The Only 5 Things You Need To Know About Fantasy Football

The sport heard round the office.

Let’s get drafty,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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1. The sport of fantasy football was originally developed in 1962 but modern fantasy football started in 1999 when Yahoo! offered an online league. Now players can create teams using ESPN or other sports apps as well as make some dough with online betting sites like DraftKing and FanDuel, although they are still illegal in a few states. BETTING IT ALL

2. It’s a male dominated “sport,” with men making up over 80% of the 60 million participants. But don’t look now because women are whipping up teams of their own. There are whole leagues and even businesses dedicated to helping the female football fan join in on the fun. YOU GOT THIS

3. Fantasy football is usually fun but some leagues aren’t for the faint of heart. They take it very seriously and there’s a punishment for coming in last. The penalties include piercings, buying drinks for the entire next football season, doing standup at a local open mic night or waxing of the nether regions (by a professional, of course, because what are we animals)? THAT’S GOING TO LEAVE A MARK

4. Picking a team name is the best part but remember no one is intimidated by the “Glitter Gridiron” team. Luckily for you, there are massive lists of names out there for inspiration. Some of our favorites? Sacks and the City, Game of Throws, Teddy Throwsevelt and Hot Chubb Time Machine (referencing Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns). CLEVER EH?

5. Drafts, trades and researching game day opponents are all part of the game, hence why U.S. employers suffer a $17 billion (yes with a 'b') loss in productivity due to fantasy football. It hurts the employee’s pockets too, spending an average of $556 on entry fees, materials and prizes. ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS  

Who is the commish, why do I care about bye weeks and what's the recipe for success? Check out our fantasy football 101 for the answers to all your questions.

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Score! The 5 Things You Need To Know About College Football Season

Money talks, College GameDay rocks and they’re now serving beer. Kind of.

Cue the band,
The Last Night's Game Team

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1. Believe it or not, college football has been around for 150 years. It all started in front of 100 fans back in 1869 with a battle between Rutgers and New Jersey (later would become Princeton). In the 150th year, the Clemson Tigers are the defending champions and regularly play in from of home crowds of 100,000+. Their head coach Dabo Swinney is coaching in his first year under his new record-breaking 10-year, $93 million contract. MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED

2. The ongoing debate in college sports is whether or not athletes should be paid. No matter what side of the argument you’re on, it allows for the universities to pay top notch coach’s salaries and build state of the art facilities to attract top talent. Case in point, LSU overhauled their locker room this year and each player gets a sleeping pod. NAPS ARE GOOD

3. While you might want to rake a head coaches’ salary, there’s no fun in that. In fact, Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban said he has no time to party and has never been to a tailgate. Don’t be boring like Nick and go to a tailgate at one of the best schools for tailgating. BREAK OUT THE BODY PAINT AND BEER PONG

4. Attendance at college football games has been on a decline. In fact, last season it was at its lowest mark in 22 years. Part of the problem is that live games are too expensive and fans can have a great experience from the comfort of their own home or a bar. (TV ratings are still strong). One lure to get butts in seats at games and maybe make a little extra cash? Alcohol. Conferences and schools across the country are lifting the ban on selling booze to general admission ticket holders. (Alcohol was typically only available previously in suites and designated luxury seats). CHEERS TO HOPING

5. We’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss the cult classic, ESPN College GameDay. It’s like Saturday morning cartoons for grownup sports fans. Each week, the show travels to the campus of the biggest game and does their report from there. It’s a perfect blend for a curious sports fan - about 65% sports and 35% screwing around and always features guest stars and famous alumni.  THE E! OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Note - This weekend is what’s known as week zero of college football. There will be two games this weekend, with the big kickoff to week one of college football, which starts next Thursday. Clemson is ranked #1 in the pre-season and will again be the team to beat. SCHEDULE

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The Five Wackiest People To Own A Sports Team

And you thought the words eccentric and slightly crazy were only reserved for your family reunion.

These guys take the cake,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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1. James Dolan is frequently referred to as the worst owner in sports. While his New York Knicks (NBA – National Basketball Association) are amongst the most valuable sports franchises, they haven’t made the playoffs in six years. Dolan is known for his hatred of the media, tossing fans and banning former players for criticizing him. He’s the head of the family business, Madison Square Garden Company, which owns, to name a few, the Knicks and New York Rangers (NHL – National Hockey League). He was recently sued by his shareholders for spending too much time out of the office with his band where he’s the lead singer, guitarist and kazoo player. JUGGLING A LOT OF BALLS 

2. Mark Davis took over the Oakland Raiders (NFL - National Football League) from his controversial owner father Al Davis. The younger Davis is worth $500 million (the lowest net worth of any NFL owner), drives a 1997 Dodge Caravan, travels 400 miles to Palm Springs to get his hair cut (which resembles Jim Carrey in “Dumb and Dumber”) and eats at P.F. Chang’s every day. Luckily for him, there are plenty of Chang’s in Las Vegas where the team will be relocating in 2020. SO YOU‘RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE?

3. Taking over after his dad moved the Colts (NFL) from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the middle of the night, Jim Irsay has lived an unpredictable and fast life. He’s spent it partying (while picking up a few DUIs) and buying relics that some would admire (like John Lennon’s Sgt. Pepper Piano) and some unusual ones (like the founding documents for Alcoholics Anonymous at the cost of $2.4M). NOT A GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD

4. When researching Steve Ballmer, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), the words “he went bananas” appeared in far too many articles. The former Microsoft CEO and richest owner in the NBA's zest for life recently landed him the first meme of the NBA season during his very, very enthusiastic introduction of his team’s two new players. He’s screamed at games until he’s red in the face, danced at his courtside seats and his overall game day antics are better than watching the game itself. EXCITED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT

5. Rounding out the list is Dallas Cowboys (NFL) owner Jerry Jones. When he bought the team 30 years ago for $140 million (now worth $5B), he promptly fired the only head coach Cowboys fans ever knew, Tom Landry. The team hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 1995 but surely that has nothing to do with the fact that he’s woven himself into personnel and on-the-field decisions, serving as the owner and the general manager. Not to be outdone, there’s his awkward take on contract negation discussions. Now he sails the seas on his new 357-foot-long, $250 Million super yacht. (The yacht is as long as a football field). SAILING TAKES ME AWAY

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