How fantasy football ruins the game.

I have helped friends with fantasy football leagues, but until this year I have never participated myself. After turning down countless reproaches, I joined some friends of mine in a league. I cannot say that I considered it a passing fad, but I can honestly say that I never expected it to be as big as it is, to the point that it is all but impossible for me to ignore. It is the definition of the elephant in the room. DON'T LOOK!

One week in, and I am already beginning to regret my decision. I have always been a fanatic for pro football. I like to root for teams, rarely if ever do I root for specific players on a team. I have always rroted for the Baltimore teams, from the Colts to the Stars to the Stallions to the Ravens. Pictures of me as a tot in my Baltimore Colts pajamas and opening my Christmas presents of a Colts helmet lamp and Colts parka etc., I was raised in football. In a very real way, the Colts leaving deprived my father and me of the one thing we probably could have talked about during those "difficult" years.

Now I am in the unenviable position of rooting for Edgerrin James to have a good game against the Seattle Seahawks, but also to root for the Seattle Seahawks to shut down the Arizona offense, as I "drafted" BOTH James and the Seahawks defense. Last week I was supposed to root for Joey Galloway to have a good game against "my" Ravens, and when he was held without receptions (and therefore scored me no points, contributing to my last place finish in week 1) I was supposed to be upset. I wasn't. To tell you the truth, I completely forgot that I "had" Galloway and was worried about nothing more than the Ravens getting the shut-out, making myself late for work to watch the end of the game.

I made some changes on my "team" this week, and we will see what happens during the course of the season. I will not quit mid-season, just because I don't quit halfway through something. But unless the beauty of this thing makes itself apparent to me, I will not be there next year.

Just so you know (on the off chance that you care), here is who I am starting this week:

QB: Peyton Manning
RB: Edgerrin James
RB: Corey Dillon
WR: Joey Galloway
WR: Troy Brown
TE: Antonio Gates
W/R: DeShaun Foster
K: Josh Brown
DEF: Seattle

Last week, I started all the same players except for Eddie Kennison in the W/R, Kevin Brown in the Corey Dillon RB spot, Nate Burleson in the Troy Brown spot, and Mike Vanderjagt as the K. I tried to make some last minute adjustments, but the internet was down at home and I couldn't get on to make some switches. Now let's see how this works for Week 2.