Fantasy Football craze hits campus
Jennifer Adkins
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Sports
The Fantasy Football craze has hit UTC once again as the NFL season begins.
Every year around Labor Day weekend, football fans race for the computer to draft their team.
For those who do not understand the idea of Fantasy Football, it is a chance for millions of sports fans to act as a NFL coach to pick the perfect football team.
Friends (or enemies) create a league of eight or ten people, who get together and pick NFL players who will be assets to their competing fantasy teams. As the games begin, the people in the fantasy league rack up points based on their players' statistics.
The fantasy league sets their roster at the beginning of the week based on how well the players do statistically. The better the statistics, the more valuable the players are to the fantasy team.
Statistics are based on everything from running, passing and receiving yards to scoring touchdowns.
Senior Rishi Naik, said, he competes in Fantasy Football because it keeps him interested in other leagues.
"We are competing for bragging rights," Naik said. "It puts importance on certain games I otherwise wouldn't be that interested in."
Naik said he has drafted Bryant Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys, who he calls "one of the most phenomenal passers" in the NFL.
Adam Binkley, Springfield, Tenn., senior, also said Fantasy Football gives him a reason to follow every individual game.
"Instead of having to route for one team, I can route for individual players," he said. "There is usually someone in every game I have to care about."
Binkley just took Ladainian Tomlinson, San Diego running back, and Braylin Edwards, Cleveland Browns wide receiver, as his key Fantasy Football players. "Tomlinson is regarded as the best player available and Edwards is going to be a sleeper who is going to have a great season," Binkley said.
Throughout the season, Fantasy Football participants have the option to trade players and substitute back-ups in case of injuries.
Fantasy Football requires the fantasy leagues to keep track of the players and really research their team well. There are numerous Web sites set up to help regulate the leagues, including ESPN, Yahoo!, fantasyfootball.com and NFL.com.
Most sites offer worldwide competition, as well as, advice forums and NFL statistics.
For most players, Fantasy Football is a way to get closer to the real thing. And it is a chance for competitors to prove their superior knowledge of the game.
Every year around Labor Day weekend, football fans race for the computer to draft their team.
For those who do not understand the idea of Fantasy Football, it is a chance for millions of sports fans to act as a NFL coach to pick the perfect football team.
Friends (or enemies) create a league of eight or ten people, who get together and pick NFL players who will be assets to their competing fantasy teams. As the games begin, the people in the fantasy league rack up points based on their players' statistics.
The fantasy league sets their roster at the beginning of the week based on how well the players do statistically. The better the statistics, the more valuable the players are to the fantasy team.
Statistics are based on everything from running, passing and receiving yards to scoring touchdowns.
Senior Rishi Naik, said, he competes in Fantasy Football because it keeps him interested in other leagues.
"We are competing for bragging rights," Naik said. "It puts importance on certain games I otherwise wouldn't be that interested in."
Naik said he has drafted Bryant Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys, who he calls "one of the most phenomenal passers" in the NFL.
Adam Binkley, Springfield, Tenn., senior, also said Fantasy Football gives him a reason to follow every individual game.
"Instead of having to route for one team, I can route for individual players," he said. "There is usually someone in every game I have to care about."
Binkley just took Ladainian Tomlinson, San Diego running back, and Braylin Edwards, Cleveland Browns wide receiver, as his key Fantasy Football players. "Tomlinson is regarded as the best player available and Edwards is going to be a sleeper who is going to have a great season," Binkley said.
Throughout the season, Fantasy Football participants have the option to trade players and substitute back-ups in case of injuries.
Fantasy Football requires the fantasy leagues to keep track of the players and really research their team well. There are numerous Web sites set up to help regulate the leagues, including ESPN, Yahoo!, fantasyfootball.com and NFL.com.
Most sites offer worldwide competition, as well as, advice forums and NFL statistics.
For most players, Fantasy Football is a way to get closer to the real thing. And it is a chance for competitors to prove their superior knowledge of the game.
