The PMS Report: Goodbye Arian Foster, Fantasy Rebel

By: The Football Girl | Posted: August 23, 2012

As a football fan and writer, I love a lot of players for a variety of reasons. But in the last year or so Arian Foster has monopolized a special place in my heart.  Not because of his superstar stats and current standing as (arguably) the NFL’s best running back. Not because he pens poetry and has frequent philosophical riffs on Twitter.  It’s because when he pulled his hamstring last preseason he responded to narcissistic fantasy owners with this:

“Those sincerely concerned, I’m doing OK & plan to B back by opening day. 4 those worried abt your fantasy team, u ppl are sick,”

At that moment Foster become the ultimate fantasy rebel. Look up fantasy hatred in the dictionary and there was Foster, his arms folded tighly with a disapproving frown.  And I thought it was the coolest thing ever, something that might start a revolution among players and slightly alter the mindset of selfish fantasy owners. In addition, any time a player finds a way to exhibit smart individualism in a sport that discourages it so aggressively, I’m impressed.  Sure, I’m in like 45 fantasy leagues and tend to react poorly to a player’s injury that impacts my roster, but Foster’s sentiment served as a wakeup call. 

Players are human beings, not statistics. When they get injured, their already sliver of a career may end. And here we are worrying about a few points we may lose or energy we have to expend on the waiver wires. (God forbid we have to have to put down our greasy pizza and search for some backups!)  I’m still selfish, because it’s inherent in anything involving competition, but Foster provided a little reform to my sensibilities. And I’m sure I’m not alone.

For the player sect, Foster was the anti-Maurice Jones-Drew, the leader of fantasy glorification highlighted by the fantasy show he hosts on Sirius (perhaps his only job this season). I always imagined most players would hate fantasy, mainly because of the very creatons Foster was shouting at, yet Foster was bold enough to say it. 

But that was last year.

The year’s Arian Foster is a much different soul. Take a look.

There’s a lot more where that came from. In fact, Foster broke down every position for Bleacher Report.

He also appeared on the cover of ESPN the Magazine’s Fantasy Football issue. And in this video of shoot said he “didn’t mind” fantasy.

What???? Where did the principled Arian Foster I fell in love with go?  Ok, maybe Arian Foster still hates fantasy and he’s just tempering his feelings for a little cash and extra promotion, which he should not be begrudged for. Foster, like most running backs, is one ACL injury away from never being asked to do these types of extra ciriculars again. Players should never take heat for earning a little marketing dough on the side (but a little mockery for certain ads is acceptable).  Perhaps the extra cash Foster earned will put towards starting a “Players Have Feelings, Too” foundation. But I doubt it all.

Let’s face it; Foster the fantasy rebel is gone.  Maybe he was never really here. Steph Stradley of the Houston Chronicle recently told me the whole notion of Foster hating fantasy was a myth all along. Apparently even his mom plays.

This is all really hard to stomach. I don’t remember what it felt like when I realized Santa Claus was just a random fat dude in a suit, but I bet it was similar to this. Like Santa, Foster the leader of the fantasy overlords who cast evils spells on all selfish owners with toxic reactions to injured players isn’t real.  And probably never was.

"The PMS Report” is a weekly vent session about all the annoying happenings, people, rules, Commissioners, tweeters, misogyny and everything else wrong with the NFL. Columns may be especially vicious every fourth week. 

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