Where Fantasy Meets Reality

CNBC is reporting that office fantasy football leagues, being made up of employees from different levels of the org chart (from entry level employees to senior level management), create an interaction that may not happen throughout the typical work day. In fact, they may help you get a raise. Okay, its dubious but still, anything to validate my office league. Please note however that not only is my supervisor in my league but I've already repeatedly insulted her team so maybe I've shot myself in the foot here...

Fantasy football could help you get a raise: Author offers tips on using the game to climb the corporate ladder by Darren Rovell

Updated: 11:39 a.m. ET July 31, 2006

NEW YORK - It’s that time of year again. Fantasy football junkies absorbing all the information they can, crunching numbers, predicting breakout performances, and agonizing over whom to draft as quarterback, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.

But did you ever think that your office league could ever lead to a promotion?

“These office leagues, they are made up of employees of different level of the org charts from entry level employees to senior level management," said Michale Henby, author of a book on fastasy football. "And it creates an interaction that may not happen throughout the typical work day."

Henby’s book shows fantasy players how to use the game to their advantage.

“A conversation will last longer when fantasy football is involved," he said. "Especially when it’s involved with two people who are in the same office, who are in the same league."

Henby’s work features a fantasy football conversation topic schedule broken down by a month. It also emphasizes the importance of seeding the league with upper management. Henby thinks he’s on to something, but others are cautious to endorse his idea.

“I’ll be honest, I would be leery of going to the CEO of my company and saying ‘Listen, our draft is at 3:00 on Tuesday. I scheduled it right before the meeting at 3:30. Would you like to be in it? It will be fun. It will be a great waster of time for all of us,'" said Will Leitch, editor-in-chief of Deadspin.com.

“It’s sad to take that little time when your brain gets to check out from work for a little while to work on fantasy football and to maneuver in, ‘Okay, I have to make a bad trade with the CEO, but maybe I can screw over the underling, so I look better if I still have the CEO win,'" said Leitch.

Henby actually covers that. Making a lopsided trade is the first deadly sin of fantasy football networking.

“One should not do anything unethical while they are playing fantasy football," said Henby. "If they do that, it could be perceived as a character flaw, which could then compromise future networking relationships."

With the average fantasy player being classified as a 39-year-old male who makes $75,000, Henby has many potential customers.

“It sounds like a good idea, but if that’s what we’re coming to, where fantasy football is being used as a corporate networking tool, then maybe fantasy football has gotten too big," said Leitch.