9.03.10 5:24 pm by Matt
Last year I explained that the REAL Point of fantasy football is having a great team name. This year I again want to peer into the soul of our nation’s pastime in a search for meaning.
As Socrates would tell you, the best way to learn is to ask questions. Join me as I journey to the heart of Fantasy Football.
1. Why does anyone draft instead of auction?
This question is as hard to answer as “Why are leggings and nothing but leggings now an acceptable leg covering option?” There are really a lot of possibilities but it’s hard to assign blame to just one place. Celebrities do it. Everybody’s doing it. It’s easier than doing laundry. You can go to the gym AND the nightclub in the same outfit. Black is slimming. The list goes on. At least some of THOSE reasons are legitimate. But what about the reasons we draft rather than auction?
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7.28.10 6:19 pm by Matt
ESPN’s AJ Mass recently wrote a column urging league commissioners to draft constitutions for their leagues in order to facilitate fun and avoid argument.
Now, anyone who knows me knows that my relationship to fantasy football is “More is More”. I usually have about a 160 page color-coded excel spreadsheet for my draft. Not because such a thing is useful, but because it’s fun for me to make one.
So when AJ Mass has another way for me to waste time making a more perfect union fantasy league, I was right there with him.
Here’s the new Constitution for IV Philly, my “home” league.
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3.22.10 9:19 pm by Matt
Pat previously provided a guide to pickup player-types. Now that you know who’s playing, here’s some help with how to play.
You see, pickup basketball is associated with chaos: everyone running wherever they please, doing whatever they want once they get there, and later, arguing about it. In fact, ballin‘ can get downright dangerous at times.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Follow my Pickup Principles to stay safe when you’re getting your run in.
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2.18.10 7:13 pm by Matt
The Winter Games opened in mourning as Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a training accident in the days leading up to the Opening Ceremony.
Another person died at Vancouver on Friday: a straw man. The Vancouver Olympic Committee issued a statement blaming Kumaritashvili’s accident entirely on human error, concluding there were no “deficiencies” of any kind with the track.
Forget for a moment your disgust for these officials blaming a dead man’s “inexperience” before he’s even been buried. (He’s an Olympic athlete, how inexperienced can he be?)
No one said he didn’t make a mistake. The Vancouver Olympic Committee was stomping down a weak argument – a “straw man” argument–which no one was making, ignoring the crux of the opposing position: the track is too fast, which denies athletes the split seconds they need to save themselves from mistakes. Merely saying that the rider made a mistake doesn’t address the real argument.
(Note: Olympic officials backtracked from their early announcements and shortened the course, added walls, and added padding.)
Sportstalk is rife with logical fallacies such as the straw man. These statements lower the debate, prevent progress, insult fans, and occasionally, launch disgusting attacks on the dead. Let’s examine some less serious violators:
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2.06.10 8:06 pm by Matt
One day, Congress will recognize that The Super Bowl is a national holiday. Here at The Sports Geeks, we know you’ll be celebrating. But every year, fans face a dilemma.
Who should I be rooting for?
In any given year, most fans’ teams are out golfing by the time the Super Bowl rolls around. And for some fans, it’s OK to watch a game with no rooting interest. They can just appreciate the entertainment of a well-played game. And expensive commercials.
But what about the fans who need a little us vs. them to really get into the game?
Well, I’m here to help you find yourself. Because the Super Bowl, like any other holiday, is a time for introspection, self-reflection, and discovery. (more…)
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8.24.09 12:34 pm by Matt
Dear Fantasy Players,
There is one and only one key to fantasy sports success. It is more important than research, drafting, and setting your lineup. Your chance of winning a small 10 team league is 10%. Your chance of someone remembering you won last year is 1%. Your chance of someone caring that you won last year is 0%. In fact, it might actually hurt you because they’ll say you’re a dork.
Therefore you must have one objective: the best team name.
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