It’s been a
while since I’ve posted something. I wanted to talk about The Witness which
until recently was my game of the year. But I couldn’t quite put to words how
great I thought the game was, without just ultimately writing a review of it. So
I decided to write about something else, something that would take time until
it was complete in order to tell the full story. This year, I’ve got quite
interested in alternate reality games; games where normal everyday scenarios
become a game through scoring points and competing in extra activities to earn
bonuses. These can be internal games (something I feel I’ve always done in my
life, create challenges just for me – like mathematical equations etc.) or
external games (where we compete with multiple people and post our
achievements). I would love to incorporate more of these in my life, such
fitness games, trying to push myself further and regularly. But at the minute,
there’s only one prominent Alternate Reality Game in my life and it’s just come
to an end, at least till the end of august. I am of course talking about
Fantasy Football.
This week,
the final premier league fixtures were played out. Many games in which were
supposed to be big games or season defining games, such as Man City and Man
United playing out for that final Champions League place. But in truth, most of
season was sowed up a few weeks back, with consistent Leicester City incredibly
winning the league, at the capitulation of Tottenham Hotspur. And as the
relegation battle, which usually comes down to the final day, was also over as
Sunderland secured safety mid-week in a win over Everton, relegating their
arch-rivals Newcastle; as well as Norwich, at the same time. All in all, there
wasn’t a great deal to play for on the final day.
Or was
there?
Whilst my
own supported team Liverpool had very little to play for other than an outside
chance at finishing higher; my team, which I manage in Fantasy Football, Everyone
Into Position (named after an Oceansize Album) - had something thoroughly
underwhelming yet no less exciting to play for – a third straight win of my
Fantasy Football League. I did it, which is almost as incredible as Leicester
City, as at one stage I was dead last and about 150 points behind the leader.
Quite an insurmountable total at the time, considering a single goal from a
striker nets roughly 4 points. I played a very cunning move at one stage which
propelled me to the top, which I’m about to outline now. But I also want to
talk about how Fantasy Football, as both enhanced and ruined Football for me.
Liverpool,
under the new guidance of Jurgen Klopp, were still finding their feet with some
remarkable performances here and there, but far too inconsistent to keep
putting in my team. It was time to use the ‘Wild Card’ and transform this
season. The Wild Card is a feature which allows a player once a season to
change their entire team with no penalty of point reduction. I used this as an
opportunity to start reinforcing my team with players from Leicester City, who
I realized probably before anyone else in my league; that they were going to be
in the title fight till the end. Tottenham and West Ham too were playing very
well, and not as expensive as some players, so it was also time to put them in
as well. And lastly, the man plagued by injuries, but is almost guaranteed to
score whenever he plays; Sergio Aguero. He was expensive, so I used the rest of
my allotted money to fill the team with semi-effective players; players I
wasn’t expecting to get points from, but ones I expected to play even just
picking up a few points.
It worked,
and I started gaining ground, even if remaining in last place. Fantasy Football
is of course based predominantly on luck, as anything (which it often does) can
happen. Typically, there is bound to be at least one upset per weekend, but it
is far too risky to try and anticipate which game will have an upset. It is far
easier to recognize which teams are playing well (such as the ones outlined
above) and bet on them to grind out points, which I did. So whilst occasionally
the people above me got an influx of points, eventually I was never too far
away, based on this expectation of certain teams.
Now, as I’d
already mentioned, 150 points was a huge ground to make up. And I managed to
claw it back to roughly 40 – 50 points. But I had an ace up my sleeve, as it
were. In some weeks, teams played twice due to fixture congestion and
relocation from cup games. It so happened that there was a week coming up where
no less than 10 teams would play an additional game. I had slightly given up
hope prior to this, but I slowly started to weave in players from the 10 teams
that would play twice. Even if just on bench. It was extremely crafty, as I had
recognized that the other players in my league had already used their “Bench
Boost”, a one off use where a player gets the points from the bench, as well as
from the team. Combined with the fact that they were going to play twice; even
if they all only got 4-6 points each (which they didn’t, they had more) it
would net me a minimum of 20 points alone. I ended that week with about 160-170
points, I was in the lead and never lost it.
So why,
after such a victory, would I think Fantasy Football ruined Football for me?
Basically, when watching games, my attention would divert more towards the need
to win in fantasy football, particularly after I gained this lead. Whilst it is
incredibly satisfying to be on top for a week, it’s possible to lose it all
very quickly. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, this lead me to making
silly moves towards the end; which could have cost me. I also would check the
teams my fellow players would put out as soon as they were available. I was
consumed. Instead of just enjoying the games, I would watch a single player,
praying that he would score a goal or not (if they were in another team).
Watching the time tick away knowing that clean sheets where in reach and
praying that other teams would lose theirs. In all the drama of the Fantasy
Football, I lost the interest in the sport itself and focused more on my team.
This could
be argued that it evolves football, makes it something more enjoyable, as
something more substantial is riding on it, other than your own expectations
for your team. There was no money involved. No beers at the pub. Nothing.
Purely the bragging rights for a few months before it all starts again. Fantasy
Football changes the game, literally. It no longer becomes about following one
team, but you follow the league as a whole. In order to win your league, you need
to understand the best players from every team, and who’s about to hit form and
who’s about to lose it. So in many ways, this elevates the spectacle of
watching Football as a whole, as I watch most games when they are available to
me. But there were far too many games this year where I found myself not really
watching the game, not enjoying it. Just trying to be mindful of how it would
affect my league.
This is not
to say that there weren’t any times where I found myself enjoying games. I just
enjoyed them a lot more once my team had got the points on the board, this
player scored that goal etc. The security of already having the points. This is
especially true for my own team, as even when Liverpool returned to form; I
still couldn’t bring myself to put the players in, because I didn’t want my
enjoyment of them, tainted by needing certain players to score goals. Pretty
bizarre in truth, it sounds like an addiction, but arguably a healthy one. As
it was good to discuss tactics and laugh about how the season is going. And, I
did gain great amusement in both winning towards the end, but also losing so
significantly at the start of the year.
In the end,
I closed out the season by trying to make my team as closest to my nearest
rival as possible. This would ensure that any points he got, I too would get
and thus stopping him from overtaking me. This led me to the unspeakable act of
putting a Manchester United player into my team. Something I hadn’t done to
that point. But sometimes you’ve just got to evolve.
