Hi, my name is Rick Zamperin, and I’m a fantasy sports-aholic.
I opened the menu in one of my fantasy sports apps on my phone Thursday night and the catalog of fantasy teams and leagues that flashed on the screen was a little startling.
The list of two baseball teams (one of which is a keeper league), three football teams (one keeper), one NFL pick’em pool, two football survivor pools, and a hockey team occupies the entire screen.
That’s when I knew I had an issue.
For some reason, this year, I just kept clicking “join” when the latest fantasy league popped up, and I said “yes” to a friend who asked me if I was interested in taking over a couple of NFL fantasy teams. Sure, why not? I said.
I can’t say that I’m regretting it, ’cause I’m not. I’m very much looking forward to draft day — three of them are this long weekend — and finishing in first place when all is said and done.
Truth be told, I haven’t won a fantasy league in a handful of years. But hey, it’s still a load of fun.
While I may be a fantasy sports-aholic, I know where to draw the line when it comes to wagering real money.
Research that was recently conducted by Ipsos for the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association shows 61 per cent of fantasy sports participants are also sports bettors.
I’ll make the odd bet here and there, legally of course, but I’ve been around long enough to know that there’s no such thing as a sure-fire winner and betting big bucks can get you into trouble.
Anything can happen in the real world of sports so if you’re playing fantasy football, hockey or whatever, draw a line and don’t cross it.
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