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I’m sure that in a previous or parallel life I must have managed a pro sports franchise, if not I’m sure that I missed out on my calling. As far back as I can remember I’ve been at it. Not sure if its a right of passage for any young sports fan, or the competitiveness that is ingrained in us at an early age, that needs to be released somehow. I can recall days on end filled participating in different sports at the local grounds, I suppose it only normal that on the odd occasion when the weather did not permit we’d gather round in someones basement and invest our time in a less physical, but nonetheless competitive manner; the initiation complete.
In the early days, pre-internet we found that amusing ourselves with any kind of board game(s) satisfied our competitive edge, and, if it was a sports related game, all the better. Nothing like trying to best your friends with an optimal lineup or a smarter strategy.
When we thought that we had finally out grown this phase of our lives, it would not take long to get back on the band wagon again. But as young adults it meant more organized and with serious implications, the weekly office pool did not take long catch our interest, excitement, not only competitively, but money as the main motivation. If the office pool wasn’t your vibe, there was always the rotisserie or keeper leagues that someone was running.
With the advent of the world wide web, no one could have ever imagined what was on the horizon. For the sports fan, it was a match made in heaven, the ability to manage a pseudo sports club from anywhere in the world against a multitude of people on the other-side of the world; the earliest form of social media, I imagine. With a plethora of managerial simulation games popping up everywhere, from play by email to website sport leagues, it wasn’t long until fantasy sports related sites started springing up everywhere offering us the latest expert analysis on any pro athlete, regardless the sport. Ah yes, the days of doing the hard work, getting everyone physically together in one spot, was a thing of the past. All that we would need is a modem along with a user-name and a password and we were on board.
It’s almost hard to fathom how much time I’ve dedicated to this pass-time. No doubt if I were to compare it to other hobbies, games and or sports; maybe even occupation, I’d be at expert level, or ready to hang it up and retire. Maybe that’s why I’ve been at it so long, its never easy, you might reach the top, but its always temporary. On the positive side, you never need to call it quits because of age and or bad performance – I can vouch for that–, you can keep at it until you decide its time.
In finishing, its interesting to look back on occasion at all the interesting people, too many to remember, that I’ve come into contact playing in fantasy sports leagues on the WWW. Up til know it’s been a fascinating journey. Glad I hitched a ride.
Wondering if some of the managers on this forum have had a similar journey. I also wanted to add some of the fantasy sport websites that I have visited, and applied the trade of pseudo managing or if you like arm-chair quarter-backing, but it be too many to mention.
594
In the early days, pre-internet we found that amusing ourselves with any kind of board game(s) satisfied our competitive edge, and, if it was a sports related game, all the better. Nothing like trying to best your friends with an optimal lineup or a smarter strategy.
When we thought that we had finally out grown this phase of our lives, it would not take long to get back on the band wagon again. But as young adults it meant more organized and with serious implications, the weekly office pool did not take long catch our interest, excitement, not only competitively, but money as the main motivation. If the office pool wasn’t your vibe, there was always the rotisserie or keeper leagues that someone was running.
With the advent of the world wide web, no one could have ever imagined what was on the horizon. For the sports fan, it was a match made in heaven, the ability to manage a pseudo sports club from anywhere in the world against a multitude of people on the other-side of the world; the earliest form of social media, I imagine. With a plethora of managerial simulation games popping up everywhere, from play by email to website sport leagues, it wasn’t long until fantasy sports related sites started springing up everywhere offering us the latest expert analysis on any pro athlete, regardless the sport. Ah yes, the days of doing the hard work, getting everyone physically together in one spot, was a thing of the past. All that we would need is a modem along with a user-name and a password and we were on board.
It’s almost hard to fathom how much time I’ve dedicated to this pass-time. No doubt if I were to compare it to other hobbies, games and or sports; maybe even occupation, I’d be at expert level, or ready to hang it up and retire. Maybe that’s why I’ve been at it so long, its never easy, you might reach the top, but its always temporary. On the positive side, you never need to call it quits because of age and or bad performance – I can vouch for that–, you can keep at it until you decide its time.
In finishing, its interesting to look back on occasion at all the interesting people, too many to remember, that I’ve come into contact playing in fantasy sports leagues on the WWW. Up til know it’s been a fascinating journey. Glad I hitched a ride.
Wondering if some of the managers on this forum have had a similar journey. I also wanted to add some of the fantasy sport websites that I have visited, and applied the trade of pseudo managing or if you like arm-chair quarter-backing, but it be too many to mention.
594
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