+40 Fantasy football is stupid and undermines the spirit of the game, amirite?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

sounds like someone else who took mccaffrey last year

by Anonymous 1 day ago

And the year before that, and the year before that and ......

by Anais55 1 day ago

i had him in 2019 and it worked so well but i was skeptical this past season lol. i had the first pick and was nervous because he already had some smaller injury (that turned out to be that calf stuff that kept him out all year) but i ended up still going with him

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Hey he was practically the league winner in 2023

by Aspinka 1 day ago

Nah, person that lost to a person that auto drafted a team and never adjusted the line up.

by Double-Campaign 1 day ago

Me....that was me.... and the year before....Nick Chubb

by Anonymous 1 day ago

That or he's a Brit

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Hey I'm a Brit I love fantasy

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Brits love Fantasy Football. Millions of them play it. It's just based on the English Premier League rather than silly handegg

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Hand egg better than premier league GRRR. Jokes aside it is though, but I say this as a non Brit and an American.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm actually Irish so I'm not gonna die on the hill of defending Brits. Loads of people here play Fantasy Football too and it's the Premier League version. Only reason I even know about NFL Fantasy is the excellent comedy show The League.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

😂😂😂 funny because I got pissed that I couldn't draft him and then I saw my best friend just ranting in the group chat about how he got "tricked."

by Anonymous 1 day ago

tl;dr: "I got my ass kicked sideways playing fantasy football, now I think it's stupid."

by Iva34 1 day ago

Undertones of their favorite team is also garbage so they are losing twice 😂

by Anais55 1 day ago

No need to call me out like that lol

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Oh that's exactly what I've started doing. I try and get one good QB/WR combo to play off of each other, and the rest I just hope for the best. Any time I try and get a sure thing it never pans out

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I feel personally attacked.

by ElectionLeading 1 day ago

The real hot take is football being the most beautiful team game that exists.

by Hagenesharmony 1 day ago

That's where op lost me

by Anonymous 1 day ago

What sport is more of a team sport than American football?

by faheyperry 1 day ago

For a minute I figured he was talking about soccer. Once I saw it was American football it lost me

by OpeningIntelligent 1 day ago

Soccer is fun to play but boring af to watch imo. I know that's truly controversial lmao. Best sport to watch is hockey imo.

by turcottemaia 1 day ago

Second this

by Outside-Research6304 1 day ago

And that's where I'd rather bet $2 than play fantasy lol

by Anonymous 1 day ago

It's really not that deep

by Anonymous 1 day ago

It's not that important in the grand scheme of life, but it is that deep in the sense that everything OP said is pretty true. Fantasy football and gambling absolutely turn the focus of many "fans" from caring about the game holistically to caring about these gamified aspects over everything else.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm pretty sure most real fans will take a fantasy L if their real life team gets the W. Sometimes it helps soften the blow if your team gets blown out if you have the player that went off on your fantasy team but I don't think most real fans will root against their team or get that mad if their team scores and the points don't go to your fantasy team.

by koreycole 1 day ago

We do $50 just so everyone participates. I've been in free groups and once people start doing badly they just quit.

by stephenkoch 1 day ago

Why do you care how other fans consume the sport? If they want to celebrate their fantasy football win or their bet cashing, what's it matter to you? If you only care about the outcome of the game with no other stipulations, then that's fine too.

by Fun_Sugar 1 day ago

I mean care is a strong word. I'm not like... Running a crusade about it. I do think there are knock on effects for fans though. I think this sort of quantification of sports into little numbered boxes overall hurts the community experience. Fans are so obsessed with all time lists, fantasy production, box score watching and advanced stats that it feels that fans can often miss the forest for the trees. In my opinion, it makes engaging with other fans about sports list interesting and somehwat less organic.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

This is how I am with football kinda. I like the sport but don't watch it most weekends. I RELIGIOUSLY keep up with fantasy however because I like the numbers and stats lol I even started playing fantasy hockey now too because I'm a stats nut

by Anonymous 1 day ago

if it wasnt for fantasy I'd only follow the patriots and thats it. Never used to watch the other teams bc i didnt care follow my team and thats enough

by Creative_Mistake 1 day ago

Yeah I don't watch football and think it's insanely boring. But he's kind of right. It does kind of take the "beauty" out of the sport

by Sweaty_Cress 1 day ago

My problem is gambling is the only thing that makes me care about the game anyway. I wanted something more in common with my bro and pops and most sports don't really grab my attention.

by Tasty_Assumption 1 day ago

It actually is, I hate losing.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

It's an opinion, It can be as deep as he wants it to. Not to mention regardless whether you agree with OP's overall opinion or not, everything he said is factually correct.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Ehh it kinda is, Fantasy Football is what has allowed Gambling to get a chokehold on live sports, I agree with OP.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Gambling and sports have been intertwined since the beginning. Rather have it regulated now

by EnoughIllustrator152 1 day ago

It's ridiculous to say gambling is as pervasive as it is right now as it was 40 years ago

by Anonymous 1 day ago

If you think gambling got a "chokehold" on sports when it became legal, you're very naive

by Fun_Sugar 1 day ago

Watch an NFL broadcast or ESPN segment 20 years ago vs now, it absolutely has a chokehold on live sports. Gambling being advertised on NFL broadcasts has increased the participation in something the average person with bills is not nearly equipped to handle.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

It's just Football Manager for people that never played video games.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

It's D&D for jocks.

by Federal_Park_9095 1 day ago

Not really, FM is about being a good coach, getting a team that complements each other and training them etc. Fantasy is just about who's the best at predicting which players are going to play well this year.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'd say the point of it is kinda the same as sports betting– it's not about putting together a good 11-man squad as they said, it's about seeing who's best at predicting which players are going to be good this year, which sports fans love to debate about anyway so why not make a game out of it? With that being said as a football fam I haven't done fantasy in years because it just makes watching the sport so weird. Once I find myself half-rooting against my favorite team because I want the opposing quarterback to do well, but also I have one of my team's WRs so I want them to get a lot of yards but only specifically that player and so I want their RB to not do well because my fantasy opponent has them, I'm just like, ok this is kinda goofy and losing the enjoyment factor lol. It's more fun to me to just be a pure fan and root for my team.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Without fantasy, most fans would truly not know most players

by Anonymous 1 day ago

You'd have far fewer fans too.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm an Eagles fan first and foremost but fantasy adds another dimension which can make games I wouldn't normally care about engaging. There's a lot of people who put fantasy before everything though, not my vibe.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Go Birds! Exactly. Nothing beats watching your favorite team, but participating in a fantasy football league increases how excited I get watching other teams during the regular season.

by No_Put_608 1 day ago

Agree but I think it's sports gambling as well. I have no doubts that they have made the game more popular though. However, I think there's something special about watching the game just hanging on for an outcome decided by the slimmest margins. What happens now is that people are focused on stats and the spread. It seems kind of meaningless.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

i wouldn't call it "stupid" myself, but it's been great not doing it. totally agree it decreases the traditional fan experience of having a favorite real team to support

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Totally agree. It's bizarre.

by rachel50 1 day ago

Football is chess using people. Chess is very much a game of math, which includes statistics. That's why it works so well for fantasy.

by noemikuhlman 1 day ago

Fantasy football is nothing like chess at all. Chess is not played on statistics and likelihood, it is played on perfect information. It has much more similarity to sports gambling than chess

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Besides your point just being wrong, it makes no sense. The defense and offense lining up is exactly the same as a chessboard. The goal of the game is different, but the philosophy and movement of the pieces are identical.

by noemikuhlman 1 day ago

He didn't say fantasy football was like chess, he said football was like chess. Fantasy football would be analogous here to fantasy chess.

by Lorenza88 1 day ago

As someone who is going to be doing fantasy football this season, I agree whole heartedly with your opinion.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I appreciate the unpopular opinion. I disagree with you but I always respect an actual unpopular opinion

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

I agree with you. I was huge into fantasy football. Was in a dynasty league for years. But then yes, you start only caring about YOUR player. The team makes a great play yay, but it wasn't to your wide receiver so BOO. Or your wide receiver gets a beauty 30 yard catch and gets taken down at the 1, only to see the qb sneak or RB get the TD. It started to erode the fun and enjoyment of watching football on Sundays.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

I played FF for years and slowly realized it does take away from just enjoying the game so I actually agree.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

I couldn't agree more.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

Is this written by AI lol

by Agile_Increase_1439 23 hours ago

Literally searched the term "ai" to see if anyone mentioned it.. reads so much like ai

by Anonymous 22 hours ago

Yes

by IntentionFrosty6160 22 hours ago

I think a hotter take would've been your first paragraph tbh lol. Football is great, but far from the most beautiful game imo

by Anonymous 22 hours ago

Lol at "most beautiful sport in the world"

by Anonymous 22 hours ago

I don't even really like football but you're an idiot if you think those guys are actually on steroids. I'm guessing you also think that they stage the superbowl?

by jgreenholt 21 hours ago

Everybody knows that the best conspiracies involve 100s of people keeping the secret

by jgreenholt 21 hours ago

There is no "their team." Football is an entertainment product and having "a team" is just a socially acceptable parasocial relationship. Given that pro football is a product, however people want to derive enjoyment from that product is up to them.

by Anonymous 21 hours ago

Except for some Packers fans

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

You sound very fun!

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

Sorry that I don't buy into corporations thinking they're my friends!

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

You speak like someone who has never had the experience of actually playing the game.

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

Playing the game of football and professional football as an entertainment product are two very different things.

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

Lost me at first paragraph. Football is a boring 11 minute event that they spread out over 5 hours for commercials.

by MuchPerspective9365 19 hours ago

Hard disagree. I still root for my team, but now I have a bunch of extra players and storylines to follow due to fantasy. Also it helped me learn more about the sport because you pay more attention to certain offenses, schemes, as well defenses. Because of fantasy, almost every game is interesting now

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

I'll only play fantasy in sports that I don't follow (football, baseball). I stay away from fantasy in sports that I do care about (hockey) because it reduces the entire game to statistics. Players are "good" because they score a lot. Players are "bad" because they don't. That's incredibly dumbing down the game (not to mention it makes casual fans unbearable to talk to). Basketball I won't watch or play fantasy. I just don't care about it at all.

by Double_Daikon2565 19 hours ago

What if I just really like trumpets…

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

I never cared for football - but my friends invited me to fantasy football last year and it gave me a reason to watch the games... which made me fall in love with it. your point is valid that some people can go overboard with it, but ultimately if it's their way of having fun/spending their free time and it doesnt hurt anyone, i'm cool with it.

by Delicious_Bat1270 18 hours ago

This only really applies to people who take fantasy football more seriously than the actual football. I'd bet it's pretty rare for fantasy owners to root against their own NFL team to win a fantasy game. If there team loses, getting some fantasy points at least weakens the blow. And understanding the players around an "owned" player is part of fantasy. Of course no-one succeeds in isolation. No-one is saying that.

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

I don't even watch much football and I have won 2 different leagues with guys who are type to have a "draft" and act like they actually own the Cowboys. All their spread sheets and time spent on ESPN.com meant nothing because I just guessed. I did have the KC QB but could not even name another guy. It was really boring for me but the thrill of their disappointment was fun.

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

Maybe people just enjoy it Jesus Christ haha

by Mcartwright 17 hours ago

I only care about that teamwork when it's my team playing. There are lots of games where I don't care who wins. So I'll root for my team to win even if it hurts my fantasy score, but it helps me get invested in some games I otherwise wouldn't I also find that picking my favorite team for defense helps a bit with aligning what I root for

by thompsonwaylon 17 hours ago

It's okay bro I drafted najee harris for the second year in a row as well. This year will be dif bro he'll get targets trust 🙏

by Anonymous 17 hours ago

I don't play fantasy because I'd rather watch neutral games hoping for great plays rather than 16 more yards to the WR2

by Alvabrakus 17 hours ago

It adds involvement for the spectators other than just rooting for the team.

by kirlinjudd 16 hours ago

Someone did not pick Salah captain from matchweek 1

by Anonymous 16 hours ago

I only care about the NFL because of fantasy football

by Anonymous 16 hours ago

Get over it

by Accurate-Job 15 hours ago

I agree that FF messes with the perception of players and makes fans crazy, but that falls into the gambling side of it. I think FF is the only thing that keeps the game interesting if you don't have a team you actively root for. It keeps people watching the sport (which increases revenue) and makes every play important!

by Anonymous 15 hours ago

Fantasy football is a fun way to make many games have more interest to be invested in. Nobody is forcing you to play it. Other people are allowed to have fun

by Anonymous 15 hours ago

I like playing fantasy football, and occasionally like talking about it with friends. But i feel like if i try to talk about the actual NFL, the conversation immediately devolves to fantasy and nobody talks about actual football.

by Anonymous 14 hours ago

Did your league force you to write this as punishment?

by Anonymous 14 hours ago

I mean, my football team sucks and has sucked for the better part of 10+ years. Fantasy is the only thing keep NDL fun for me and my coworkers.

by Ashlywuckert 14 hours ago

The most beautiful team game that exists is an INSANE opinion

by Anonymous 14 hours ago

Gambling is fun though

by gorczanyelissa 14 hours ago

Fantasy football does nothing to "the spirit of the game" because football exists independently of fantasy.

by Anonymous 14 hours ago

Fantasy football reduces the game to stat lines for those that are not already fans of the sport as you described. It greatly expands the reach of the sport among people who aren't already fans of a team. Prime example, my wife never watched football until her work started a FF league and now she will flip on a Monday night game that even I might not have watched if she has a player in it.

by Agitated-Dare 14 hours ago

I'm the commissioner of my league that's been going for over 20 years. I've won the league more than anyone else. I used to study for hours before each season doing mock drafts and making spreadsheets. You're right. It's created a discourse that's not what football actually is about. The way fantasy guys talk about football always shows how little they know about the game itself. The worst football accounts on any social media are the ones that have a small following while claiming to be some sort of fantasy expert. The way discussions about real players get more about fantasy the less interesting it is. I'm going to play in my league this year, like I do every year, but I no longer care or enjoy anything other than draft night with the boys.

by Anonymous 13 hours ago

As long as it's not sports betting I don't mind it so much

by Anonymous 13 hours ago

I don't play but I have a group of friends that do. Every year they have a draft party. I attend but just for the comradery.

by Fuzzy_Employment_336 13 hours ago

Fantasy football is one of the best ways I keep in touch with my friends. We're 30 now, we haven't spent normal time together in eight years, but it gets us together for a weekend each year, provides us an excuse to keep up and watch games together, Literally one of the best parts of my social life

by Anonymous 13 hours ago

You are allowed to enjoy more than 1 thing about sports

by Greedy-Ad-6543 12 hours ago

you can cheer for the players on your FF team while still appreciating the game. not always so black and white

by Anonymous 12 hours ago

Its just DND for sports nerds

by Anonymous 12 hours ago

Tell me you've never won your league without telling me

by Anonymous 12 hours ago

Hard disagree BUT I absolutely hate announcers and/or graphics referencing fantasy stats.

by nikolauslafayet 11 hours ago

as someone who's never done who fantasy football this sounds terrible I don't know why someone who follows sports would want to participate in this this seems like it goes completely against the idea of rooting for a team I guess gambling?

by OkField 11 hours ago

I was a big fantasy football fan through the mid 2000's through the 2000 tens, and I feel you on this. I quit playing when I found myself rooting for other players going against my teams.

by After-Soft 11 hours ago

I don't think of it that way. If I have Saquon on my team, it's not just about him. It's about the whole Eagles offense. It's about the linemen and the quarterback and the scheme and the offensive coordinator and the head coach.

by Lorenza88 11 hours ago

I hate fantasy sports. I want to watch a sport because I like the game and don't want something getting in the way of why I'm rooting for something to happen.

by ComplexDear 10 hours ago

Luckily for you , what fans root for has no impact on the game itself. The result is the same so you can sleep easy.

by Anonymous 10 hours ago

Now do the Kardashians as a form of entertainment.

by Anonymous 9 hours ago

Its Dungeons & Dragons for guys who like sports..

by Anonymous 9 hours ago

Everyone knows that football isn't about stats. That's why every single possible measurable distance, time, or attempt is tracked and categorized. The winner isn't determined by yards or points. It's the friends we made among the way. And whoever has a shutdown defense.

by Anonymous 9 hours ago

Gambling does. Fantasy i dont think undermines the spirit of the game though.

by Anonymous 9 hours ago

I'm gonna chop it all down to this... "football is stupid". Sounds good to me.

by Anonymous 8 hours ago

People who care more about Fantasy than the actual game/their team, have a gambling problem. Quick visit to any Bookie is a good reminder that I don't belong there but kudos to the 1 out of 10000 people who are net positive when it's their only source of income.

by lehnerkathlyn 8 hours ago

There is much more meaningless football that gets played than meaningful football. You're describing the meaningful games and even most fantasy football players enjoy those games aside from their players performance. It's in the meaningless games where fantasy brings in viewers that would otherwise not be there. That's why it's helpful to the sport and not detrimental.

by Neat_Kick 8 hours ago

Personally I'm only an NFL fan cause I'm in a fantasy league with my best friends otherwise I wouldn't watch it. So is it better for the league to have more fans=more revenue=more money for players? Or be all purist and reject fantasy football fans as well?

by ladariusmertz 7 hours ago

I don't hate this take. I'm just so bored with FF but I keep doing it out of habit mostly. And because all my friends and coworkers keep talking about it all fall.

by adelbert14 7 hours ago

100% agree with OP. FF players are for those who like unnecessary emotion and drama

by Anonymous 7 hours ago

Soccer (futbol) > Football F1 > Indy I'm American

by krajcikdudley 6 hours ago

I wouldn't say it's stupid. I played way back when but got turned off because it seemed like it was all about getting lucky and having just exactly the right players on your roster, who happened to get the stats in a particular game. Of course, that's how it works obviously, but my point is that you could have the best WR in the league but the game could play out in such a way that you didn't get any points out of him. This was unlike fantasy baseball where you could pretty much know you were going to get the stats, whatever they were, for starting players, whether they went 0-4 or 5-5, unless they just didn't start in that game for some reason.

by Anonymous 6 hours ago

I think for those who can keep fantasy football as a fun game they play with their family or coworkers, it's a truly positive experience. The problem is that for a lot of people it has gotten extremely serious, and the discourse surrounding players has deteriorated in correlation. Players get death threats even if their team wins if they didn't put up enough stats. It'll probably be called unpopular because people love the game (I do too) but your point isn't wrong. It's taken over the minds of a lot of sports fans and they aren't able to interact with the game in a normal way anymore.

by Anonymous 6 hours ago

Aside from the North East where football is like a second-religion, NFL just simply isn't that deep. People will flip their ‘favorite teams' for one player. People will cheer for the Chiefs just cause Taylor is dating a player. People will cheer for the Cowboys just cause they're Texas even though they live in Houston and also cheer for the Texans (but they don't understand what a rivalry is because their fanbase is as bad as their team) You want team allegiance? Watch college.

by Anonymous 6 hours ago

I find fantasy football exciting, as a here & there football watcher. I wish my hubby wouldn't play it, though, as it results in MANY tantrums 😂

by wisozklillian 5 hours ago

Too much work for me. I just enjoy the game for what it is.

by Anonymous 5 hours ago

People would talk about the 100 yards and a TD as a great game long before fantasy became popular. Most people are not going to know the offense well enough to be comfortable pointing out "ackkkktually their statistically great game isn't good because he failed to chip before releasing here 🤓." Fantasy has nothing to do with it. Unflashy role players were ignored just as much before it became popular too. Something tells me you're pretty young because most of your complaints existed before fantasy, with the exception of cheering for the other team. Plus some people were doing that due to betting through their bookie or with friends anyway.

by Sudden-Progress-6648 5 hours ago

You don't have to draft Kyle Pitts again

by Anonymous 5 hours ago

I mean I get it. I just watch sports for the love of the game. I've never bet on sports a day in my life.

by Anonymous 4 hours ago

Its fine as long as you still have a favorite team to root for.

by Adventurous-Tell 4 hours ago

Football is the most beautiful to game that exists. But not the one you're talking about.

by Anonymous 4 hours ago

The guys who do the dirty work have always been relatively ignored compared to the guys who rack up stats. Do you think there has ever been a time when the average fan was as likely to know the name of the starting five offensive lineman as they were the quarterback, running back, or receiver? Now expand that across the league…How many QBs can a typical fan name vs centers? Do you think that has ever been otherwise? I respect your love for the game, and there are plenty of fans that share that appreciation. There are also fans that only really care about fantasy. There are fans that love and die with their favorite teams' wins and losses, but don't really know anything about the nuances of game play. They know the difference between a big play and a tackle for a loss, but have no idea the details that made the difference. Can't everyone engage with and enjoy the sport in the way that works for them? Also, anything that increases popularity incentivizes more people to cover the sport. That results in things like PFF that tries to measure that dirty work on every play. Without the audience to support it, you never get a resource like that.

by Affectionate-Day 4 hours ago

I like football but why do football always say the same "it's the most beautiful game" you don't hear this with any other game

by Anonymous 4 hours ago

People literally call soccer "the beautiful game", and there's an entire genre of fiction built around romanticizing baseball. I don't think think there's anything wrong with somebody feeling the same way about football.

by Anonymous 3 hours ago

Are you from Europe? I think OP is talking about American football. What is usually called "the beautiful game" is what we call soccer.

by Anonymous 3 hours ago

I think you might be confusing association football with American football? I've never really heard anyone describe American football as a beautiful sport like the OP did.

by Large_Box_4730 3 hours ago

The most popular sport in the world is literally always referred to as "the beautiful game" tf you talking about lol

by Dry_Pressure 3 hours ago

Because it is, IMO. It's grown men simulating war with the precision and grace of ballet

by Anonymous 3 hours ago

grace of ballet I've been sitting here for like 3 minutes trying to see it thru your eyes and I still can't That's so crazy it made me ignore the whole "simulated war" portion of the event

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

I don't think I've ever rolled my eyes harder.

by ashlynnbradtke 2 hours ago

Professional ball also undermines the spirit of the game, but people lap it up

by Western_Text_4065 2 hours ago

I just think FF is stupid bc a lot of people quit/don't keep up if they lose the first 2-3 weeks

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

To be fair, American football is also very stupid. Let someone take a boring sport and making engaging for the non-players. I mean not me, but the people who like fantasy

by Anonymous 1 hour ago

What's your favorite sport?

by Dry_Pressure 1 hour ago

Favorite would be tricky. You can't go wrong with competitive snowboarding, surfing, or skateboarding. If we're talking team sports first to come to mind would be soccer

by Anonymous 1 hour ago