Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

According to Saints tight end Ben Watson, one such awkward situation came up when he talked to an opposing player, on the field, who said Watson is on his fantasy team.

“As a non-fantasy guy, I was kind of confused,” Watson said on ESPN’s fantasy football podcast, via the Washington Post. “But one of the players from the opposing team told me ‘Thank you,’ during the game, for helping his fantasy team. So fantasy has permeated into the entire NFL. Guys are playing fantasy football; some guys I think even play fantasy baseball. I don’t get involved with it. I have five kids, I just don’t have time. Not that anything’s wrong with the fantasy, but I just don’t have time for it, with my lifestyle.”

Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team | ProFootballTalk

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

Um.....oooook.

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

Opposing offenses thanked Rob Ryan for letting them keep their job.

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

I wonder if Godhell wants to know who the player was? Was it from a small market team where he could make an example of them?

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

"5 kids" - how does he have time to play football much less famtasy football lol

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Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

Oh boy, this should be interesting... But ultimately swept under the rug.

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

I can't blame him. His wife is gorgeous.

http://cache3.asset-cache.net/gc/452...Cpw44azg%3D%3D

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

A very beautiful lady.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gKgt1ChQm8Y/maxresdefault.jpg

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

Rob Ryan will probably get a lifetime supply of holiday cards from Kirk Cousins!

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

I'm curious to know if this opposing player played on the defensive side of the ball. If so, one might question his motivation on the field. Some people take their fantasy team's way too seriously. Some people put a lot of money on it, which hastens that seriousness.

We all know fantasy football is, in essence, a form of gambling and the NFL refuses to acknowledge this because of the massive boost it gives them in ratings, and overall attention to the game.

You of course have the option to play with no stakes, but that is rarely what happens. So professional sports ban gambling, but not fantasy, which is only the most frequently used form of gambling these days.

I'm not saying it should be banned, I'm merely pointing out the obvious hypocrisy.

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

Uh-oh! Here comes fantasy team gate

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

One of those "you too can get rich like I did" sites claims to Pay Out $75 million a week! Who knows how much they take in, can a league can stay "clean" with that kind of money being tossed around?

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

If these players are involved in FanDuel, DraftKings , et ... how closely related is that to something like Pete Rose betting on baseball when he was a player/manager?

Seems like this is the future of football, individual players/stats over teams, :neutral:.

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

Exactly what I'm wondering and why I say all of these professional sports are showing their hypocrisy. Because, to me, it's exactly the same thing. You can't know how many, if any, of these players would actually sabotage anything in a game, but it's the possibility of it happening that caused the ban on player gambling, in the first place. So how is this different?

I think it has everything to do with the global frenzy that fantasy sports creates, and how much attention it brings to each sport. I can only speculate, but I would say that they don't want to acknowledge fantasy sports as a form of gambling, because if it were ever declared to BE gambling then you'd have people dealing with all the convoluted and differing laws in every state, which would stand to chase a large number of people away from fantasy.

And while no one (especially in the NFL) will say it, they know how important the fantasy crowd is to them. It's easy to "take a stand" against all other forms of gambling, but when they have a chance to generate ratings (and who knows if there might even be revenue, under the table) "LEGALLY"? What's Roger's favorite word again? Integrity?... lol. Sure thing, Poodell.

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

Wait a tic! Maybe RR was purposely sabotaging our defense so he could win money in fantasy football!!! OMG!!! Fantasygate!!!!!

Re: Ben Watson: Opposing player thanked me for helping his fantasy team
 

"Seems like this is the future of football, individual players/stats over teams"

The NFL is turning into the "Professional Punt, Pass and Kick League!"