie Logsdon is one of many who find that the best part of fantasy sports is competing against friends.
“I like to trash talk and compete against my friends a lot, and playing fantasy sports is another way to do that,” Logsdon said. “It is a form of competition that can build friendship and start conversations and take your mind off of stressful stuff like school. It is also really satisfying to beat your friends.”
Despite its popularity with some audiences, fantasy sports have come under heavy fire in recent weeks, because of the FanDuel and DraftKings potential gambling scandals.
“At the end of the day, [fantasy sports websites that take money] is not gambling,” Wohlbold said about the conspiracy. “They follow U.S. laws and so it’s completely legal.”
Despite the controversies, however, fantasy sports are extremely popular for those who participate.
“There is a human factor to it,” sophomore Evan Ratterman said. “People like to win and people like to win against their friends and then rub it in. Basically, fantasy sports is just a way for friends to compete against friends more often.”
art by Neil Cathro