I’d say by Week 8, I have a pretty solid grip on this whole fantasy football-less experiment. In my mind, my feelings would be fluctuating throughout the entire 17 weeks of the regular season, but alas I’ve arrived with a verdict: never again.
Never again will I remove such an inclusive element of football season from my life and a chance to be a stat-monger week in and week out. Never again will I trick myself into believing that my team’s conflict of interest is too strong (seriously, not true). Never again will I remove myself from a chance to win hundreds of dollars and talk smack on a daily basis to fellow leaguers.
Knowing that I will be jumping back in next year means maybe, just maybe, I will remove the bi-weekly ‘never playing this damn game again’ threats and it also means I will certainly be more up-to-speed on league-wide information and players! Do I read the headlines and watch Sportscenter on repeat? OF COUSE. But it does not deliver the detailed information that a dedicated fantasy player can dig up with a keyboard or mobile device.
I am very certain that the times of fantasy opponents playing your team is too seldom to impact a season as a superfan. Regardless, if you have some depth to your team, there are ways around that issue! I still love nothing more than cheering on my team in a borderline ritualistic fashion every week, but am pretty content to discover that missing this element of the NFL season is also not worth it. Maybe it’s the fact that fantasy football was part of my life for 15 years, old habits die hard, but I am thrilled, and also a little shocked, that I can jump back in for the 2019 season with no question. For all of your diehards wondering if FF cramps your style, you’re welcome.
