A Break in the Madness: Fantasy Footballers Reflect on the Season
By Heather Murphy, 02.03.05

Eric Bader is bitter. After devoting much of the fall to his fantasy football team's success, his team finished 8 out of 9 - 10, if you count the team that quit halfway through the season.

"I'm not over it," Bader said. "We didn't have the best end."

With the Super Bowl only days away, the 2004 to 2005 football season is coming to a close. To those like Bader who tracked and traded players in a fantasy football league during the season, the end brings a host of mixed emotions, and some found free time.

"I really, really spent more time on it than I intended," Bader said. "You have no idea."

The Biggest Loser
After spending most of the season "in striking distance of 1st place," Bader said some bad coaching decisions caused his team to slip in the standings. His players' performances also contributed to the team's demise. One player in particular still haunts Bader.

Chris Brown, a Tennessee Titans running back, was sidelined for eight weeks with a sprained toe. His injury cost Bader's team valuable points for more than half of the season.

"I was under the impression that these were pro football players who could play with a little injury or pain. I've never had a sprained toe before but apparently, it must hurt," Bader said. "I blame most of the collapse of the season on him."

Despite Brown's injury, Bader's team managed to tie another team for the last slot in the playoffs. In the first playoff game, Bader's devotion to research paid off with a victory.

"I spent 20 hours preparing for that game; my wife can tell you," Bader said.

But, Bader's success was short-lived as he lost in his next game, eliminating him from the winners' bracket of the playoffs.

"Then I kept losing in the losers' brackets until I was the biggest loser," he said.

A Sweet Victory
Fellow Fantasy Football manager Jeff Kuck ended his season on a brighter note. After spending most of the regular season hovering in the middle of the standings, Kuck's team had a successful playoff run and won the league's championship game.

"It was all luck," Kuck said. "But I thought I had a good team."

Kuck recalled staying up late on Dec. 19, 2004, to watch the Baltimore Ravens - Indianapolis Colts game, convinced that the outcome would end his team's year. His season rested on the foot of Colts' kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who Kuck claims "never misses a field goal."

With his future in the playoffs hanging on one kick, Kuck watched as Vanderjagt's field goal attempt missed the mark, denying Kuck's opponent of the points he needed to win.

"It was an act of God," Kuck said. "I was able to just squeak out enough points."

Strategy
Kuck attributes his success to having a strong team without the star power of a few much-hyped, well-known players.

"I had a lot of scrappers," Kuck said.

Bader agreed with Kuck's assessment, adding that a team without all-star players wasn't one you would initially expect to be in the championship game. However, after his disappointing season, Bader is rethinking his strategy of staying loyal to a few top players.

"I was all flash," Bader said. "All my players have been fired."

He's also rethinking his coaching strategy.

Bader spent hours each week researching players in the hope that he could assemble the strongest roster for his impending game. Most of his research was conducted on fantasy football Web sites.

"They are so freakin' worthless," Bader said. "I used them. I regret that decision."

But, Kuck also used multiple Web sites for his research, which didn't provide "one guaranteed answer to who's going to do well."

"It really comes down to luck," he said.

There's Always Next Year
Despite their team's different outcomes, both Bader and Kuck said they liked playing in a league with friends and will do it again next fall.

"It was more maddening than I ever imagined," Bader said. "But I enjoyed it."

With the season ending, there are no new stats to track or coaching decisions to be made, leaving the managers with some extra time on their hands.

"Now there's a big void in my life," Kuck said. "I don't know what to do with my time."

His wife Julie plans to capitalize on her husband's freedom from fantasy football. For her sacrifices throughout the season, Kuck promised her a nice dinner with his prize money.