“Awesome humiliation:” The best (worst?) Punishments for losers of fantasy


[ad_1]

In the world of fantasy sports, there is no greater triumph than winning a league championship. Claiming the top spot brings fame, a year of bragging rights, and, if your league has a buy-in, a cash prize. But not all fantasy managers achieve this level of success, and the consequences of finishing last can range from humiliation to hypothermia.

While some leagues force losers to cross the SAT or take a polar dive, others have gotten a little more creative. So Kevin Ring ended up with a neon pink Ford F150 that says “I came last in my fantasy league” in giant white type and features unicorns, rainbows and stars. .

Ring’s older brother Jeff and one of their fantastic buddies dragged the truck, which was originally burgundy, to a custom graphics store while it was out of town. Jeff says he asked for “a truck that a 6 or 7 year old girl would be proud to drive.”

Their league, which Kevin had been trying to join for 19 years before he was finally admitted, has 12 members and is extremely competitive. It’s also “extremely brutal for the person who comes in last,” says Jeff. “No one can ever remember who won the title, but everyone can certainly remember who came last.”

The other 11 members started planning Kevin’s punishment in a secret group message about a month before the end of the season. They performed it over New Years weekend thanks to some quick work from Ronnie Hatem of Hatem Graphics, who spent a sleepless night over the holidays doing the vinyl wrapping before Kevin came home.

The truck has already turned quite a few heads in the Rings’ hometown of Andover, Mass. And sparked roasts on social media, but Kevin says driving Lisa Frank’s vehicle has been “humbling awesome.” .

“People take pictures by honking their horns. On the highway the other day, I found myself stranded next to a school bus full of children. They were all laughing, pointing, thumbs up, ”he says. “I feel like with fantasy most people play or know someone who plays, so they get it.”

Aaron Ladd, who finished at the bottom of a league made up of college friends, certainly got it. Although he still swears by his team and shouts Deebo Samuel for helping him achieve his only three wins of the season, he will attend a JoJo Siwa concert on his own in February as punishment for losing. Siwa is an 18 year old pop star best known for her big hair knots, dazzling clothes and massive fan base that includes 40 million TikTok followers.

A friend of his, the league commissioner, faced him in the game for last place. The commissioner “attempted to extend an olive branch” before the clash by suggesting that the two go to the show together, as it was inevitable that one of them would end up downstairs.

“Basically, I avoided that, I was like, ‘Dude, I’m not going! You can have fun there, ”Ladd laughs. “I was so confident. I was like, ‘My team isn’t that bad. You are Go! ‘”

Unfortunately for Ladd, his team did not succeed. Now he has to drive two and a half hours from Kansas City to Springfield, Missouri, to watch Siwa. His league has spent his ticket, for which he is “very grateful”, but Ladd has to foot the rest of the bill.

“They told me I need to refuel, and I’m considering getting a hotel room because it’s so far by car. You know, make it a whole night out, ”he said, adding that he could also get a“ last place in fantasy football ”jersey to wear to the concert.

There was a common thread in Ladd and Ring’s futility: the two drafted Saquon Barkley in the first round. After the Giants running back injured his ankle, the losers’ chances of finishing at the top of their league have also diminished. Ring took the advice of his brother, whom he now regrets, and Ladd says he spread himself a bit too thin playing in three leagues (despite winning his family league).

An injured running back has also been Jonah Javad’s downfall of the season. He recruited a strong squad that included Christian McCaffrey, Lamar Jackson and Leonard Fournette, but ultimately limped to last place. As the two-time defending champion, he says he got “a little too cocky” and predicted his own triple round because he was so happy with his draft. In the end, “the gods of fantasy football had the last laugh.”

He was given three options for punishment, but leans toward recording a karaoke album with songs chosen by his fellow league members.

Putting together a fantastic winning team is a task that can require as much luck as it may require knowledge or analytical expertise, but Ring has offered some advice for players looking to avoid an unexpected truck transformation next year.

“Don’t trust your brother,” he said. “And don’t enter the last one.”

@SI_Fantasy asked you to share some of your imaginary punishments. Here are some interesting ones:


[ad_2]

Comments are closed.