One good thing about fantasy football is that there are no cliffhangers. You either won it all or you didn't. You might have had a solid season or a terrible one, had a lot of good luck or more of the other kind, and your strategy either proved to be sound or a clown show. But if the season ended in week 17, at least you know how it turned out.
Regardless of the result, hopefully you had a good time. That's why we play, isn't it? The money is nice, but rarely a good time investment when you calculate dollars earned and hours spent. You do it for fun, and because the leagues you're in are worth your time. And if that's the case, you have one thing left to do on your schedule.
You need to congratulate your league champion.
I've talked about it for years, and I'll keep talking about it until it's not important anymore, which will be never. Your league's champ was an active participant, cared enough to give it their all, and provided formidable competition in a game you really enjoy. Think of how many leagues get derailed by delinquent managers who either abandon their team when they start losing or only spent the bare minimum of time setting their lineups. The league winner wasn't one of those managers. They helped make the league worth winning, and it's only right to acknowledge when they were the ones who came out on top.
It's pretty easy to do, but it does take a little effort. Like posting a quick "grats" on a message board? No, more than that. How about a thumbs up on a league text chain? Nope. You know what you be great? A phone call. Like, on your phone. If you don't know them that well, then a detailed text would be nice. Just a simple acknowledgement of a successful season, from one active manager to another. It's the right thing to do and good for the league.
It's also good for your team. That's not why you do it, of course. But it's true. If you go out of your way to congratulate the winner, don't you think they'll do it for you? I've won a league where the only acknowledgement was money being sent to me electronically, and it took away from the experience. It had no camaraderie, and despite winning multiple times, I left. It just wasn't fun. So if you congratulate the league champion, it will probably come back to you when it's your turn.
And if you ever need to make a trade, would that gracious exchange make things easier to get a deal done? Maybe. Maybe not, but I promise it won't hurt. Would you rather do a deal with a good owner who recognized your success, or a virtual stranger who reached out only when they wanted something? Again, that's not why you congratulate a champion, but doing the right thing can often come back to you in some form.
And if you're the newly-minted champion, congratulations! And remember, this isn't the time for gloating or trash talking. That time was during a competitive season, and it's over. You won, and that should speak for itself. Be happy and celebrate, but also be a gracious winner. Your fellow managers put in effort and came up short, like you've done so often before. You know what it's like. Be a good winner and make sure to note who acknowledged your victory. They're the managers that make the league special, and worth winning. And when it’s their turn, you’ll do the same for them.
No matter which side of the congratulations you’re on, it’s an important coda to your fantasy season. The best real-world example of this is in hockey, when team forms a line and shake hands after a playoff series. They’ll fight hard (sometimes literally) throughout the series, but when it’s over they show respect and plan to try it again next year. It’s the same for your fantasy league, so do the right thing.
Do you always congratulate your champion personally? Do the managers go out of their way to congratulate you? Do you think it’s important, or no big deal? Share your thoughts below.