WHEN DID FANTASY SPORTS BECOME SO POPULAR?
A GAME WITH 60
Fantasy sports continue to grow in popularity every year. It’s rare to meet
YEARS OF PROGRESS
someone who has never heard of or played in a fantasy sports league. For those unfamiliar, fantasy sports are games where participants build imaginary teams using real-life players. Scores are generated on individual performances from players on your team, so if Tom Brady is on your fantasy team and throws a touchdown in real life, your team also earns points. While it might seem like fantasy sports are a product of the internet, their history actually spans over five decades. Fantasy sports began in 1962 when Wilfred Winkenbach and other members of the Oakland Raiders organization created the initial rules for what would eventually develop into fantasy football. In 1963, the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League held the first fantasy football draft; George Blanda was the first pick. Six years later, the first public fantasy football league opened to Kings X Sports Bar patrons in Oakland. 1980 saw the beginning of fantasy baseball and the Rotisserie scoring system still used today in fantasy baseball, hockey, and
basketball. The following year, the MLB went on strike, which caused many
sports journalists to write about fantasy baseball in its place, catapulting its popularity. By 1989, over a million people were playing fantasy football. Then the internet became mainstream, allowing even more people to familiarize themselves with fantasy sports. Yahoo launched the first free-to-play fantasy sports platform in 1999, giving more people the opportunity to join a league and learn how to play. ESPN and other sites soon followed suit; by 2006, more than 12 million people were playing fantasy football. When Facebook and Twitter launched in the early 2000s, people had more platforms to share their opinions, which helped the industry grow. In 2009, FanDuel launched a pay-to- play daily fantasy sports platform that allowed fans to choose players for a specific day or game and place a bet on their lineup. Now, 59 million fantasy sports players participate across the globe, and that number continues to grow. The current global fantasy sports market is estimated to be worth around $22.3 billion and is predicted to rise to $38.6 billion by 2025. If you haven’t played fantasy sports before, now is the time to start. You may just discover a new favorite hobby.
SLOW COOKER CHEESY GARLIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS
PUZZLE BREAK
INSPIRED BY THEKITCHN.COM
Brussels sprouts are a tasty seasonal veggie to incorporate into your diet this January. With a creamy cheese sauce, this recipe takes comfort to a new level.
INGREDIENTS •
1 tbsp unsalted butter
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1/2 tsp kosher salt
•
2 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• •
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
1. Coat the inside of a 3–5-quart slow cooker with butter. Add Brussels sprouts, garlic, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. 2. Cover and cook on LOW until the Brussels sprouts are tender, 2–3 hours. 3. Turn the slow cooker off or to the “warm” setting. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, cream, and nutmeg until the cheeses melt and the Brussels sprouts are coated in a creamy sauce. Season with more pepper to taste.
(SOLUTION ON PG. 4)
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