Attention fantasy football players, we have more bad news for you.  We already talked about how your antics will cost the American economy $9.2 billion as proven in this year's version of the study that has been done each of the last 10 years.

And now Stephen A. Smith has dropped another bomb on us - at least those of us who are white.

He thinks we're nerds:

But honestly, I'm not surprised to learn that so few blacks are among the 30 million people who participate in fantasy sports. I've always thought that a lot of these guys (and 96% of them are guys) are nerds desperately in need of more sociable leisure time activities. Leisure time for black folks historically consists of direct interaction, the kind of experience you get at a family barbecue or hanging out with friends. Sitting in front of a computer screen pretending to be Bill Parcells? Sounds like work to me...And the more I learn about the typical fantasy player, the more I think most minorities simply have better things to do.

That's right, guys.  Contrary to what you might believe, you are in fact a nerd.  And not only that, but a nerd who lacks interaction with friends and apparently doesn't care for barbeques.

After this ESPN The Magazine piece, it became apparent that Stephen A. Smith was the delegated media member who would write the now annual piece responsible for informing those who play fantasy football that they are hopeless, anti-social losers.

Rather than go through the painstaking process of outlining how idiotic and broadly stereotypical Stephen A. Smith's opinion is, I figured I'd just revisit a one-way conversation we had almost exactly two years ago with another bombastic media "personality" who goes by the name JT the Brick.

Unfortunately, Mr. The Brick is also not a big fan of fantasy football participants.

From the August 30, 2006 edition of the Media Circus...


This is the time of year when I am bombarded with e-mails and calls to my radio show about fantasy football. I am invited to play in several leagues by strangers from all over the globe….

Right out of the box, we know this guy is the coolest…fans all over the globe.

I have never played fantasy football and I do not plan to dip my big toe into the water this season…

Yet something tells us he’s about to drop some science on those who do play fantasy football.

Over the past few football seasons, I have accepted fantasy football fans for what they truly are, sports fans that have too much time on their hands and should get out more.

Question we have is this – you’ve just conceded that millions of people play fantasy football, including fans of your radio show, so who in the hell are you expecting is going to read this column and think “this guy’s got a point, fantasy football is for nerds.”?

The typical fantasy football player rarely goes to any football games throughout the course of the season.

There are plenty who are season ticket holders in your town and support the home team at all costs, but the majority never drives a car into the parking lot of a stadium, sets up the grill and drinks a few cold ones before kickoff.

Of all the boneheaded generalities we’ve heard in our day, this one definitely sits atop the standings.  Once again, Mr. Brick, you’ve conceded that millions of people play this game, yet you can summarize the “typical fantasy football player” in one paragraph?  Impressive indeed.

And we’re also completely lost by what you’re trying to say here.  So there are plenty of fantasy football players who are season ticket holders and support the team at all costs, but these same people never show up at the stadium and park their car and drink beer?  We beg to differ.  Pretty much every season ticket holder we know is a loyal fan, tailgater and – gasp! – one of those “freaks” who plays that weird computerized football game that is tormenting you in your sleep.

I go to NFL games almost every week and interact with thousands of fans who can care less who you are starting at wide receiver in your fantasy league because they care more about the outcome of the game that they are actually attending.  

News to JT – nobody gives a shit who anyone else is starting in their fantasy leagues.  Doesn’t mean they aren’t in fantasy leagues.

You all have friends who claim to go to work for a living but continue to use hand signals to warn their co-workers that the boss is walking out of his office and might catch you looking at your fantasy team’s statistics on your company computer.

Or perhaps, workers will be caught reading mind numbingly stupid articles from radio personalities on their company computer.

I believe that most men who play fantasy sports need to look in the mirror and answer a few simple questions before they continue down this road with their computers and friends.

Ohhh Boy..........

1. Are you spending more much time with your fantasy football league than you spend with your family? How do you think your wife or girlfriend feels every time that they walk into the living room and you are looking at statistics or on the phone with a friend talking about your next game?  Should you be outside with your kid(s) teaching them how to shoot a proper jump shot or giving them advice on how to field a ground ball? I know the truth hurts, but get off your butt, turn off the computer and teach a kid how to play sports.

Dr. Phil, you better check yourself.  JT is coming for your job.

2. If you are single and looking to find your potential soul mate, do you think winning your fantasy football league helps make you a better “catch”? I do not think that many women are impressed by your 26-point lead after Week 3 of the fantasy season when you look to break the ice on a date.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been at a bar, speaking with a woman and decided that telling her about your fantasy football league was a solid pick up line.  If you raised your hand, then JT is right, you’re an idiot.

If you are older than 30 and have a Brett Favre poster on your bedroom wall, you might want to sit out this upcoming fantasy football season and get back to basics.

If you ask us, that sure does sound like a direct shot at Sean Salisbury.

3.  Are you truly giving your employer 100 percent each time you arrive at work. …believe me when I tell you that your boss thinks you are a loser if you spend more than 10 minutes on fantasy football each day.

What if your boss plays fantasy football too?  Ah, now we’re in a quandary.  I suppose that means that our boss’ boss thinks we’re both losers.  In fact, our boss’ boss is probably hanging out with JT as we speak drinking cold beers and reminiscing about the good old days when the word “fantasy” was only used when talking about the chicks from Dynasty.

4. Are you a better sports fan because you play fantasy sports? This is a tough question because I know that most football fans that break down the statistics of every player in the NFL are more knowledgeable than fans that do not care about these facts. I’m also confident that fans that stand in the rain in the final two minutes of a live game get more out of that experience than the guys who are sitting in a sports bar staring at their fantasy stats and could care less who wins any particular game.

Again, apparently our esteemed author has done the necessary research and determined that football fans can be neatly broken into two groups:

1.) Badasses who will stand in the rain and cheer and
2.) Guys who look like Arvid from Head of the Class and care only about their fantasy team.

Better look in the mirror and see which one you are - and which one you want to be.

Losers.