Fantasy Football Has Increased the NFL Fan Base

As fashionable as the sport of football has become, particularly the NFL, just watching the games is no longer enough for even the average fan.

Fantasy football has been around for over a decade, but within the past five or six years, it has become increasingly popular among NFL fans. No longer do fans just kick back on their couches on Sunday afternoon, with a beer in their hand, potato chips on the coffee table, wearing their favorite players jersey- they now do all of that with a laptop in front of them as they track their players every stat.

Fantasy football has captured the interest of most fans, and has brought new fans into the mix. For me personally, I always dismissed the notion of playing fantasy football as watching the games and playing the Madden games on my game consoles was enough for me.

I knew that fantasy football had become the trend, but I just steered clear. But this season, my inquisitiveness got the best of me. I joined a fantasy football league for the first time and now I have become one of the millions of Americans who are fantasy football addicts.

I understand the enthrallment now that I have played. And I see why and how it has aided in the NFL's ever escalating popularity.

Here is an example of how fantasy football has produced more fanatics- a casual fan, maybe someone who only watch games socially, may join his buddies in a fantasy football league just because it's the cool thing to do and everyone else is doing it. In order to manage your team properly, it's imperative that you at least watch the highlights of the games, keeping tabs on your player's weekly statistics. And because most men are exceedingly competitive, and losing is downright crushing, this casual fan is forced to keep a watchful eye on his team, and his opponents teams, therefore, he is glued to that television on Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings.

And now some women have joined in the madness. Wives, girlfriends, sisters, mothers, aunts, etc. have joined leagues, maybe to see what all of the fuss is about. Well guys, they don't want us to know, but women can be just as competitive as men at times. They too begin to learn the game, the players, and the stats. They too begin to wheel and deal.

And anytime a person watches something long enough, mere interest becomes must see TV.

But the hardcore NFL fans are what initially began the fantasy football craze. They still enjoy watching the games, but now they have this virtual way to get into the action. They have their own fantasy draft, where they select players. Throughout the season, players are traded, dropped to waivers, picked up from waivers. Basically, you manage a mini-franchise, which to a lot of people is the foremost exhilaration of fantasy football.

It may sound humdrum and corny to the outsiders, but once you're in, you're hooked.

By the way, I am not doing so well right now in my introductory fantasy football season, but it is still very early.