Fantasy football, which has taken the country by storm in recent years, is a game where you can manage a personalized team of players, select a lineup weekly, and watch as they play, earning “fantasy points” for the players’ real efforts on the field. Every week you are paired up against another participant in your league, and whoever has the greatest number of points by the end of that week’s games wins.

   Avid fans and players can be found anywhere you look. The game’s popularity has grown exponentially since its creation in 1962 and is now the most-played fantasy sport in the United States at 29.2 million people, according to Statista Research. 

   Fantasy football is not just a game, though it might seem that way to others. It’s a great opportunity to connect with diverse individuals and make new friends, as well as a chance to keep in touch with people you might not see as much anymore.

   “I’m a big football fan, so [I like] anything that can get me more engaged with the game. But especially now, it’s a lot of camaraderie with your friends. … I have [a league] with old high school friends and old college friends, so it’s like our way to reconnect once a year,” math teacher Mac McCracken said.

   While the game is enjoyable in itself, many people have started to tune in and become more intrigued because of the punishments that are given for losing in the league. They seem to be a popular addition to games when members want to make things a bit more interesting, as 68 percent of fantasy players spend their money purchasing league punishments, according to The Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association. Some examples of internet viral penalties are making the loser get a ridiculous tattoo or spending 24 hours in a Waffle House, where each waffle eaten reduces the time you have to stay there by an hour.

   “A family member has [done a punishment] with his friends… They had to do some type of McDonalds race where they run a lap, eat a cheeseburger, run another lap, eat a cheeseburger. The loser did it and everyone got to watch,” McCracken said.

   Punishments come in all shapes and forms, though some tend to be harsher than others. Popular options that many participants tend to gravitate towards are dying the loser’s hair a bold color, participating in a mystery food challenge, or doing something embarrassing in public. One choice that local students tend to choose, though, is the dog cage penalty.

   “We’ve done dog cage punishments before. The loser of the league has to go into a dog cage and each member can put a food [of their] choice on the loser in the cage. We have a league buy-in, so there is a money incentive to win and not lose,” senior Gabe Cuttier said.

   The experience of fantasy football is not only enhanced by the strong emotions players feel seeing their teams win and lose throughout the season, but also by the entertainment that comes with giving or receiving penalties. Whether these punishments act as motivation to play more seriously, or as just another fun aspect to look forward to, varies from person to person. 

   “Some of [the penalties] are definitely a little crazy, but some are just fun that you should do… In the past, my friends backed out of punishments, but this year we’re doing the dog cage… As long as I’m not losing, I don’t really care what the punishment is,” senior Declan Casey said.

   Fantasy football punishments not only have a major role in the culture of the game, they also help to strengthen the bond between members and display how competition and community can combine into an activity that many people love and enjoy.