Fantasy Football no longer a boys' club
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Women joining Fantasy Football leagues at higher rates
By Marshall A. Latimore
SOTG Lifestyles Editor
Adrienne Samuels Gibbs decided once and for all that this would be the season she'd join a fantasy football league for the upcoming NFL season.
"I'm very close to selecting my fantasy football team," tweeted Gibbs early on Aug. 13 from her Twitter account online, @AdrienneWrites. "I've been studying all summer (because) really, i'm a casual fan. But not this year!"
Gibbs, who is a senior editor of Ebony magazine living in Chicago, said she'd never "done the Fantasy Football" thing, but decided to take the plunge after years of watching her husband do it.
But don't be mistaken. Gibbs is not just attempting to humor her husband. And she is not alone.
More and more each year, thousands of women of color are joining fantasy football leagues, hitting the sports bars for Sunday & Monday night football and donning the paraphernalia of their favorite teams.
They're not just trying to hook a man or taking part to give their mates something to smile about. These women love the thrill of the gridiron. And they're finding leverage in this male-dominated arena--if not on, then certainly off the field.
According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, there are 5.5 million women players of fantasy sports. As much as 62 percent of those women play fantasy football.
"Our studies show that women play to win, but differently than men," says FSTA President Paul Charchian. "Women are more motivated to play for reason of camaraderie than competitiveness. They don't buy as many magazines, cheat sheets, etc."
Not all women are so ready to jump into fantasy football leagues, though.
Faith Nunley, a fundraiser in the non-profit sector in Los Angeles, says she would never join a fantasy league, "not football and not anything else for that matter."
"Fantasy Football just ain't my thing," Nunley said. "I like football and all but some folks take it to extremes."
Though readers probably won't see Gibbs's picks in the pages of Ebony, she said she'll still find time to tweet about them over the course of the season.
Labels: fantasy football NFL