January 5, 2016

More Than a Game

Kaden / 12th Grade

The following is excerpted from the December 2015/January 2016 edition of Oakwood’s high school newspaper, The Gorilla

With the recent achievement and improvement of Oakwood’s sports teams, another side of sports has come to prominence: fantasy sports. Two years ago, a club was started on campus called The League, which consisted of a group of seniors who got together and participated in a highly competitive fantasy sports league. From these fantasy gods sprang a culture that changes lives, causes heartaches and broken friendships.

Fantasy is more than a game, it’s a lifestyle. When I play, it’s like I’m seeing numbers, colors, and shapes collide into what I like to call my fantasy matrix. I am a fantasy god. I am a wizard.

Nathaniel

Fantasy sports may seem like a waste of time to “outsiders.” Why would you spend time creating a virtual team to win an imaginary championship in a fantasy league? It’s a reasonable question, but if you’ve ever questioned the importance of fantasy sports, you don’t understand the importance of beating your friends at something, anything, ever. It’s a big-time commitment, and many people take it very seriously. The point of fantasy sports is to make your own team by drafting a group of players from real sports teams. Whoever has the team with the best combined stats wins. The main fantasy sports that are played at Oakwood are basketball and football.

Fantasy sports, like real sports, are full of cheating, back door deals, trash talk, humor, and of course, drama. Malcolm, an avid participant, told me that he only drafts players who play on the Clippers.

He also once traded his lunch to another student for a player, but the trade was vetoed so all he ended up with was an empty stomach and a broken dream. Another time, according to Malcolm, he “didn’t talk to [club member] Michael for three weeks because Michael traded a player to Nathaniel.” The envy, anger, sadness, and pride is palpable during fantasy sports season.

Nathaniel has been deemed a fantasy king in the 12th grade fantasy basketball league. As Malcolm put it, “It’s his league.” Nathaniel has won every year since its creation. He told me, “Fantasy is more than a game, it’s a lifestyle. When I play, it’s like I’m seeing numbers, colors, and shapes collide into what I like to call my fantasy matrix. I am a fantasy god. I am a wizard.” Nathaniel has had the trophy for winning The League, named “The Mancini” (for undisclosed reasons), the past three years. Rumor has it he even sleeps with it.

There isn’t a most prominent fantasy sport on campus, but people who partake in fantasy sports have strong opinions. Gabe, a member of multiple fantasy leagues, told me that he likes fantasy football “because it’s the most emotionally draining experience of my life. I lock myself in my room on Sundays and watch football. #No_new_friends.”

For those who want a taste of fantasy sports, but don’t want all the pressure and the drama of the competitive leagues, there are less serious options. However far you want to take it, there are alternatives for everyone. Be warned, that if you don’t take it seriously in a competitive league, you could be kicked out. I, like the other “fallen,” was banned from the 12th grade fantasy basketball league for not setting my lineup every week. It takes skill, talent, commitment, and a passion for the game to succeed in the fantasy world … just like in the real world.