They should be in training camp but here we are fantasy hockey fans in another lockout. (Brad Penner — US Presswire)
The clock struck midnight and just like that, there was a lockout. When will it end is anyone’s guess but for every fantasy hockey general manager, there is that feeling of sadness, much like in 2004. Then the whole season was lost and depending on the reports, it may happen again or it may not. For the third time since 1994, the players have been locked out and therefore fantasy hockey has the potential of being in the dark for either a short or long time.
What are your options realistically? The first thing is to probably drink yourself into a stupor. Honestly, that would accomplish nothing. At first, it may work for a few days and even a few weeks. After awhile though, it just costs too much and those mornings with the headaches are just a handful. Again whether your choice is beer or hard alcohol, it is not the most practical way to cope with your fantasy NHL teams being locked out.
Even if you participated in one of those “lockout drinking games”, that would only help so much. Again this is about survival and not necessarily about having a good time partying. Granted, those things are nice but they are not part of the endgame. What may be more disturbing is the plethora of these that are readily available. People will often forget that the next day can be so cruel despite those moments of invincibility.
If drinking is off the table as far as a longer term solution, then what? There is the unthinkable of switching to fantasy football, which definitely provides a fix. Honestly, quite a few fantasy hockey general managers did it in 2004 so you would not be alone in the least. There are so many options with fantasy football that it has the ability to draw a person in similar to what fantasy hockey can bring. It has the pull right now. Some had asked about fantasy baseball but as everyone knows, fantasy baseball is long over while football is only headed into Week 3. Some leagues start very late so football still is a slight possibility.
Options like fantasy nascar and fantasy golf are long since a pipe dream as well. Do you notice the pattern here? Other sports are really not that much of a solution aside from maybe fantasy basketball. The problem is to go from hockey to basketball for the enthusiast is probably a bit much to ask for. Some will try that new thing but fantasy hockey general managers are a creature of habit. They are going to want hockey in some form one way or the other.
Over the next several weeks, we will go on a quest of sorts to find alternatives to life without “Fantasy NHL”. No one said this would be an easy endeavor but it is one worth taking. The goal is to take an alternative from within the hockey world and apply it to fantasy purposes. Some are going to be very serious and some will be quite humorous. It just goes with the territory.
Our first foray will be into the world of “Fantasy OHL”. This will come complete with a few ideas to help the fantasy hockey fan cope with the NHL lockout. Until then, good luck and hold firm.
