This mac-inspired fantasy football genius t-shirt by Art of the Fan provides the perfect draft day gear for all you future champions.
Now entering our 3rd season, Art of the Fan always provides fans with the best and most unique fantasy football gift ideas and league prizes. Thanks for visiting!
The ESPN 30 for 30 series has been consistently excellent in the way that’s it’s told “the story behind the story” of some of the biggest events in sports over the past 30 years . So far, my favorite episodes include:
Even though fantasy sports got it’s start with baseball, I’m still interested to see how things started now that it’s grown into a multi-billion dollar industry.
Visit the ESPN 30 for 30 site.
The UniWatch Blog by Paul Lukas, who is also featured on ESPN.com; is my favorite site to visit to see the latest changes in sports uniform design. The latest tidbit from Paul discusses the Packers throwback uniforms that will debut in the 2010 season.
Green Bay Packers to wear navy in 2010 game
by Paul Lukas
In case you missed it the other day, the Green Bay Packers recently unveiled a throwback alternate uniform, which they’ll wear for one as-yet-unspecified game in 2010. The design is based on what the team wore in 1929.
If the sight of the Pack wearing navy instead of green is a shocker, it shouldn’t be. They actually wore a variety of navy-based uniforms for the first several decades of their existence, like this 1940 design. The thing is, color photos from the NFL’s early days are rare, so most fans have no idea what their favorite teams used to look like. Neither do many of the game’s historians.
That’s why a recent discovery by reader Chance Michaels is so amazing. It’s a rare newspaper color insert from 1940, providing one of the best views available of the NFL’s early color schemes.
Some of the teams are vaguely recognizable — that’s an Eagles player at lower right, and a Redskin at lower left (Andy Farkas, incidentally, is generally credited with being the first player to have worn eye-black, even though he’s not wearing it in that photo). But it’s weird to see Mel Hein of the Giants wearing so much red — and even weirder to see him, as a center, wearing uniform No. 7!
As the countdown to Super Bowl Sunday draws near, here is a cautionary tale for fans devoted to their sport and its place in the world of work.
In the last quarter of 2009, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas) reported that four employees of Fidelity Investments had been fired for their involvement in a fantasy football league. The company said that they had intercepted workplace instant messaging involving football conversations. Fidelity’s position was that they had made their policy about “no gambling on the job” clear to their workforce, and that fantasy sports activities were not permitted on company time.
The league members defended their participation by responding that Fidelity employees did not take this policy seriously and that their $20 personal investments in their indulgence hardly constituted hardcore betting. In fact, Fidelity’s reference to fantasy sports as “gambling” caught the attention of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, which issued its own press release as a result of the firing, noting that it was disappointed by Fidelity’s actions and their promotion of the perception that fantasy sports are linked to gambling. The Association also said in their release that Congress recognizes the distinction between fantasy sports and criminal sports gambling, and has written exclusionary language around fantasy sports play.
Workplace Fumble: Fantasy Football Called for Interference | Long Island Press.
Another example of the ever growing popularity of fantasy football. It’s fun to hear about players having to bench themselves, all in the name of winning.
The Jacksonville Jaguars running back passed up a sure touchdown and took a knee before the goal line, helping seal a win against the New York Jets last Sunday. It also made thousands of frustrated fantasy football owners pound their heads against their laptops.
Jones-Drew knows how they felt. He cost himself a win in his own fantasy league.
“I was actually apologizing to myself,” he said. “I have myself. It was all in fun. I know a lot of people were affected by it from what I hear.”
Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould was one of them. He “owns” Jones-Drew in the NFL Players Association league, which includes seven NFL players and a fan. Gould’s Team Automatic lost to Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams’ Memphis MudSlingers, thanks in part to Jones-Drew’s kneel-down.
“I’m just glad he apologized,” a joking Gould said. “I probably would have won, so MJD’s got to score an extra one for me this week.”
Fantasy football leagues aren’t just for fans anymore. An increasing number of NFL players are hopping on their computers and agonizing over their lineups — should I start Tom Brady or Brett Favre?
“I got addicted,” Minnesota backup running back Albert Young said.
Think your fantasy drafts are intense? Imagine what happens when a group of NFL players gets together.
“Matt Forte picked me before I had a chance to pick myself,” Gould said of his Chicago teammate. “He has half the Bears team.”
Adam Caplan, an NFL reporter for Scout.com, is in his sixth year co-hosting a fantasy football show on Sirius NFL Radio. He estimated that about a quarter of the 60-70 players he has interviewed over the last few years participate in fantasy leagues.
After hearing about this show over the summer, I had totally forgotten that “The League” was set to debut tonight on FX. This review doesn’t get me too excited, but I’ll try to give this first ever sit-com about fantasy football a chance.
‘The League’ review – Sepinwall on TV | New Jersey Entertainment – TV & Film – - NJ.com.
Art of the Fan - FAN TASY Football t-shirt
The latest t-shirt design from Art of the Fan provides a bold and stylish way to how much of a fantasy football fanatic you really are.
The Art of the Fan fantasy football t-shirt collection always provides you with a great source for holiday gift ideas for all the fantasy football addicts in your life. Check back weekly for new t-shirt designs during the NFL regular season.
Art of the Fan - Signature Tee
Thanks to all that participated in the Art of the Fan FANtastic T-Shirt Giveaway contest. We had a great and overwhelming response. The 3 winning contest entries (chosen at random) are:
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all that entered. Continue to visit Art of the Fan for the latest t-shirt designs and more contests to come.
Titlecraft sells handmade fantasy football trophies, some with Swarovski crystal, left, for up to $799.
CNN takes a look at what’s new in the world of fantasy football. Now there are even lawyers available to settle the nastiest disputes. Who knew???
(CNN) — Henry Olszewski was stoked in 2008 when he, along with millions of Americans, drafted New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to his fantasy football team.
About eight minutes into the season, a 220-pound safety was blocked into Brady’s knee, tearing two of the quarterback’s ligaments. Brady’s season ended, as did Olszewski’s.
“That Monday, [Olszewski] came in the office, and he was bummed out,” said Anthony Giaccone, president of Intermarket Insurance. “He asked, ‘Why can’t we buy insurance for fantasy team players?’ ”
Thus spawned the brainchild for Fantasy Sports Insurance, which guarantees that NFL players won’t miss a certain number of games. FSI will reimburse a fantasy player’s entry fee if they do.
It’s one of a blitz of bizarre businesses cropping up in the $800 million industry of turning quarterback stats to greenbacks, said Paul Charchian, president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.
Lawyers, insurance firms cash in on fantasy football – CNN.com.
The Art of the Fan blog will be back up and running over the next few days. Thank you for your patience.
