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MLB
Jul 10, 2019 20:00:02 GMT
Post by kds on Jul 10, 2019 20:00:02 GMT
I was a big fantasy guy from junior high through my early to mid 20s. It definitely helped in keeping that focus. But especially once online versions with automated scoring came around, I actually lost interest even as they became WAY more popular. (I’ve begun noticing attractive single women at work who play fantasy, and thus watch, football! Where was that when I was 18!?!?) But I think I lost interest for the same reason kds seems to be saying: the obsession with fantasy led to non-fans becoming “fans,” but not seeming to even understand, much less like, the sports. Obviously that’s not the fantasy leagues’ fault, and lots of fantasy players are knowledgeable. But that mistaking of stats/points for good quality play drives me nuts. In the same vein of fantasy football players valuing stats over good play being a turnoff, I've found the rise in analytics to be a big turnoff in baseball. I think some of the sport has actually been taken out of the game.
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MLB
Jul 10, 2019 20:25:50 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 10, 2019 20:25:50 GMT
To each their own, but I have no interest in going down that rabbit hole. For eleven years in Baltimore, all you heard were fantasy football guys talking about how Joe Flacco was trash because he didn't put up good fantasy numbers. Plus, I just don't have the time to devote to picking players, defenses, etc. And if I don't have the time to do that in football, I'm definitely not doing that for baseball. Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to talk you into anything, but it actually doesn't take that long to pick a weekly roster, and in some fantasy leagues - depending on the one you're in - your roster is sometimes/mostly unchanged week-to-week. The most time-consuming thing, and that depends on how "into it" you are, is waiving and picking up players which requires keeping up with player transactions and statistics (i.e. who is hurt, who was traded, who is benched, who is starting).
People participating in fantasy football who really don't know the game doesn't bother me. They're usually just in it for fun; nothing wrong with that. But, people who commit to being into a fantasy football league, then don't take the time to keep their rosters current - sometimes not even fielding a full roster/team - THAT bothers me.
The thing that is keeping me from participating in a baseball fantasy league IS the time factor. With larger rosters and a game almost every night, I'm not quite ready to commit to that. Yet.
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MLB
Jul 10, 2019 20:36:25 GMT
via mobile
Post by Kapitan on Jul 10, 2019 20:36:25 GMT
It’s not quite non-fans playing that bugs me so much as vocal non-fans convinced fantasy league IS the sport.
It’s as if someone memorized the anecdotes from Beach Boys documentaries, but doesn’t actually listen to their or anyone else’s music, and used that information to lecture long-time fans about what the music is, means etc. (not a perfect anecdote but hopefully close enough.)
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MLB
Jul 10, 2019 21:42:37 GMT
Post by B.E. on Jul 10, 2019 21:42:37 GMT
A few years ago I joined a Fantasy Football League, nothing big, just a small family & friends one. And it's amazing how that rejuvenated my interest in the NFL. I was starting to head down the same path as Major League Baseball, just watching Philadelphia Eagles' games. But since joining this fantasy league, I'm now familiar with several NFL players and teams that I would not have followed otherwise. And even more amazing is that I'll actually sit and watch non-Philadelphia games, just because I have a rooting in even a single player. I'll stay up and watch Thursday or Sunday night games, and I'm not kidding, I sit there and get all wound up and pull for players that I have no interest in, other than them being on my fantasy roster.
I'm sometimes tempted to join a baseball fantasy league so that it would do the same thing as the football fantasy league did - renew my interest in the sport.
I had the exact same experience as you did with fantasy football. As long as you've got the time (and I agree, it's not that time consuming) and you're playing with family & friends, there's no downside (assuming, as you also stated, everyone sets their rosters!). I only played one or two seasons and since I stopped my interest has all but died. I'm down to watching a few New York Giants regular season games and possibly, depending on the matchups, a few playoff games. Baseball? I'm down to Yankees playoff games. When I was in my teens and early 20s I'd wonder how seemingly dedicated sports fans could lose interest in their favorite teams, often only tuning in for the playoffs, well... here I am. For me, I think the longer it's been since I participated in a sport, the less interested I am in watching it. There's definitely a correlation there. Edit: I'll also watch the occasional soccer game and tennis match, but basketball is the only sport I watch extensively.
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MLB
Jul 10, 2019 22:18:23 GMT
Post by B.E. on Jul 10, 2019 22:18:23 GMT
The thing that is keeping me from participating in a baseball fantasy league IS the time factor. With larger rosters and a game almost every night, I'm not quite ready to commit to that. Yet. That reminds me. A few summers ago I attempted to Beat The Streak. Unsurprisingly, it didn't have the same affect as fantasy football.
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MLB
Jul 10, 2019 22:35:02 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 10, 2019 22:35:02 GMT
The thing that is keeping me from participating in a baseball fantasy league IS the time factor. With larger rosters and a game almost every night, I'm not quite ready to commit to that. Yet. That reminds me. A few summers ago I attempted to Beat The Streak. Unsurprisingly, it didn't have the same affect as fantasy football. I'm not familiar with Beat The Streak. I work with this guy who has been participating in the various Fantasy Football Leagues like FanDuel, DraftKings, and others. I'm dropping out of our friends/family FF league (for reasons I won't bore you with) and am seriously contemplating getting into these other FF leagues or things like Beat The Streak. I don't have a lot of money to invest so it would be for small stakes, and mostly, again, just to keep me interested in the league/games.
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MLB
Jul 11, 2019 12:49:37 GMT
Post by kds on Jul 11, 2019 12:49:37 GMT
It’s not quite non-fans playing that bugs me so much as vocal non-fans convinced fantasy league IS the sport. It’s as if someone memorized the anecdotes from Beach Boys documentaries, but doesn’t actually listen to their or anyone else’s music, and used that information to lecture long-time fans about what the music is, means etc. (not a perfect anecdote but hopefully close enough.) ^^^^^This
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MLB
Jul 11, 2019 12:50:41 GMT
Post by kds on Jul 11, 2019 12:50:41 GMT
To each their own, but I have no interest in going down that rabbit hole. For eleven years in Baltimore, all you heard were fantasy football guys talking about how Joe Flacco was trash because he didn't put up good fantasy numbers. Plus, I just don't have the time to devote to picking players, defenses, etc. And if I don't have the time to do that in football, I'm definitely not doing that for baseball. Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to talk you into anything, but it actually doesn't take that long to pick a weekly roster, and in some fantasy leagues - depending on the one you're in - your roster is sometimes/mostly unchanged week-to-week. The most time-consuming thing, and that depends on how "into it" you are, is waiving and picking up players which requires keeping up with player transactions and statistics (i.e. who is hurt, who was traded, who is benched, who is starting).
People participating in fantasy football who really don't know the game doesn't bother me. They're usually just in it for fun; nothing wrong with that. But, people who commit to being into a fantasy football league, then don't take the time to keep their rosters current - sometimes not even fielding a full roster/team - THAT bothers me.
The thing that is keeping me from participating in a baseball fantasy league IS the time factor. With larger rosters and a game almost every night, I'm not quite ready to commit to that. Yet. That's fair, but it's just not my thing. I still find the games and storylines of football interesting enough.
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MLB
Jul 12, 2019 3:23:51 GMT
Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Jul 12, 2019 3:23:51 GMT
I joined a keepers league last year and it's been a lot of fun. You don't have to pick an entirely new team every year and if you have a bad year you get to draft one of the hot prospects coming through the minor leagues. I drafted a guy named Miguel Andujar last year and was able to parlay that into receiving David Price and Charlie Blackmon this year (other lesser pieces were in the trade too). It's also a lot more fun when you're competing against the same guys every year.
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MLB
Sept 28, 2019 13:45:27 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 28, 2019 13:45:27 GMT
You know I'm not a baseball guy, but two things:
1) How 'bout my Twins?!
2) I heard an NPR story that the league considers all the homeruns bad for baseball and is considering changing the ball itself to increase drag and reduce homeruns. The complaint is that it reduces the sport to pitch-and-hit, doing away with the action on the field. But I don't know ... I've never heard a fan complain about too many homers (unless they're on the losing end, of course).
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MLB
Sept 28, 2019 14:18:14 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 28, 2019 14:18:14 GMT
You know I'm not a baseball guy, but two things:
1) How 'bout my Twins?!
2) I heard an NPR story that the league considers all the homeruns bad for baseball and is considering changing the ball itself to increase drag and reduce homeruns. The complaint is that it reduces the sport to pitch-and-hit, doing away with the action on the field. But I don't know ... I've never heard a fan complain about too many homers (unless they're on the losing end, of course).
I have heard some complaints about too many home runs, especially this year, because records aren't just being broken, but shattered! I suppose most fans prefer more runs, more excitement, more fireworks if you will. Who doesn't like to see a home run? Some fans would never admit that a freewheeling, high-scoring game is preferable to a low-scoring pitcher's duel, but, yes, I think more action is a good thing. Now, tinkering with baseball is another thing.
I'm a purist I guess (no surprise there ), and I just hate to see the game change so much, records going by the wayside, and now the equipment being toyed with. First, it was the actual baseballs being manufactured differently (wound too tightly?), now they want to...unwind them. Somewhere there is a happy medium, but I think baseball has many other problems in addition to too many home runs.
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MLB
Sept 28, 2019 14:28:04 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Sept 28, 2019 14:28:04 GMT
Generally speaking in sports, it's not records falling that bothers me as much as major rule changes making records fall (or standards and averages change, etc.). For example, the couple-year experiment in the NBA with the closer 3-point line.
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MLB
Sept 28, 2019 18:50:14 GMT
via mobile
Post by kds on Sept 28, 2019 18:50:14 GMT
You know I'm not a baseball guy, but two things:
1) How 'bout my Twins?!
2) I heard an NPR story that the league considers all the homeruns bad for baseball and is considering changing the ball itself to increase drag and reduce homeruns. The complaint is that it reduces the sport to pitch-and-hit, doing away with the action on the field. But I don't know ... I've never heard a fan complain about too many homers (unless they're on the losing end, of course).
I have heard some complaints about too many home runs, especially this year, because records aren't just being broken, but shattered! I suppose most fans prefer more runs, more excitement, more fireworks if you will. Who doesn't like to see a home run? Some fans would never admit that a freewheeling, high-scoring game is preferable to a low-scoring pitcher's duel, but, yes, I think more action is a good thing. Now, tinkering with baseball is another thing.
I'm a purist I guess (no surprise there ), and I just hate to see the game change so much, records going by the wayside, and now the equipment being toyed with. First, it was the actual baseballs being manufactured differently (wound too tightly?), now they want to...unwind them. Somewhere there is a happy medium, but I think baseball has many other problems in addition to too many home runs. Personally, I find modern baseball hard to watch. The records falling doesn't bother me as the lack of excitement in the game with so few balls put in play, and analytics limiting small ball, bunts, and stolen bases. And, I think we mentioned this before, but the typical 21st century baseball fan is the worst. They dismiss anything in the game before the analytical era. They have a holier than thou attitude that they're smarter than anyone else (including older fans and players) as if the ability to watch a baseball game makes them a Mensa member. And their response to why the popularity of the sport is declining - "people are too dumb to follow baseball." Get over yourselves, baseballistas. Rant over. My Orioles are in the midst of their Astroball 2.0 teardown / tank / rebuild resulting in a 2nd straight 100+ loss season for the first time in our 66 year history. In the meantime, best of luck to the Twins. I'd be fine with a new champ, plus they have former Orioles Nelson Cruz and Jonathan Schoop.
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MLB
Sept 29, 2019 21:25:48 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 29, 2019 21:25:48 GMT
Joe Maddon is out as the Cubs' manager - and Gabe Kapler might soon be out as the Phillies' manager. Hmm...
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MLB
Dec 10, 2019 23:44:54 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 10, 2019 23:44:54 GMT
WARNING: Old Man Rant
Last year, Bryce Harper signed with The Phillies for $330M. Yesterday, Steven Strasburg signed with The Nationals for $245M. It is getting increasingly more difficult for me to root for professional athletes. I just can't relate or pull for them or become emotionally attached to them...like I used to. End of rant.
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