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Why do women hate fantasy sports?

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  • Why do women hate fantasy sports?

    It seems that every time i mention to a woman that i play fantasy sports, she just rolls her eyes and/or smirks. It's just a harmless recreational activity. Why do most women seem to hate fantasy sports so much?
    “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

    ― Albert Einstein

  • #2
    Originally posted by madducks View Post
    It seems that every time i mention to a woman that i play fantasy sports, she just rolls her eyes and/or smirks. It's just a harmless recreational activity. Why do most women seem to hate fantasy sports so much?
    They just don't get it, man. In all seriousness, I think they think it is nerdy/a but pathetic to obsess over the stats and accomplishments of men that are actually playing the sport, which is extra sad to them, because many of them don't think the sport is all that interesting in it self. My wife also thinks I spend too much time on it, even though I only play in two leagues a year, most years--one baseball league and one football league, both which I've been in for going on 25 years, since high school. The only way she has understood it is me telling her I do it as a way to stay in touch with old friends.

    Two things have helped her tolerance of this increase. 1. I win these leagues fairly often, and have taken to using part of my winnings to get her something. 2. Ironically, she has taken to asking me about some players, because their wives are on the house wives realities shows she watches. I say ironically, because I see those shows probably how some women see fantasy sports--as a complete waste of time, and sad that women watch and invest in the lives of other women, much richer than them, not doing anything of real consequence. At least I can win money doing my thing. I haven't seen any real housewives fantasy drafts yet.

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    • #3
      two prominent female sportswriters told me 20 years ago that this aversion mirrors itself in their lack of interest in making public predictions about the upcoming pro sports seasons.

      they note that their male counterparts might eagerly post who will win each division, who will win each wild card, and then make predictions of direct matchups for the postseason - complete with scores! - right through to the championship round.

      they see this as bizarre, given how many errors all of the men will make in their prediction of who's making the playoffs - much less what the matchups are in each round. it's fundamentally illogical.

      I would proffer that for men, claiming an expertise about the upcoming season fulfills a need to prove their superiority to others - even at the risk of being shown up by poor picks.

      it's primal for men.

      ..................

      "I haven't seen any real housewives fantasy drafts yet. "

      apparently The Bachelor fantasy drafts have been growing each year. I believe it's a snake draft, and from the teasers about each of the 25 or so contestants, ladies predict which of them will last the longest on the show - bonus points for picking the winner, I assume.
      finished 10th in this 37th yr in 11-team-only NL 5x5
      own picks 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 in April 2022 1st-rd farmhand draft
      won in 2017 15 07 05 04 02 93 90 84

      SP SGray 16, TWalker 10, AWood 10, Price 3, KH Kim 2, Corbin 10
      RP Bednar 10, Bender 10, Graterol 2
      C Stallings 2, Casali 1
      1B Votto 10, 3B ERios 2, 1B Zimmerman 2, 2S Chisholm 5, 2B Hoerner 5, 2B Solano 2, 2B LGarcia 10, SS Gregorius 17
      OF Cain 14, Bader 1, Daza 1

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      • #4
        My wife has zero interest in the underlying sports, but has actually become very cool about the fantasy game -- enough to even inquire how my teams are doing with some regularity. I've explained it to her as involving research, mathematics (statistics and probability, correlation and causation, sample size fallacies, regressions to the mean), and game theory/psychology, in terms of understanding and taking advantage of each specific league's format, rules, proclivities and incentives. It definitely helps that she's seen me win quite often, including over the past few NBA season pummeling her brother, who she's always seen as brilliant. Now rather than seeing me as a pathetic nerd living vicariously through professional athletes, she sees me as a genius polymath integrating various academic fields and intellectual skills in creative and research-based ways. She's even suggested within her high schools that they find ways to integrate fantasy sports into the math curriculum as a way to engage boys who might otherwise not connect with math.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by B-Fly View Post
          My wife has zero interest in the underlying sports, but has actually become very cool about the fantasy game -- enough to even inquire how my teams are doing with some regularity. I've explained it to her as involving research, mathematics (statistics and probability, correlation and causation, sample size fallacies, regressions to the mean), and game theory/psychology, in terms of understanding and taking advantage of each specific league's format, rules, proclivities and incentives. It definitely helps that she's seen me win quite often, including over the past few NBA season pummeling her brother, who she's always seen as brilliant. Now rather than seeing me as a pathetic nerd living vicariously through professional athletes, she sees me as a genius polymath integrating various academic fields and intellectual skills in creative and research-based ways. She's even suggested within her high schools that they find ways to integrate fantasy sports into the math curriculum as a way to engage boys who might otherwise not connect with math.
          Oh man, your wife is a great. I'd have been super into a math class that used fantasy sports as a door into it. One of my biggest problems with math as it was taught back in the day is that all of my texts completely divorced the math from the real world applications. I think had I really understood the power of math, I'd have stayed engaged in it longer.

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          • #6
            Because they know how much luck is involved!
            "I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth."

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            • #7
              because fantasy sports sounds close to fantasy sex. as a single guy, i am just thankful no woman has ever asked me if i masturbate everyday. or if i ever had an orgasm after getting a lawn dart stuck in my foot.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by nullnor View Post
                because fantasy sports sounds close to fantasy sex. as a single guy, i am just thankful no woman has ever asked me if i masturbate everyday. or if i ever had an orgasm after getting a lawn dart stuck in my foot.


                That is one of the funniest set ups and lines I've read on this forum, or any forum.

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                • #9
                  My wife pretends to care, which is nice. She smiles and nods when she is definitely not listening. She says she likes when I win because it makes me happy, but she does not like the time I spend prepping. She also does not like that in the league I have had the most success in, the winner gets an ENORMOUS trophy that is always prominently displayed in the house.

                  But, yeah, I think it's the time spent on preparation, although I try to do more preparation when she is sleeping or during my commute.

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                  • #10
                    My wife is actually supportive of my Rotiss play. I play in a league and Indiana and used to play in the PONY league that drafted in Ohio. I am currently in 4 money leagues. She is always telling me to join leagues when I am offered the opportunity. She sees it as I am home on the computer being a geek crunching numbers as opposed to going to the bars with the guys all the time. She doesnt like me flipping channels between several games but that its why I put a TV in the bedroom for her. It helps that like Sour Mash when I make a little money I spend some of it on her.
                    Its not what you've got. Its what you give.
                    Its not the life you choose. Its the life you live--TESLA


                    Princess Kate-Kate Marie Hrischuk 9/12/00-1/27/07

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                    • #11
                      The other thing my wife actually loved was when I was doing creative writing about and around fantasy sports for this site back when we were a "content provider", lol. She turned that into a homework assignment for her students, too. Write about something you're interested in in the style of one of the books we've read in class, and she'd hand out my Catcher in the Rye spoof:

                      $1 Catcher in the Wry

                      If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is how I got into fantasy baseball, and what format I play, and how many titles I’ve won, and all that kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.

                      Who wants to hear some guy talk about what a great goddam fantasy baseball genius he is, anyway? Nobody, that’s who. Fantasy baseball is full of liars and phonies, if you want to know the truth. A guy will tell you how he drafted Albert Pujols as a rookie and that he’s got old Albert locked up for five years or whatever, but will he tell you he also gave old Eric Milton a guaranteed contract at 10 lousy bucks? These guys are so phony you want to puke.

                      Anyway, I don’t even know why I bother to play fantasy baseball any more. I should just quit. No kidding, I really should. Every year it just makes me so goddam depressed. Like this season, I came out of the draft feeling like I was really something. I had Adrian Beltre, Carlos Beltran, Brad Wilkerson and Jason Schmidt and I’m thinking this could be my year. There’s nothing more depressing than waking up in the middle of May and realizing that your entire crummy season is already in the goddam toilet.

                      I don’t envy Carlos Beltran, boy. He hits like a million home runs in the playoffs and everyone decides old Carlos is a goddam superhero. So then he gets a sack of money from the Mets and the fans talk about how he’s going to save the whole lousy franchise like he’s Jesus or something. I mean, he’s a nice player and all, but he couldn’t even hit .260 at Minute Maid Park, for chrissakes, and now he’s supposed to show up at Shea Stadium and be Mickey Mantle. And on top of all of that he’s got a bunch of phony fantasy baseball geniuses yelling at him that he ruined their whole crummy season. I’m surprised old Carlos didn’t slit his wrists. I really am.

                      Who needs that kind of pressure? Nobody. I wouldn’t want to be anybody’s pitching ace or first-round slugger or guaranteed contract or anything like that. All you can do then is disappoint everybody. And they’ll tell you about it too. The goddam fantasy baseball geniuses will get on you about your declining contact rate or your crummy ground ball to fly ball ratio and how you’ve got the worst OPS of any first baseman in the league or something. It’s really depressing.

                      The only guy who really has it made is the backup $1 catcher. Like John Flaherty. Nobody expects anything out of John Flaherty. If old Flaherty has a game where he gets two lousy hits his fantasy owners will jump up and down like they won the lottery or something. That just kills me. Last year, stupid Ackley-kid stumbled onto a $1 Rod Barajas with the last reserve pick, and old Ackley was dancing around grinning like an idiot all year. I got to figuring, if old Ackley can luck into a $1 Rod Barajas then what kind of genius do you have to be to play fantasy baseball? No genius at all, for chrissakes.

                      Anyway, I keep picturing everyone playing baseball in this big stadium and all. Dozens of billionaire hitters and pitchers everywhere and then there’s me. And I'm the backup catcher. What I have to do, I have to catch one pitcher every fifth game or so. Every other day I can just sit there and watch in case the starting catcher gets hurt - I mean if he’s blocking the plate and he gets knocked out by a runner trying to score or something. But mostly I’d just watch. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the backup catcher and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy.

                      A $1 backup catcher, boy. Old Jose is the luckiest Molina. He really is. No fantasy baseball geniuses resting their season’s hopes on old Jose.

                      All I can tell you is, the next time you meet some fantasy baseball genius bragging how he got Jeff Francoeur for a dollar or something, remember what I told you. He probably has old Eric Milton for ten dollars. Or Mike Lowell or somebody, I don’t know. It’s so phony it just about kills you.

                      So that’s the story. I’m finished with goddam fantasy baseball, I really am. I’ll probably miss it though and get even more depressed. Never get yourself into a game like that, because it will drive you crazy but then if you quit you’ll start missing it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by B-Fly View Post
                        The other thing my wife actually loved was when I was doing creative writing about and around fantasy sports for this site back when we were a "content provider", lol.
                        Ha! I very vaguely remember that. And very vaguely remember looking forward to your Fly Paper or whatever name your column had.
                        "Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.'"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Judge Jude View Post
                          apparently The Bachelor fantasy drafts have been growing each year. I believe it's a snake draft, and from the teasers about each of the 25 or so contestants, ladies predict which of them will last the longest on the show - bonus points for picking the winner, I assume.
                          I do Survivor fantasy drafts/contests, and those participants seem to be a pretty even mix of men and women.
                          Originally posted by Kevin Seitzer
                          We pinch ran for Altuve specifically to screw over Mith's fantasy team.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            As for the more conventional fantasy sports, I was doing them before I met my wife, so she knew from the getgo that this was just something I did. Her main issues are when a draft date gets in the way of plans for something else, and when I want to watch TNF, SNF and MNF even if the Eagles aren't playing because I have players going.
                            Originally posted by Kevin Seitzer
                            We pinch ran for Altuve specifically to screw over Mith's fantasy team.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by B-Fly View Post
                              The other thing my wife actually loved was when I was doing creative writing about and around fantasy sports for this site back when we were a "content provider", lol. She turned that into a homework assignment for her students, too. Write about something you're interested in in the style of one of the books we've read in class, and she'd hand out my Catcher in the Rye spoof:

                              $1 Catcher in the Wry

                              If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is how I got into fantasy baseball, and what format I play, and how many titles I’ve won, and all that kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.

                              Who wants to hear some guy talk about what a great goddam fantasy baseball genius he is, anyway? Nobody, that’s who. Fantasy baseball is full of liars and phonies, if you want to know the truth. A guy will tell you how he drafted Albert Pujols as a rookie and that he’s got old Albert locked up for five years or whatever, but will he tell you he also gave old Eric Milton a guaranteed contract at 10 lousy bucks? These guys are so phony you want to puke.

                              Anyway, I don’t even know why I bother to play fantasy baseball any more. I should just quit. No kidding, I really should. Every year it just makes me so goddam depressed. Like this season, I came out of the draft feeling like I was really something. I had Adrian Beltre, Carlos Beltran, Brad Wilkerson and Jason Schmidt and I’m thinking this could be my year. There’s nothing more depressing than waking up in the middle of May and realizing that your entire crummy season is already in the goddam toilet.

                              I don’t envy Carlos Beltran, boy. He hits like a million home runs in the playoffs and everyone decides old Carlos is a goddam superhero. So then he gets a sack of money from the Mets and the fans talk about how he’s going to save the whole lousy franchise like he’s Jesus or something. I mean, he’s a nice player and all, but he couldn’t even hit .260 at Minute Maid Park, for chrissakes, and now he’s supposed to show up at Shea Stadium and be Mickey Mantle. And on top of all of that he’s got a bunch of phony fantasy baseball geniuses yelling at him that he ruined their whole crummy season. I’m surprised old Carlos didn’t slit his wrists. I really am.

                              Who needs that kind of pressure? Nobody. I wouldn’t want to be anybody’s pitching ace or first-round slugger or guaranteed contract or anything like that. All you can do then is disappoint everybody. And they’ll tell you about it too. The goddam fantasy baseball geniuses will get on you about your declining contact rate or your crummy ground ball to fly ball ratio and how you’ve got the worst OPS of any first baseman in the league or something. It’s really depressing.

                              The only guy who really has it made is the backup $1 catcher. Like John Flaherty. Nobody expects anything out of John Flaherty. If old Flaherty has a game where he gets two lousy hits his fantasy owners will jump up and down like they won the lottery or something. That just kills me. Last year, stupid Ackley-kid stumbled onto a $1 Rod Barajas with the last reserve pick, and old Ackley was dancing around grinning like an idiot all year. I got to figuring, if old Ackley can luck into a $1 Rod Barajas then what kind of genius do you have to be to play fantasy baseball? No genius at all, for chrissakes.

                              Anyway, I keep picturing everyone playing baseball in this big stadium and all. Dozens of billionaire hitters and pitchers everywhere and then there’s me. And I'm the backup catcher. What I have to do, I have to catch one pitcher every fifth game or so. Every other day I can just sit there and watch in case the starting catcher gets hurt - I mean if he’s blocking the plate and he gets knocked out by a runner trying to score or something. But mostly I’d just watch. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the backup catcher and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy.

                              A $1 backup catcher, boy. Old Jose is the luckiest Molina. He really is. No fantasy baseball geniuses resting their season’s hopes on old Jose.

                              All I can tell you is, the next time you meet some fantasy baseball genius bragging how he got Jeff Francoeur for a dollar or something, remember what I told you. He probably has old Eric Milton for ten dollars. Or Mike Lowell or somebody, I don’t know. It’s so phony it just about kills you.

                              So that’s the story. I’m finished with goddam fantasy baseball, I really am. I’ll probably miss it though and get even more depressed. Never get yourself into a game like that, because it will drive you crazy but then if you quit you’ll start missing it.
                              I got a big kick out of this. Thanks for posting it. And that is a great lesson idea.

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