Fantasy Football Players Throw Flag On Government's Unnecessary Regulation

from the instant-replay dept

Fri, May 12th 2006 9:12am — Joseph Weisenthal

College students dependent on their online poker winnings to pay tuition aren't the only group concerned about a new law that would crack down on internet gambling. Fantasy football players are concerned that the bill would prevent websites from running fantasy leagues that had cash prizes. They've even launched their own lobbying group called the Fantasy Sports Association, which is bankrolled by the National Football League Players Association. Remember, the players and the leagues believe they are entitled to license revenue from fantasy leagues that use player names and statistics, so they have an interest in ensuring that fantasy sports remains a big business. This arrangement itself is based on the dubious idea that they can prevent others from using their player names and statistics -- both of these things seem to fall into the category of facts, which can't be copyrighted. On the issue of whether fantasy sports should be subject to anti-gambling laws (or whether poker should be for that matter), there are all kinds of sound objections that could be made. But as long as lawmakers get a kick out of being arbitrary, more groups are going to learn how to play the lobbying game.

17 Comments

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slick, 12 May 2006 @ 9:53am

Damn Government....
If they didn't have the power to make these laws, no one could pay them to make the laws in their own favor...
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anonymous coward, 12 May 2006 @ 12:17pm

fantasy football is for suburban dads that have been so neutered by their lives and wives that they are reduced to playing childish fantasy game to find any sense of strength or masculinity.

if you play fantasy football, you might as well put a bullet in your brain because your contribution to society has ceased.
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F15h, 12 May 2006 @ 12:25pm

you are a coward, did you actually read the article, or did you just spam it like everyone else?

I see nothing wrong with internet gambling, its still only a casino
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yotis, 12 May 2006 @ 12:43pm

attn coward.....
next time you post...post your name correctly...to MORON!!
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2006 @ 12:53pm

So........ gambling all your money away is something the government thinks we shouldn't do - yet, they pretty much steal us blind with taxes.

Go Figure...
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anonymous coward, 12 May 2006 @ 12:53pm

ouch, i think i hit a nerve. i would offer to throw down, but i'm sure your wife wouldn't approve of you getting your pleated khakis messed up!
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anonymous coward, 12 May 2006 @ 1:00pm

Re:
I am a dousche bag.
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Some IT Bastard, 12 May 2006 @ 1:10pm

I did not care about this article or whatever happens. I did however enjoy the guy who insults people who gamble or play fantasy sports online, and how they should kill themselves because they "obviously" don't contribute anything to society...then challenge to fight someone if they could get the green light from the wife.

I think I should get paid $.10 cents everytime some desk-jockey makes threats on the internet.

Call it a ....www.mypostmakepeopledumberiftheyreadthem.com tax
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Incredulous suburban dad, 12 May 2006 @ 1:14pm

Re: Re:
yep, you are...especially since you can't even spell douchebag correctly =)
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jcs9000, 12 May 2006 @ 1:49pm

Re: Re: Re:
You don't like fantasy football because when your buddy asked you to play last season, you didn't know who to pick so you lost miserably and now you think that the game is stupid becuase your lack of masculinity was exposed and you were the laughing stock of the office. Too bad there isn't a fantasy e3 confrence that you could play.
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anonymous coward, 12 May 2006 @ 2:02pm

go clean the crackers out of the backseat of your mini-van...
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widepart, 12 May 2006 @ 2:11pm

Fantasy Football
My wife wants me to ask. What's fantasy football?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2006 @ 2:25pm

It's what you'll be playing when your wife starts banging the guy from her office instead of you.
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jdumps, 12 May 2006 @ 2:43pm

This topic has quickly become an example of why I tend to avoid techdirt.
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Alucardbsm, 12 May 2006 @ 4:49pm

solution for you
Maybe you should read the news and ignore the comments (like I usually do).

Plus, that link: www.mypostmakepeopledumberiftheyreadthem.com
Is available. Who's going to register the domain name?

Finally, I lol'd at that one post up there by the coward.
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C.A. Player, 17 May 2006 @ 2:34pm

Fantasy Football Frenzie
LOL, but isn't that sort of stereotyping fantasy football players?
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Redboyd, 25 May 2006 @ 6:15pm

Re:
If this is indeed the neutered surburban dad, then right on brother, hilarious...
If not, then why bother even checking in. You know with that life you have and all, maybe you should have read all of the demographic, perhaps then you may have noticed the salaries then tell me more about they're contribution to society
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