I Love Fantasy Hockey Because...

[angus]

The rules:

• 250 words or less
• Get creative (can use video, photo, whatever)
• Post your submissions here
• Top three picked by myself and Dobber will be awarded

[mounD]

I love fantasy hockey because it is something that not only allows me to talk trash on my friends (and their girlfriends), but it truly brings a group of people together. As Matthew Berry might say, fantasy is meant to be fun, and the real fun derives from building a cohesive bond between your core group of friends while debating Crosby's neurological condition, Gary Bettman's like-ability, or just the latest racist/homophobic Biznasty tweet.

All the distinct personalities present in our everyday lives are condensed and somehow amplified through the lens of fantasy hockey, and when our true personalities shine through on the fantasy world, then everyone wins. Sure, the purpose of fantasy hockey is to win. We flock to sites like Dobberhockey in order to glean every last shred of information about the studs and duds on our squads, and we read the words of Angus, Dobber, and Chris Nichols until our eyes bleed. Why, you ask? To win, of course. To have bragging rights over our friends and to admire the sight of a trophy on the mantle.

But all these things cloud the true benefit of fantasy hockey, one based on camaraderie and rooted in the hearts and minds of us all. In short, I love fantasy hockey because it brings me closer to the ones I love.

-Dylan

[norrisdivision]

Ah, fantasy! The word that specifically DOESN’T describe everything else in my life. Responsibility here, consequences there – family, work, community involvement – life is serious business. Fantasy hockey is my release valve. Miss a deadline at work? Got to explain. Forget to take the garbage out…again? More ‘splainin’ to do. But if I forget to dress Cory Schneider for back-to-back shutouts, nobody cares! No real consequences.

And yet amidst this risk-free fantasy world that we indulge in, we simultaneously have the untamed ability to crush another man’s self-esteem as he scratches and claws to catch you in the standings, with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as the end of the season rapidly approaches. He seems to call out, “Oh, why…why did I ever think myself to know as much as you, O Great Hockey Maestro?!” …or at least that’s part of the fantasy. The Dobber Fantasy Guide also deserves some significant kudos in that scenario, but I digress. Either way, it’s part of the beauty of the whole charade.

Also, it makes me stay up and watch crazy games like Phoenix against San Jose simply because I’ve got one D-man on the ice. Maybe that’s not why I love fantasy hockey, but it’s certainly a testament to my ongoing romance with it. It’s a sport that defines us, bringing us together in a forum in which we can compete at times for nothing more than bragging rights. And when you have the privilege of enjoying it with friends, that’s all the reward you need.

-Alex

[wildtipping]

Where to start? Well to begin the girlfriend hates it and not sure why but that makes anything more enjoyable.

The numbers aspect of it just flows through me, charts, graphs, advanced stats, projections... if only my 8th grade math teacher centered class around hockey!

Being able to watch any game any cheer for a player that you own or against your friend's star player.

Getting your buddy to say shutout when his goalie is 1 minute away from one and then lets one in.

The Draft party! All the prep and studying for it and the most shit talking and beer drinking the world has ever known!

Staying up till 12:30 to watch the outcome of the west cost games.

The internal struggle when your goaltender plays against your hometown team

Winning a slap-bet against your buddy for best season stats and saving the slap for the perfect moment

And well, because it's the cup... or at least the one we made.
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[hockeyrobot]

I love fantasy hockey because even on a day with depressing news like today, I just spent 3+ hours in a bar with my co-commissioners debating how to set up the NHL portion of our our inaugural multi sport keeper league....and we didn't even get past the stat categories.

[Axeman33]

My addiction to fantasy hockey started many years ago
My buddy asked me to join his league but little did I know
I bought a book, gave it a look and headed to my first draft
It took me years of making terrible mistakes before I honed my craft

I started out quite simple, one team was enough for me
Points only with a bunch of friends and a little bit of money
But soon I’d learn that I would yearn for leagues a’plenty
Not one, not two, three or four, my league count grew to twenty

I’d pour over the waiver wires looking for a steal
I’d scour everyone’s trade block hoping to make a deal
I studied charts, and goalie starts I pinned standings on my wall
Multi-cat and points only leagues I learned to love them all

As a hockey player myself, I’m naturally a competitive guy
Its all about the win for me, I don’t play the game to “try”
I hate to rebuild, I try to be filled with guys who help me win
You better be ready if you’re in my league cause I’ll hit ya on the chin

So why do I love fantasy hockey I believe was the question asked
A lot of it comes from knowing that real life can be masked
When lifes not fair, and your teams going nowhere best hope you have a good wife
Fantasy hockey is more then a game, its simply a way of life

[Pengwin7]

I love fantasy hockey.
I love carpet.
I love lamp.

[bondon]

- I love watching hockey.
- It provides a much needed cure for my boredom while in class, at the library, and at work.
- It has given me the opportunity to get to know more people
- I have been known to have a love for gambling. So much so that my friends sometimes call me Gamblor

[mounD]

Contest over. Axeman wins... That was beautiful dude.

[SixtyPercentOfTheTime]

I love fantasy hockey.
I love carpet.
I love lamp.

LFMAO, I love it!

[dyzfunctioned]

LFMAO, I love it!

Looking at your avatar, this makes sense. haha

[bowlercoaster]

My (primary) league started in 2002 when my friends and I lived in the dorms at University. We all graduated (eventually) and moved on to careers, got wives and had kids. Fantasy hockey is the web that keeps us all connected. But every week in the winter my phone rings a few times.

"I can't believe you keep putting Getzlaf in. He's terrible. I'm willing to give you Bryan Little for him."

"Don't ever call me again."

Our league trophy is a large, bronze trophy given by Lord Stovel to the best Ladies Double Bowling Team in the province. I'm not joking. It was made in 1919. I found it while doing demolition on a construction job & the foreman didn't care if I took it.

Once I stole it from the league champion and posted a series of photos of me on a date with it. I cannot reproduce them here due to their explicit nature. We fed each other sundaes, watched a movie, took a bath, before retiring to the bedroom.

There have been drunken shouting matches. Accusations of cheating, collusion and lying. Disputes have been settled with Indian leg wrestling matches and hockey games on playstation.

Every weekend before our trade deadline we get together for a curling bonspiel, get drunk and hammer out some trades.

Why do I love fantasy hockey? It’s more than a hobby to pass the time. It keeps all my best friendships stronger than they would have otherwise been.

[Wotan]

I love fantasy hockey because (-besides all the obvious fun-) it even turned out to be of some PRACTICAL USE to me:

Being Swiss and playing in a league with 11 North American guys (1 gal) has helped me big time to keep my English. We're a busy, wheeling and dealing, constantly bantering league, so I've simply never managed to maintain my English at the same level before joining fantasy hockey. Now I'll never lose it

Because of the time gap (I'm usually already in bed when the games start in NA) fantasy hockey even helps me to get up in the mornings! I keep jumping out of bed just to turn on the computer because I wonder how my players and my team did, how my last proposal was taken, etc.

Isn't fantasy hockey doing me a huge service there?

[angus]

Great stuff - enjoyed reading these. Keep 'em coming!

[PulltheTrigger]

I Love Fantasy Hockey Because...

I am the boss. No matter what format or league I am in, I call the shots. I can decide who is playing or who is riding the pine from the comfort of my couch. I can manage multiple teams at once while having dinner at the in-laws. I can make trades from my smart phone while waiting outside the changing room at a department store. When someone gets injured, I will put them on IR and be confident in my farm call-ups because my scouts over at DobberProspects work tireless hours researching which prospect is ready for the big show. When I crush you, you will hear about it either on the league forums or on Twitter. I repeat, I will crush you. If you don't use Frozen Pools, you don't even deserve to be in the same league as me. My goalies will laugh at your pea shooters because the smart money is invested in GOLD-man.

Be it from my bed or couch, while at work, on the road, at a dinner, in a pub or in my home office. I will crush you. I am the boss. Excuse me now as my wife is calling...