Things I Will Miss – American Football

 

It’s no secret that I am a huge football fan. While I have no qualms when it comes to college football, you can bet I will be staring at the TV on Sunday watching some NFL action. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not the type of person that becomes a massive glob on the couch and won’t listen or talk to anyone else. If family or friends are in town, they take precedence. But I still want to watch some football. Luckily the NFL is compassionate and airs games both Sunday and Monday night.

I have been known to turn down Super Bowl parties because I don’t want any distractions. It’s true I only invite a few friends to my house to watch the Super Bowl. I can already hear some of my normal non-geeked-out-on-football friends laughing as they say, “Yeah, the invitations are rare and distinguished like it’s some kind of Skull and Bones secret meeting.”. It’s not. I just like to scrutinize the game with some like-minded friends.

 

 

Those who know me also know my prowress when it comes to fantasy football. Yes, I am a great mastermind, perhaps the great mastermind, knowledgable in all things fantasy football.

Ok, so perhaps I haven’t won my fantasy football league in a number of years. Meaning I haven’t won in both leagues I am in. Plus that third league I was in for a number of years. It’s not my fault. That third league became a casualty once I started coming in last place all the time. Losing money in three leagues starts to become financially irresponsible. Even a mastermind can stretch himself too thin. Legions of masterminds are good at the game but can have a bad day. My bad day just strung out a bit into weeks and then years. Momentum was not favoring me. Perhaps my reliance on Barry Sanders lasted far too long (I drafted him for three years straight after he retired – I thought he was coming back!). Or my faith in Ricky Williams lingered a little too long (Ricky did retire for a stretch, then came back. Run, Ricky, Run!). Still, it matters not, for this is my year. I think I said the same thing last year (and the year before)…

I have been involved in the same fantasy football league now for close to 15 years. The core group has remained the same, with one spot always being in flux. That last spot reminds me of that one place in the mall that can never keep the same store or that one building that has a new restaurant in it every other year. So after 15 years of doing this it should come as no surprise that we treat draft day somewhere between a reunion and Christmas morning. It’s a chance for us to reconnect with each other and find out what we’ve been up to over the summer. It’s also a chance to spout a few quick facts about how Player X will have a monster year or why we think Quarterback Y’s production will slip this year compared to last year.

 

 

With team names like “Wup Ass”, “Chickasaw County Sheriffs“, “Hot Salt and Culpepper“, “Behold the Power of Cheese“, “BYE WEEK”, and “Schrute’s Beet Farm“, you can bet we have a lot of fun in this league.

If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to catch a game or two on TV when I’m overseas. On the other hand, maybe I will be doing so many other exciting things that watching football just won’t matter as much.

I’ll still be playing fantasy football this year though. Both leagues. As I tell my fellow opponents, “I can still kick your butt from half a world away”. This year, I think I can.

This is the year Fink beats The Stomach.