Fantasy sports, an industry that is traditionally dominated by football, baseball and basketball, has introduced a new sport that has infiltrated the halls of CHS: Fantasy Bachelor.
The Fantasy Bachelor game, in which contestants earn points for a combination of weekly predictions of what will occur on each episode, and a season-long tournament that predicts which contestant will receive the final rose, is based on the hit show The Bachelor in which one man dates anywhere from 20 to 30 women in hopes of finding their soulmate at the end of the season.
“It is so much fun to play Fantasy Bachelor,” sophomore Nicole Bratton said. “I’ve never really been into fantasy leagues, but I now get the appeal.”
According to Front Row, a website by ESPN, Fantasy Bachelor’s appeal to fantasy players has remained the same even though the target audience and aesthetics of the game might be different.
For many who are just now being introduced to fantasy sports, The Fantasy Bachelor has helped to make every monday night more enjoyable than ever.
“Playing fantasy bachelor has definitely added to my experience when I watch the show,” Bratton said. ”[My sister and all of our friends] pick every week who we think will get sent home at the end of every episode and we predict who will win it all.”
While for many, this new feature has revolutionized the way they watch their favorite T.V. show, some traditional watchers find that this new experience does not appeal to them.
“I don’t play fantasy bachelor and honestly I think it’s kind of silly, but funny at the same time,” sophomore Lexi Heard said. “I know a lot of people who would [play it] but I just wouldn’t do it myself.”
In addition to the many Bachelor viewers who participate, the game has also helped to connect a community of year round fantasy players who can apply their extensive Fantasy knowledge to this new game.
“You have to think like a [television] writer: what entertains, what’s realistic and what are these women really going to do?” said junior Elijah Zack, who was 100 percent correct for his first week of picks in the Bachelor season.
Although the Fantasy app has attracted players who previously played fantasy, there are many still that doubt the merit of this new feature.
“I personally have no interest in betting and watching a bunch of people dating a guy for the purpose of fame, I have nothing against anybody who does, I just find it weird,” sophomore Jackson Baer said.
In ESPN’s effort to combine sports and entertainment, it has helped to bring friends and family like Bratton’s together every monday night in front of the TV for two hours of pure, unadulterated fun.
“The Bachelor is always the highlight of my week but playing along makes it even more entertaining,” Bratton said.