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Back in the good old days, the only way a sports fan could find out how his or her team did was to listen to the radio or to wait for the newspaper the next day. The same went for fantasy sports players. No, a fantasy sports player isn’t one who dreams of being in front of naked men or women very week with their tongues hanging out. A fantasy sports player is one who owns a team every year through a draft of a pool of players of the specific league (NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.) and manages that team like a real sports team owner. Some leagues carry over players from year to year just like real leagues. These are commonly called keeper leagues. Besides owners, each league carries a commissioner or one who is in charge of running the league (compiling statistics and weekly standings). In most cases, that commissioner is also an owner in the league.

Most people participate in these leagues because it’s the closest they can get to become an owner or a sports team at little or no cost. Another larger reason that fantasy football has become so popular is that pro football usually played only once or twice a week so it’s easy to keep up with the events that transpire on the field. In pro baseball, games are played every day, and people have a hard time keeping up with it.

“I’ve played fantasy football for years because it’s pretty easy to follow and to keep up with. I quit my fantasy baseball league because I don’t have the time to keep up with it every day,” said avid fantasy sports owner Mark Hart.

In the early 1990’s, fantasy sports owners, specifically fantasy football owners, would have to wait for The USA Today on Monday to find out how their players did on that Sunday. However, later in the decade, occurring by no coincidence with the advent of the internet, these owners were able to get their results (statistics) online-no more waiting. There is even free or pay software available that automatically calculates the results of ones fantasy team. Once owners were able to get the results instantly, the growth of fantasy players grew.

A research study by Harris Interactive recently shows there are 29.6 million Fantasy Players and 85% use the Internet. Fantasy football players are driven to become experts or winners of their various leagues- not just for bragging rights. The business has become so big that there is even an association for players, The Fantasy Sports Players Association. Fantasy sports players can learn more about the industry by accessing their website.

Even the big boys such as ESPN and CBS Sportsline have joined in the fun. ESPN offers pay leagues and also offer free content to aid the fantasy player, such as player rankings and strategy articles. Sportsline offers free commissioner services and free content. Even the NFL has its own free fantasy leagues on NFL.com. Some leagues are free to join and players can win small prizes such as t-shirt. Some charge a fee up to $100 or more and offer cash prizes to winners. The cash prizes can range from as little as $50 up to $10,000, depending on the entry fees.

To become an expert, some will frequently visit free sites such as The Huddle or KFFL for weekly player rankings, strategy articles and for updates on the latest news. Some will even go as far as to pay for a service to do the work for them, even help run their team. One such service, The Guru Report charges a small fee for its information.

"Fantasy players subscribe to The Guru Report for several reasons. Some are new to fantasy football, so they appreciate our analysis. Others are seasoned players, but they don't have the time to keep up with the NFL, so they subscribe for the information. Many fall in between and enjoyed our analysis and the straight information,” said editor John Hansen.

Some of these services run during August through December and some run all-year round. The ones that run all-year are generally the ones that are for pay. You can find the not-so savvy owner waiting until the last minute or late in the preseason for help. He or she will either get their information online or through a magazine. Although these magazines are written a few months prior to the season, there is a late pre-season update available online. One magazine, The Fantasy Football Pro Forecast, includes strategy articles for the novice and advanced owner, articles on how to play the game, and how to start a league. They even give you a “cheat sheet” that ranks the players by position. These rankings are updated online throughout the summer. Owners will take these magazines with them to drafts and refer to them often. “I can’t tell you how many times I bring magazines to my drafts and open them up. I usually buy four or five of them because they save me so much time in preparation,” Hart said.

Many fantasy football owners are fans of a specific NFL team. Sometimes that hurts their fantasy team. “Sometimes I draft guys who play for the Eagles (favorite team) and I know I shouldn’t but I can’t resist,” Hart added. The good thing about fantasy football is even if an NFL team isn’t doing well, that doesn’t necessarily mean that their player’s aren’t having a good season. In many cases, players from the worst teams put up solid statistics.

This is one of the biggest problems when owners draft a team every year. “I can’t tell you how many people draft their favorite player or players from their favorite team,” Hart said. The rule of thumb is draft the best players, not your favorite players.

The “hobby” has been so competitive that owners will do almost anything to win. One owner actually attended an NFL training camp in the summer to “scout” talent. This kind of research brings realism, almost as a real pro scout prepares himself for the season.

Thanks mostly to the internet, fantasy football has exploded, particularly in the last five to six years. Can it get bigger? Will more people play? One thing is for sure; it’s not just a fantasy anymore.

Bio: Adam Caplan is a veteran fantasy sports writer who says he never drafts his favorite players.