Eli Kaufman
Staff Writer
Sunday afternoons. For some, this is the last chance to finish up all of those assignments that need to be completed by Monday or Tuesday. But for others, it is the highlight of their weekend.
Football fans live for Sunday afternoons…well…technically, they live for Thursday nights, Sunday afternoons, Sunday nights, and Monday nights. But most of the action that takes place in the National Football League occurs on Sunday afternoon.
At Goucher, the Athenaeum is full of students supporting their team. There are a few San Francisco 49ers jerseys, a New York Giants jersey or two, one Detroit Lions shirt, and a large New England Patriots cohort. But football fans don’t just stop watching when their game is over. They watch all day and night. Why is that you ask? Fantasy football!
Fantasy football is, according to Joseph Weintraub ‘17, “a way for people to experience the dream of managing a team.” Every year, thousands of leagues form across the United States, and sports fans create teams based on speculation from “fantasy experts.” Networks such as ESPN have shows dedicated to fantasy predictions and give advice for the upcoming slate of games.
Fantasy football is as fun as you make it. At Goucher, groups of students come together and select their teams in a draft. At the draft, each player manages his or her own team. Each student selects players one at a time to fill different positions: one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one flex (RB, WR, or TE), one team defense, and one kicker. Each position has its own scoring rubric based upon real life statistics. David Sibony ‘17 explains it as “real life managers putting a team of NFL players together and comparing their stats on a point basis to see whose team is better.” However, the team you draft is not set in stone. As the season goes on, managers can trade players to other teams.
Over the past four years, the number of Goucher students that have become involved in fantasy football has grown tremendously. When you are in the Athenaeum on a Sunday and you hear a loud cheer, boo, or debate, it probably involves fantasy football.
Categories: Sports
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