Customer Reviews

Committed: Confessions of a Fantasy Football Junkie

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Information for the 'newbie', 'vet', and the 'FF Widow(er)'. Mr. St. Amant is witty, informative, inciteful, and sacrilegious throughout. An excellent read. If you are looking for a page turner, this is the one!

Absolutely hysterical. I caught myself missing my subway stops because I was so involved in the book. I've never joined a fantasy football league before but have tons of buddies who play...and after reading this I can't wait to join my first league this year. The book offered some helpful pointers & strategies for rookies like me, but overall was a comical, informative look at the roller coaster ride people go through in a typical fantasy football season.

"Committed" excels at portraying the minds of FFL addicts. The book medium allows St.Amant to express himself in 100% honest ways (swearing, metaphors, etc.) that newspapers and Disney-endorsed websites (ESPN) cannot print. That being said, if I'm an editor at ESPN.com's Page 2 and I DON'T at least interview this guy, then I'm doing a disservice to my readers! If ESPN knows it's salt, then Bill Simmons may FINALLY have another worthy column next to his own masterpiece.

For readers, I can say that this book is a page turner if you are into sports, the NFL, any other fantasy leagues, or just enjoy satire/humor writing. The book's honesty is what makes it successful - there are no embellishments necessary because us FFLers are truly that crazy.

I'll be in Vegas for the WCOFF...soon maybe they'll rename the trophy the St.Amant trophy after all the publicity he gives them. Buy it and read it now! Now, back to ranking my depth charts...do I take Chris Brown over Brian Westbrook?

This brilliant take on fantasy football is a must-read for FFL addicts and a should-read for anyone who isn't. Any FFL participant will be able to relate to the characters in this funny, fast-paced book, especially St. Amant's arch-enemy, Shergul, whose legend and ego are surely to grow beyond Kato proportions.

Had this on order, finally got it, finished it in a couple days...it was THAT good. If it were physically possible for ESPN.com's Bill "Sports Guy" Simmons, David Sedaris, and caustic comedian Denis Leary to spawn an unholy lovechild, it would be Mark St. Amant. As the review above says, he "writes like the life of the locker room party,"and any FF player will tell you that smacktalk is half the fun of playing FF. I semi-expected him to start screaming "I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!" like Will Ferrell. (And at times his dry wit, as he deals with the common ups and downs of his FF season, was downright Ferrell-esque...in the Walken "more cowbell" vein). His writing style is funny, though, mostly because a great deal of his venom is directed at himself and the evil FF gods, who downright haunt him. (Note: regarding the "assaultive anal sex banter" mentioned in the review above, this was a bit overblown in my opinion. How many times have you said, "A guy offered me James Stewart and Neil O'Donnell for Priest and Daunte...he was trying to bend me over!" I personally found those references funny - kinda like the humorous shock of seeing Ralphie being "you-know-what'ed" by Janice Soprano - and "R-rated" language/references like that are an accurate reflection of what truly goes on in FF leagues/message boards when buddies get together and the testosterone gets a bit out of control.) His many one-liners and offbeat pop-culture references are downright hysterical, and I learned early on not to skim anything for fear of missing a gem. One of my favorites: "My losing to this team would be like Halle Berry losing a wet T-shirt contest to Henry Kissinger." And none other than pop culture/humor/sports king, Chuck Klosterman, has a funny quote on the jacket cover, in my view giving the book serious "street cred." Most importantly, however, this book is an honest, authentic, informative take on the worldwide explosion of fantasy football past and present, the massive subculture, and why people (myself included) have become so obsessed with it. While he does provide some basic strategy tips that he picks up from conversations with "experts" and other regular joe players like himself, he doesn't try to pass himself off as an expert, which makes his story so easy to relate to. I agree with the inside jacket cover: it's an ideal read for FF vets and newbies, serious and casual sports fans, men and women (there's even a chapter called the "Plight of the FF Widow" that any wife/girlfriend can relate to!). Bottom line: while I only reserve five stars for literary masterpieces, this is as close as it gets for this genre, and "Committed" is a HIGHLY entertaining, timely read as we enter another NFL/FF season!

I recently hurt my back and was laid up for quite awhile. My brother, knowing that I was hurt, brought me over some reading material. This material was Mark St.Amant's book "Committed".

Let me start by saying that I do not play Fantasy Football. I do watch some NFL games, but I am by no means a hard-core football fan. I am however, a hard-core reader. I confess that I did not think I would like this book before I started reading it. After the first few pages, however, I was hooked.

Here was a very readable story, a story that was laid out in such a way that I wanted to follow it to its end. As I read through the story I was introduced to a number of characters that I am still interested in. I also feel as though I got to know the author a little bit. Here is a guy that was crazy enough to quit his job to pursue Fantasy Football yet sane enough to remain "committed" to the most important things in his life.

I think he was able to achieve his stated goal of introducing me, the reader, to the world of fantasy football in such a way that I am interested in perhaps joining a league next year.

He also told me something about his wife and his friends, all of whom sound very real and very "normal". In short, he shared something of his life with me, a perfect stranger.

I must give a warning though, there were times while reading this book that I laughed so hard I had to stop reading. It hurt my back for me to laugh that hard. Even though I knew I was in for some physical pain, I still read the book cover to cover.

Mark St. Amant is the Bill Cosby of Fantasy Football. He captivates you with his passion for the game and then makes you wet your pants with his spot on humor about this addictive hobby we all love so much. He is part story teller, part Bill Bryson sarcastic explorer and part average fantasy football owner. This book is a must for anyone even remotely interested in fantasy football. It will explain to our loved ones why they are widowed to FF for 6 months of the year and help them to understand why we wake up screaming "Throw T.O the ball!!!"
It is a funny, poignant, heart-felt and realistic look into the world of Fantasy Football from someone who has been there and done that. His most recent success in the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF) in 2007 is just one more reason why this is a book that should be on every Fantasy Footballers book shelf.
Fantasy Football Guidebook

I liked this book but at times it dwelled to much on the authors own FF team from 2004. The stories about the FFL's he visited was interesting and there was some good technical information here and there, all with a humorous twist.

You know how it is when someone insists on telling you about their Fantasy Football team? What if it was their Fantasy Team from three years ago? That's where this book gets a bit cumbersome for me but if you are interested in what it's like to be insane about Fantasy Football this is a good read.

"Committed" is a fantastic book. As a 13 year fantasy football player, there isn't much in this book I wasn't aware of. However, it's nice to know that I'm not alone in my obsession.

If you're also obsessed & have a significant other, I would highly recommend this book for him/her. It will open their eyes to what drives us all from August through December (and a couple other months in between.)

Fantastic read...

Great book for any person who plays fantasy football, really doesnt make you feel bad about yourself and how crazy you are once you read this...