Better Than Reality: Why NFL Fantasy Football Beats the Real Thing

We are on the brink of a new season! Can you feel it? Can you smell it? The NFL? No, fantasy football!

Sure, I want my local team to do well, but the team I really want to do well are the "Master Exploders." Who are the Master Exploders you say? My fantasy football team, of course. The roster is yet to be set but they are the team that my heart will belong to for the next four months.

Fantasy football has made me watch preseason games I would never think of watching, IE Browns-Lions and Seahawks-Vikings. All in the name of scouting that potential sleeper in the late rounds that will help me towards my crown.

I scour NFL team websites for the latest news on any depth chart moves. I read article after article by every fantasy "expert" out there. I download apps on my phone that will instantly send me news on Devin Aromashodu and re-rate players on my cheat sheet when I see Donnie Avery will miss the season.

Fantasy football is not a game, fantasy football is life. There is nothing fantasy about it—this is real.

Gone are the days when I see a nice play and appreciate its greatness. Now when I watch football, it's all numbers and arithmetic. "What was that? Frank Gore just caught a pass and went 34 yards for a touchdown? Well that's one point for the catch, 3.4 points for the yardage, and 6 points for the TD. That is a solid 10.4 points!"

Fantasy football is an epic struggle. It's a chess match with the pieces being Adrian Peterson, Randy Moss, and Peyton Manning.

No Longer is a Texans vs Titans match just a battle of two teams. Its a matchup between millions and millions watching all over the country. It's a matchup between my opponent and me.

He has Andre Johnson but I have Matt Schaub, so I want Schaub to throw for 400 yards, but I rather he not throw it to his best receiver while at the same time I have the Titans D and I hope they don't get scored on too much. However, my opponent has the Texans kicker.

Fantasy football creates a better fan. It forces you to be informed, to watch more than one game. Fantasy football makes people money not only those that win but bar owners that opt to buy the NFL package so fantasy owners will pack their establishments to watch their guys do their thing. Fantasy football brings people together and it makes long lasting friendships. Fantasy football is downright fun.

Fantasy football makes the NFL more enjoyable, until your best running back gets hurt for the season.