As I found out late last night and early this morning, so do a LOT of other people.
You don't have to know much about numbers and stats to enjoy fantasy sports. All you need is some luck, and to enjoy the game you're playing. Of course, it doesn't hurt to know what you're doing.
Late last night, I figured I'd get an early start on the fantasy hockey season by starting a league. I figured I'd get some interest and slowly fill up the league in the next week to 10 days.
Here I am, roughly 15 hours after I put out the first tweet, and 3 leagues have been filled (Now 24 hours later, and the 5th league is just about filled). That's 60 100 teams. 57 95 tweeps answered, quickly, and I was more than happy to keep creating leagues.
There are still a few people who have shown interest, so I'll likely set up a 4th (actually setting it up now...). UPDATE: I hate saying no, especially when it comes to hockey...so I am creating a 5th league... BUT THAT IS ALL. I'M CALLING MERCY!! This makes 100 total teams, all involving the fine folks from Twitter. Newbies, bloggers, experienced players...a fantastic mix of people with one common interest. Hockey.
I've been playing fantasy sports for 20 years. Baseball, Football, Hockey and, yes, even Basketball (although I haven't played fantasy hoops in a while).
I have never...in those 20 years...seen this much interest, this quickly, in a fantasy league being formed. Perhaps it's because of the quickness of the information traveling via Twitter, or maybe...and I think this is more likely...it's that hockey fans just really love all forms of their sport!
Now... if you're in one of the leagues, prepare to be dominated!
Each league has the same rules. Every team will start: 2 C, 2 LW, 2 RW, 4 D, 4 utility players (any position)...and 2 goalies. This will make the drafting strategy a little interesting: Do you take two solid goalies and skip a good skater in a given round, or do you take a top goalie and a 1a, and hope they give you enough combined stats to compete. It's all part of the fun in building a fantasy team. There will also be 5 bench spots, and 2 IR spots for injured players.
To make things even a little more interesting, I'll be posting how the leaders in each league are doing from time to time. Think of it as 5 different divisions...and we can compare who is the best of the best.
If all parties are interested, we can take the top few players in each league and form a playoff league to see who the best Twitter fantasy hockey player is!
Anyway, here are the tweeps who are participating in each league. Follow them if you aren't already for some friendly (and let's keep it friendly) smack talk. If you don't want to follow a bunch of new people, click on the header for each league and it will take you to my Twitter list for that league...you can just follow the list if you'd like.
We'll also be using hashtags for each league (#TFHL1, #TFHL2, #TFHL3, #TFHL4 and #TFHL5) so you can follow along in the trash talk.
Commissioner/Team Owner/Great and Powerful Overlord: @SpeakoftheDevs
(Parise Like Sunday Morning)
@dani3boyz (It's Coffee and Bailey O'Clock)
- Oldest3boyz (Long Island Royal Flush)
@hawknut (Great Staals of Fire)
@JoeDepto (The Crosby Show)
@StoneDevil (Miracle on Natty Ice)
@westcoastdevfan (California Seals)
@MCARTER82 (Team Carter)
@Jay21fire (NJ Fire on Ice)
@KevinJLarocque (Team Larocque)
@Ronnie131 (Shut Your 5 Hole)
@honestmoe (Dirty Jersey Doom)
@Joe_Fortunato (Gaborik's Groin)
@MHCranberry (Rogue Waves)
@Bruins22 (Shinny Hero)
@FrozenNotes (Team Rogers)
@Tristy (Team Eight)
@shmermel (Creme Melts on Tits)
@nyr351 (I'll dig your Graves)
@SteveFaulks28 (Theo McFleury)
@cabeckham (Taxicab Kanefessions)
@TigerLily1276 (Kentucky Thoroughblades)
@Mikey_Lombardi (You Ott To Know)
@tangent_man (Drunken Stupors)
@Justinleon (New York Sather$)
@Katrina_Doell (Fort Neverlose)
@TheViewfrom111 (Team Ice Holes)
@Icecreeper (Streit Up Your Alley)
@dohRG (Spirit of 93)
@amanada11 (Victorious Secret)
@cathybytes (Tisza Valley Scourge)
@Ozzy (Team nanaHEY,YOU SUCK)
@Heyitskarla (Team Astrohounds)
@Jenf1 (Rock the RED Jen)
@Burk1 (Slow Icers)
@NJDevils26 (Alan's Wolfpack)
@rancidradio (Use the Bergfors)
@stlcards4i1983 (Kandy Kaners)
@JillTullo9 (Boston U Terriers)
@KToools (Averys Manicurist)
@sarcasmpucktail (Like Marty Loves Sean)
@kathygc (You're not the Bossy of me)
@w0ndertwin (Thorton hears a who)
@Jeremy1026 (Baltimore Diablos)
@Jillian1104 (Towson Devils)
@Warrior40 (Vanek at the Disco)
@Laurita369 (Tiny's Voltigeurs)
@loucifer (Pipers Pit)
@RSC41 (Just Don't Give a Kovalchuk)
@MxTito (Diablo Puckers)
Commissioner/Team Owner/Keeper of Good and Evil: @SpeakoftheDevs
(Don't Toews Me, Bro)
@RandallPnkFloyd (Kane's Cab Company)
@Eugene_R (Biz Nasty's Bum Army)
@aibarker25 (The West Coasters)
@DougS_AG6 (I Don't Give A Kovalchuk)
@srosengr (Malkin The Park)
@sarah_connors (Jamaica Plain Tyler Seguins)
@freezethepuck (Sharp Shooter)
@alamoth (Williamsburg Hipster Killers)
@TromboneTime (The Big Rafalskis)
@ascagnel (A Sanguine Satan)
@Gags0712 (hartford whalers)
@Green52fan (Mean Green Machine)
@FightNightatJoe (Oslo Donkey Punches)
Commissioner/Team Owner/Destroyer of Hopes and Dreams: @SpeakoftheDevs
(Blood Bath and Beyond)
@amf35 (luthen HAUSEN)
@liminutemen (Kaleta Collisions)
@RyanStern33NYR (GoinGoinBackBac ToCallyCally)
@molsin27 (Team McCarrel)
@jlongley (Team Longley)
@jabberwockkie (This Ott to be Good)
@jgreengas (Spitting Llamas)
@augie2005 (Chicago Happy Humans)
@pjsimmers (Monroeville Zombies)
@Vipe29 (Garden Gnomes)
@sweetbob (Team Roberts)
@AnthonyFuria (Blueshirts United)
@emihawk (Team Dumais)
Commissioner/Team Owner/Runner Outer of Other Names: @SpeakoftheDevs
(I'm Smart, You Arnott)
@TimoniNJD (The Teabaggers)
@howie9416 (Mother Puckers)
@JQuincyKing (Wilkes-Barre Beerdrinkers)
@FrozenNotes (Team Rogers)
@CJRichey121 (Pralines and Dick)
@IceCreepsMike (Save The Whale!!)
@JimPap (DiPietro's MRI)
@kakakatey (Team Free Candy)
@rawker (Status Quo)
@5holeblog (Uncle Daddy)
Commissioner/Team Owner/Creator of Many Leagues: @SpeakoftheDevs
(Malkin in the Middle)
@jps94 (There's No "I" in Teemu)
@Hawgs38 (Milkkrate o'Cheesbuurgers)
@jim_neveau (Don't Step On My Toews)
@Katrina_Doell (Fort Neverlose)
@antheia (Formal Shortshifts)
@hkygrl12 (whatchu knowaboutthaaat)
@gimmeapuck (Pepper P-OTTS)
@TheProgramBTR (Rahway Indians)
@fatheaddesign (Hartford FailWhalercanes)
- Middle & Youngest 3boyz (dani's 2of3boyz)
