No, you did not misread the headline! Today is Super Bowl Sunday, really.
Ok, today's big game may not attract billions, but it could attract everyday people like you and me. It may not even have a Janet Jackson wardrobe mishap at halftime, but it could have dad, papa, or grand pa dancing on the couch. One thing is for certain, I can guarantee you that it will have many glued to their TV screens, ooops, I mean computer screens.
You see today is the Super Bowl for many Fantasy Football owners. For the NFL, it is the last weekend of the regular football season. For Fantasy Football owners, it is the weekend they have been dreaming about since August.
Fantasy Football is one of the fastest growing online games in America. San Antonio is no different. According to CBS Sports, about 17 million people played fantasy football in 2009.
The tail end of the Baby Boom crowd, most of Generation X, and some young guns from Generation Y comprise the fan base of Fantasy Football. Most players are men, but about 15 percent are women.
Fantasy Football allows players to own, manage and coach an NFL team. Yes, you are Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips all wrapped into one!
There are good times and bad times in Fantasy Football. Times are good when your players score and rack up them fantasy points! Times are bad when your player does nothing but waste space on your starting line up! See attached blog video (below) to get a visual of what I mean by good and bad times when playing fantasy football!
I have played and served as the commissioner in an ESPN Fantasy Football League since 2006. I call my team the Gunslingers, a salute to that now famous and defunct USFL team from back in the day.
I have been fortunate to win my league Super Bowl in 2007 and 2008. Last weekend, my 11-4 team was playing in the semi-finals for a chance to play in a third straight Super Bowl. I lost a heartbreaker to the San Antonio South Mud Dawgs. Geeze! Only if I would have started the Jets defense over the Saints "D!"
In my league, we have teams with cool names like SA Chupacabras, Los Frijoleros, Quihi Def Tourettes, Da Tool, TD Freaks and Purple Reign to just name a few. In our league Super Bowl championship game, the 11-4 Mud Dawgs will meet the heavily favored 12-3 Alamo Eagles. The Dawgs will roll with Matt Schuab at quarterback and the Eagles will fly with none other than Donovan McNabb.
There are many others around San Antonio that will play in a Fantasy Football game today. Some will be fortunate to play in their respective league Super Bowls.
A lot of us can tell you who are the movers and shakers in Fantasy Football. Our heroes are players like Quarterback Drew Brees, Wide Receiver Andre Johnson, Running Back Chris Johnson or Tight End Antonio Gates. Hey, and my vote for Fantasy Football Newcomer of the Year, Miles Austin of the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, I am playing in the runner up Super Bowl title game. A consolation game, if you will. Oh well, I can't win every year. You got to make room for others. Like my high school football coach used to say, "there is no 'I' in team son."
Yeah coach. There is no 'I' in team. But there is an 'M' in team and that stands for "Me!" You can bet the farm that next year "me" and my Gunslingers will be back to win it all!
Good luck to all of you Fantasy Football owners today!
