LIVING IN A FANTASY (FOOTBALL) WORLD

Daft Kings and Fan Drool — I love Fantasy Football and hope it stays legal, but WHAT the “F” are the two big companies thinking, by (allegedly) rigging things, WHO the “F” is claiming that it isn’t really “gambling,” and WHY the “F” did they discuss it at the Republican Presidential Debate??

I like gambling.  I was raised at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, and Del Mar.  Betting on Racing and Sports is fun, and it makes even lopsided match-ups thrilling.  What I DON’T like (besides losing) is listening to people whine about how they barely lost but should have won.  No one wants to hear your sob story about what coulda been, or how you were robbed by the Refs, or by that one dropped pass in the end zone.  What’s almost as bad is all the people who return from Vegas with the same glory story of how  they cleaned up at the Blackjack tables.  If I had a dime for every friend who told me how they won big at the casinos and sportsbooks, I’d be richer than Steve Wynn… but then, Steve Wynn would be broke, and the Las Vegas Strip would just be a deserted road in the desert.

And since no one wants to listen to false tales of grandeur OR sour grapes, no one wants to hear about your (or my) Fantasy Football trials and tribulations either.  So despite the fact that I live and die by my success or failure in my Fantasy Football League, which is a private League that has been going on for decades, consisting of 12 guys — 11 who I don’t like and want very badly to beat — I RARELY lament or rejoice about it here — Only twice in ten years, iirc.  But tonight, the subject of Fantasy Football has been brought to the National forefront, because the Republican Presidential hopefuls were specifically asked about it at the debate.

First of all, as Chris Christie soon pointed out, with Isis on the attack, and with serious issues like Healthcare, Immigration, Gun Control, Minimum Wage, Equality, Tax Reform, and the Economy needing to be discussed, how can the moderators ask about something as trivial as Fantasy Football?

But as long as we are going to talk about it… There are two big companies that are innudating us with a constant barrage of advertising, trying to lure people into depositing funds with them.  Right now, Fantasy Football is legal because it is not considered “gambling,” but instead, a game of skill.  This is insane semantics.  You are still betting money, on the outcome of (individual players in) a sporting event.  How is this not gambling?  If you bet on the wrong guys, you lose your money.  You may say that most of that lost money goes to the other players, not a casino (“the house”), but that is exactly how Horse Racing works too.  And with the art/science of handicapping horses’ past performances, the more research you do and the more knowledge you have, the better your chances are of winning.  But does anyone claim that betting the ponies is NOT gambling?  Maybe for the top .001% of bettors who spend 24/7 studying bloodlines and every ounce of data, but for everyone else, it is certainly a financial risk, and a gamble.  But since the ultra-powerful NFL owns a stake in at least one of these big Fantasy Football sites, the movement to keep it legal by calling it “not gambling” is alive and strong.  Remember — I want it legal — I just don’t see why we have to lie about what it is.

Speaking of having every ounce of data to give you a decided edge, it is reported that employees of these two big companies have accessed computer data and amassed an encyclopedia of inside information about everyone’s betting habits, that allows them to apply algorithms that make it nearly impossible for the average joe to compete against them.  And the employees of one company are flooding the games of the other one and vice versa, so if you, the average joe, join a league with either of these companies, you end up competing against — and losing to — the experts in the field with insider info, instead of against other average joes.  In other words, the fix is in, and the whole system is rigged.  If these allegations are true, the whole thing is a multi-billion dollar scam, and the average joe is the dupe.

So if you want to play Fantasy Football like the other 50 million of us, I suggest you join a League of your friends, outside of these bogus companies.  That’s right –Try to win money from your soon-to-be frenemies, instead of throwing it away to a bunch of professional con artists.

And speaking of Football and Fantasy, here are 70 more photos of the UCLA Spirit Squad in action at the Cal game…. But one last rant:  Why did NBC show TV ads tonight, October 28th, promoting Black Sabbath’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl, on September 19th??  This show took place over a month ago, but you can still pre-order tickets today?  Does this have something to do with Back to the Future Day?  Do you need a DeLorean to attend the show??  Not at all — The show is actually in September 2016 — 11 months from now.  Talk about gambling with your money!  Will Ozzy still be be alive, and able to perform, in 47 weeks?