Where do you think the Web 2.0 generation started? I have my own ideas.
I’m huge on Fantasy Football. I’ve been playing since 2001, which unofficially (and arguably) makes me the Worthwhile Fantasy Football Guru. It’s easy to think that playing this make-believe game that interfaces with reality was always this simple. I mean, you log on to the network of your choice (ESPN, NFL.com, Yahoo, CBSSports, et al), join a league, and presto! You’re ready to go! (Apologies for using Latin & Italian in the same sentence.)
To my surprise, and with a little help from Wikipedia.com, I learned that Fantasy Football (hereafter FF) actually began in 1962 by a limited partner in the Oakland Raiders organization – Bill Winkenbach. With the help of some local editors and Raiders’ staffers, the first FF league began, The Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League. (now on to where it matters…)
If you’ve played FF, or simply heard of the phenomenon, you are familiar with the post-Internet version. A long, long time ago, like 70s, 80s, and even mid 90s, everything for FF was done by hand and on paper. If this doesn’t absolutely astound you, allow me – You see, in a 10-team league, where each team is comprised of 12–17 players, the scoring tabulation is meticulous and downright difficult. Pre-199-something, there was no real time or even online scoring and stat-tracking available online. So, every stat, down to the number of rushing yards by your star Running Back had to be carefully calculated.
Fast forward to mid-to-late 1990s. Enter online leagues and real-time scores and player stats. Toward the turn of the century – Enter live online drafting. Today, a group of 12 people from any place in the world can join a league, draft live online, and interact through forums, polls, etc.
Did the internet advance FF or did FF advance the internet? I think both did. (Humor me.) There are many aspects within the FF spectrum that are strikingly similar to Web 2.0 tools that are considered to be so innovative today – groups, inviting friends, networking, real time changes and updates, etc.
Though Fantasy Football is 95% recreational, I think it has functioned as a peep hole to Web potential, much like Instant Messaging, eBay, and Facebook, which totally changed the way people saw the potential of the internet.
All this being said, I will be live drafting tomorrow morning at 10:45 a.m. with 6 local guys here in Greenville, SC, one in Philly, Kansas City, two in Memphis, and a couple others. (To be honest, I’m not sure where they live.)
I can’t wait to be on the clock!
