My Personal Fantasy Sports Story: How It All Began
- Adam Dawson
- Nov 18, 2021
- 10 min read
Introduction: For my next post, I had no idea what to write on next. Ideas went through my brain, but none of them really clicked. Writing about personal things in my life that are also related to sports is something that I try to do often, as I try my best to make my posts somewhat interesting for anyone who decides to take time out of their busy lives to read them.
Those who know me well, know that I love fantasy sports, as I tend to take it a bit too seriously. As a result, I have decided to write on my Personal Fantasy Sports Story. Thinking back on how this all started, I cannot help but think about my past experiences. Whether it be certain people who took the time to explain the game to me when I was younger, questionable trades that I have made over the years, and all the friendships that I have made during the past 10 or so years, it has been a fun and memorable ride to say the least.
Fantasy sports as well as sports in general has made me think less about my speech impediment, as I never thought a game could do that. This game allows me to just be Adam, as I hardly stutter when I am focused on a game. The following article will cover anything from how I came up with my team name, to how I was introduced to the fantasy game, and everything in between. My hope is that anyone who decides to read my personal story, will enjoy it, as much as I did writing it!!!
Note: I have added a few photos of my fantasy journey in this post so that you all can have a better picture and experience my journey along with me throughout the years.
To start this post off, I bet you are thinking: Why is there a picture of an IHOP and what does it have to do with this post? My answer: IHOP is short for International House of Pancakes. IHOP is also the place where I first heard of fantasy sports, so this restaurant will always have a special place in my heart, because this is where my fantasy sports journey began almost a decade ago.
On a Sunday night after Church, my family went out to eat with a good friend of mine, Dallas, as well as his family. He told me that a spot in our church fantasy football league had opened up and I figured that I would give it a shot. As a result, 11 year-old me and Dallas at the table for what seemed like hours, as I asked him countless questions about the game, as he gave me the best answers possible to all of my questions. As we went out into the parking lot to get into our cars to leave, I never knew how big of an impact that night would have on my life. Often, I will tell my parents: "If it were not for Dallas, I have no idea when I would have started playing fantasy sports". To sum it up, he is the reason why I began so young, because without him I would have never heard about the game in the first place until probably years later. When I create a new league, he is the first person I think of to invite, because he took time out to show and teach me the rules of the game and how it works. As a result, I always try to make him proud and always give him credit when I have success in fantasy leagues.
Below, I have included a picture of myself and the man who taught and showed me the ropes when it comes to fantasy sports. Quite simply, I think of him as The True Fantasy Legend. Thinking back, I cannot imagine learning from another person and friend such as Dallas and for that I will be forever grateful. Thank you Dallas!!!
Once I joined the league, I knew that I had to somewhat prepare. So, as any 12 year-old would do, I went out to Barnes & Noble and bought a Sports Illustrated Fantasy Football magazine, when the magazine covers still felt like a football. With it all being new to me, I knew that I had to start from scratch and at least look through the pages, rankings, and get familiar with the players.
Back then, our church league consisted of 10 members, as the drafts were held in person, in the church office. Not to mention that I was the only "kid" in the league, I literally only walked in with my magazine, a few notes, and my laptop. My Dad sat with me, as I entered the ESPN draft room anxious and nervous as ever. Over the past 10 or so years, the people at ESPN have really updated the draft rooms, as it has been cool to see them transform year after year.
As a league rule, I had to keep two players from the year prior, meaning I had to choose two players from the team I took over to have for the current season. This was back when players like Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles, Andre Johnson, and Arian Foster were fantasy kings, but of course I did not have any of those players to choose from. One of my keepers, Doug Martin, then running back for the Buccaneers, did not work out at all, as he was almost useless the whole season, as 456 rushing yards is not going to cut it.
Looking at the positions that I needed to fill, I needed a quarterback first and foremost. As a side note, 12 year-old Adam had no idea what he was doing, as you should never take a quarterback in the first few rounds, as it all just depends on the person, format, etc. Out of all of the quarterbacks that I could have taken though, I took some guy named Peyton Manning who ended with 55 touchdowns, 5,477 passing yards, and the MVP that year, so I guess I hit the jackpot on that one. The only other notable players I remember being on my first ever fantasy team was AJ Green when he was in his prime with the Bengals and Ray Rice, then running back for the Ravens, of course this was before his career went off a cliff.
That first fantasy season seemed like a whirlwind, with my fondest of memories from that year coming on September 5th, 2013, opening night of the 2013 season.
Peyton Manning threw for seven touchdowns, SEVEN, against the then defending Super Bowl Champion Ravens. His performance according to Pro Football Reference accounted for 46.28 fantasy points, but I could have sworn it felt more like 50 or more points instead.
While Peyton kept firing touchdowns and yelling out "Omaha" at the line of scrimmage that season, I somehow kept racking up wins. Of course it was not just him who did everything for my team that year, but it sure did feel like it. Long story short, I made it all the way to the championship, but fell short, as I came in second place in my first season. As you would imagine, Peyton was always one of my two keepers until his retirement at the end of the 2015 season.
Man, every time I watch Manning's highlights from that 2013 season, I get a bit emotional, because all of the memories flood back from my first season of not just fantasy football, but fantasy sports in general. For that reason, Peyton is my GOAT. All of the quarterbacks who have ever played, whether it be Brady, Favre, Rodgers, Montana, and of course Mahomes will never reach Manning's level. Nobody will be as good as him or have a football IQ as great as his, as he was just so much different and smarter than any quarterback that I have ever seen. Peyton would simply tear defenses to shreds, as I would walk away from the TV, come back five minutes later, and it seemed like Denver would be up multiple touchdowns. The rate and pace of which he was throwing touchdowns during the 2013 season was just insane.
Let's not forget about the one rushing touchdown Mr. Manning had during his legendary 2013 season as well. Peyton made the whole Cowboys defense look clueless on a one-yard bootleg to the left that resulted in a touchdown.
Fun Fact: Peyton Manning's 55 passing touchdowns and 5,477 passing yards from the 2013 season both still stand today as the most in a single-season in NFL History!
Below, is a photo of 13 year-old Adam, on Christmas Morning, 2014. As you can tell, I look so excited having just received a Peyton Manning jersey for Christmas!
In the introduction, I mentioned that I would explain of how I came up with my team name. My team name is one that I still use today for all of my teams, regardless of sport. The team name that I came up with was Dominant Underdogs.
When I started out, I was 12, playing against adult men who had and still have way more experience than I do. When I came up with the name, I thought it fit me perfectly. Nobody, probably gave me much of a shot to do much in these leagues when I first started, but I had the mentality of giving them my best shot and not backing down or being intimidated. At the time, I had no idea the advantage I had taking on adults at that age, because that resulted in me having to learn and memorize the players faster. Looking back, I consider it a blessing, because playing with grown men allowed me to grow my knowledge of sports at a faster rate.
Since then, my love for fantasy sports has exploded, as it is always a lot more fun to be in leagues with friends and people that you know than with random people. For instance, when it comes to football, I am currently in four different leagues. Having my own redraft league, dynasty league, and high school league with a few of my buddies are so fun. Of course, I am still in that same church league. Today though, the church league has gone down to 8 members which is not all bad, considering that teams are a bit more stacked.
Below, is a photo of a good friend of mine, Garrett, as well as myself. One of the reasons why we are such great friends is because of Fantasy Football, as it has bonded us together. As a result, he always brings the best out of me when we play each other. We have definitely had some "Fantasy Classics" over the years, as we always tend to battle it out to the bitter end every time we play each other. Playing with friends is the way to go!!!
My other main fantasy sport of choice is baseball, which I think I am a bit better at than football. When it comes to baseball, I am in three or so leagues. All of the men I play with are top-tier guys and as a result have become my friends over the years. In turn, they have made me a way better fantasy player than I could have ever imagined. Basically, I enjoy it all, as it gives me a hobby and something fun to do. Often I will say that "I have no offseason," because I am always preparing and getting ready for the next sport that is coming up for that year. Occasionally, I will play in a few basketball leagues with random people, as I like the NBA too. Although I do somewhat enjoy it, it is not as fun as baseball or football because I know nobody in those leagues.
My biggest fantasy achievement came in 2019, when I was fortunate enough to win my first-ever Fantasy Baseball Championship. When I knew that I had won, I literally started to cry as I was overcome with emotion, knowing that all of my work and preparation had finally paid off. Never would I have thought at 12 years old when I started playing fantasy sports that I would ever win something of this magnitude.
Below, I have included a photo of me when I had just received the aforementioned championship trophy. The photo in no way is intended to be a way of bragging, or anything of that matter, as I consider it to be disrespectful when people brag on themselves. Winning this trophy was a very humbling experience for me and a memory that I will never forget, as I will be forever thankful that I was invited and received the opportunity to be apart of the fantasy baseball league in the first place back in 2017.
Never will I do Draft Kings, Fan Duel, or any other site or app that requires you to play for money, because I play for the fun of it. The most money that I have ever played for is 50 dollars in two baseball leagues where everyone puts in five dollars prior to drafting. Playing Draft Kings or Fan Duel would have me sweating 24/7, as I am already constantly checking my lineups daily in ESPN and Yahoo leagues. Simply, I do not trust myself to play for that type of money on those sites, because I would overthink it. Heck, I already overthink things in my free leagues!
When I do what I consider "bad" in a league, I often will get very frustrated at myself, as I always think that I could have put in more time preparing. Also, being in multiple leagues can be tough, as it can be hard to keep up with them all. Usually for me though, this only happens in baseball, because games are being played daily, not weekly like football.
When it comes to how I act towards my opponents, I always do my best to remain as humble as possible, because I am nowhere near the best of players and will never reach that level. My mindset is to always give whoever I am playing each week my very best, even if I am projected to lose by a million that week. Also not bragging, or being arrogant is a must, as we are just a group of guys having a good time, because we all win and lose against each other at some point. People who call me a "Fantasy Legend or Fantasy god", are flat out crazy, because I am just a guy who drafts players like anybody else. Besides, there is only one God, so I have no idea where they got that name from.
Finally, I cannot thank everybody enough who has helped me get to where I am today in this journey. Whether it be my Dad introducing me to sports at a young age, to Dallas who introduced me to fantasy sports, and everyone else who has helped me and given their insight throughout the years, it is greatly appreciated. Without these men who I now call my friends, I honestly have no clue where I would be at when it comes to my fantasy experience as well as where I would be at when it comes to my love for sports. Listening and talking to them, whether it be at drafts, email or text exchanges, etc. has really allowed me to grow as a general sports fan and that is something that I do not think I will ever be able to repay them for.
Final Thoughts: I hope you all have enjoyed reading my Personal Fantasy Sports Story. At the end of the day, I truly believe that God has given me this ability and/or gift to use for His glory. Sports is what I consider to be my passion and if God has given me this gift, then why not use it every day in some shape or fashion? With that being said, if anyone has any questions about my story or sports in general, I would love to try and answer them to the best of my ability!
See you at the Ballpark!!!
Adam
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