Step 5: Getting on the site and Note about message board

When you receive your email inviting you into the league, click on the link provided. Create your login and password if you don't already have one (I already had one on espn.com). Do NOT use the "go through facebook" link because the stupid thing doesn't work and it is annoying. Under "My Team" update your profile and change your team name to something awesome as per previous post (it will create an automatic team name for you based on your last name). Upload your logo from another website or create one on the fantasy site. If you are using one you find online, use something that looks like clipart and is not too detailed. Don't get frustrated when your updates don't show up right away- the site takes awhile. Click your name all the way at the top to update your account if you want. I added a picture to mine.

A note about the message board:
The message board is a good place to talk smack to the other teams as well as find out pertinent information, such as when the draft is taking place. Don't rely on your husband to tell you this; once he posts it on the message board, it will likely go out of his head. Make sure you check out and participate in the message board, because it's fun! It's even more fun if you have a self-deprecating husband who lifts you up while he puts himself down.

Step 4: What's in a name?

From bleacherreport.com (arbitrary reference much?) "A clever team name won't win a championship but it can be a source of pride in your fantasy football league." Think of a good name for your team. No, I said a GOOD name. You need to at least make your male league-mates chuckle when they first see it. A good name should be accompanied by a good logo. Based on my husband's reviews of my possible team name choices, names like "The Quilted Squares" and "The Queens of Cuisine" are not acceptable names. He recommends a play on words, a play on your name or taking something from a Bruce Springsteen song out of context and making it a team name ie: The Swamps of Jersey. He is obviously very specific with these guidelines. My advice is, if you're going to celebrate being the only woman in your league within your team name, make sure it is sassy. My team name: Trophy Wives United.

Steps 2 and 3

Step 2: Check your attitude
Fantasy Football with a bunch of dudes is not for the faint of heart. Half of the time spent participating in the league is ragging on your friends so make sure you have a sense of humor. Leave your feminism and your soap box at the door, or go start your own all-chicks league. If the guys think they have to censor themselves because of your participation, you'll ruin the fun for them. Jack informed me of a less-than-tasteful picture he posted on the league page before "letting me in" to make sure I would be a good sport. I was like "hey, it's me". Of course I'm a good sport, **roll eyes**

Step 3: Get invited into the league
Only the creator/Commissioner of the league can invite you to participate. If that is your man, great! If not, he has to go to bat for you and get the Commissioner to invite you. Most likely, this will not be an issue. Men don't try to keep women out of their leagues, it's the women who don't really care to join. When you are invited, you will receive an email so you can access the league page.

Step 1: Planting the seed

If you are a wife ( or any woman) interested in getting into a Fantasy Football League, this blog is for you. Last night my husband Jack asked me to join his Arleigh Burke league. Fantasy sports are something I've thought about joining in on since college but never did. In college people always said to me "I'm surprised you don't play" and I would just shrug. Honestly though, I never joined a league because I don't know how to play. Jack wants me to play, I've always been curious about it, so here goes. As I learn, I will share what I've learned with all of you, so that you don't hold back if you want to join a league. The blog is called "for wives" as a generalization because you are more likely to be interested in joining a fantasy league because you have a boyfriend or husband who has made you stay at a bar for 6 hours to watch multiple football games because some player is on his fantasy team. Or, you live with a man who won't let you watch anything else during baseball season because his fantasy team is made up of half the MLB league, he wants to see the Yankees win, or he wants to see the Red Sox lose. For all the women out there who were bored because you only cared about ONE team but had to endure it all- this blog is for you. It's not "Fantasy Football for Dummies" because we are not dummies. If men can figure this out, we can excel in it. So I will be delivering information in steps and let you know how it's all going, how the draft works, how my team is doing, navigating the ESPN fantasy football page, etc. Please feel free to post questions, but remember, this is the blind leading the blind so I may not be able to answer them. I am sharing as I learn. Women, be empowered with information.

Step 1

Watch the tv show The League with your man. Once what'shername starts playing in the league in season 2, your man will want you to join his league (especially if there are only 5 people in the league so far, and you are a female who gets along better with men than women anyway). This is the best route if you want to join your husband's league. Or, you could just ask him, I guess. In my case, he wanted me to watch The League with him and when we got to this episode, he had drank too much wine and too much espresso and was dying for me to join his league.