Those devoted to fantasy games reach a climax

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Those devoted to fantasy games reach a climax

It was expected. It still hurt. The day after all the games had been played out on the field and echos of the cries of agony and joy had faded away in fantasy land, the simple e-mail title said it loud and clear: Loser!
I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the inevitable. There it was. The customary dressing down from your opponent who has just beaten you. I lost by one miserable point and there was nothing I could do but clench my teeth and let out a sigh, because if you’re fantasy geek, this is the moment you either live or die for.
Hoping not to be on the receiving end, you prayed for a win and the eternal right to bash your opponent that comes with it. But still I held my head high. I lost the battle, but not the war. For the first time in three years my fantasy team is in the playoffs, and that’s good enough for me.
There’s one in every workplace: someone so immersed in fantasy league sports they appear to have mental problems. At this time of year, when all the leagues go into playoffs, these games need straightjackets.
If your co-worker can’t wipe away that unexplainable smirk on his face and walks with confidence down the hall even after bombing a presentation, you should suspect he is a fantasy geek.
If you have a coworker whose body is present during meetings, but little else, he is a fantasy geek.
If you have a coworker who eats lunch all by himself while muttering to themselves what he would do to some football player if they met in a parking lot, he is definitely a fantasy geek.
My advice: Cut them some slack ― fantasy leagues are not a hobby, they’re a religion. Don’t ask why. Nobody asks why the sun rises in the East. It just does.
“So how much money do you play for?” Someone asked the other day. Obviously, a non-believer who does not get it. “None” was my answer.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some who play for some serious scratch, but first and foremost it’s all about pride and bragging rights. Those who play these games get hooked into this other world, while living a different life in reality.
What you have to understand is that December is the month in which most fantasy league players find out whether their fantasy teams are in the hunt for a championship or not.
For those who are in the playoffs the stakes are high. While those who blew it are in a state that is hard to describe ― getting into the fetal position embedded deep into the the sofa and wanting to be left alone would best describe this state. But even this does not truly encompass the full range of abject emotions being felt.
Don’t talk about company bonuses. We are not interested in how much the year end bonus will be. All we are interested in is finding out which of our injured players will be able to play, or not, on game day.
I know it all sounds Latin to most people, but don’t worry, it will all be over soon. Your better half, your loved one, your co-worker, or your brother will return to their real lives.
We all have our fantasies. Some are just living through them at the moment and that isn’t so bad. Is it?


by Brian Lee
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