Thursday, August 12, 1999
Dream tool for fantasy football
EA Sports keeps managers organized, offers highlight reels
BY JAMES BOTTORFF
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If you've ever managed a fantasy football league you know the hassles associated with drafts, rosters, trades and weekly scoring.
In an effort to remove these pains, EA Sports has introduced a turnkey solution for fantasy football commissioners, EA Sports Fantasy Football.
EA Sports Fantasy Football is a complete online management system for your fantasy league. By tapping into a Web-based front office, fantasy commissioners can control everything from drafts to final scoring through the Internet.
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EA SPORTS FANTASY FOOTBALL
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• Maker: EA Sports
• Ages: Everyone
• Requirements: Internet Service Provider and a Web browser of 4.0 or greater
• Cost: $49.95
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By purchasing the $49.95 subscription package, commissioners can control up to 16 teams in their own private leagues. Each player has a unique password to access his or her roster and scoring. Once logged in, the player can propose trades, chat with opponents, post reports and check scoring. In addition, the league has one universal site that tracks scoring, weekly moves and smack talking.
The league can be fully customized,allowing you to determine the scoring system, trade conditions and the number of players appearing in a starting lineup.
Each week, the scores are updated automatically, using statistics provided by Stats Inc., the sports data and analysis provider for ESPN and The Sporting News. These scores are posted on your password-protected Web site and e-mailed to all league participants.
As an added bonus, Fantasy Football comes with a simulator that puts your team up against the teams of every other fantasy football subscriber on the EA network. In this sim league, you can take even more control of your team, including the ability to substitute players.
For example, prior to game time you can request that if Bret Favre doesn't throw for 200 yards by half-time, replace him with Drew Bledsoe or if Eddie George doesn't run for at least 50 yards by the half, yank him.
Where things really get exciting is the ability to view highlight reels of your team. Using the Madden video game engine, EA will create Web-based movies of your dream team. Each week, you'll be able to view these highlights through your Webbrowser. Imagine the possibilities as you watch such films as Steve Young handing off to Terrell Davis for a 50-yard gain.
The whole run brought to you in a Madden-esque replay mode.
EA Sports Fantasy Football appears to be the ultimate fantasy tool. By eliminating the overburdening grind of weekly box scores and trade complications, commissioners can now spend more time managing their own teams rather than the whole league.
James Bottorff designs the Enquirer's Web site. Look for past columns at cincinnati.com/games. Write him at Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202; fax, 564-6391; or e-mail jbottorff@enquirer.com.
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