By Matt Doyon and Jerome Foster
VCU InSight
RICHMOND, Va.–At 27 years old and working as a customer service representative, Robert Orfield doesn’t fit the traditional profile of a football team owner.
He’s one of the more than 27 million fans, according to ESPNRadio.com, who “own” teams through fantasy football.
“I am pretty into it,” said Orfield. “I’ve got like every team up checking their stats as they’re updating during games.”
Fantasy players have NFL players on their team. The better the NFL player does on the field, the more points the player scores for the fantasy team.
Sports websites like ESPN.com and NFL.com have entire sections dedicated to fantasy sports and allow website visitors to “own” multiple teams. Fantasy players organize these teams into leagues, just like in real life.
“Now I’m up to doing 10 leagues a year,” said Orfield.
Despite the growth in popularity of fantasy football in the past few years, the game is not new. Rotoworld.com, a leading fantasy information site, said the game started in the 1950s.
Prices to play in fantasy leagues can range from nothing to thousands of dollars with payouts being well above the entry fee. To some players, fantasy football is a form of gambling.
“It’s an addiction,” said Chris Thompson, a 26-year old Verizon Wireless store manager. “People have hobbies and gambling and fantasy football is a part of gambling.
Fantasy football also allows players to control teams and treat it like it’s a real NFL squad. If you want to cut an underachieving player, cut him. Want to trade for a player? Make an offer.
“If’ I’m starting to lose games and they’re not being productive, I’m cutting them,” said Thompson.
VCU InSight 