The Fantasy Life

It’s almost mid-August, which means we are just weeks away from ending the malaise known as late summer sports and about to enter autumn, that magical time of crisp October nights, pigskin, and Fantasy Football.

I’ve graduated from fantasy neophyte just a few years ago to full fledged participant (I’ll be in 3 leagues this year and had to turn down a 4th).  And while I love the numbers aspect and watching intently on Sundays to see how my teams do, for me, fantasy is simply a fun hobby and not a way of life.

Last night we held the official Overlook Fantasy Football Draft.  It was a fantastic time to get all the guys on the phone for a couple hours, rag each others’ picks and catch up a bit.  We’re spread out all over the country now, so FF is a great way to keep in touch while adding in an element of competition (which we love).

By far, though, my favorite part of playing is the mid-week trash talking over email.  Today’s topic du jour revolves around which owner thinks he had the best draft.  Almost to a man, we all feel like our team has the characteristics to win (see my starting lineup above - pretty stacked at RB).  It’s funny to hear the unabashed enthusiasm and optimism - all the while knowing that by week 5, half of us will be bemoaning the majority of our picks.  Our teams look golden now, but by mid-season the grass will surely be greener somewhere else.

Regardless, it will be a ton of fun.  Now I just have to figure out how to play in 3 leagues independently of each other and not have my brain combust on Sundays.  Week 1 can’t come soon enough.