Yes fear takes many forms, but was Paul Kariya? No, he went on to answer the bell literally as he scored a goal after coming back from yes, that ferocious hit. His career would not be the same afterwards but that does not matter. The “fantasy concussion” is a very real thing. It is that feeling when a GM just looks shellshocked to be in a league. This is something that happens so much more often than any of us realize.
Remember this is something that can occur at any time. It also happens to the best of us. The concussion occurs to the beginner almost as much as the expert. In some ways, the “expert” has the pressure to prove his or her mettle. This mental approach literally can be derailed and here are some of the symptoms but not all of them of course.
Signs of a fantasy concussion…….
1. Freezing during drafts.
2. Overanxious to make trades and transactions
3. High amounts of homerism
4. Does not react when there should be one.
5. Normal decisions appear to be life and death.
Simply there are other symptoms but those are some of the main ones one should out for in of themselves. We emphasize the mental part of fantasy hockey because few really truly embrace it. One has to in order to understand what could happen. So many things can go wrong but there are only so many things one can control. Adapting correctly and not over or under reacting is one of the most important foundations of not only fantasy sports but life as well.
With fantasy hockey drafts starting to infiltrate the minds of many, it is time to remind fantasy hockey GM’s of the peaks and valleys of the season itself. Remember when Fantasy Hockey was pretty much a seven month sport? Here is how it kind of went. Usually one spent about three weeks preparing for the draft and getting ready for the season. Then add in the six months season and maybe an extra 7-10 days to decompress after. When all that was finished, by late April, most owners would not even think about it until the first of September at the very earliest.
It is true of everyone. Even at one time, hockey coverage took a vacation from say Mid July to Early September. Clearly hockey became an all year round sport and in the last few years so has fantasy hockey. Why? Look at all the information that is easily accessible. There is an overload of it, unlike any I have ever seen. There is an overkill that causes the worst “fantasy concussion” of all. Few even ever see it coming.
Add too many statistics into the equation and holy good god the average fantasy hockey GM will short circuit on draft day faster than you can say Semin Slaps A Staal. Sure there are sites like Behind The Net which are great but mention the word sabermetrics to a fantasy hockey GM in most cases and they just go BLEH!
Information has to be processed quickly. To avoid a “fantasy concussion”, you have to think like a metronome. Tick tick tick, think think think. There is a rhythm and an art to being so even keeled, to know when to pounce, to know when to lay back a bit. One will see the GM’s that go nuts over every little thing, even rules in a league before the league starts. There is a way to handle it. Send an email and never tweet trash talking if you can avoid it. Keep that crap to the message boards!
The all around “Fantasy Hockey GM” has to be ready for everything and throughout the season with Fantasy Hockey 301, we will keep you primed in the mental aspects as well as our 201 and 101 columns for basics. Stay tuned and good luck in your fantasy drafts this season. Happy hunting!
