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Students excited in the fantasy football season
The NFL season is in full swing, and fantasy football owners everywhere are locked into the excitement of mid-season.
Fantasy football is a virtual game played by people across America, where people draft a team of NFL stars in a league with their friends. These players earn points in a head to head matchup based on how they perform in real life NFL games. It seems pretty simple, but it’s loved by football fans and many students.
Senior, and nine year fantasy football veteran, David-Michael Peterson explained that the aspect of managing a football team is what keeps him coming back every year.
“The ability to create your own lineups each and every week and to be able to cheer on another team depending on who you’re playing, makes it super exciting,” Peterson said.
Fantasy football keeps people interested because of the enjoyment of football, like Peterson said, but it also hooks people in for other reasons as well. Senior Connor McNamara, who has been playing fantasy football for about four years loves fantasy football for a different reason.
“It really helps you connect like with your friends even when you guys aren’t in school...” said McNamara.
Fantasy football also raises students interest in the NFL. It causes students to go beyond just watching their favorite team on Sundays.
“Before fantasy I wasn’t really all into the NFL I really only watched the Lions,” said McNamara.
This is great for football and the NFL, who has been struggling with lower viewership, because it causes an increase in interest of games outside of just the fans favorite teams.
Senior Max Darling, who has been playing fantasy football for about seven years, also thinks fantasy football has changed the way he watches the NFL.
“Yeah, I don’t usually just watch [the NFL] I watch it for my fantasy football player,” said Darling.
Not only does fantasy football cause people to watch the NFL more, it also changes people’s opinion on a team in general. For junior Sam Ammon, who has played fantasy football for two years now, fantasy football has affected the teams he likes and keeps up with.
“...if I have a player on my team, then I’ll like the team…” said Ammon. This seems to be the trend among fantasy football players, fantasy football has expanded their view of the NFL and teams outside of their hometown.
Fantasy football can also be made a little more interesting with wagers that some players put on the season as a way to make winning that much sweeter. Ammon enjoys this aspect of fantasy football because of the ability to make some extra cash on the side.
“I like the competition with my friends and trying to make money,” said Ammon.
Fantasy football is a big hit amongst students at Holt. Not only has it raised student’s interest in the NFL and football in general, but more importantly, it has brought students together as friends.