I live in Tampa, and the local media has duly noted the Buccaneers' struggles during the preseason. But there's no panic or depressing headlines, and there's still a cautious optimism toward the regular season.
Outside our media bubble, it's a bit different.
I live in Tampa, and the local media has duly noted the Buccaneers' struggles during the preseason. But there's no panic or depressing headlines, and there's still a cautious optimism toward the regular season.
Outside our media bubble, it's a bit different. Fans and reporters around the country are concerned about the team's offense, and wonder if Josh Freeman is regressing. The offense doesn't look good, and the defense doesn't look improved enough to make up for it. Couple that with a tough division chock full of fantasy superstars, and more objective evaluators -- like fantasy owners -- are rightfully concerned.
Yes, the guy in your league who drinks too much (I'm not even going there this year) and loses track of players after the first half of your draft is more objective that print media, radio and television in major NFL cities. And these are good writers and reporters; they just don't have the leverage to do their job properly. They wield the power of the press, but the teams wield the power of the press passes.
Many media companies pay to be the "official partner" of the local team. They aren't forced to sugar-coat things and ignore unflattering stories, but let's be realistic: If an outlet bashes the team too much, they aren't going to get the red carpet treatment when it comes to interviews and access. Their information will be limited and their ability to do their job will suffer. And it's even worse for the outlets who aren't official partners. They rely on inside sources and the general goodwill of the team in order to report accurate information. How easy will that be if the club regards them as Negative Nancy's who don't see things their way?
Professional football teams are like companies, because they are companies. They love good publicity and seek to minimize negative publicity. And while some reporters actually enjoy defying the team, most have to strike a balance between how to report the news now and being able to report it in the future.
So what does this have to do with fantasy football? Everything, if you live in an NFL city. While you seek out football information on your own, you're also bombarded every day with advertising, forgiving media coverage and fans showing their excitement for the upcoming season. It happens so often you might not even notice it, and when draft day comes it affects your selections.
Don't believe me? You probably have a homer or two in your league, and you snicker when they select the local players a couple of rounds early. Those owners might be wearing rose-colored glasses, but they also feel good about those picks based on actual media reports and a local positive outlook. They see, read and hear it every day.
But you do, too. And while it might not cause you to reach for a guy a few rounds early, it will affect your decision-making: You'll put a guy in a tier where he doesn't belong, he'll get the tie-breaker nod or he'll be seen as having more upside than is really there. All because you've been given more "information" regarding those players, so you feel better-able to evaluate them.
Maybe you're a fan of the team, too. Not a fanatical homer, but a fan. That makes it worse, because you want to believe your 0-0 team has a shot this year -- to win a championship, make the playoffs or exceed expectations. Positive coverage feeds into those desires, and it's going to affect your decisions.
You can't change the media dynamic in your city, and you can't block your exposure to it. But you can purposely give a slight downgrade to the local team's players. All you're doing is filtering out the positive media bias (and maybe your personal hopes) and getting them back to where they really belong. Your opponents won't do that, of course. As you know, some of them consciously bump them up even further so they can root for their favorite players. As a result, you'll be insulated from making mistakes that could hurt your season. They'll take those guys earlier, and you'll be "stuck" with the guys they should have taken in the first place. All you have to do is correct for media saturation and you'll have an edge over most owners in your league.
I'm not saying the current media climate is all bad. It's fun to live in a city where the outlook is positive, and if the media jumps on a team early, it can impact their attitude and performance. But your local media is affecting your outlook on those players, and you should adjust your evaluation accordingly. It's the bias you don't even know you have that can do the most damage. Good luck at your draft or auction.
Does your city have a significant bias toward the local team, or are they critical at appropriate times? Do you have league members who are influenced by the local media or their own preferences as a fan? Share your thoughts below.