Students manage dream teams online

It's a Sunday afternoon and freshman Jacob Moylan's favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, is losing to the Minnesota Vikings, 35-7. Seattle has no chance of a comeback; nonetheless, Moylan is stuck to the online gamecast, yelling, hoping for another touchdown from Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper. \nWrong team, right?\nGuess again. For the time being, Moylan's favorite squad is the fantasy team he manages, owns and operates online. Made up of players from different teams in the NFL, Moylan no longer roots for specific teams, but rather for specific players with hopes of carrying his fantasy team to a league title. \nMoylan is not alone in his philosophy. Fantasy sports exploded into mainstream sports culture in the mid-'90s, causing many sports fans to change their allegiances and analyze individual performances in a new way. \n"I used to root for teams, and I still do during the playoffs," Moylan said. "But I would much rather have one of my fantasy teams win than have the Seahawks win and my team lose. So now I cheer for my players to do well, instead of teams."\nFantasy football is now widespread enough to receive attention from ESPN on programs like "SportsCenter" and "Sunday NFL Countdown," as sports analysts offer predictions on each week's top performers. But football isn't the only game for those seeking online ownership of professional athletes. Major Web sites like Yahoo!, espn.com and cbs.sportsline.com offer baseball, basketball, hockey and even NASCAR fantasy games.\nThe basic concept for Fantasy games, regardless of the sport, is the same. At the beginning of the season, a group of participants form a league and draft a team of professionals. Fantasy owners can field rosters, trade and release players to waivers and pick up free agents, similar to real-life team management. \nThroughout the sport's season, fantasy owners compete with other league participants. Owners earn points based on the game performance of their players. A seeded playoff bracket at the end of the season decides the league champion. \nOne factor that adds to the popularity of fantasy games is that success requires an even combination of both luck and management skills. Freshman Josh Mertes recognizes this combination as an even further enticement. \n"You can have the best team in the league, but sometimes your players just don't play their best game," Mertes said. "You never really know what can happen. It's a toss-up at times." \nWhile fantasy sports can be a fun diversion from work and school, owners admit that they can also be a distraction. \n"I find myself thinking about it before I go to bed sometimes," Moylan said. "It's an endless cycle of second-guessing your actions." \nFreshman Dan Park agrees that some owners can get too carried away. \n"Some of the guys I play with can get pretty crazy about it," he said. "I try not to let that happen to me, but it does get very competitive."\nSome fantasy owners use it as a way to stay in touch with old friends. Park said it allows him and his friends to remain in contact through innocent competition.\n"We play with a group of our old buddies from high school, and it's a great way to stay in touch with them," Park said.\nSome of the major fantasy sports websites include espn.com, cbs.sportsline.com and yahoo.com. Of the three, Yahoo is the only free provider of online fantasy leagues. espn.com's League Manager service allows the league's owners to decide the league's rules and point system, all for $100. \n"The league may cost money to join, but it is worth it," Moylan said. "I look forward to the beginning of every season."\n-- Contact staff writer Eamonn Brennan at eabrenna@indiana.edu.