How many of you played fantasy football at least once in your life? I would have to think that, those reading this, were, and maybe still are, fantasy football players. Some, like me, were avid FFB players having 10-20 teams, if you only played with one of these sponsors, ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, etc. I've heard that some people have 20 to 30, and up, because they joined multiple sponsored leagues. Now folks, you can't play fantasy football with people you don't know, some don't care, and claim a mighty victory when you win a Championship. Playing against family, friends, just people you know, and winning a ring? That's huge. Downright, out the door, jump on the bed, scream singing "We are the Champions" as you follow along with Freddie Mercury and Queen. Nothing gets better than that. Except for...when you win in a league that is a money league and the payout is hundreds of dollars. (I've won 2 in my life, I quit because I found MFN).
It's NFL draft day. You sit and watch every pick, for every team, checking stats, to see which of these players will help you in a total draft league or keeper leagues. Draft finishes, months later the players start their mini camps, all is looking great for the up and coming rookies. Then the drafting begins for many leagues, some in the summer. For those people who draft in the summer, a thing I never did and could never understand why someone would take a chance, especially when you play for money). Normally you are drafting against people who draft players they like, others because of their names (don't laugh too hard, my wife won a league that way one year), or just put it on auto and play player roulette. It seems, though, that in every league you find a guy, like me, who is an avid sports fan, can't get enough of it, and loves to crunch stat numbers until their head spins and they pass out. LOL. They forego sleep, the night before the draft, to ensure everything is dress right dress, ducks in a row, and does everything possible to ensure he has a good draft. And, as it turns out, this guy (not me) had the best draft in the league, took the top rookie RB in the draft, drafted the right players, and for this guy, it seems that the planets finally aligned, and, for once, it looked like he was going to win a Championship. Summer is here as are the mini camps for NFL teams. This guy follows ESPN NFL news 24/7, always trying to keep the edge. His players are having practices and he's starting to think how he's going to spend all that money. It's August, preseason games, time to evaluate the players you picked, check your weaknesses, make trades, fill the holes, so that your team can be a champ or, at least, be competitive that year. And then the world falls apart for many fantasy owners, as it did for our guy, as their lineups get twisted because of injuries. The one's that can kill your hopes early, like the season ending, or career ending, injuries to one of your top 2 picks. Of course, we all feel bad, and pray for the player, and his family, and hope he recovers no matter what direction his life leads. But then that sneaky, devilish other side of the fantasy brain is screaming, "I told you that you should've picked the other guy and you didn't!", right? His primo RB, that he picked with #1 pick, got a season ending injury and possibly a career ending injury. That's not all, his top WR got into legal trouble and now is facing prison time, another one of his players decided to party with his buddies and got suspended, and the list goes on.
Playing fantasy football is like me being a die hard Browns fan. It's a love/hate relationship. When your season goes the way our guy's season went, ended up 3rd in his 4 team division with a losing record, you ask yourself, "Why do I put up with this? Why do I spend so much time on what it takes to have a winning season? And who ever thought that Joe Scrub RB, mostly drafter in the 15th round, if at all, and makes the Pro Bowl legitimately because of his performance (unlike Shedeur Sanders. How did he ever make the Pro Bowl? We in Cleveland are still wondering.) Or the year that some guy, who was just bagging groceries a few weeks ago, comes into the NFL, gets to start because of a preseason injury to the starter, and has the most amazing QB season anyone has ever seen! Oh, yes, he took his team, "the greatest show on turf" to the Super Bowl and, not only won that, but he also won the SB MVP. Wow! Right? And those that drafted him, or picked him up later, won their leagues. Thus is the life of a FFB player. The sad thing, is that the FFB season doesn't last long, especially if you lose the first round of the playoffs, or if you never make the playoffs at all.
I discovered MyFootballNow purely by accident. That moment became a life changer for me. After playing one season I dropped FFB like a hot potato. No more buying expensive FFB guides, no more watching ESPN until your head gets dizzy, no more short seasons, no more playing against "faceless" people who you don't get to know because it's a 1 and done season.
MFN is the ultimate sim game. I've tried OOTP baseball (great game but expensive), Basehit, ok but nowhere the level of OOTP, but it's free. MFN is the game that delivers an amazing experience to any player, on any level, different challenges. The options on how the owner wants to play the game is up to them. They can spend as much or as little time as they want but, they must understand that the player will only get out of the game as to what they put into it. For me, MFN, is like having Christmas every day 365 days of the year. Every day, as an old ******, sort of, this game gives me something to look forward to everyday, keeps my brain working, meet new people, have incredible games to watch, and sometimes, it makes me laugh and other times it makes me want to throw my computer out the window (fortunately I have a mini pc. LOL) The highs/lows, the year round competition, the ability to learn the game at your own speed, are just more reasons to like this game more than FFB.
This game is always evolving and, like anything, some changes are good ( look at the WWII helicopters and compare them to the Blackhawk that we have today.) Some changes are very bad (look at the '69 Corvette to today's Corvette). As the player has learned to adapt new strategies against different owners, so do the owners have to adapt to the changes that are made. The owners who grasp, and understand, how the changes are meant to improve the game, are the one's that will do best. The price stays the same whereas other games you have to pay for upgrades, buy a new game, buy a new console. Every game has problems but, the fact that there is a full effort in making this game betters, is just another reason to stay on and see how better it will get.
The MFN Galaxy, is made up of players from all walks of life. I was amazed, and very intrigued, having discovered the backgrounds of many of the owners, how intelligent, thinkers outside the box, strategic planners, helpful to the newbies, giving input to JDB of ideas, criticisms, and random thoughts outside the box. The people I've talked with have so much passion for this game as they care what happens to it. Some of the owners, I have found, are pretty near impossible to beat. But that's why you play the game because, every once in a while, you get the breaks and you end up beating an "unbeatable" owner. And, in this Galaxy that JDB has created, there's more owners that are nearly impossible to beat, than those that are still in the learning stages. For me, the info you can learn about this game, the intricacies, strategies, seems to be never ending. It seems, the more you learn, opens more doors, or possibilities, to learn another depth of the game. How many games are like that? The never ending learning possibilities is another reason I like this game.
I don't know JDB personally, except for this game, but he has created something that is nothing short of amazing. It must've taken many hours to develop the first working game. The hard work, dedication, mind expanding thought processes he goes through daily, sleepless nights, and money spent for all the software to develop this game, must be staggering. He has developed a game that, someday, when it's as perfectly developed, as it can be, it could be looked upon as one of the greatest sim games ever. In which case, I'm hoping, JDB will have a fleet of boats and cars, fancy mansions, and get the public recognition, and awards he deserves. Living somewhere incredible and living the life that he only dreams about now. Just another reason I love this game.
Comparing FFB to MFN, and deciding which is better, is mostly up to the player. FFB is easier to learn, very short yearly season, and easier to play, not rocket science kind of game.
MFN, however, is a year round war, between owners of teams, who have made rivalries over the years, sometimes having a difficult time to beat an owner because he knows how you play so well. Waking up every day to see how you're team did, not once a week, knowing that it's not time to engulf yourself in victory too long as there is another game coming up soon for that team. Owners who have multiple teams? How much of a life do they have outside of the MFN Galaxy? I can ask this because, currently, I have 10 teams. Owners with this many teams have to be organized, have a lot of time or drop other things to play the game, quick thinkers, type A competitive spirit, the love of victory and to absorb the agony of defeat, and still trudge on. The ability to have as many teams as you desire but you must stay competitive in every league. Love this reason as I'm a simaholic. (my word I just invented).
I raise my glass to JDB and this magnificent game he has created. Thank you for the many hours of enjoyment you have made possible by creating this game.
May you, and this game, live long and prosper.
