“Football is the biggest cult ever created,” said junior Brienne Skees. “It comes on every Sunday, and all of a sudden … eyes are glued to the TV.”

 Being one of these brainless followers, I was initially offended by Skees’ comments. Everyone has a hobby; it just so happens that football lasts for an entire day each week.

 “I don’t mind when my boyfriend watches football,” said senior Chelsea Rivas. “What gets me is his stupid fantasy (football) team. Brendan checks it every day, sometimes staring at the same screen for multiple hours.”

 Fantasy football was not always done through the Internet. Employees of the Oakland Raiders initially created it in 1962 before the Internet was even invented. The initial league was called the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League.

Owners selected players from all professional football teams with the hopes that the individuals they chose would put up good statistics. These players received points on a graded scale for actions such as touchdowns, first downs, and interceptions.

In the beginning, owners would congregate weekly before each Sunday’s games and discuss trades, upcoming matchups, and smart free-agent pick-ups.

Fantasy football was a way for average people to be the General Manager of a team, making each game more relevant to the fans. Now football fans could pick any National Football League player from any team and compete for the best stats.

“Last week I was nervous while watching the Skins game,” said Washington D.C. native Henry Wells. “They were winning for most of the game, but two of my best fantasy players were going for the other team.”

One of fantasy football’s main draws is that football fans are given players to cheer for, even in games that do not involve their home team.

This aspect of the game excites a lot of people, especially those who watch football simply because their friends are.

“I could never stand watching football growing up,” said junior Harrison Anthony. “It was not until I began playing fantasy that I truly gained a love for the game.”

Fantasy Football has become a way for fans to personalize their Sunday festivities. People decide which games they want to watch according to which players are on their own personal team.

“Coopers Ale House is our place to watch the games every Sunday,” said ’10 alum Ryan Phelan, owner of three fantasy teams. “I just wish it didn’t look strange, bringing my laptop into a bar.”

It is easy to spot the fantasy owners each week. They are the one’s drifting from TV to TV, cheering obnoxiously for individual players, often to the dismay of fans around them.

“It is hard not to get excited about fantasy football,” said senior David Waters. “When one of your players makes a big play, you know that he is helping in your battle against that week’s opponent. How am I expected not to go wild?”

Fantasy Football is not for everyone. It requires a lot of attention, and really forces people to watch every Sunday. For some, this does not sound appealing, but to a growing population, it is a way of life.