After a busy week, a few technical difficulties and a blunder on my part I have returned with another Interrogate the Industry. This week I am featuring none other than Zach Law. Someone who has been doing a similar concept to this series, for far longer than myself. Disclaimer: I actually did not know of Zach’s series until well after I had started. Needless to say, I love it, and was glad that he was willing to partake in the interview for my relatively new series.
It is nearly fantasy football season, and with that I will start to mix it up more with industry football folks, but will still stay true and keep interviewing baseball insiders too. I am also writing for a few more sites so if you enjoy my work and want to keep up with me keep an eye on fakepigskin.com and faketeams.com. I of course will be keeping everyone updated, share links, and answer questions on twitter so be sure to follow me @fantsychillpony too. Thanks as always for reading and let’s dig in.
Interrogate the Industry No.9: Zach Law
1. Everyone got their fantasy industry start somewhere. Talk about yours as brief or detailed as you like. If possible include ups and downs, others in the industry who helped?
I started at a site called xpertsports.com in 2005. Talk about going back in the past. After one year, I decided to do my own thing, first at a google blog and then on zachlawonline.com. I decided to get back into the game officially in 2011 and started the Ask Your Fantasy Football Expert series. I have worked with a few sites since then, including Bleacher Report, football.com, and The Sports Daily but for the most part I have done my own thing.
2. You seem to be very busy over on Zach Law Online already. Do you have larger aspirations, or more goals in the industry?
Be sure to check out Zach’s site
It’s a good thing you asked. I’ve recently taken over at fantasysports.org (Chris: Congratulations!). This is an industry site so instead of doing rankings, which I personally don’t like doing, I’m going to be talking about what’s happening, like the recent DraftKings acquisition of DraftStreet. I’ll continue the interviews and let people know about the great people, sites, and podcasts of fantasy football.
3. How do you manage your everyday life and fantasy life? Have you had issues or difficulty focusing on both, or have you had to sacrifice some things you used to enjoy?
We’ll see how things go with me signing on to write more often than once or twice a week. My wife’s in grad school so she’s pretty busy. Actually I think she went back to school because I’m so busy in the fall. The good thing is two of my favorite pastimes in life are watching football and drinking beer, and in that case I can multitask with the best of them.
4. If you had to dedicate your time to only one fantasy sport playing and writing (I know, impossible), but if you did which one would it be? Why?
This is the opposite of impossible. The NFL’s become a year-round pursuit, even in a month like July in which most of the stories that come out are complete bunk. I barely even acknowledge other sports.
5. Who are a few Fantasy Football Sleepers, or undervalued players on your radar this season?
From wikipedia.com
I’m looking at those second-year wideouts, guys like Cordarrelle Patterson (may be a third-rounder by August, so watch out), DeAndre Hopkins, Kenny Stills, and Justin Hunter. Especially in PPR leagues, I’m looking at the pass catchers, guys like Pierre Thomas, Danny Woodhead, Reggie Bush, and even Tennessee’s own Dexter McCluster.
6. Would you rather play in a very competitive fantasy league with people you don’t know at all, or in a league that is largely indifferent, but with people you do know well?
There has to be a personal connection. I’m in two main leagues, a local keeper league that started in 2000 and a dynasty league that started in 2005. In the dynasty league, I still haven’t met some of the original members in person. If the league gets too “indifferent”, it’s probably time to move on.
7. If you were asked to write an episode for any television show in history, which show would you choose and why?
from wikipedia.com
Could I rewrite the last couple of seasons of Fringe? I loved that sci-fi show, especially when they went to the alternate universe. It’s too bad that there won’t be any more adventures of Rust Cohle of True Detective (Chris: I have to admit, that first season forced this show in to my top 5). I could drink with that guy, although I’d probably have to bring my own beer.
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