The Death of Traditional Football Fandom

Fantasy Football, a game that has been around since the 1960s, has taken America by storm. It grew slowly until 1997, when its budding romance with the internet finally began. Alas, fantasy football was made available to the common man. Before this time, the draft, league rules, and all of the stats would have to be calculated by hand for every player involved in the league. This limited the game's popularity to only the most dedicated of football stat junkies, leaving the average football fans to simply root on their favorite teams. Now that the wonderful world wide web does all the hard work for you, Americans have rushed to their computers to join this fast growing sensation, totaling over 19 million users, ultimately culminating in an FX series and countless football analysis shows dedicated simply to fantasy advice.

What has yet to be decided, however, is how the online game will affect the game on the field. Fans often find themselves torn between rooting for their favorite team and rooting for their fantasy players. With this sort of pull challenging the dedication of the fan one way or the other, it seems only natural that eventually there will be a split, but which side will win out? Or perhaps a happy medium will be reached and the two worlds can coexist. Either way, the question remains. Is fantasy good for football, or will it ultimately lead to the death of traditional football fandom as we know it. Let's weigh the pros and the cons.

First the pros:

1. Makes otherwise boring games exciting:
• Fantasy gives fans a reason to watch every single game as it is rare for a matchup to not have at least one player from your own or your opponent's team on the field. 
2. Creates a social experience missed out on in traditional fandom:
• Under 'normal' circumstances, the only true bond experienced between yourself and fellow fans occurs either when you both have the same favorite team or when your favorite team is playing against their favorite team.
• In a fantasy league, however, every participant is linked together throughout the entire season. From the draft to the playoffs and through year after year, fantasy leagues facilitate an unrivaled bond between football fans.

Now for the cons:

1. Internal conflicts galore:
• Everybody in a fantasy league has experienced some sort of internal conflict during the course of a season. Whether it is being forced to root for one of your least favorite players because he was the best running back available during your turn in the draft, or being torn between hoping your fantasy defense can put up good numbers while still losing to your favorite team, it's always tough
2. Emphasis on individual performances:
• Peewee coaches everywhere would be furious to see such an emphasis put on individual stats, as the appreciation of a solid team effort has been depleted drastically.

The one fact that can not be disputed is that this game within a game is revolutionizing the way fans view football. All of sudden, a touchdown is no longer simply a touchdown. Was it a pass or a rush? Did the quarterback toss it to a tight end or a quick slant to a receiver? Fantasy implications create unique situations that the players and coaches are completely unaware of as they play. So although the difference between a one yard sack and getting tackled at the line of scrimmage means little to the actual result of the game, it could have a heavy influence on the outcome of your fantasy matchup. It is fair to say that fantasy football isn't going anywhere any time soon. So join a league, outsmart your friends or some strangers, and bring home some trophies and cash right now. But a little word of advice... make sure your team loyalties are strong or you could find yourself a few fantasy seasons away from having no affiliation at all. Join at your own risk.