Dallas Cowboys All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons is beyond fed up with the officials in the NFL.

Parsons says he is being held on almost every play and would like to see coaches given more options to challenge a play where penalties should have been called.

“Yeah, the problem I see with officiating is I think it becomes a lot more ego thing than it is them actually wanting to call it,” Parsons said, according to the Dallas Morning News. “People say when you come over and talk to a [referee] nicely, he’s going to want to do his job right. But in my eyes, why would I have to talk to you any kind of way if you just did your job the first time.”

Parsons, who has 12½ sacks this season, thinks that officials are not being held accountable for their bad performances.

“They don’t care,” Parsons said. “They’re not getting checks in the mail or notes in the mail about things like that. That’s the only problem I have. It’s just like they don’t care and when you tell them, it’s just like, ‘Oh you’re away from the play, you can’t make the play.’ How are you telling me what I can make? You in my body? You got my abilities? You can’t make that play. I’m a little different, I think I can make every play if I’m near the ball.”

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Parsons reacted earlier this week to officiating after a 33-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. With his team trailing 17-6 on a first-and-10 from the Cowboys’ 41-yard line, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ran right before sliding for a 1-yard loss. Parsons attempted to slip tight end Dallas Goedert to make a tackle in the backfield, but Goedert appeared to get a hold of Parsons’ jersey.

Parsons pleaded with an official after the play, but no flag was thrown.

After Jon Machota of The Athletic posted the clip on X, formerly Twitter, Parsons wrote, ‘I told you it’s comical !’

LOS ANGELES — It wasn’t a press conference Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

It was a spectacle.

He’s gone from being a stunt double to a Hollywood star with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

Ohtani talked over and over about the importance of winning.

The Dodgers talked endlessly about what he means for the iconic brand.

Nez Balelo, Ohtani’s agent, spoke about the need to remain private throughout the free-agent process.

And, yes, just in case you were wondering, Ohtani revealed his dog’s name: Decoy.

Ohtani may have been courted everywhere from Toronto to San Francisco to Chicago, but Los Angeles is the place he always wanted to be.

This is a Dodgers franchise that has dominated the National League West the last 11 years, and one that views every year that ends without a World Series title a failure. Now, they have Ohtani wearing their uniform.

“When I heard that,’’ Ohtani said about the Dodgers’ World Series-or-bust expectations, “I knew they were all about winning.’’

They’re also brilliant businessmen, knowing that Ohtani’s global brand will pay dividends, and that his 10-year, $700 million contract will pay for itself, particularly with $680 million deferred.

“I wouldn’t have had the guts to propose it,’’ said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations. “But as Nez walked me through it, and laid it out, it was terribly consistent with everything he said throughout the process.’’

The reasoning for the historic deferrals, Ohtani said, was simply to help the Dodgers build around him. Sure, there’s a massive tax break if he moves out of California after his contract expires, but he didn’t want to be a burden to the Dodgers’ payroll, preventing additional signings.

“I figured if I defer as much money as I can,’’ Ohtani said, via longtime translator Ippei Mizuhara, “that’s going to help the CBT (collective bargaining tax) and it’s going to help the Dodgers be able to sign better players and make a better team.’’

Ohtani even included a provision, believed to be the first for a MLB player, that provides an out-clause if Friedman or Dodgers chairman Mark Walter leave the organization before his contract expires.

‘Everybody has to be on the same page in order to have a winning organization,’ Ohtani said. ‘I feel like those two are at the top of it and they’re in control of everything. And I feel almost like I’m having a contract with those two guys.

‘I feel like if one of them are gone, things might get a little out of control so I just wanted a safety net.’’

Friedman was embarrassed, but certainly flattered that Ohtani included the unique clause. He said he has no plans to leave the Dodgers anytime soon.

They have a few World Series championships to win.

“I know people think I put that in,’’ Friedman said, laughing, “but it’s really flattering. It’s also a non-factor for me. I love being here and being part of what we’re building and continuing to be.’’

Certainly, the Dodgers are a better team today than the one that ended the season. Ohtani won’t be able to pitch again until at least 2025, but he’s the best power-hitter in the game, and vows that he’ll be ready by Opening Day.

The Dodgers plan to use the deferred money, which saves them $24 million a year in their luxury tax, accounting for $46 million instead of $70 million, to acquire more talent. They are trying to sign Japanese pitching star Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the price tag soaring past $300 million. They also reached a tentative agreement to acquire Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow.

Simply, they plan to keep surrounding Ohtani with as much stardom as possible.

“It was important to Shohei that this was not the one move we were going to make,’’ Friedman said. “He made an incredible pledge to us. We are making a pledge to him.’’

The press conference, in front of about 300 media members, lasted just 30 minutes.

There were no secrets unveiled. Ohtani says that his elbow surgery at the end of the season was completely different than his Tommy John surgery five years ago. He said he was impressed by every team that made presentations.

And, he only made up his mind where to play on Friday evening, about 12 hours before he announced his decision on Instagram.

Balelo apologized to reporters for being secretive, but this is the way Ohtani wanted it handled, and just like the press conference, everything was professional. Ohtani thanked the Angels for believing in him in the first place, and the teams that recruited him along the way.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, trumpeted the signing as one of the franchise’s greatest historical feats alongside the signing of Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax.

“Shohei is arguably the most talented player who’s ever played this game,’’ Friedman said. “Since joining Major League Baseball, he has continued to improve and sharpen his talents, en route to becoming the most dynamic player in the game.

“The ability on the field is obvious, but as we went through this process to get a sense for just how passionate he is about this game, (it) really stood out to us. You can feel the importance of winning. And we knew that winning a lot was going to be a really important thing to have as he came down to making his final decision.’’

There were times this past week that Friedman and the Dodgers were pessimistic and they got nervous when manager Dave Roberts publicly confirmed that Ohtani visited with their front office at Dodger Stadium. But in the end, one of the iconic franchises in baseball got the game’s best player.

“I’m still in the pinch-me phase to be quite honest,’’ Roberts said. “This is what we dream of. It’s a great day in baseball, Dodgers history, and this is where the center of the sports world flashed.

“What a day.’’

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The NHL trade deadline is March 8 and already a few moves and other transactions are trickling in.

The latest was a trade between the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders.

General managers will be guided by another year of a tight salary cap, but it’s expected to rise next season to $87.7 million. Last summer, a lot of players signed low-cost, one-year deals, increasing the pool of potential unrestricted free agents who could be moved out for draft picks or prospects.

Follow along this season for news and analysis on deals, major transactions and other announcements that have happened in the months leading up the trade deadline:

WINNERS AND LOSERS: First quarter of NHL season has dizzying turns

Dec. 15: Columbus Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine suffers fractured clavicle

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine, who has had problems recently staying healthy, will be out six weeks after suffering a fracture clavicle during a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced Friday. He left the ice holding his shoulder in the second period after he was tripped by Toronto’s William Lagesson and slid into the boards. Laine had scored his sixth goal of the season during the first period. He was in his second game back after missing three games with an illness. He missed nine games early this season with a concussion and also was a healthy scratch once. Last season, Laine was limited to 55 games by injury or illness and played only 56 the season before.

Dec. 12: St. Louis Blues fire coach Craig Berube, name Drew Bannister as interim

General manager Doug Armstrong said he started having sleepless nights after a Dec. 8 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After the short-handed Detroit Red Wings rallied to hand St. Louis its fourth consecutive loss, Armstrong fired Craig Berube and named Drew Bannister, head of their American Hockey League affiliate, the interim coach. ‘Your mind is starting to work when you’re everybody’s homecoming game,’ Armstrong told reporters on Wednesday, a day after making the move.

Coaching changes have turned around the fortunes of the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild this season, and Berube took a last-place Blues team to the 2019 Stanley Cup title after his midseason hire. Bannister isn’t necessarily the coach for the rest of the season, though. Armstrong said he is looking for a full-time coach but didn’t have a timetable on when he’ll make a hire.

The Blues rank near the bottom of the league in power play and goals per game. They traded Robert Bortuzzo and waived Jakub Vrana, who’s headed to the AHL with Mackenzie MacEachern being recalled. Armstrong said he and the players share in the blame for the team’s performance. ‘Nobody should feel safe in our group,’ he said.

Dec. 8: New York Islanders acquire St. Louis Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo

The New York Islanders acquired defenseman Robert Bortuzzo from the St. Louis Blues on Friday in exchange for a seventh-round pick. The trade was announced after the team said Ryan Pulock (lower body) was going on the injured list, joining fellow defensemen Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho. Bortuzzo, 34, won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 but has been limited to four games this season and often was a healthy scratch. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Dec. 7: Nashville Predators’ Tyson Barrie discusses trade request

Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie knew he was about to be uncomfortable with the questions that were going to come his way Thursday, ones about him requesting a trade after being a healthy scratch last weekend. About the Predators granting him permission to talk with other teams.

‘I’m trying not to really air it out in the media,’ Barrie said.

As much as he might have wanted to, Barrie didn’t exactly bury any hatchets, either.

‘Well, if we’re getting into it, I’m in the stands so it doesn’t really feel like a great fit,’ he said. ‘My goal is to be playing hockey. Whether that’s here or elsewhere is up for the powers that be to decide.’ – Paul Skrbina, The Tennessean

Dec. 6: Detroit Red Wings announce when Patrick Kane is expected to make debut

Star Patrick Kane is scheduled to make his Detroit Red Wings debut on Thursday at home against the San Jose Sharks, coach Derek Lalonde told reporters. Kane was signed last week to a one-year, $2.75 million contract after offseason hip resurfacing surgery. Lalonde plans to play him with former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat and will try the pair with different centers. Kane’s minutes will be monitored. ‘There’s a lot of unknowns still there so we’ll all be patient with it and kind of let it play out a little bit,’ Lalonde said.

Also: The Buffalo Sabres acquired winger Eric Robinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2025. The fourth-liner has 82 points in 266 career games, including one goal in seven games this season. The Blue Jackets later placed defenseman Adam Boqvist, goalie Elvis Merzlikins and forward Cole Sillinger on the injured list. Boqvist (shoulder) is expected to miss four weeks. … The Toronto Maple Leafs announced defenseman John Klingberg will have season-ending hip surgery. He signed a one-year, $4.15 million deal in the offseason but hasn’t played since Nov. 11. The Maple Leafs, also missing defensemen Mark Giordano and Timothy Liljegren, are looking for a replacement through a trade. ‘It’s no secret we’ve investigated what the market is, what those costs could be,’ general manager Brad Trevling told reporters. … Jacques Martin, who has been a head coach for nearly 1,300 NHL games (692 with Ottawa), was named an advisor to the Senators’ coaching staff.

Dec. 4: Winnipeg Jets sign Nino Niederreiter to three-year extension

He’ll average $4 million in the contract that kicks in next season. He is the third player signed long-term since the Jets moved out Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler during the summer, following Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck. Niederreiter, 31, is tied for fourth on the Jets with six goals and is sixth with 14 points.

Dec. 1: Simon Nemec called up amid New Jersey Devils’ issues on defense

Simon Nemec, the No. 2 pick of the 2022 NHL draft, made his NHL debut after being called up amid the team’s major absences on defense. He played 22:38, had two assists and three shots, and was a minus 2 in the 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Before the game, the Devils announced that top defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out indefinitely after having surgery on his left pectoral muscle. Also, defenseman Brendan Smith was suspended for two games for slashing Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny. He will forfeit $11,458.34 in pay and Konecny was fined $5,000 for his cross-check on Smith. The Devils also announced that forward Tomas Nosek had surgery on his right foot.

Also: The Montreal Canadiens and goalie Sam Montembeault agreed to a three-year, $9.45 million extension. The Quebec native had been claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers in 2021

Nov. 30: Vancouver Canucks acquire defenseman Nikita Zadorov

The Vancouver Canucks got stronger on defense by adding rugged 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. The Canucks gave up the fifth-round pick they acquired a day earlier in the Anthony Beauvillier trade, plus a 2026 third-round pick. Calgary’s return doesn’t seem high for a player who led the Flames in hits and is going to a division rival, but Zadorov had requested a trade and is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Flames, who have pushed closer to a playoff position after a tough start, also have forward Elias Lindholm and defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev in the final years of their contracts.

Nov. 28: Chicago Blackhawks waive Corey Perry, trade for Anthony Beauvillier

The Chicago Blackhawks placed Corey Perry on unconditional waivers on Tuesday in order to terminate his contract. The team said it determined that Perry ‘engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.’ The Beauvillier trade happened later. The Vancouver Canucks, who acquired Beauvillier last season in the Bo Horvat trade, will receive a fifth-round draft pick. More important for Vancouver, the Blackhawks take on his entire $4.15 million cap hit, giving them flexibility before the trade deadline. Beauvillier, a winger like Perry, has two goals and six assists in 22 games this season.

Perry issued an apology Thursday for his ‘inappropriate and wrong’ behavior.

BLACKHAWKS: More details on why Chicago is cutting ties with Corey Perry

Nov. 28: Detroit Red Wings sign Patrick Kane

The one-year, $2.75 million deal will reunite Patrick Kane with Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat, his former linemate on the Chicago Blackhawks. DeBrincat had two 40-goal seasons while in Chicago. The question is how Kane will perform after hip resurfacing surgery during the offseason.  Though recent videos showed Kane going through intense workouts, Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom is taking a leave of absence to determine his future after having the same surgery during the 2022 offseason. Considering Kane wanted to play for a contender, that says something about his faith in the Red Wings’ direction after they try to end a seven-year playoff drought. Daniel Sprong is giving up his No. 88 for Kane and will wear No. 17 instead.

Also: The Buffalo Sabres loaned rookie goalie Devon Levi to Rochester (New York) of the American Hockey League. He had been in a three-goalie system with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie and his numbers were down from the strong start he had last season after leaving Northeastern University. The move allows Levi to see more action than he would in the NHL. “We’re super excited about Devon, believe in him,’ general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters on Wednesday. ‘This is an opportunity for him to get in a rhythm, get sharpened up.”

Nov. 27: Minnesota Wild fire coach Dean Evason, hire John Hynes

John Hynes is back in the NHL after being hired to replace fired Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason on Monday. The Wild made the switch after a 5-10-4 start in which the team struggled defensively and especially on the penalty kill. Hynes, who knows Wild general manager Bill Guerin from their days in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, was a midseason replacement previously with the Nashville Predators. He was fired last summer after missing the playoffs. He also coached the New Jersey Devils and has a 284-255-63 NHL record, making the playoffs four times.

Nov. 25: Chicago Blackhawks’ Corey Perry to be away from team for foreseeable future

Corey Perry will be away from the Chicago Blackhawks for the foreseeable future, general manager Kyle Davidson said Saturday. Perry, 38, hasn’t played since a 3-2 loss to Buffalo last Sunday. He was a healthy scratch for the last two games.

“It’s been a team decision so far to hold him out, and that’s about all I’m able to provide,” Davidson said.

In a statement provided to Hockey Night in Canada, Pat Morris, Perry’s agent, said the forward stepped away from the team to attend to personal matters.

Perry was acquired from Tampa Bay in a June trade, then agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract. He has four goals and five assists in 16 games. His absence comes as the Blackhawks deal with a series of injuries among their forwards. Taylor Hall, another offseason acquisition, is scheduled for right knee surgery on Monday in Minnesota. – Associated Press

Also: The New York Islanders claimed veteran defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers from the Florida Panthers and placed defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) on long term injured reserve.

Nov. 24: Colorado Avalanche’s Sam Girard enters mental health treatment

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard is entering the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Player Assistance Program. He announced through his agent that his severe anxiety and depression had gone untreated too long and had led to alcohol abuse.

‘Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, and I encourage everyone to speak up and seek help should you feel like you need it,’ he said in a statement.

Girard, 25, has played all but five games of his seven-year NHL career with the Avalanche and had a career-best 37 points last season. He had one goal and three assists through 15 games this season and had missed the past two games for personal reasons.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said the team supports Girard going to get help.

“You’ve got to take care of yourself first before you’re able to come and help a team,’ he said.

Nov. 24: Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness returns from leave of absence

Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness returned behind the bench Friday for the first time since he took a leave of absence on Oct. 23 after his wife Judy had a seizure. He said she’s doing as well as expected with her new medication and will stay with their children when he’s on the road. Associate coach Scott Arniel went 9-2-2 in Bowness’ absence. The Jets beat the Florida Panthers 3-0 with Bowness behind the bench.

Also: Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson played his 10th NHL game on Friday, meaning he’s staying in the league and not being returned to his junior hockey team. Benson scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday with a spectacular move. … The Washington Capitals said forward T.J. Oshie won’t travel with the team after a hard collision in Friday’s 5-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

Nov. 23: Chicago Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall to have ACL surgery

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall, the former No. 1 overall pick who was acquired to mentor and play alongside rookie Connor Bedard, will have ACL surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

‘It came from an accumulation of a bunch of little injuries from the game and even in practice the other day,’ coach Luke Richardson told reporters. ‘It became unstable and we need to fix it.’

SABRES: Rookie Zach Benson scores first NHL goal in spectacular fashion

Hall had been limited to 10 games (four points) this season because of injuries.

“It’s heartbreaking — someone that loved to play so much and every game is so impactful, such a good hockey player and such a good person,’ Bedard said.

The Blackhawks also placed forward Andreas Athanasiou (groin muscle) on the injured list and called up Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman.

Nov. 17: Florida Panthers activate Brandon Montour, Aaron Ekblad

The defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers got off to a 10-5-1 record even with key absences. Now, they’re getting defensemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad back, activating them from the injured list after they recovered from offseason surgery for playoff injuries.

Montour set a franchise record for points by a defenseman (73) and was their top-scoring blueliner in the playoffs. Ekblad, like Montour a right-hand shot, was taken No. 1 overall in the 2014 draft. Defenseman Josh Mahura went on the injured list to make the salary cap situation work.

Nov. 12: Edmonton Oilers fire coach Jay Woodcroft

The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Jay Woodcroft on Sunday after a 3-9-1 start and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, the Hartford Wolf Pack coach and Connor McDavid’s former junior hockey coach. That’s the third recent move with a connection to three-time MVP McDavid. His agent, Jeff Jackson, was hired earlier as CEO of hockey operations and the team also signed his former junior hockey linemate Connor Brown.

McDavid said Monday he was surprised by the move and said Woodcroft ‘never lost the room.’

The Oilers were a trendy pick to go far in the playoffs, but have disappointed this season. Last season’s No. 1-ranked offense is 26th this season, with McDavid possibly slowed by an injury that cost him two games. Their goaltending issues have been worse. Jack Campbell was sent to the American Hockey League in the second year of his five-year contract. Stuart Skinner, a rookie of the year finalist last season, ranks last in the league in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

Knoblauch – and newly hired Oilers legend Paul Coffey coaching the defense – will be tasked with getting the Oilers back to a playoff spot. There’s precedent: Woodcroft went 26-9-3 down the stretch in 2021-22 as a midseason replacement and led the team to the Western Conference final. 

Also: The Colorado Avalanche announced that goalie Pavel Francouz (lower body) will miss the rest of the season. He has yet to play in 2023-24 and will return to the Czech Republic to be with his family. The team also signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal.

Nov. 10: Pittsburgh Penguins to retire Jaromir Jagr’s number

Jaromir Jagr, drafted fifth overall in 1990, won Stanley Cup titles in his first two seasons and ranks fourth in franchise history with 1,079 points in 806 games. He played 11 seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Washington Capitals. He ranks second all-time in NHL history in points and fourth in goals. His No. 68 will be retired on Feb. 18.

Nov. 8: Minnesota Wild trade Calen Addison to San Jose Sharks, acquire Zach Bogosian from Tampa Bay Lightning

Addison was sent to the San Jose Sharks for forward Adam Raska and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. The defenseman is a power play specialist, but he is unreliable in his own zone. That led to him being a healthy scratch often down the stretch last season. With the Wild getting Jared Spurgeon back soon from injury (he was activated from long-term injured reserve on Friday), the power play opportunities will dwindle. Addison will be more valuable to the Sharks, who dealt Erik Karlsson last summer. He will be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Bogosian lacks Addison’s offense, but the veteran takes care of his end of the ice. He’s a right-handed shot, like Addison.

“He’s a big guy,’ Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin told reporters. ‘He still skates well. He brings heaviness. He brings some grit and we need that.”

The trade buys the Lightning a little bit of salary cap breathing room. Bogosian, in the final season of a three-year contract, has a $850,000 cap hit.

Nov. 7: Edmonton Oilers place goalie Jack Campbell on waivers

Campbell, who signed a five-year, $25 million free agent deal in 2022, hasn’t played well since arriving. Stuart Skinner surpassed him last season and was a rookie of the year finalist. This season, Campbell was chased in the season opener and has gone 1-4 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. He cleared waivers and will work on his game in the American Hockey League as the struggling Oilers try to get into a playoff spot. Edmonton recalled Calvin Pickard from Bakersfield (California) to back up Skinner.

Oct. 13: Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman Devon Toews to seven-year extension

He’ll average $7.25 million in the deal, which begins next season. Heading into the season, Toews led the league with a +120 plus-minus rating since he was acquired from the New York Islanders in 2020. He’s right behind defenseman Cale Makar in average ice time during that time.

Oct. 10: Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Callahan Burke from the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Caleb Jones

The Hurricanes loaded up on defense this offseason and Jones was the odd man out. Both players will play for the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles.

This weekend, fantasy football managers across the USA will begin their league playoffs. They’re playing for pride – and maybe a bit of a financial reward – as they look to claim a championship.

While the National Football League is unquestionably king of all sports nationwide, fantasy football has a strong case as the national pastime. As of last year, 29.2 million people in the United States played fantasy football, according to Statista Research. And fantasy sports in general have exploded into an $11 billion business.

“NFL football is perfect for fantasy,” says industry pioneer Rick Wolf. “It has fewer players to know and understand. It is weekly so there is no ‘grind.’ The game is enormously popular, but I would argue that it is more popular because it is perfect for fantasy.”

For the uninitiated, fantasy football allows participants to construct their own teams made up of NFL players, and then compete against others in their league during the NFL season. The industry expanded considerably in the early 2010s with the advent of daily fantasy sports, led by companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

In the early days of the game, drafts were done over the phone and fantasy experts were rare. Now, fantasy football shows are some of the most popular in sports media. ESPN has a three-hour show that airs every Sunday morning. The NFL Network has an hourlong one on weekdays. YouTube has numerous fantasy football shows and there’s a dedicated fantasy channel on XM radio. If fantasy football were a stock it would be Apple.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

So what makes the game so popular?

Its skyrocketing popularity has been evident for years but few stories, particularly recently, have closely examined why. What USA TODAY Sports has found is the reasons are myriad and sometimes even complex, ranging from a 1994 Major League Baseball strike that pushed people from fantasy baseball to football, to the increase of women playing, and even to something much simpler.

Ask anyone who has been around fantasy football for any length of time, one of the first things they’ll tell you is the camaraderie that comes with being in a league.

‘Long before Facebook or even Myspace and Friendster, fantasy sports was the first online social network,” says NBC Sports analyst Matthew Berry. “It’s an excuse to get together. It’s a way to engage.’

Bob Lung, founder of Big Guy Fantasy Sports agrees: ‘Whether it’s a work league, friends league or family league, it’s a way for them to be together, talk, trade, and trash talk.’

Critical ESPN hire changes the course of history

How did the game get to be such an obsession for so many people? It’s been a longer road than many realize.

Fantasy football can trace its roots back to the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPPL), which was formed in 1963 by Bay Area businessman Bill Winkenbach.

Football took a back seat to baseball, however, when writer Daniel Okrent and his cohorts developed the rules for and popularized what was called Rotisserie Baseball in 1979.

But after a while, the landscape began to shift.

“There’s no question in my mind that the turning point for fantasy football was the MLB strike of 1994,” says Greg Ambrosius, founder of the National Fantasy Baseball and Fantasy Football Championships. “Baseball was still the biggest fantasy sport at that time, but when they went on strike and didn’t come back, that was it for a lot of fans. Fantasy football skyrocketed in 1994 and it never looked back.”

Another milestone came several years later as online commissioner services, such as the one Wolf helped develop for CBS Sportsline, brought even more people to the game.

“I truly believe the ability to manage the fantasy football leagues online was the first big step in making it easier for more folks to be able to play,” Lung says. “Being a commish before the online league manager sites was very time-consuming.”

Despite its growth, fantasy football was far from becoming a national obsession. But a turning point in the industry occurred in 2007, when ESPN hired Berry to run its fantasy sports department.

‘Matthew fully owned the space at a time when most football traditionalists wanted nothing to do with fantasy, even mocked it and those who played,’ says ESPN injury and fantasy sports analyst Stephania Bell. ‘That did not deter him. In fact, I think he saw it as an opportunity to convert those folks to enthusiasts by making fantasy ‘friendly.”

All of a sudden, the online sites that to that point had ruled fantasy football – Yahoo and CBS Sportsline – had a powerful new competitor.

“Prior to me getting there, fantasy in general wasn’t thought of other than a small niche thing that was tucked into the back corner of the internet,” Berry recalls.

His pitch to company executives was simple: “Instead of trying to focus on stealing some of their customer base and trying to get a bigger piece of the pie, why don’t we just try to grow the pie?”

That’s exactly what happened, but there was one major hurdle to clear first.

“The sports leagues for the longest time tried to … forget fostering the growth, they actively worked against it,” Berry says.

In 2015, then-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and two business partners planned a fantasy football convention in Las Vegas that would bring fans together with nearly 100 current and former NFL players. However, the league banned players from attending because it was being held at a casino property.

For years, the NFL saw fantasy football as too close to gambling for comfort. ESPN helped change that mindset.

“Once the sports leagues saw ESPN, their broadcast partner, doing a fantasy segment and there wasn’t a public outcry, the sky didn’t fall and advertisers didn’t flee – and in fact, it was the opposite – suddenly they realized this is something that drives fan interest, it’s monetizable (and) they started to get on board,” Berry says.

Berry − who like Wolf, Ambrosius and Winkenbach is a member of the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association Hall of Fame − became the network’s face of fantasy sports, appearing on podcasts, SportsCenter segments and eventually shows dedicated exclusively to fantasy football.

Fantasy football entered the mainstream, even in more subtle ways, such as the stats we take for granted scrolling across the bottom of our television screens. ESPN had those scores and stats on its “Bottom Line” for a while, but Berry successfully pushed for stats important to fantasy players – the number of catches to go with receiving yards and most important, who scored the touchdowns.

Events like Romo’s were no longer something to avoid. In 2018, Lung created the King’s Classic, a fantasy football experts competition that held its draft at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. A year later, he added a fantasy football expo to the schedule.

Women change the game

Daily fantasy sports have also helped take fantasy football to new heights. For years, DFS companies had to walk a fine line legally to differentiate them from gambling. But when the Supreme Court in 2018 struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and freed states to allow sports betting, the fantasy industry rejoiced.

“If sports betting was OK, then certainly fantasy sports is OK,” Ambrosius says, “and we have seen an almost 20% jump in participation in fantasy leagues.”

The ability to win money beyond just a friendly competition among friends gave fantasy football yet another turbo boost.

“It’s really fun to play. It’s easy to understand. It’s hard to master. But the barrier to entry is not tough,” Berry says. “Anytime you have a game that can be played by people from eight to 80, you’re onto something.”

The numbers bear him out.

Berry, who left ESPN after 15 years to join NBC Sports in 2022, is a prominent cast member of “Football Night in America,” the network’s Sunday night pregame show, offering fantasy and sports betting analysis.

Sunday Night Football is the most-watched program on TV again this year, as it’s been for each of the past 12 years. And the NFL’s appeal across all demographics is impressive.

According to an SSRS Sports Poll, women make up 46% of the NFL’s fan base. That interest has carried over to fantasy football. The Journal of Sport Management in 2018 found that ‘women represent the fastest growing demographic for the fantasy sports industry, making up approximately 38% of fantasy football participants.’

Women aren’t just playing the game, more are being recognized as experts as well.

‘When I first entered the fantasy space, much like with women who cover the game of football, there were not many of us and we were often viewed as ‘lesser than’ our male counterparts,’ Bell says. ‘That dynamic has certainly changed and I credit the men and women who have helped grow the game to embrace a broader range of talent.’

That group has expanded to include ESPN’s Liz Loza, YouTube host Kay Adams, SiriusXM’s Lindsay Rhodes, ‘The Football Girl’ Melissa Jacobs and NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund and Michelle Magdziuk, among many others.

“I love the fact that we have such a diversity of voices commenting on and analyzing the game,” Berry says. “We have a number of women in our industry that do just phenomenal work.”

This season, the King’s Classic added a 14-team league made up entirely of women – the Queen’s Classic – to the weekend in Canton.

In addition, Lung says, “The Women of Fantasy Football panel discussion is always one of the most attended panels at the Expo on Sunday.”

It provides even more evidence that those who play fantasy football can relate to each other, regardless of demographics or backgrounds.  

“It doesn’t matter how much money you have or how famous you are,” Berry says, “you’re still like the rest of us – sweating your flex decision and hoping your running back doesn’t get vultured at the 1-yard-line by some fullback.”

That sense of community among fantasy players is what keeps the industry growing and keeps feeding the obsession. For a select few, all that work will pay off a few weeks down the road with a league championship. But the road to get there will almost certainly be paved with totally unexpected and occasionally lucky twists of fate.

“No matter how much research you do and analysis you do, you still never know. It’s one of the reasons we love sports at well,” Berry says.

“That randomness is what keeps us engaged because when you nail it, there’s no better feeling.”

The NFL gets a lot of things wrong. You could write a book on what they do wrong. Or two books. Or 20. Much of what we see wrong with the league is officiating.

We all know it’s been terrible this season. The last two seasons. The last 20. But something happened on Thursday night that was stunning and forward-thinking and historic. It was about officiating. And it wasn’t bad news for once. It was the opposite. In fact, the NFL should take a bow.

The NFL announced that the game between the Chargers and the Raiders had the first ever all-Black, on-field and replay crew. It was also the first time that three women (one on the field and two in the replay booth) were on the same crew.

Now, I’m sure that certain societal elements will take this news all in stride. The combination of an all-Black crew and three women — three Black women, at that — will not cause certain heads to explode on Fox. The word ‘woke’ will not be utilized as a verb. Everyone will be nice and calm about it. Cool beans.

But this really is a tremendous deal and something that the NFL should be applauded for. The league, of course, has had historic and persistent issues with hiring Black head coaches. It’s been a disaster, in fact. It’s been better (at least recently) when it comes to diversifying its game crews.

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While the league office can’t control who owners hire as head coaches, the NFL can diversify other aspects of the game on its own. Officiating is one of those things.

The steps the NFL has taken to make its officiating crews more diverse have at times been incremental but recently they’ve been consistent. In 2020, the NFL announced that a November game between the Rams and Buccaneers would feature the first all-Black, on-field officiating crew. That group was led by longtime referee Jerome Boger.

“This historic Week 11 crew is a testament to the countless and immeasurable contributions of Black officials to the game, their exemplary performance, and to the power of inclusion that is the hallmark of this great game,’ Troy Vincent, the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations, said at the time.

In 2006, Boger became just the third Black referee in league history, the NFL said. That in itself is remarkable that there’d only been three Black referees in the history of the NFL up to that point. The first Black referee in league history was Johnny Grier in 1988. About 20 years before, in 1965, the NFL says that Burl Toler, when he was hired as a head linesman, was the first Black game official in any major professional sports league.

What might even be more impressive than the league diversifying in terms of race with this crew is its diversifying with gender. The NFL has been remarkably slow when it comes to women game officials. The league said the three women officials were line judge Maia Chaka, Artenzia Young-Seigler was the replay official, and Desiree Abrams the replay assistant.

The game itself was unremarkable with the Chargers getting their doors blown off. If you want to see what an NFL team that quit looks like, watch a replay of that game. If you want to see a team fighting hard for its coach in Antonio Pierce, watch the same contest.

The game was absurd but the night was still big. The most significant steps a league can take when it tries to make its league look more like America or, at the very least, like its player base, is take consistent steps. Keep moving forward. Not sideways and certainly not backward. But forward.

Yes, it’s obviously true, that the NFL gets a lot of things wrong. You could write a book on what they do wrong. Or two. Or 20. Hell, you could write 100.

But boy did the league nail this. It got something with officiating right.

Finally.