Article On Fantasy Football Claims It Could Be Bad For The Sport

[Mr.Craig]

I know this is technically the wrong place to post this but let's face it, there are more eyeballs on Players and Trades.

Anyway, just caught this ABC article. I thought it might generate some discussion amongst those at FF...


Is fantasy focus hurting football?

Comment by Neil Cross, ABCMay 15, 2012, 1:58 pm

ABC

Ron Barassi was in an angry state of mind when he confronted Gerard Healy when they were both at the Melbourne Football Club in the early 80s.

At the end of the exchange during a break in the game at the SCG, Barassi told Healy to "give me possessions and I'll shut up".

Possessions, or more particularly statistics, now rule AFL football. Statistics have spawned an industry.

Collecting, collating and categorising each kick, mark, handball, tackle, tap out, entry to forward 50, rebound from defensive 50. It goes on.

The nuances of these statistics are often lost on the general public but not those absorbed in the Dream Team/Supercoach phenomenon.

People in the past were content to enter tipping contests but for the real football nerd now the quest is to win Dream Team/Supercoach games.

For the uninitiated, Dream Team and Supercoach are basically the same statistically based competitions. Participants select players to make up a squad.

Each player is priced according to the number of points he averages per game. The points are based on the number of kicks, marks, handballs, free kicks for and against, hitouts, goals and behinds.

There is a a salary cap and the job of the participant is to select 22 players each week to take on another team. In each round, the participant with the most points wins the match-up.

Coaches repeatedly point out that the worth of a player in a particular game can't be judged on his statistics. This is most definitely not the case in the land of Dream Team or Supercoach. Rather, it is the only worth of a player.

The phenomenon has hit rugby league and rugby union as well as soccer and other sports but the plethora of statistical information in the AFL makes it a superior offering to the thousands addicted to closely watching the fantasy unfold.

Apparently it's fun. Supposedly it keeps participants interested in games even if there is a blowout on the scoreboard - the actual scoreboard; you know, the one that actually shows who wins or loses.

On the other hand, the long term effect of Dream Team and Supercoach could also reduce the public's interest in following a club.

In the fanatasy world, the only thing that matters is the individual and how many points they can accrue for your fantasy team. Hence, the club, the result, the interest in the game itself could die.

Perhaps that is a little dramatic. But then again, there are plenty of people who review the weekend's AFL games according to how Hogan's Heroes or Macca's Madmen or Hellboys performed rather than whether Carlton, Collingwood or West Coast won or lost.

There are even media outlets who publish or read out the fantasy points accrued by players. There are advice columns in newspapers on how to pick the best 22.

AFL is evolving. Fantasy leagues are growing. Whether they are good for one another in the long term will make for an interesting study.

[henry]

I think it is good for the sport, it leads more people to be interested in more games, resulting in higher TV and radio ratings as well as ground attendances. As for people not following a team, well put it this way: I'd much rather my Hawks get a win and I have a crap week in DT than the other way round, and I suspect it is this way for a lot of others.

[Doyle]

Most players don't give a damn about stats as long they play their role for the team and the team wins. I can only imagine Nick Maxwell who would kick it to Swan, Pendles, Cloke or Marty (everyone in his team I think) to get his score up ::)

[fertalong]

I think it is good for the sport, it leads more people to be interested in more games, resulting in higher TV and radio ratings as well as ground attendances. As for people not following a team, well put it this way: I'd much rather my Hawks get a win and I have a crap week in DT than the other way round, and I suspect it is this way for a lot of others.

+1
I only watched 1-2 games a week before i started DT, and since starting, I watch as many as I can and for the ones not shown on tv, I listen to the radio. Too cheap to get foxtel lol

[BGK]

This has to be just about the biggest load of rubbish i've ever read. Like others have said before me they now watch more football then ever before. I've gone from only watching Collingwood games to enjoying just about every game i can watch. Yes DT/SC was the reason i started to watch more but since then my appreciation for good footy has grown. I don't care who is playing as long as its good football. I'm not sure if there are exact numbers, but i'm sure almost all of us would be avid football team supporters and not just for fantasy football. Fantasy sports are not a new invention. They have been running in the states for many decades, maybe not in the DT/SC format, but still there. I believe and many others i talk to, would say fantasy football adds to the excitement of the game. How can such a thing be bad for football, more viewers, more internet traffic and a hell of a lot more exposure for the sport overall.

[Jukes]

I've always watched as much footy as possible, now that I do DT it's only made me keep an eye out for my teams players.

[Mr.Craig]

Neil Cross doesn't seem to have a grasp on SC scoring either.

[bomberboy0618]

Something tells me that the ABC had the chance to buy into fantasy footy, and didn't.

[Capper]

I know there have been alot of players who now have stopped using twitter as people were constantly talking to them about fantasy.

On another note it is a good way to get people who dont follow AFL to start following it. I have had 3 friends sign up this year to fantasy who havent really paid much attention to AFL before, and now they are watching 2 or 3 games a week.

[L.Shuey13]

Those who are against fantasy footy have either never played it or were massive hacks at it

[Chelskiman]

I can see what they're trying to say, but in no way will DT/SC ruin football.  I also lol'd at the comment which said that people will basically end up following players instead of a team.  Seriously, wtf?  I love DT but I'd rather a player of mine do shower and me miss out on a league win if it meant Richmond won a game.  DT is just a fun way of getting involved in every game of the season, so I'm not sure how that is a bad thing for footy.

[TheHanger]

as if people will lose interest in actual teams, such an unnecessary article no way will people stop following teams and go for players... so stupid

[T Dog]

The key is in the name surely  :o :o fantasy football GAMES  >:(

[Scrads]

What a load of crap.

Say if this happens, Hawks (my team) are up by 3 points, and Cloke (in my DT) takes a mark inside 50 and the final siren goes and so he is having a shot for the game. NEVER would I hope he makes the shot.

Although I guess if it was the last round, and I was ranked like 2nd overall and 8 points behind the leader maybe :P But seriously thats for the sake of a car.

[T Dog]

What a load of crap.

Say if this happens, Hawks (my team) are up by 3 points, and Cloke (in my DT) takes a mark inside 50 and the final siren goes and so he is having a shot for the game. NEVER would I hope he makes the shot.

Although I guess if it was the last round, and I was ranked like 2nd overall and 8 points behind the leader maybe :P But seriously thats for the sake of a car.

That is the kick Cloke would get of course  ;D ;D ;D Another Pie premiership on the way :o