The Phenomenon that is Fantasy Sports

By: Dave Leventhal

First and foremost, I’d like to give thanks to the creators of theBESTmagazine Blog, an excellent site it is, for posting some of my thoughts.

Today’s topic, and coincidentally the only topic I have any knowledge of, is fantasy baseball. As a result of this hobby turned passion consuming my day-to-day life, I figure it is appropriate to introduce myself to the audience using a well known introduction of an unnamed organization for alcohol dependency…Hello, My name is Dave Leventhal; and I’m a fantasy baseball-aholic.

Most red-blooded American men in this country, and an increasing amount of the ladies, are involved in some form of fantasy sport: football, baseball, basketball, and NASCAR, being the most popular. Anyone who thinks fantasy isn’t relevant in our society need not look any further than the statistics: 29.9 million North Americans (yes, this figure includes our hockey-loving neighbors to the north), played fantasy sports in 2007 and that number continues to grow. The fantasy sport market was estimated at $800 million in that same year, and that doesn’t include media purchased to follow the sport; i.e. my roommates and I buy the MLB baseball cable package every year, exclusively to follow our fantasy teams.

In the worst financial times since The Great Depression, people across the continent are finding ways to spend money to enjoy their fantasy teams. Gotta love getting my fantasy kick, while simultaneously supporting our crumbling economy. The long and short of it is this: what was once considered the pursuit of only the most die-hard sports geeks has become an entertainment and economic phenomenon that is accepted and relevant in the mainstream.

Of course, this is an only an introduction.  There will be more posts on actual fantasy players and strategy are forthcoming.  Until then, let’s go Human Growth Hormones (that’s my team name).