Make Your Fantasy League Better - Part 3

Fantasy football is a great way to spend your time, not only on Sunday, but throughout the week. Just think, when you get bored at work and really don't want to be there, you can escape by diving into your fantasy football team and league. Sure, you may get fired, but at least you will have the right starting lineup for Sunday.

USE A WEBSITE BASED SERVICE TO COORDINATE YOUR LEAGUE

Coordinating your league online via a website has become almost standard in fantasy football. Gone are the days of calculating points using the box scores and keeping the standings by handwritten notes. The question is, which website are you using and how much will it allow you to do with your league?

Most people just sign their league up for a website and proceed with the standard rules set forth by that website. WRONG! As mentioned in Part 1 of this series of posts, it is time that your league evolve into what the members want it to be. Therefore, you need an online league manager that will allow you to modify the rules of your league as the members see fit.

Your online league commissioner or manager should allow you great flexibility for changing the rules, roster limits, scoring descriptions, trades, message boards for trash talk, stats - stats - and more customized stats about the teams and players performance in your league, and several links to other informative fantasy football sites. YES, THIS WILL COST YOU BUT IT IS MORE THAN WORTH IT. The price will usually be less than $100 and should be figured into league dues so all league members share the expense. A fantasy football League without a good, flexible online managing website is like a golfer with only a driver and putter in his bag.

There are a number of online fantasy football league managers that you can choose from. A simple google search will give you plenty of prospects. I encourage you to view the sample league in each so that you get a real feel for how the website works. Reading about "how great the site is" doesn't compare to actually seeing how and what the site will provide. Our league has used myfantasyleague.com for a number of years. We are very pleased with it's flexibility and huge database of information. Also, myfantasyleague.com keeps all of your league info from prior years that you can check out at any time. Sometimes it is fun to take a walk down memory lane, even in fantasy football.

Probably the most important aspect of having the online manager for your league is that this website will allow your league members a place to convene, communicate, coordinate their team, crunch the numbers, and check out all the latest football info. Having a website to visit at any moment, cultivates interest in the league.

Make Your Fantasy League Better - Part 2

The time is now to improve your fantasy league. For the next several weeks, Sarge will be giving you ideas based on his 19 years experience as a Commissioner of a deep, very competitive fantasy league that evolves every year to be better.

So many leagues miss out on possibly the greatest enjoyment of fantasy football - the male bonding and forming of friendships. Especially as you get older and develop more responsibilities such as job, wife, kids, etc., these friendships and the time spent together becomes less available and more sacred. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN YOU CAN.

MAKE YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT AN EVENT

When possible, hold your draft with everyone in person at a convenient location. What fun is it to hold the draft online with no one there to comment on selections or to not be able to catch up on whats going on with the other league members and their lives? When I say make it an event, I MEAN MAKE IT AN EVENT. Make this your day and let everyone else in your life know that this particular day will revolve around your fantasy draft.

Of course, a buffet of food, beverages, and snacks should be provided. All league members should split the cost and contribute to the menu. Eat, drink, and be merry - THIS DAY ONLY COMES ONCE A YEAR!

You should use a large draft board with player name labels. These draft boards can be purchased online for very cheap prices and it makes a world of difference in the level of enjoyment and the ability to keep up with which players have been taken.

If possible, use a podium and microphone to do dramatic introductions for each team owner in the league. Even have entrance music for each participant. The more dramatic, the more fun.

Sarge recommends 2 parties per year for everyone to enjoy the male bonding - the draft and the actual NFL Super Bowl. Again, make your draft an EVENT - FOOD, FUN, AND FRIENDSHIPS.

The Entree Hasn't Arrived, But The Appetizers Of Football Season Are Here!

Yes, we still have more than 50+ days before the first college and pro football games. However, if you are a die hard football fan, who anxiously awaits kickoff every year, then you have to look for the small victories in life. Sarge, is talking about the small but significant signs that football is right around the corner.

The football preview magazines - Euphoria! When you see these babies hit the shelves at Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens, or your local bookstore, the fact that football is on the way can't be denied. You must absolutely purchase at least 2. Why 2? Because for the next 50+ days this will be your appetizer before the entree that is the 2010 football season. As the season draws closer, you will become more excited and with each minor rush of adrenaline you will need something to curb your football cravings. Each time you feel the need for football NOW, you pick up the preview magazine and read an article or about a team that you haven't got to yet.

Phil Steele's college and pro football preview magazines are an absolute must for the serious football fan. If you only prefer college, then pick up this college mag and one more that you feel covers a wide variety of topics that you like such as schedules, conferences, traditions, CHEERLEADERS, etc. Make sure you get 2 - better too much than not enough.

For the die hard pro football fan like myself, I recommend Phil Steele's mag and one more that covers predictions, schedules, tv shcedules, fantasy, CHEERLEADERS, and etc. Make sure you get 2 as you will need them.

If you love college and pro, get both of Phil Steele's mags and one more pertaining to college or pro, whichever you like best.

Preview Shows - I noticed this week that the NFL Network will be having shows all week pertaining to who their analysts feel are the best 5 players at each position. Also, college preview shows should start popping up on ESPN in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled when watching sports channels, the football is starting to sprout.

Internet Articles - Finally, read, read, read on the Internet. Football is now a year round sport, in case you haven't realized it. Now, the info is starting to get much more relevant. Scan the Internet with searches when the mood strikes you. YOU WILL FIND INFO TO READ ON THE NET ABOUT THE 2010 FOOTBALL SEASON.

Football is coming, but the beverages, bread, and appetizers for this entree are starting to arrive at the table. Make sure your hands are clean and your napkin is close. Feel free to begin to wet your football appetite with a sample of all of these. When the season hits, you will be ready for a feast.

Make Your Fantasy Football League - BETTER !

Sure, we still have 2 months before the NFL season kicks off but before you know it your fantasy football league draft will be here. Now, not later, is the time to start thinking about how to make your fantasy football league bigger, better, and more enjoyable.

Over the next 2 months, I am going to provide you with a little of the knowledge that I have been exposed to over the last 19 years as The Commissioner of a very deep, competitive, and fun fantasy football league. Feel free to use any suggestions you find here and discard any you do not like. This will be a buffet of fantasy football league ideas that you can satisfy your appetite with by what looks appealing to you.

With that said, here is the first suggestion for making your fantasy league better.

AS A LEAGUE, DARE TO CHANGE THE RULES - THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX

So many people I talk to about fantasy football tell me how their league is "standard" fantasy football. Well, if you want great, "standard" will not cut it. Right now, I want you to think about the rules of your league. Which rules do you like? Which rules do you not like? Thinking outside of the box, what would you like to see put into or taken out of your league to make it more interesting and enjoyable?

Dare to make your league fun and unique according to the ideas of your league's competitors, rather than settling for the traditional "boring" rules of fantasy football. It is your league, make it what you want it to be.

Some time prior to your league's draft, have a league meeting for nothing more than rules discussion. This meeting will also give you another reason to hang out with the guys for a night. Order pizza, beverages, chips, etc. again - whatever you want. Then sit around for an hour, or two, or three and discuss your league. Allow everyone to make suggestions and give input, then vote on the proposed ideas. You will be amazed at where the brainstorming can take you.

Give everyone in your league about a week's notice of this meeting. Challenge them to not only think about changes, but to also read articles about the many different rules suggestions for fantasy football. The more brains you can pull from the better the ideas are that you find.

Most of all, have fun. Have fun during the rules meeting - that is being conducted so you can have MORE FUN during your league. Don't be lazy and remain standard. Challenge yourself and your other league members to shape your league into something better. If it is worth the time of participating in, it is worth the time of improving it. DARE TO CHANGE THE RULES!

Sgt. Football Is Moving To ESPN RADIO 105.1 FM

Sound Off Sports with Sgt. Football will be moving to ESPN Radio 105.1 FM beginning Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 11 am. Sarge and company will be telling it like it is and like it is telling it about sports every Saturday from 11 am til 12 noon.

Sound Off Sports is a fast paced, informative, opinionated sports radio show that touches on pro, college, and high school sports. Sarge's goals each Saturday is to inform you of something you haven't heard during that sports week, make you laugh or smile at least once if not more, and inspire you to form your own opinion on sports topics.

Sgt. Football has a platoon of co hosts that include - Mr. Irrelevant, The BackUp Quarterback, The Official Scorekeeper, and Jesse The Body. The names may be cheesy but the conversation is hard core opinion and facts from a variety of studied opinions who can admit when they are wrong but don't back away when they are right.

Listen for Sound Off Sports with Sgt. Football on ESPN Radio 105.1 FM beginning Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 11 am.

Hey Ump, Be The Adult !

We all are very aware of the fact that most professional athletes act like spoiled children. They have either bought or been given everything they want. The attitude of entitlement that this creates in the person often shows up on the playing field or court when the player complains about an official's or ump's call during a game. We all know that players will act like children. We expect it.

However, we don't expect the umpires or officials to act like children. More and more every year, we see umps or officials act like children just as the players do. Being the ump or official in sports is much like being the parent to kids. You must maintain control of your emotions when the child throws temper tantrums. As the umpire or official, you must remain professional and control your emotions. Too many umpires or officials are antagonizing players and trying to be part of the show.

We see umpires or officials going after players or coaches. They yell, scream, and spit on players and coaches with the same lack of professionalism that the players and coaches show. Hey umps and officials, just stand your ground, be professional, and when a coach or player yells, screams, and spits let their actions speak for themselves. Real fans will not condone the child like antics of players and coaches. When players and coaches cross the line, throw them out of the game and be done with it. Instead so many officials and umps want to show up the coach or player and continue to go after them. They seem to want to make the statement that "we are people too and we will not be treated that way". Sorry, receiving that verbal abuse is part of the job that you get paid to do just like the clerk at the store has to put up with complaints from the customer. Except the clerk gets paid a lot less money than the ump or official. Ump or official, if you can't handle that verbal abuse, then get out of the profession.

Hey ump or officials, be the grown up and quit sinking to the level of the spoiled athletes and coaches. Be calm, be invisible for the most part, and most of all just be professional whether the players and coaches are or not.

To People In Charge of Pro Sports - CLEAN UP THE STEROIDS & HGH !

Floyd Landis is the latest athlete to come out and admit that he cheated using performance enhancing drugs. Floyd also found it in his heart to clear everyone else's conscience by exposing all their "supposedly" cheating ways in cycling. What a guy, with friends like him who needs enemies?

ENOUGH ALREADY! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! STOP THE CHARADE! The powers that be in all professional sports can and should clean up the cheating athletes are doing by using PED's. BLOOD TEST! It is very simple. Tell the athletes that all testing will be performed on blood drawn from their body. The blood will tell all the truth. Human Growth Hormone doesn't show up in urine tests. Blood tests are simple, non invasive and the most accurate form of testing, just ask the contestants in the Olympics.

Unions in the pro sports league will fight blood testing tooth and nail. I DON'T CARE! Commissioners and Owners, just get it done for the future of professional sports. Please, I want my sports as clean as possible so that I know everything possible is genuine. Enough of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemons, Floyd Landis, Lyle Alzado, and everyone else that has caused my sportsworld to become so disingenuine.

This problem can be, if not completely removed, at least minimized to the very most. GIVE ME MY SPORTS WITH REAL RESULTS AND NOT COMIC BOOK OUTCOMES!