[CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Entry!

Politics, world events, under-water basket weaving, everything goes in this forum. Please keep it respectful at all times.
User avatar
WazNFL
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2016 2:44 pm

[CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Entry!

Postby WazNFL » Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:53 am

Updated w/ Information on a new Grand Prize! Read below!


Fantasy Football has evolved over the years. The hobby has transitioned from #2 pencils, composition notebooks and newspapers for reviewing box scores - to databases, player metrics analysis, and up-to-the-minute live scoring. Year after year, the pastime of Fantasy Football not only expands in size and popularity, but also into different facets of everyday life.

In recent years, a positive trend has been developing between Fantasy Football and charitable donations. In reality, to combine a community of hobbyists who are willing to participate in a game of skill for money, with the act of giving money to people or organizations that help people, is a desirable match. Additionally, a relationship between these two should not only exist, but it should also be maintained and consistently improved.

In 2015, DLF's very own Scott Fish (@ScottFish24) and Jeff Miller (@FFJeffM) organized a Toys for Tots campaign during the holiday season within a community of Fantasy Football enthusiasts that resulted in nearly $1,600 of toys being donated to children. This year, under the name Fantasy Cares, they organized the same campaign and in less than three months, donations have already exceeded $2,700! This year-to-year increase of a Fantasy Football charity campaign is just one example on how the hobby is not only expanding in popularity, but also selflessly branching off and indirectly affecting the lives of so many children is such a positive way.

During this campaign, Fantasy Cares is organizing five unique league formats and offering entries to donators. Prizes to be won from these leagues include 1-year subscriptions to Dynasty League Football as well as guaranteed entries into the 2017 #SFB480! While the generosity of a charitable donation is second to none, it’s understandable that not everyone has the means to do so.

Now, the good stuff:

If you want the opportunity to participate in one of the #FantasyCares leagues as well as the opportunity to win the, dare I say, FIRST GUARANTEED ENTRY into the 2017 #SFB480, write something good (in 500 words or less) relating to charity in Fantasy Football and/or #FantasyCares.


Some things you could ask yourself could include, how you feel about the relationship between Fantasy Football and the act of charity? How does the relationship affect the hobby? How does it affect you? Where do you see it in 1 year, 5 years, or even further beyond that? There are no guidelines other than the theme of #FantasyCares. Show us what you're made of.

Please submit all entries on this thread and please, only one entry per person.

Once all submissions have been made, a group of five judges will review them all and select the top 5. These five winning submissions will all be entered into a #FantasyCares league. Amongst these Top 5 submissions, there will be one Grand Prize winner. The five judges will discuss and vote on the best submission. This top submission will win a GUARANTEED ENTRY into the 2017 #SFB480. Huge opportunity so show us your best.

Good luck!

Deadline: 7/17

PS- If you would like to donate to this year's Toys for Tots page and earn credit to enter one of these leagues yourself, please visit http://fantasycares.net/ to do just that, :thumbup:
Last edited by WazNFL on Sat Jul 09, 2016 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Fulstrosto
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:01 am

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby Fulstrosto » Sat Jul 09, 2016 3:52 pm

I am unfortunately not in the SFB480 in 16 but am in the satellite best ball leagues (will be making a donation in 16) looking for a 17 spot. Any bump in the direction of a guaranteed spot in 17 would be greatly appreciated :-)

Asleep
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 4:10 pm

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby Asleep » Sat Jul 09, 2016 4:41 pm

That feeling you get when you forgot to change your lineup before kickoff Image... but the backup RB you had in there scores 3 TDsImage,

Is nothing compared to putting a smile on a kid's face.

Pay it forward... do it now... it works.

jonnyboyrev
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:48 am

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby jonnyboyrev » Wed Jul 13, 2016 2:38 am

Fantasy double tithe

Fantasy football for me is fun. I know some have come from gambling and poker backgrounds, but for me it is about enjoying football and the strategy of fantasy. I’ve never played a ‘high-stakes’ league, but a number of my leagues now have small buy-ins to make it a bit more interesting. Who doesn’t want to win a couple of hundred bucks on a garbage time Alshon Jeffery touchdown with 0:03 remaining when the bears are down by 27 points, right!?

Recently when trying to get into #SFB480 I came across the #fantasycares leagues and gave a bit. Then it occurred to me, like many others, this is great. Sure, charity is up to the individual and shouldn’t be forced, but if leagues gave an entry fee, or 10%, 20%, 30% of the pot to charity what a bonus. Hey, you wouldn’t feel like you sucked as much when you finished 2-11 because at least a bit of your cash did some good. A league I’ve joined with some great fantasy guys following Scott Fish’s King of the Hill leagues has done just this. We started at 20%, think we’re at 30% now into toys for tots (we use the #dynofortots for the league). I’m going to try and introduce it in a dynasty league I run here in the UK (@YorkshireDLF).

This is where I go deep though. Religion and fantasy football don’t normal mix, but for thousands of years religions have encouraged giving a percentage, a tithe (usually 10%) away. Well, let’s take fantasy football one step further. I’ve called my team in the #dynofortots league ‘fantasy double tithe’, I wonder how many other leagues we can get doing a double tithe for charity. :dance:

millhousebc
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:35 pm

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby millhousebc » Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:48 am

Fantasy Cares

When the topic of #FantasyCares came up, I tried to think of how the two combined, by really just focusing on the football side of it, which is why I struggled to write this. Deciding to focus of the charity and children side of it, really brought it together.

I have recently become a father, to an unbelievable little boy, who has downs syndrome, which involved us staying at the Children's hospital. While there, my wife and I had the opportunity to meet and bond with other families and share our stories. We also had the chance to participate in fund raising
for the Downs Syndrome association, to help families that may not be able to meet the needs that their children require.

That's when I realized, that this group of people that I am interacting with, is alot like my online fantasy football family. I have been lucky enough to meet a group of guys, through FFCC, www.ffcouchcoach.com/, where we each share our experiences in the football world, and in life in general.

In each case, hearing about others stories, and what they have been through, has offered insight to help me through things with my son, or how to improve my knowledge on fantasy football. Kind of like a sounding board and support group for each other. It is through this group, where I learned about SFB, and the amazing work that Scott Fish (@ScottFish24) and Jeff Miller (@FFJeffM) had done to organize a Toys for Tots campaign.

Reading Twitter, and the interactions between the 480 participants, and everyone else following along, really brings the fantasy community together for a great cause and helping others in need. It is for that reason, that I would like to submit my entry into the #FantasyCares SFB 2017 contest. I would also like to thank Waz (@WazNFL) for bringing the #FantasyCares to my attention.

Kevin (@millhousebc)

User avatar
WazNFL
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2016 2:44 pm

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby WazNFL » Sat Jul 16, 2016 8:15 am

[Posting on behalf of Mark]
---

About 20 years ago, a lively trash-talk session broke out during a FFL draft - all in fun. The result: I challenged the opposing trash talker to a $50 bet on our week #1 head-to-head game. The winner would get to make a $50 donation to the charity of his choice. After I won, my opponent sent a $50 check to the American Cancer Society. That felt SO GOOD. Unfortunately, like so many of us, we started to lose friends to cancer. A FFL owner in 1998. A co-worker in 2003. My wife’s best friend in 2004. One of my best friends in 2010. Another co-worker in 2013. A fraternity brother’s wife in 2014. All under 60 years old. So, we kept donating to The Jimmy Fund in their memories. It felt like the least we could do.

Then, about two years ago via Twitter, I learned about the Toys for Tots campaign organized by Jeff Miller and Scott Fish, two of the nicest people on the planet (not sucking up. It’s a fact). I was happy to give. For the upcoming FFL season, I jumped at the chance to get involved in the Toys for Tots leagues. Even more rewarding, I was able to buy entries for two young adults (and FFL players) who both lost parents to brain cancer. All for a great cause. And they are both thrilled to get involved.

How about a Toys for Tots League in every state? I’ll take NH. I haven’t run this by Scott yet (he’s a tad busy), but I’d bet that he could leverage his SFB480 supporters and the DLF family. Think of it - every December, we could send someone toy shopping in every state! And a National Toys for Tots Champion? I’d be happy to get more involved. I’ve got no excuse. I’m recently retired.

Mark Radwan
@Markradwan
NH Nomad

jutter02
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2016 11:55 pm

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby jutter02 » Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:38 pm

During these recent times of turmoil in the fantasy sports industry, a lot of the industry's biggest critics have made sure to take the time to point out any negative thing they could find that was a possible result of playing fantasy sports. They undoubtedly had to search very hard to find an example of anyone who had their life ruined by this hobby that so many love, if they were able to at all. The need to search out the negative seems to be the only way certain people know how to approach things. If they had instead searched for examples of all of the people who have had their lives positively affected by this hobby that so many love they would have been able to save themselves some time and see how the positive from it far outweighs any negative that they could drum up.

Through efforts like fantasycares this community came together and raised $1,600 for toys for children at christmas time and has came back together this year to raise $2,700 already again this year in just three short months. You need to look no further than examples like this to be able to see how this hobby that so many love was able to benefit so many children in need. What better reason is there for leaving it alone than that of the smile on many a childs face when they received their gift from the dedicated and giving members of this community? For reasons like this more time should be spent glorifying the good that can come from it than trying to vilify it for anything negative. We do not do these things because we want the attention from doing such an act, we just ask that you fairly devote enough time to looking at the good done as you do the bad.

Cstyles
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 4:16 am

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby Cstyles » Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:11 pm

There is a wave of change hitting the fantasy community that will continue its growth and also have a positive effect on the entire industry. Obviously with advances in technology the sport has grown and became better and more popular. Most recently DFS has pulled a black cloud over the entire industry. The barrage of commercials has made states question whether it should be legal. With all the positive progression over the years it seems like a majority, if not all of it could be wiped out.

For 7 years now I have been playing fantasy football. It started off as a yearly game between friends and has turned into a full fledged year long addiction. When I was listening to the DLF podcast with Jeff Miller and Scott Fish I heard their story of starting fantasy cares (http://fantasycares.net) and donating money each year to toys for tots. I was moved and donated money that second. I later found out that there are leagues setup for people that donate and the winners get into a future Scott Fish Bowl. Wow! Doing something good just got better. I would like to think all individuals would like to help someone in need. The biggest issue seems to be a platform to help you do so. Connecting fantasy football with the act of donating to a charity is brilliant. Other charities in the fantasy world that I have noticed are Living the Stream/Late round QB with JJ Zachariason and Denny Carter and Mathew Berry’s twitter unblock. The men from living the Stream donate all proceeds from there hilarious t-shirt sales to no kid hungry (https://www.nokidhungry.org). Matthew Berry allows trolls he has blocked on twitter to unblock there self with a cash donation to the Jimmy V Foundation (http://www.jimmyv.org)

More than anything fantasy football is a release from the real world for many. You get to draft a fictional team and compete against friends. With so much negativity in the world these days more and more people need an outlet. And for me fantasy sports are the perfect outlet. The cherry on top is being able to donate money if you can to a great cause of your choice. Having a 3-year-old child of my own, toys for tots and no kid hungry are always top choices when I am donating. My wife and I have been put in the fortunate situation that we can always have food on the table and gifts under the tree. I don’t think any child should have to suffer because of the choices or unfortunate luck of their parents.

I think that the bond between fantasy and charity has a very positive outlook and will help many people in the future. The more fantasy analyst and sites/platforms that decide to make an effort for charity donations will help this grow into something that changes many lives. We all need to get the word out so more people donate and/or setup their own ways to make a difference.

Cody W.

ABLevBen
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2016 6:07 pm

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby ABLevBen » Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:50 am

When I first stumbled onto this while reading Scott's Twitter timeline, I felt a bit embarrassed. I've been playing fantasy football for around a decade. It's always been one of my favorite hobbies. I felt bad reading this because through all these years, it never occurred to me to branch out from my league to help other people. That sounds bad enough on its own, but what makes it worse is that I'm a former Make-A-Wish kid.

For anyone unfamiliar with what they do, Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children who are facing life threatening health issues. This idea to turn fantasy football into a way to help others should have hit me long ago since the generosity of the Make-A-Wish foundation sent me to Disney World while I was still just a little kid. It's very easy in life to turn and say, "I have my own stuff to worry about." I know that I can be guilty of that too often. Most serious fantasy football players plunk down at least a few hundred bucks through the course of a fantasy season, especially with daily sites on top of seasonal leagues. There is no reason why we can't shuffle that money around a little bit to reach out in our community.

That's the important word in all of this: Community. At the heart of it all, that's what fantasy football is really about. Do we all want to win? Of course we do! But without a group of friends, what does the win mean? Who would you be bragging to that your 12th round pick is taking the league by storm? We are all in the same community and through all the smack talk and the annoyance that the one team manager STILL hasn't looked at the trade you sent over, we all love playing the game. For me personally, it's a pretty nice escape for how terrible people in this world can be.

I would hope to see the #FantasyCares movement grow even more over the next few years. This is the first time I've ever heard of it, and I'll be petitioning every money league that I'm in to take up the cause. I believe that this type of idea can be used for any charity, even if it's maybe not the Toys for Tots. That's not to say that particular cause is more or less important than any others. Each league can decide who to help on a league by league basis. The end of the fantasy season lines up perfectly with the Christmas season. It's really a big bonus and so many places need the extra help during that time. I sincerely hope this is the start of a tradition that becomes as common as all those FanDuel and DraftKings commercials every football season.

Adam Strangis
@Bucn4life

NY Hitmen
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:46 am

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby NY Hitmen » Sun Jul 17, 2016 9:35 am

When I was younger, my father always said, charity begins at home. He then would volunteer and donate his time and money to whomever needed it. Now that I have grown up as it were, I can’t disagree with my father’s wisdom. I love fantasy football and the feeling it brings each season. But, each year I find time to break away from fantasy and dive into reality at the local food pantry and homeless shelter. Thanksgiving is a football holiday in and of itself, but my wife and I (along with whatever child is home at the time) volunteer at the shelter serving meals and washing dishes. This simple act of charity and kindness shows someone cares. Each year we’ve had a game on while people eat and its enjoyed by most. The simple truth is, people whom I don’t even know ask who I think is going to win. As if the situation in their lives at that moment is simply forgotten by a game of football.

Over the last several years, some of the guys in several different leagues I am in, have come with me on Thanksgiving to volunteer. They also bring their families and have found it rewarding in a way. I realize its just one day for them, but it’s a start. Maybe the rest of the year they find themselves giving in ways they never would have if they didn’t play fantasy football with me. The truth is, there is nothing special about what I do. People volunteer and give in many different ways. I just happen to have a connection with football that makes my experience to the next level.

When asked if charity begins at home. I always say, “yes it does”. Fantasy Football has given me a wide range of friends from all over the world. My connection with them and my connect with my family has given me the chance to pass it on. Showing that, caring for others and giving of yourself is easy to do when charity begins at home.

Just don’t trade away your first round pick for some magical beans.


T. Morrison
@TomMorrison4

fantasydetes
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 1:28 pm

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby fantasydetes » Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:26 pm

When I first heard about fantasycares.net on a podcast, it reminded me of a true story I like to tell my four children (all daughters):

There was a six-year-old boy who lived with his single mother. She was a high school dropout who got pregnant with him as a teenager, then was shunned by her family. The mom and her son lived together in a one-bedroom apartment. Times were tough, and money was tight.

Their car was a brown Pinto with holes in the floorboard that started only after much prayer and deft clutch popping. Breakfasts were lukewarm reconstituted powdered milk and puffed rice. Dinners were macaroni and cheese. They shared their apartment with an army of roaches.

Thanksgiving that year was particularly hard. There was no money for a meal and no family to celebrate with. It was not a happy time. When the mom and her son arrived home from church days before the holiday, they saw a paper grocery bag outside their front door. Inside was a veritable treasure--a Butterball turkey, Stove Top stuffing, canned pumpkin, a pie crust, vegetables, and the boy’s favorite: Ocean Spray cranberry sauce (the jellied stuff that slides right out of the can)!

There was no writing on the bag, no name attached, and no one to take credit for the most amazing, generous gift that boy had ever received. It was the purest, kindest form of giving: totally anonymous with no expectation of reward or acknowledgement.

As you might have guessed, I was that boy, and that experience was transformational.

The fantasycares.net project is everything that is right about giving--it allows people like you and me (and our families) to give anonymously and generously to those who struggle to make ends meet, those who need our help the most, and those who will be most impacted by our gifts.

We get to have some fun playing fantasy football, too! (My family loves fantasy football--my wife, my four daughters, and I love drafting and playing fantasy football together--and this is the perfect marriage of rewards, for us and for the children who will benefit.)

I don’t like to talk about my giving, and I write this only in the hope that it will help spur others to give. There is some young child out there who is poor and discouraged, some young Marshawn Lynch picking roaches out of his cereal, some struggling parent who is heartbroken she can’t buy a toy for her daughter this Christmas. You have the power to make a permanent impact in a family’s life--one they will pay forward when they get the opportunity. You have a chance to be a superhero, a Santa, an angel.

I challenge you to be that champion, and I look forward to sharing that joy with you as we draft in one of those awesome fantasycares.net leagues later this summer.

God bless, from that six-year-old boy who will never forget...

@SreekanthReddyN
Combine Attendee
Combine Attendee
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:20 pm

Re: [CONTEST] Write About #FantasyCares & Win A 2017 SFB Ent

Postby @SreekanthReddyN » Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:47 pm

Fantasy Football has entered my life in 2014. I used to make fun of my friends who were talking fantasy football all the time since 2009. After boring 'September to January' months for about 5 years, I have decided to enter the fantasy football leagues and be part of those conversations/fun. I am a cricket player where the season starts in April and ends in August. So Fantasy Football is a perfect opportunity to keep myself busy during the cricket season and reduce the Casino visits to play Poker. But I didn't realize what I was getting into....

I have thought FF is just about drafting, setting lineups, add/drops/trades on Yahoo site. But there is much more than that. I have been able to make lot of friends playing fantasy football. I have started applying my poker strategies at the FF and pulling off trades as well as lot of victories. AND I have started applying the FF strategies at Poker as well which helped me win some and finally stop losing those big stakes at Casinos. Just realized how big of an impact fantasy football can have outside those busy NFL Sundays. Slowly I just became addicted with it and keeping up the news all the time has been my favorite pass time.

Winning championship didn't satisfy me. I just wanted to be much more than that. Joining Twitter in 2015 has been a major turning point. I have followed great fantasy experts there and able to gain lot of insight into the FF. I have made lot of good friends who mean more than FF to me. I have shared my personal situations and gained good guidance from them. Slowly fantasy football has become secondary and the fantasy football community hS become the primary. I wouldn't care losing a fantasy football game but really valued the great fantasy community. It contains great people who are excellent in their primary profession as well.

Slowly I have realized how the community helps each other grow or in a need. After all 'A friend in Need is a Friend indeed'. There was an instance where one of the guys lost a job but the entire community responded to he, him finding work. I have tried my part as well. It gave me immense pleasure trying to help others who I don't even know personally outside of Twitter. There are lot of experts who helped others finding their feet in fantasy football industry or other jobs. My respect for the community increased multi folded with these incidents.

Finally the best of all happened this year. The community is not helping just the ones from them but They are trying to make difference in the lives of under privileged and kids who they don't even know. Many are making donations through fantasy leagues or other non fantasy sites to help the society. I have participated in the charity league and made small contributions on my part as well. I have really thought the impact which the FF community is going to create to the society by taking these small strides which will result in a great positive impact in the long run. I have decided to use part of my fantasy winnings as well as part of my expenses towards the 'Fantasy Cares'. I would like to thank Scott & @FF_Hep who inspired me towards this. YES FANTASY REALLY CARES. WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SOCIETY. Let's Go!!


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests