Fantasy sports are everywhere-over 50 million Americans play fantasy football, baseball, basketball, and beyond, while 200 million fans in India fuel fantasy cricket. What started as quirky backyard games exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry... but the full story has never been told-until now. In this first-ever complete history, Amazon bestselling author Larry Schechter (Winning Fantasy Baseball) reveals the wild, inspiring, and hilarious true tales behind it all. After 18 months of exclusive interviews with pioneers and entrepreneurs, you'll uncover:
- The real origin of fantasy baseball by Dan Okrent (no, not on an airplane)
- How a World War II hero spread fantasy football across the country
- Five nuns in a Chicago convent co-managing a fantasy football team
- A dedicated player with ALS finally winning his league after 39 years
- The surprising role Monica Lewinsky played in saving fantasy sports
- And dozens more stories of obsession, innovation, and underdog success
This isn't a dry textbook-it's an entertaining, page-turning celebration of passion turning into empire. Praised as "simply fascinating from start to finish" by Midwest Book Review and lauded by industry leaders for its depth and storytelling.If you live for drafts, trades, and championships-or love great business underdog stories-dive into the hidden history that shaped your favorite obsession.
Contents
Preface
1. In the Beginning
2. The Origins of Fantasy Baseball
3. The Origins of Fantasy Football
4. The First Commercial Games
5. Newspaper Games
6. CDM Sports and the Landmark Legal Case
7. First Fantasy Sports Publications
8. First Fantasy Sports Books
9. Advanced Metrics
10. Commissioner Services
11. Fantasy Radio and TV Shows
12. News Services
13. First Football Websites
14. High-Stakes Games
15. Major Media Companies
16. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association
17. Legal Battles and Legislation
18. Injury Experts
19. Innovative Entrepreneurs
20. Experts Leagues
21. Daily Fantasy Sports
22. Fantasy Sports Worldwide
Epilogue
Bibliography
