Sean Powers 
What’s up, guys? My name’s Sean, and I am a total novice to the world of Fantasy Sports. So, up front, I’ll need you to forgive me for my ignorance at times, and also for the very AA-like introduction I just did there. But here’s the thing- I’m becoming more and more intrigued by this whole world I’ve recently become aware of- the world of DFS. As a dude in his late 30’s, happily single and free to choose how I spend my leisure time, I’ve recently begun looking at Fantasy Sports sort of as a means of redemption. You see, as a kid, I was of one of the last generations to predominantly spend our time after school out playing in the streets. Probably in large part due to that, all through my high school years I always played baseball, football, and basketball, in some form or fashion. Granted, I wasn’t particularly talented at any of them, but I always had a good time playing.
Naturally, that carried over into fandom, and I spent my earlier years of childhood religiously collecting, trading, and organizing baseball cards. I never failed to pick up a copy of Beckett’s Card Guide whenever the opportunity presented itself, like when my grandfather wanted to grab lotto tickets from the stationary store and asked me to tag along. I can fondly recall hopping back into the tan Ford Tempo and grabbing a chocolate Velamints from the center console, as my grandpa took note of my purchase with glowing eyes.
“When I was a kid, big guy, we used to collect these things, and to be honest, we never thought anything of them. A penny at the store, you chew the gum, and maybe we put the cards in the spokes of our tires. They’d make a funny sound, kind of like a motor, you know? Anyhow, I saw on the television program a couple of nights ago, the guy had a box of these cards from his attic, still perfect condition. They say he could sell it for a few thousand dollars now… He says he’s gonna keep it though. Probably be worth later. Anyway…. take care of your cards, big guy. Could be worth something someday.”
With no reason to mistrust my grandfather, and all of my friends at the time similarly collecting the latest Fleer release or Topps Traded Series, I figured my passion might mint me a pretty penny, perhaps someday down the road. Through all of this, I became a statistical wizard of sorts. My favorite team at the time was the Oakland A’s, and to this day I can run down most of their typical batting order from the 1989 season, along with a ton of other useless facts pertaining to their stats. Carney Lansford immediately comes to mind as a sleeper of a player at the time, and when my friends and I would draft players to our imaginary All-Star teams, I’d be sure to grab him in the later rounds, rather than waste an early-round on Wade Boggs or Bobby Bonilla. Needless to say, this was all way before the internet was even a thing, so the idea of Fantasy Sports was still very much just that.
Fast forward to the end of my high school years, and the end of my sports playing days, to a large extent. Sure, I’d play pick up games of basketball and whatever else came up, but the days of having a good forty people on deck for a game at any given time had long passed. With the end of that, my fandom largely waned. Removing my participation from the equation left me apathetic to the outcomes of games I was no longer playing in. I would still keep a half an eye open during basketball season, but as a Knicks fan, that seldom evoked a feeling of excitement. Further infuriating, the cards that I had so meticulously collected years earlier were victims of overproduction, leaving them largely worthless. Sure, I could go through them and find a hidden gem or two; I’m pretty sure I have a few Griffey rookie cards tucked away somewhere. At the same time, the collection is probably one of the only things from my childhood that I still keep with me to this day. The value of the cards is clearly more sentimental than monetary at this point.
So what about that investment? And what about that ability to memorize stats? And to recognize higher value players when others don’t? Well, as it turns out, Fantasy Sports is more or less the ideal place to cash in on that investment. Admittedly, I am way out of the loop. I have no clue what any of the “insider” slang means, and I can’t name a starting lineup in any sport right now. But I’m feeling excited, like a player/coach in the 70’s probably would, walking to the on-deck circle with the game on the line. Is there a good chance I strike out? Yes. I might even just trip on my way to the plate, who knows? Maybe some time has passed, but dammit, I know the game. Let’s play.
