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SBJ In Depth

Always time at work to play a little fantasy

John Walsh
Executive vice president,executive editor, ESPN
Team name: WalshingMatildas, Walsh Street Journals, Off The Wallshes, Walsh and Wears
Games played: Football, baseball and basketball
Years played: 28
Why play: I used to play for the fun and novelty of it and to bond with friends, but since I’ve worked at ESPN I use it to keep up professionally. I’m looking forward next year to fantasy golf and NASCAR and expanding my fantasy portfolio. The one that’s a reach for me is fantasy bass fishing.
Titles won: Neighborhood of 15.
Highlights: This year I was winning by three points on Sunday afternoon the last day of the baseball season. By Sunday night I had lost by half a point, but I gained a half point back the next day (in the Padres-Rockies one-game playoff). My opponent could have won had Manny Corpas pitched two scoreless innings. He pitched one and was pinch hit with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. That was phenomenal to go through a full season and have a playoff game come down to one at bat.
Peter King
Columnist, Sports Illustrated;analyst, NBC and HBO
Team name: MontclairOrtizes (hometown and Red Sox fan)
Games played: Baseball, football
Years played: Fifteen years playing rotisserie baseball with two teams in each of the last two years. This is my first year in a fantasy league run by WEEI in Boston. I am in it with some of their hosts and other Boston sports people like Terry Francona.
Why play? Rotisserie baseball is something I love because it’s more of a leisure thing — a sport I don’t cover. They asked me to play football. Otherwise I have little interest.
Titles won: Three in baseball, none in football
Highlights: Fantasy football is not really something I spend much time thinking about.
Fantasy player wouldn’t want to be without: Willie Parker. He’ll gain 1,500 yards with 10 touchdowns unless Ben Roethlisberger turns into John Unitas overnight. In baseball, David Ortiz and Grady Sizemore.
Barry Hyde
CMO, USGA
Games played: Baseball, football
Years played: Since I was a junior in college.
Why play: It’s a better office subject than “Dancing with the Stars.”
Highlights: Had some good years with Keenan McCardell when he was a Jaguar.
Fantasy player wouldn’t want to be without: Could never root for David Ortiz or Tom Brady, but those numbers are attractive.
Will Leitch
Editor, Deadspin.com
Team names: MattoonGreen Wave or The Woody Allens
Games played: Baseball, football
Years played: 1993-present
Why play: Because it’s so rare that a normal paying customer has any control over anything in sports that we must embrace the opportunity. Also, I need something to talk to other men about because politics is depressing.
Titles won: Two. Barely.
Highlights: The first fantasy league I was ever in was my freshman year of college — 1993, a fantasy football team. I had no idea how fantasy football worked, so my first three picks were Troy Aikman, Barry Foster and the Arizona Cardinals defense. It turned out to be a keeper league with 14 holdovers. My team was horrible for about a decade.
Fantasy player wouldn’t want to be without: Rick Ankiel. Anybody drafts him in any of my leagues other than me, I take my ball and go home.

— Compiled by JonShow

They’re not alone
The following are results of the Turnkey Sports Poll taken in October. The survey covered more than 800 senior-level sports industry executives spanning professional and college sports.
Will you be playing fantasy football this season?
No
65.13%
Yes
34.10%
No response/Not sure
0.77%
Source: Turnkey Sports & Entertainment in conjunction with SportsBusiness Journal. Turnkey Intelligence specializes in research, measurement and lead generation for agencies, brands and properties. Visit www.turnkeyse.com.

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