Reality or Fantasy: A Matter of Honor

Fantasy football has really taken off in the Internet era, and I started in 2005, a year after my dad did. In 2006 he started a league with a bunch of people he works with, and some people known through them. I was an inaugural member of what was dubbed the Casual Interest American Football League (CIAFL, so named as a joke because a friend of mine in the league is convinced my dad works for the CIA.) That first year I made the title game. Five years later the league still exists, though my dad opted out this year for personal reasons, removing my biggest rivalry game from the schedule. It's entirely possible I found a new one.


This season I finished with a 9-4 record, tops in the league, and made the championship game against another original owner and my dad's coworker George. He was the #2 overall seed in the playoffs, so it seemed only fitting that we matched up in the title game. George, ever the trash talker (the best in the league), started talking smack as soon as he knew he was in the title game. I talked back, and he offered to make a bet. I win, I get his winnings from the league. He wins, I had to write a blog post about him and this matchup. I wish I could say this post was a forum to rub it in his face. Alas.

George has constantly changed his team name over the years. Originally he was Fear the Turtle (Maryland alum if memory serves) and has changed it around over the years, this year settling on "Chicken Crossing" (something about having chickens in his backyard). His consistency has come in his trash talking, so much so that within probably 10 minutes of Falcons-Saints going final he changed his team name to "Champions!" On the field, he has had some up and down years. I don't remember if he's won a league title before, but he definitely earned it this year.

Through random draw, George lucked into the #1 pick in the draft, though I seem to remember he wasn't thrilled about it since we draft in snake fashion, but his first few picks were fantastic. He took consensus #1 Adrian Peterson first, then in the wraparound later he took Vincent Jackson and Larry Fitzgerald. He also overcame me stealing 3 of his guys before he could pick. Overall, 6 of his 9 players in the championship game were players he drafted (Willis McGahee, C.J. Spiller and San Francisco's defense were the 3 pickups.) San Fran was picked up before the start of the season, and McGahee and Spiller were later additions.

Spiller was someone I contemplated getting for a while and now I do regret it, given the result today and due to having some trouble at the running back spot all year. He took advantage and had guys step up this week. My biggest mistake was playing Torrey Smith over Jeremy Maclin, though it wouldn't have been enough. He clearly earned the win and made some big moves over the course of the season to pick up a title, overcoming the team with the #2 pick (I took Rodgers. Took some heat for it, but it turned out well). I'm proud of what I accomplished this year, mirroring the Baltimore Ravens a bit, seeing 3 of my 4 regular season losses coming to non-playoff teams, while leading the league in scoring. Unfortunately it's what happens in the final game that counts, and George brought his A-game, netting the highest score against me all year.

So congratulations to this year's best fantasy owner on his title. You can take my word for it. Or you can listen to my dad who, when I told him about the bet and this blog post, said "He's not a very good owner." Your call.