Fantasy Football is Ruining Football (For Me)

I stopped watching football yesterday. I just watched something else. While this may not seem like a big deal, this is coming from someone who worked Sundays for 7 years and missed a lot of football. During that soul-destroying job, I vowed that, if I ever had Sundays off, I’d always watch football. And yesterday, I turned it off… because my fantasy teams weren’t doing well.

I’ve been playing fantasy football since the 2009 season and loved every minute of it. I always look forward to the draft, spending time with friends, and the occasionally friendly (and not-so-friendly) trash-talk. I’ve been lucky enough to even win a couple of leagues (One. I won one league. Three years ago.) This year, I’m in three leagues and, except for one team, I’m not doing well. My teams are plagued by injuries, poor start/sit choices on my part, and a number of other reasons all contributing to my terrible season.

I know this is a definite first world problem. “Your fantasy teams aren’t doing well so you stop watching football? Suck it up, buttercup and just watch!” I wish it were that simple. It’s not just my teams losing, it actually affects my mood for the entire day knowing that Frank Gore fumbled at the goal line and cost me 6 pts that could have helped me when (I’ve lost several games this season by single digit points; the ultimate middle finger of the fantasy gods). I might be taking it too seriously but I’m a competitive person. There is also the self-doubt aspect that goes with it.

I work in sports radio roughly 30 hours a week. I’m pretty up to date on all the latest injury news, who might have a big game, etc. Yet here I sit on Monday, with Lamar Miller nestled nicely on my bench with all of his points that would have helped me secure a victory instead of dealing with another loss. It makes me doubt if I’m even good enough at my job. If I can’t win a fantasy game, what business do I have shooting the crap with Jimmie and Ryan each weekday afternoon? I don’t want to watch several games a week just to be reminded of how much I don’t know.

There is also the injury aspect of it. I have Arian Foster in three leagues. He's likely out for the season with an achilles injury. When that happened, I wasn't thinking "I hope he's ok" because I wanted him to be ok, I said "I hope he's ok" because I needed him to get me imaginary points so I could beat someone I work with. It makes me feel like a bad person.

I love football and I love fantasy football. I hate that one love is causing me to dislike the other. The obvious solution would be to stop playing fantasy but I’m already in the middle of a season and I don’t want to be that guy that jumps ship because his team is doing poorly. Also, I could stop playing next season but just look at that draft board! I know everything about everything! I can definitely win my 6^th championship next year (Second. I could win my second championship.)

Has fantasy football hurt your love of the game? Leave a comment below!