NFL Fantasy Football: Is It Better Than Rooting for Your Real Team?

It's that time of the year again as fantasy football is back. Once the domain of stat-heads, geeks and other football crazy enthusiasts, it's strange to see how mainstream this phenomenon has become. 

We now live in a world where we wonder...

"Should I draft Chris Johnson No. 1?"

"Do I choose Tom Brady right away or wait for Matt Ryan a little bit later?"

"Which Manning brother is a greater risk?"

Like all questionable habits, my memories of how exactly I began partaking in this activity are fuzzy at best, but I believe I initially started out with baseball and eventually moved on to football a few years later having been asked to join a league at work. 

Somehow this same group has managed to stay together for all intents and purposes for the better part of a decade now. Unfortunately though, while living overseas for the majority of that time, I've been unable to join the live the draft and instead try to rank players with the hopes of assembling a team within a decent margin of error of what I had hoped.

Initially it never works out as planned, but usually after a scouring the free-agent ranks and making a trade or two I end up with something workable. 

Nevertheless, I really do miss the joys of making panicked selections, getting mocked by friends and enemies alike all throughout, and eventually contemplating that final selection reserved for the unheralded rookie, college hero, favorite scrub or comedic selection to cap things off.

But once the season starts, it becomes all business and that's what has me feeling conflicted and ethically questioning my own rooting interests.

The majority of the time the lines between the two worlds are clear; however, games where fantasy and reality cross are truly awkward, especially when you try to do the mental math needed to win YOUR game, but at the same time keep YOUR team on the winning end. 

Ever find yourself contemplating starting your quarterback, running back or defense against your favorite team with the hopes of hedging your bets?

In this instance there are two schools of thought...but which one of YOUR teams do you choose?

For anyone feeling particularly faithful to your real team, would you honestly sit Aaron Rodgers and start Colt McCoy instead...even if it were the fantasy championship game?

For anyone starting Rodgers in that same fantasy championship, what if it meant your real team could miss the playoffs?

Essentially it's all beyond our control, yet it leaves this fan feeling a little twisted and tends to raise more questions than answers.

The one that tops my list is which team do we value more as a rooting culture?

Ten years ago, without question our allegiance was with our real team, but one could contend that we tend to side with our fantasy teams more and more with the passage of time. 

What's not to like? 

Fantasy makes the majority of games on the schedule more sporting than ever before. 

Each week we do battle with friends, family, and coworkers in a playful and controlled environment that spans age, gender, economics, etc.  

For some it provides a small sense of accomplishment, attachment and control in having built something all our own based on individual perspective and intellect (but most often hinges on pure dumb luck).   

Real teams fail to provide that kind of inclusion and attachment today. 

Teams are constantly changing personnel as free agency and salary caps have eliminated any real continuity and the potential for dynasties even when teams actually win.

Meanwhile, the experience of going to a real game is no longer by any stretch of the imagination a solid value for money proposition for the average fan, and TV packages and technology make staying home more appealing than ever.    

Finally if your team stinks, there is nothing you can do about it. If your quarterback gets hurt or holds out, your season is over.

So which team do you love more? Not such an easy choice anymore, is it?