How do you explain WiS to friends? Topic

When one of your buddies asks you who the hell that fake person is on your phone when you're out at the bar, how do you explain that it's your star CF and you don't know what to do because he got hurt?

Or when your girlfriend asks you who you're texting because she thinks you're texting another girl, but in reality you're just proposing a trade to someone?

I usually say that it's "fantasy fantasy" baseball. Fantasy baseball but with fantasy people also.




11/16/2012 2:07 AM
Fantasy sports.   People understand that.   Simulation baseball, not so much. 
11/16/2012 8:22 AM
Unless they're completely berserk fantasy sports fans, I go the same route as Mike.  I may try to explain to the occasional psycho fan what HBD is, but even guys who have 10 fantasy teams in 5 sports usually just shake their heads sadly, then go home to tell their wives that if they think they have it bad as fantasy widows, they should thank God they're not married to me.
11/16/2012 9:19 AM
I attempted to explain it twice.   
Once to my wife.   Her eyes glazed over and she gave me the "You're kidding, right?"   I took that to mean she didn't understand or she was angry with herself for marrying someone playing HBD.   Haven't mentioned it since.  "Fantasy sports" works.
Once to my FF league.   They nodded, said "That sounds interesting" and then tried to trade me Kevin Kolb for Drew Brees.  I assumed they were stoned, disinterested in HBD or both.   Didn't bring it up again.    
11/16/2012 9:24 AM
I've never discussed it with anyone I didn't think might seriosuly consider joining, which is to say literally 3-4 people, ever.  And I know a lot of nerds.

My wife just rolls her eyes, but I think considers it a quiet, cheap vice as opposed to gambling or strip clubs.

Anyone else, I say "fantasy baseball".  I actually play fantasy basketball, so that's my cover this time of year.
11/16/2012 10:00 AM
I don't anymore.  When I first joined I after the first season I played I fired off a few emails to my old APBA buddies, and started a semi regular update on FB about my team.  No one cares.  Either you want to play this or you have so litte interest it borders on loathing.  Like Mike, my wife just makes a a noise somewhere between 'I can't believe your wasting time with this' and 'disgusted laughter at my foolishness'.  I have also had the old ' I saw on the news / someone at work said' that these 'sports sites' are nothing more than places to find someone to hookup with, conversation with my wife.  First, no one is going to find spending 4 to 6 hours a day durning preseason worring about your fake franchise sexy.  Second, once she looked at the world chat (yes I showed her to make sure she knew there was nothing going on), it just reaffirmed her belief that we are all just above band kids on the highschool hierarchy, but way below math club.  She then asked me why people were arguing about a game that doesn't really exist.  I had no reply.  I no longer speak of this game to the real world.
11/16/2012 11:15 AM
My family watched me play full seasons of Strat O Matic by myself without letting anyone else play. That kind of paved the way for this.
11/16/2012 12:54 PM

Being watched by your whole family while you played with yourself explains a lot, actually.

11/16/2012 1:00 PM
DIAH, bringing "walk off win" to a disturbing new meaning.
11/16/2012 1:06 PM
At least my wife correctly assesses that if I ever did find a "girlfriend," all she would have to do to get rid of her would be to show her this site. 

In all seriousness, my wife tolerates this well, even mustering a half-decent smile if I tell her I've won a World Series.  Although, her tolerance is mostly because I do most of my HBD heavy lifting either (a) early AM, before she wakes up, or (b) at "work."
11/16/2012 1:11 PM
I wasn't there and it creeps me out.

"Game night at the inahole house!!  Everybody gather around!!!"

"Oh, no, I'll just be playing by myself while you watch.  Enjoy!!!"
:
11/16/2012 1:22 PM (edited)
While back, I was at my girlfriends house, she is German mind you (stationed there) well I was checking my teams and she happened to see me. Asked me what I was doing. I said well its a website with a bunch of simulation sports games, kind of like fantasy baseball, but way more in depth. You are just like the GM, Manager make all the decisions, trades everything. I also play a basketball game on there too babe. Its a looot of fun, and I spend a lot of time on it. In fact when I sneak off to use your computer its what im doing usually.

She asked, what are simulation sports, what does simulation mean, what is fantasy baseball,  whats a gm, manager, trades, what kind of decisions... And about 80 other questions.

Once I explained a bunch fo stuff including english words that arent common for Germans (even good english speaking ones) to know. she pretty much looked 1000x more confused than at the start. I just said nevermind. Idk why I even bothered explaining it lol.

11/16/2012 1:18 PM
I would never speak of this with anyone who didn't already know about it.  Like Mike says, if anyone asks you just say "fantasy sports" and they leave you alone.  I have a brother-in-law - great guy, devoted to his family - whose only vice is playing Eve Online, and I've heard him trying to talk to other people about it.  I don't want to be that guy.  Like saying, "I'm like Bruce Springsteen, I played air guitar for four hours last night."

11/16/2012 1:37 PM
HA!   I've got a friend who'll tell me about his video game exploits.   I play video games but I zone out when he starts rambling about his 3 hour Call of Duty adventures.    Pretty sure that's what would happen if I started talking about my shrewd HBD moves on the way to the WS.
11/16/2012 2:22 PM
The Strat - O - Matic to self pleasure analogy was a bit of a stretch.

Like, a 9 inch stretch. BAM!
11/16/2012 2:40 PM
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