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This is a transcript of a podcast episode where the host introduces a new member to their fantasy football league. They discuss the importance of commitment and not giving up even when having a bad season. The new member expresses their excitement and willingness to participate in the league and agrees to abide by the league's punishment if they lose. They also mention their love for fantasy football and their competitive nature. The host asks about their experience and championships, and the new member shares that they have been playing for a few years but haven't won a championship yet. They also mention being in multiple leagues and their strategy of going for star players. Overall, the new member seems enthusiastic and ready to compete in the league. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first episode of the 2024-2025 Goodfellas Fantasy Podcast. It's an honor to be here. Today is just going to be a quick meet the new members. Now, most of you think that you have met them, maybe you've hung out with them, been to various parties with them. But, you know, it's hard to get into the X's and O's of some of the football knowledge over in Natty Lay at Ragemore. So I conducted these interviews to provide a little more clarity on what kind of philosophy these new guys have and kind of where their heads going to be at. Now, without further ado, I hope you enjoy hearing from our new members. We have a league, gentlemen. First off, welcome to the league, man. We appreciate all the knowledge and expertise that we hope you're going to bring to our community. Yes, sir. I'm excited, man. I'm going to get pretty competitive on this. What does fantasy football mean to you? I think the biggest thing, honestly, is the camaraderie with the group that I'm with. And, you know, just kind of sharing the love of the game and just getting into football more than most people do. How long have you been going at this fantasy thing? How many years deep are you? Sorry, you broke up a little bit. You asked, like, how many seasons have I done it? Yeah, for fantasy, how many years under your belt? Yeah, so I think this is going to be my fourth year doing fantasy. My first year was pretty, you know, one six-person league. I didn't really know what I was doing, but over the years, I've gained more of a passion for it and understanding. Now I'm pretty into it. That's excellent. Are you going to be in a few other leagues this year or are you solo? No, I'll probably be in two other leagues. I'll say this is probably going to be my high stakes league. The other ones are going to be with, you know, I usually do one with my coworkers that's, you know, pretty. It's more relaxed, I would say, not as serious. And then I usually do one with my friends group, which is, you know, guys and girls. So that one's pretty relaxed as well. Well, we're excited to have you, dude. The heat is definitely turned up a little bit in this one. Some people who it's been too much for them, just poor trades, poor team management as a whole. And, you know, they did have to hear from some pretty obnoxious people about it. And, yeah, they just, you know, they couldn't hang. And, you know, I'm just really praying that you don't end up as one of those guys. So my biggest thing with fantasy, especially when it comes to a high stakes league, is I think the biggest thing that kind of, you know, rubs me the wrong way is, you know, when you get towards the end of the season and if you had a bad season, it just makes me so mad when people stop playing. And, you know, you're getting down to the nitty gritty. People are fighting for playoff spots and, you know, you have someone who's right there on the edge playing against somebody that has no chance. And that person, you know, doesn't change their lineup, doesn't care anymore. And so it's an easy win for that person that's just right on the edge. And, you know, they just get some easy wins on the end. I think that's the biggest thing that I hope I don't see in this league. Well, I think we might have got rid of that problem because last year Alex Peters decided he wasn't going to do the punishment anymore because he just wasn't happy with how things panned out. And while he was not really participating in the toilet bowl that had a punishment, he was making waiver claims when I was in the championship to try and screw me over. And, you know, after some whining, we got the issue taken care of. But, yeah, that kind of behavior is just not what you're going for. I agree. Yeah, no, it just, you know, I, you know, obviously it's a little more serious for some people than others. But, you know, I think this sounds like a league who now everyone really is shooting to be, you know, show some professionalism. I'll note this, if you will. You know, not everyone's going to have a great season, but kind of part of the commitment of this league is, you know, being there and, you know, you know, if it's good, it's great. If it's bad, it's bad. But either way, you stick with it. And, you know, I don't want to see anyone get an easy win because someone's not trying. And you definitely won't see that for me. Justin, I think the attitude that you're carrying on this call is one that is laying the foundation for a winning football organization. I say that as a former champion of last year. I think your front office is checking a lot of the boxes that it needs to in order to excel in a league like this. Yeah, well, I appreciate the invite. I'm definitely looking forward to, you know, playing against everybody and also, you know, kind of connecting back with everyone that, you know, I haven't talked to in a little bit. So I really think for me this is a win-win to be a part of the group. And, you know, I'm going to bring my all and, you know, I'm going to try and take that pot, I will say. I got two more quick hitters for you first. Yeah. If you were to have to compare yourself, I know it's a little hard to do on the spot, but if you were to have to compare yourself to a football team or a football coach, who would you be? Who do you think your philosophy lines up with? Oh, that's a good one. That's a tough one. So I'd probably say, you know, I'm a big Ravens fan, so I'm expecting a lot out of them this year. And, you know, I'm kind of going to follow suit with what they're doing. I'm going to say Jim Harbaugh, man. I'm going to, you know, balls to the wall. I'm not fucking around. If I need to make some trades, I'm going to do it. And, you know, I'm not fucking around. I like it. I want it all. Especially because I'll tell you what, man. That game against the Ravens in Chiefs last year, Ravens should have won it. They should have went to the Super Bowl and won everything. And I know they're thirsty this year, and that's how I feel. My last question for you is, we're going to have a meeting in a couple weeks, or maybe next week, where we're basically going to potentially decide on a punishment for the league. And so how it works is we decide on a punishment, and everyone agrees to it then. So say, you know, say it's getting a spray tan. Everyone's like, hey, yeah, I'll get a spray tan if I lose. So my question for you is, if you agree to get the spray tan if you lose, would you actually get it if you lose? Would you be a man of your word and do what you said you were going to do? Yeah. As long as we all agree on the punishment, 100%. It's kind of, you know, once I send that money, it's kind of like my signature on the contract. So, you know, as long as everyone in the league agrees to it, I'm fully ready to do whatever that punishment will be. And you'll see it on me if I have a bad year. I'm not one to pussy out on that, I'll tell you that. We love it. Most people usually agree up until like weeks 12 or 13, and then sometimes they stop agreeing with the punishment. Well, for me, I want to, you know, I believe my word is very strong. And so if I have to prove that, I definitely will. I'm not scared. Justin, we look forward to having you in the league. In a few words, what does fantasy football mean to you? For fantasy, fantasy to me is just tradition, man. It's something that I've always been into the NFL, but it's something that gets me a little bit more excited for each year. It's competitive. It's a reason to kind of lock in and do a little bit more research to put it into every game. And personally, I use it as a way to shit talk my friends while keeping a friendly level of respect. But it's just something I look forward to each year. The fact that I get to do it with some boys that I've seen some dog days with is exciting this year. So I'm ready to get after it. Excellent answer. How many years have you been playing? This is 2024. I think my first year playing fantasy was 2017-2018 season. Or I'm sorry, 2018-2019 season. It was the season after the Eagles beat the Pats in the Super Bowl. I've been playing for a good bit now, but definitely not as long as some of the other members. Do you have any championships under your belt? I don't, man. I've had a bunch of runner-ups, but no dubs yet. So we're going to take it home this year. This will be one of four leagues that I'm in, so I'll have a good chance. Previously, I'd usually try to not do more than two or three. Opportunities have popped up this year. I feel like my football knowledge has increased each year, so I'm ready to take on a new team. Four is the answer that I've been hearing the most with people in the league. It's nice because this buy-in is a little bit higher, so it's hard to evenly distribute your care. But I know at least last year, my next highest buy-in league was either 75 or 100. So whenever we're organizing, I'm on the app, sleep, or whatever. I would just put this one at the very top, or basically sort it by buy-in. What is the buy-in for this one again? Is it 100? Last year, we did 150. I don't understand how that would be a top then. I'm not sure. That's a hard one to think about now. This might be a little cliche, but the Cowboys and Jerry Jones, man, I go for stars. I go for stars and ask questions later. I also like to take risks. In past leagues I've played where there's not as many players. Usually eight or ten people, so not as big. I'm used to switching out stars and taking out stars that are usually projected over the other ones, switching out the lineups. But I'm all about the names and ask questions later, so I'd say Jerry Jones. I respect the self-awareness. I think I've gotten a more transparent answer from you as far as your strategy with it. There's a lot of guys who will play fantasy just to take big names, but they don't really see themselves as being that guy. I think you can be successful in that method. You just need to know that you're that guy if you're going to do that. I guess just name a few. Who are some guys that your organization has been scouting? I'm really looking at DeSean Robinson this year. I think he's going to have a huge breakout year this year. It's typical, you usually want to go for running backs to start off, get that solid running game going. But I actually don't know if it's going to be full PPR, so my strategy would be kind of the same. As long as it's how it's been the past few years, then it's going to be half PPR. Half PPR? We're definitely going to have running backs in the first couple rounds, so I'm looking at DeSean. I don't really think I'll get a top… I don't know, we'll see how the draft goes, but if he lands available, I'm going for him. He's going to get a… Actually, it depends on how he gets his deals done, but I think they will, and I think he'll be trying to prove that he's worth whatever contract he gets because he's going to essentially reset the market after Justin Jefferson did. So those two guys, but mostly focusing on some young running backs Young running backs are going to have breakout years that don't necessarily have broken out before. And I've been shafted by Kyle Pitts the last three years. I might give them another chance to fight my… That Atlanta offense, that's not going to prove this year, so we'll see. I'll keep an eye on Pitts as well. That is definitely one of the most interesting offenses just in comparison to where it was last year because Arthur Smith really, for fantasy purposes, kind of decimated the team. Like I had DeSean and you know, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good. And you could see it even on some of the plays he scored. He's like definitely a really talented dude. He's just like not getting, you know, putting the positions that some of the other dudes who are, you know, killing it in fantasy are. Yeah, for real. CeeDee's going to be… CeeDee had such an amazing year last year. He's probably going to be… I think he was wide receiver one. He's probably going to be like a top three pick. Yeah, that's what I say. I got to get lucky if I get him, but we'll see. I just did my first mock draft of the offseason last night and I think he was slated to go number three. It looks like McCaffrey's going to be a pretty unanimous number one overall. That pick has basically been like a certifiable bust for the past six years. So I don't know how you don't think McCaffrey… It was one last year, wasn't it? It was Justin Jefferson and he got hurt. So that was really… And Kirk Cousins got hurt too, so that was really the only reason that it was a bust. It wasn't… But like it's always been something. Like Taylor was the number one the year before that and like also missed a good amount of time. And then I'm pretty sure McCaffrey was the number one either three or four years ago and then missed some time. So it's just… It's always a really good player going number one who just can't seem to be healthy or like misses a starting quarterback or some shit like that. But it should be interesting. I think whenever we end up doing this meeting in a week or two, we can probably just put our names in that randomizer to like see where we're going to be picking at and stuff. I imagine Bijon will probably be in like the middle of the first round. I don't know if many people go like… Because I guess there's like a good running back, so I'm thinking we'll go early. Maybe like McCaffrey, Brees and Bijon. You know, I don't think… You might be kind of breaking away from the pack if you're going to prioritize running back, which you know crosses my mind too. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, but I think it's a different philosophy. Yeah, I usually… With the half PPR, I might have to go running back. We'll see. It depends on who's on the menu. I typically play a full PPR and I've actually been shafted sometimes where I just don't even focus on a running back. Those are the things that get filled up by the dudes who are just getting… I don't even know a good example. Someone who just gets a lot of crosses or someone who gets… Like just running… Or passing plays run for them, usually by McCaffrey. But we'll see. Yeah, I feel like historically I don't get a running back early and then I just spend all year trying to trade for one. Exactly. I've done the same with a tight end too. Just kind of wait to the last minute. If Kelsey or… If I can't… I almost just missed Mark Andrews is already off the board. That's a free 20 points call. Well, we look forward to some good gamesmanship out of you, man. Definitely glad to have you in here. For sure, bro. I'm excited to get it started. Let's get this draft going. Let's have a good league. And what's the name of your podcast, by the way? I just… Well, right now the league is named Goodfellas. I just have it like that again. But I'll send a link in the group chat. It's linked to Spotify. Big bet. Alright, Josh. I appreciate your experience. You have a good night. Bet. I'll catch you. See ya. Peace. What does, in general, in totality, what does fantasy mean to you? Now that can be anything about how much time you're spending watching the games. Is it a way to keep up with people? What do you use it to feed in your life? Honestly, I think it kind of fills a void. Like you mentioned, it's a good way to keep up with people. But at the same time, it's a good way to establish yourself in any group of people. Personally, I like being at the top. It doesn't always play out that way. But it's always a good chance every season to just remind your friends that you know more about the game than they do. You know ball and they don't. Exactly. I mean, from what I'm hearing, it sounds like you have the right attitude. Because keeping up with friends is nice, but so is spreading hate as well. Especially when it's in relation to the NFL. How long have you been doing this for? Are you a couple times in? Or are you going to be outpacing some of the veterans we have like Dylan? No, no. I've been in this for a little bit. Obviously, it's my first time joining with you guys. But I've been doing fantasy for probably like nine years at least. So I'm pretty seasoned in it. That makes me feel good. Because we've had problems in the past with people leaving the league. Among other reasons, maybe weren't making trades that I guess bode well for them. And then some members were being overly obnoxious about rubbing it in their face. And they just decided it was going to be easier not to deal with it. But they didn't have nine years under their belt. So that's where I think the big differentiator is. Yeah, no, for sure. You've got to have tough skin. Like you mentioned, you've got to spread hate. You've got to be willing to accept it too. It's all fun and games. But at the end of the day, you make your own circumstances. So if you're bad, no reason to quit. Just get good. All right, Mark. So if you could go ahead and give us just looking at how you manage a fantasy team in your nine years of experience. If you had to compare yourself to either one NFL franchise or coach or GM even, who would you put yourself as? So when I started, I would try to make it more like a Steelers, Mike Conlin situation. You know, really give the players a chance. Really like, you know, invest in individuals and see where they end up throughout the season. But that didn't work for me. So I had to shift and give this whole Nick Sirianni attitude. Cocky, arrogant, willing to talk trash. Won't let that decline even when you have a hot or slow start. And if I don't make a championship or if I make it and lose it, I'm going to immediately blame some faceless management and start trading anything with a pulse. Like no one's safe on my team at this point. It's all about week to week dubs. Yeah, I've always found that if I get kind of in a rut, it's nice to send out a few Instagram DMs to members of the players and or their family. So, you know, if they have like a little sister who's maybe in middle school, she just made an Instagram, you just fire off a couple choice words to her and maybe she can whisper it, you know, to Jonathan Taylor whenever he decides to sit out for four weeks. Yeah, agreed. And honestly, Twitter is always a good avenue for that as well. Gets those quick responses out. Yeah, totally agree. Totally agree. Grayson's a Steelers fan too, right? We have two Steelers fans coming into the league. Yeah, that's correct. Kind of disgusting. I kind of feel good about the timing though because you guys are going to get Arthur Smith now and it's just going to get messy with Field, Dan Wilson. I want nothing to do with Steelers just in general this year. No, I'm excited about Arthur Smith. I mean, yeah, he shouldn't have been a head coach, but he was an offensive coordinator and did great and that's how he got that job for no reason. So I'm thinking a lot of good things can come from that. Well, all right, Mark. It's been a pleasure having you on. The final question is if you were to come in last place, would you do the punishment that you agreed to do at the beginning of the season? Absolutely. I mean, just as much as I would take the money if I won, I've got to do my part and do the last place punishment even though it's going to be all hypothetical. I might be close to last, but you're not going to see me in the trenches like that. Yeah. I'd fall through for sure. I mean, that's great to hear. It sounds like kind of a no-brainer question, but it really isn't, we have found out. It really isn't. So we're glad to have you. I think you're going to be a part of the new chapter that hopefully is better than the last. So thank you for your time, Mark. Yeah, for sure. Thanks. Yo, Grayson, thank you for joining the podcast. So to get started, could you just in a few words let us know what does fantasy mean to you or what hole is it filling in your life at this current time? Fantasy to me, it's a good way to get into other NFL games outside of for your own fan base. You know, I'm a Steelers fan, but if I'm trying to watch some games, maybe they're not the best ones out there, it still gets me involved, gets me rooting for somebody. How long have you been at this for? How many years have you been playing fantasy? Oh, man, I think me and my middle school friends started in sixth or seventh grade, so that's probably like 15 years. Damn, you might be the longest tenured player then. I think this is going to be my tenth season, but I started like maybe early high school. Yeah. Yeah, I would be surprised if anyone has 15 years to beat. How many leagues are you in currently? This will be number four for me. So I'm here with a lot of people. This is probably going to be my... I'm probably doing four as well this year, four main ones, and I think Mark had that same answer as well. All right, if you had to compare your management and your 15 years of expertise to a franchise or a coach, who would you put yourself as? That's a tough one. I was giving this a little bit of thought. I think I'm going to go with Shanahan. You know, the QB is pretty much the least of my worries. You know, I just need a system quarterback that might get me about 16 points a game, and then I'm really going to focus in more on that. And then I'm really going to focus in more on that running back, that wide receiver talent, and just kind of having that as deep as possible, especially the running back. Understood. And the final question I have for you is, if you were to lose this league, God forbid, would you do the punishment that you agreed upon and said you would do at the beginning of the year? Would you actually follow through with doing it is the question. I'm not going to lie. You're going to have to remind me of the punishment. We haven't even set one yet. I'm really just saying, if I ask you for your word, if you'll do a punishment and you give me your word you'll do the punishment, will you actually do it? All right, so blindly doing the punishment, yeah. It's not blindly. We're all going to have to agree to it, you know? So I can't just say the punishment is kill someone, and then, you know, you've got to do that. But if you agree to kill someone, then you have to actually do it. That's the entire thing. So last year was a lemonade stand, for example. Yeah, yeah, no, I got you. No, I've got full faith that I may not be a winner, but I'm not going to ever be last place. So, yeah, I will agree to the punishment. All right, well, you know, it's been a pleasure having you on. Look forward to seeing you on the grass this year. All right, Nick. Sounds good, man. I appreciate it.