If there is anything that I am more passionate about than social media, it would probably be fantasy football.  Every summer, myself along with millions of others across the globe count down the days of summer until the end of August, beginning of September.  This is when the thermometer begins to drop while our excitement rises with the anticipation of another NFL football season.  To many, including my wife, this type of excitement is seen as a tad bit off and potentially crazy.  I don’t see anything wrong with having a countdown clock counting the days, hours, minutes and seconds until my league’s scheduled fantasy football draft.

Last night as I was putting together an email to my league, (yes we are already emailing and talking about this season) I began to think about how there are a number of similarities between two of the things I enjoy most – Social Media and Fantasy Football.  I have finally found a way that I can combine my two favorite things.  (Insert evil laugh with heavy reverb here.)

Community

I have loved playing and watching football since I was a kid.  I love waking up on a Sunday morning knowing that there will be games played at 1 pm, 4 pm and finally 8 pm.  JOY!  But, I feel confident in saying that I wouldn’t be this “into” the NFL without fantasy football.  What I love most about participating and managing a fantasy football league is the community.  I am in several leagues, but the one that matters most to me is a fantasy league that I have been running for more than 5 years.  The league consists of 10 friends, we call them owners as each owns a team.  We use to all live in NC, but over the years we have had a couple move away, but they are still in the league.

There are times that I will go months without seeing some of these guys, but we keep in touch via email because of fantasy football.  As I get older and priorities like career and family take center stage, it becomes harder and harder to keep friendships and relationships alive.  Fantasy football enables me to keep connected with some of these friends.  We all get together in person for the draft, we have an end of season party, we give out trophies, we bet and play for cash and most importantly, we continually and relentlessly bust and make fun of each other.  It’s wonderful and this community would not of been possible without fantasy football.  I treasure this community and the people in it.

Isn’t this exactly why social media is so powerful and growing at epic speeds?  The web has no borders or boundaries, it  allows people to find and engage with people of similar interests.  Social media is allowing people to truly create real human connections that are so very powerful.  People feel the same way about people they have only met online as I feel about the guys I play with in my fantasy football league.

Voice

Without question, what gets me most excited about social media is it allows anyone and I mean anyone an opportunity to let their voice be heard.  The burden of entry is incredibly low.  All you need is a computer and an internet connection and you have the opportunity to let your voice be heard far and wide.  Think about how incredible this is.

My fantasy football league is very similar.  We have ten guys who have different backgrounds, jobs and interests.  We have single guys, we have married guys, we have guys with and without kids.  But no matter what, each owner has a voice in how are league is run and what changes we make in the future.  At the end of each season, all the owners come together and discuss changes to the rules, how we play, etc.  Whether you came in first place, like me or last, you have an opportunity to be heard and persuade the other owners in voting your way.  It is a democracy at its finest, the majority vote wins.

Clean Slate

One of the guys who participates in our league named Tom came to last seasons draft with a strategy.  He thought he had figured out a way that would guarantee a fantasy football championship and all the glory that comes with it.  He shocked the world (hyperbole) by how and who he drafted.  He was confident and stood tall in the face of criticism from the other owners.  Unfortunately for him, his championship strategy didn’t work out too well and his team did not live up to expectations.  Throughout the season, off season and into this years draft, he has taken and will take a lot of ribbing.  But you know what on September 2, this seasons draft day, he gets to start with a clean slate.  He can come up with a  whole new strategy that might actually work this season.  (I doubt it, but there is always hope.)

I think of social media in a very similar way.  You continually have the opportunity to reinvent yourself, try new things, take chances, see if something might work and if it doesn’t, you might take some shots, but you can just dust yourself off and try again.

Now all I need to do is figure out how I can get paid to do social media, but all I focus and talk about is football.  *pinch me*.  Championship!  34 days, 2 hours and 16 minutes until draft day.

“There are times during the football season when my wife sees me yelling at the TV that I have no doubt she questions why in God’s name she ever married me.” – Cord Silverstein