After watching the playoff games this past weekend, I've decided that I like our game better. For my participation, anyway. We don't get the same money in fantasy football, but we avoid the scrutiny when we make a mistake. And the latter can be pretty brutal.
I spent Saturday and Sunday watching millionaires on the football field, and hoping I'd become one when the Powerball numbers were chosen. I didn't, but there's a silver lining: Maybe I'll be a billionaire this week instead!
I'm involved in some playoff fantasy action, but like I advised last week I'm watching the games as a fan. I was just hoping for entertaining contests. And I got that. But I also got the feeling that being an NFL player isn't always such a great thing. And I ended up feeling sorry for some of those guys.
Take Blair Walsh. There's no excuse for missing a 27-yarder to win a playoff game for Minnesota. And it's not like it hit the post. It wasn't even close. There was talk that it was on the wrong hash mark, but I think that kick would have missed no matter where it was spotted. It was a terrible kick.
But Walsh had also hit three field goals earlier in the game. He had a good year for the Vikings. Prior to Sunday he had only missed one field goal from under 30 yards in his career. And none of that matters. The guy is 26 years old, and he'll never forget what happened last weekend. It will probably cause many sleepless nights. It's the kind of event that will be tough to handle mentally, and the kicker is a mentally-challenging position anyway. It's the kind of event that can define a career, or even a lifetime if you let it. Again, he's 26.
In the Cincinnati/Pittsburgh game, I found myself feeling badly for Jeremy Hill. He didn't do me many favors on my fantasy team, but that fumble late in the game had to really hurt. We can't say it cost them the game (a serious lack of discipline did the team in) but none of that would have happened if he didn't fumble. Mentally, it could jeopardize his confidence. Maybe even his career. Hill is 23 years old.
And it's not like he fumbles all the time. He lost three during the regular season, and just one since week 2. But this fumble was costly. Not just a game, and not just a playoff game. It could cost people jobs down the road.
Marvin Lewis has been the Bengals' head coach since 2003. Since he took over, Cincinnati has had just three losing seasons; none since 2010. They've been to the playoffs five straight years.
They also have an 0-7 record in playoff games during Lewis' tenure. He won't be fired as a result of this setback, but it was discussed among fans and the media. He's certainly on the hotseat next year. There's even more pressure on him because of that loss, if that's even possible.
And let me add a name you might not expect: Brian Hoyer. Yes, I feel for that guy. A journeyman quarterback shouldn't be expected to take a team to the Super Bowl. Maybe the Texans were expected to lose anyway. But a professional signal-caller doesn't expect to generate five turnovers and zero points. That's not one missed kick. It's not a fumble or a bad series of events at the end of a game. It's an embarrassing display from start to finish. Will he start another game in his career?
I know, it's all part of the job. Kickers know they'll be put in pressure situations. Running backs have to hang on to the ball. Coaches need to produce in the playoffs, and quarterbacks are expected to at least manage a game and give your team a chance to win. When it doesn't happen, they're held accountable. That's why they get paid so much money.
I know all that, and I'm still happy playing fantasy football instead of the real thing. Athletes are held to a different standard. The weight on their shoulders goes beyond their game or their sport. It's an entire city, the media, and now social media. There's no anonymity. Making a mistake is human. But the punishment they feel for making those mistakes sometimes feels inhumane.
I make plenty of mistakes in fantasy football. In one league this year, I had the most points by a good amount, and made the wrong call on who to start at the flex position in the playoffs. It cost me the game. In another I was second in points and didn't even make the playoffs. I did win a third league, but in those two I had nothing to show for my season.
yet aside from a little ribbing from my leaguemates, it was no big deal. I wasn't interviewed by ESPN. Nobody called for me to lose my job on social media. There's no speculation as to whether I'll be back next year. I played, I lost, I moved on.
Maybe these guys will do the same. If you haven't seen the video of Blair Walsh's post-game interview, check it out. He stood there, fielded all the questions and took the blame. He was more mature than I would have been, and I'm nearly 20 years older. Honestly, I get angrier when I die in Fallout 4. I'm impressed with how he handled the adversity and I hope he bounces back.
Still, as I watch the games and see these players as actual people (not just stat generators) it makes me appreciate the pressure we put on them each week. It also makes me glad my mistakes aren't on national television. I might not be a millionaire, but an entire city isn't calling for my head, either. And I'm still playing fantasy football this weekend, too.
Do you feel badly for the players when they mess up, or is it just part of the game? Would you take their paycheck in exchange for their pressure? And what would you do if you won a billion dollars? Share your thoughts below.
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