Fantasy Life The Hilarious, Obsessive, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who's Lived It

by Berry, Matthew

• ISBN13: 9781594486258
• ISBN10: 1594486255
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-07-16
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover

Summary

An inside look at the world of fantasy sports from the most recognizable and trusted name in the industry.

Fantasy Life explores the increasingly ubiquitous world of fantasy sports. Every year, millions of men – and women - spend their time assembling, managing, and obsessing over fantasy teams. Reputations are put on the line. Friendships are tested. Money is won, and more often lost. Fantasy sports aren’t make-believe. For its devotees, fantasy is reality.

As the Senior Fantasy Analyst at ESPN, Matthew Berry is on the front lines of what is no longer just a niche sub-culture, but a multi-billion dollar national pastime. In Fantasy Life, he celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world, from the hilarious to the insane to the uplifting. It contains stories of intrigue, betrayal, outrageous behavior, and surprisingly touching moments (let’s just say that fantasy might save your life). And along the way, he chronicles his rise from a fourteen-year-old fantasy player to being the face of fantasy sports for the largest sports media company in the world, a journey that coincides with the tremendous growth of fantasy sports, from small groups of friends mailing each other box scores to a phenomenon played by over 30 million people.

Because sometimes fantasy life is better than real life.

Author Biography

Described as “one of the stars of the web” and a “fantasy savant” by The New York Times, Matthew Berry is ESPN’s Senior Fantasy Analyst. Known as the “Talented Mr. Roto,” he’s one of the most popular columnists on ESPN.com and appears regularly on ESPN television and radio shows.  He won an Emmy for his television show, “Fantasy Football Now,” and is a member of both the Fantasy Sports Trade Association’s Hall of Fame and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame. Named to the Twitter Top 100 by Sports Illustrated, Matthew has also been profiled in numerous magazines and newspapers, had his likeness included in the Madden NFL ‘11 video game, and appeared on “Dancing with the Stars,” FX’s “The League,” and even “One Life to Live.”