Fantasy Football: Good or Bad for the NFL?

[Thriller Ant]

Fantasy football (American football) is one of the most popular games on the internet. Millions of people tune in to the weekly games on TV and SportCenter every Sunday to see how their players do. A lot of these people end up watching games they normally wouldn't, so they can watch their players (hopefully) do well.

But, as with many things, there is a flip side. People end up gambling ridiculous amounts of money on it. It also skews a fantasy football player's view on the game. I know that I, for one, watch games for my players, and end up rooting for them. I have been a Rams fan since they came to St. Louis, but the last couple years when they have sucked, I find my self wanting them to suck when they are going against someone on my fantasy team. It almost becomes more important than the actual NFL games.

So, you have a few of the pros and cons. I ask you, WrestleZone, is fantasy football good or bad for the NFL?

 

[X]

Fantasy football is definitely a good thing for the NFL. I understand the negatives you've mentioned, like ending up rooting against your own team, but that doesn't really hurt the NFL---you're still watching the game, aren't you? That's what they really care about.

Fantasy football has definitely piqued a lot of people's interest in not only their own favorite team, but to go out and actively watch all the different games that air on TV, games they wouldn't normally watch but do because they want to find out how one of their fantasy football players did. I think fantasy football has probably helped out NFL ratings since it's creation. Definitely a good thing for the NFL, anything that draws up interest in your sport is.

 

[gd]

I think fantasy football is good for the NFL. It brings in a ton of new fans, even if their isn't one team they root for, they are still fans. For people who are already fans, I think it just makes them more interested. As a Steelers fan, I wouldn't have much reason to be interested in a Texans game, but Steve Slaton is on my fantasy team, so they may intice me to watch.

However, I would never root against my team for the sake of fantasy football. I can understand where you are coming from as a Rams fan, but I don't think I'd ever put my fake team against my real team. Even if that happens to some, I don't think it will be any problem for the NFL.