The traditional image of an American football fan presents a one-dimensional character. When imagining a “fan,” we think of a person who has—for one reason or another— chosen to become a follower of a particular team, watches the games of said team and roots for them to defeat their opponents.
But should we assume that just because someone is a football fan, that that makes his or her primary interest within the sport just one single team? Until recent years, that assumption would be acceptable, but lately football fans aren’t rooting for their team, they’re rooting for their fantasy team instead.
Today, about 20 percent of all American men are fantasy football team managers, and the popularity of fantasy football has been growing rapidly with no sign of stopping. From 2008 to 2012, the number of fantasy football players increased by 60 percent. This percentage is poised to continue to increase for a number of reasons. One of the most important reasons is retention; 80 percent of all current players say that they will continue playing through at least the next ten years. And these players that won’t quit are starting young too. Americans 18-24 spend more time on fantasy football than any other age demographic. Fantasy players start early, and once they start… they rarely stop.
It’s arguable whether or not the NFL is benefitting from this acceleration in fantasy football participation.
Financially, fantasy sports are absolutely helping out the football industry as a whole. 55 percent of fantasy football players say that they have started watching significantly more football since they started playing, a statistic that reaps enormous profit for the National Football League. But the complaint with fantasy football is not about how many people are watching, but how these fans are viewing games.
Many believe that the integrity the American football fan is at risk. The want of a fantasy owner to root for his or her team of drafted players very often outweighs their support for the specific team that they would usually root for. Fantasy football naysayers are often unhappy that fans only care about a player’s personal performance rather than that of the entire team. Many NFL players have pointed out this problem; quarterback Peyton Manning has even said that besides autographs, the thing that fans ask for most often is for him to win them their fantasy game. Other players, such as ex-NFL player Jake Plummer, have stated publicly that they believe fantasy sports are ruining the real game.
It’s difficult to determine which “team” is really more important. On one hand, fantasy players may have real NFL teams that they have supported since they were a child, and there is often a felt sense of community within a city through the support of their team. At the same time, fantasy footballers often have money at stake, or bond with friends or family through participating in leagues together.
The argument is difficult to make either way; however, it is clear that fantasy football is changing the way that many Americans watch on Sundays, and there is little sign that the fantasy craze will stop anytime s