First published 2013
Matthew Berry chronicles his rise from teenage fantasy player to ESPN's Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst. He explores a subculture that has exploded into a national obsession, where over 35 million people across the United States and Canada dedicate countless hours weekly to managing their fantasy teams. Berry documents the eccentric rituals that define this world: elaborate trash talk exchanges, outrageous trophy designs, bizarre draft locations, and humiliating punishments for last place finishers. He uncovers creative cheating schemes and shares surprisingly moving stories that explain why millions return to these games season after season. His journey takes readers from his fourteen-year-old beginnings through his ascent to becoming the public face of fantasy sports at the world's largest sports media empire. Along the way, he encounters golden pelican trophies weighing 126 pounds, strategy sessions in the White House Situation Room, and participants donning furry animal costumes. Berry weaves together tales spanning love and loss, life and death, permanent tattoos commemorating victories, and the profound connections forged through friendly competition.
Genres: contemporary, sports, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, rise-to-fame
352 pages · Hardcover · Riverhead Books