Despite Matt Miller Scandal, Philanthropy Has Found a Home in Fantasy Football

Every autumn, more than 40 million Americans assume the role of virtual general managers in various fantasy football leagues. They pour over depth charts, dissect statistics and obsess over their upcoming drafts.Fantasy football has long been a multi-billion-dollar enterprise rooted in office rivalries, side bets and championship payouts for top finishers. Yet, over the last decade, a quiet revolution has emerged, blending the weekly obsession of fantasy sports with grassroots charitable giving. Joe Flynn, founder of a website called Fantasy Football for Good, told the Sun, philanthropy is a growing trend in fantasy football. “There are leagues and all sorts of different ways people have been blending philanthropy with fantasy football,” Mr. Flynn said. “There are a lot of people doing really cool stuff with fantasy football.”Recently, however, that movement faced a jarring shock.ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller made headlines after a severe automobile accident on June 17 in Jasper County, Missouri, which resulted in the amputation of his arm along with other life-threatening injuries. As news of the crash circulated online, a parallel narrative emerged. Dozens of fantasy managers took to social media and media outlets alleging that Mr. Miller had defrauded members of the charity fantasy leagues he organized.According to reports, Mr. Miller advertised leagues in which half of the proceeds were slated for charity and the other half was earmarked for the winner. Competitors alleged that Mr. Miller’s communication was minimal; payouts were delayed or withheld until threats of public exposure were made.Mr. Miller currently faces a misdemeanor traffic charge and is under investigation by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office into his league operations.For leaders within the charitable gaming movement, the fallout is concerning. Mr. Flynn is worried that sensationalized coverage of Mr. Miller could taint the charitable movement just as millions prepare their draft sheets for the upcoming NFL season.“People need to know it’s not just a bunch of scams out there,” Mr. Flynn to the Sun.A Grassroots ShiftDespite the headlines, those embedded in the industry insist that the scandal represents an isolated breach of trust rather than a systemic flaw. Philanthropy in fantasy football has evolved from a niche novelty into a widespread cultural norm, raising millions of dollars annually for causes ranging from holiday drives to disaster relief.There are many ways a fantasy league can add a charitable component. Instead of paying an entry fee directly to a commissioner or platform, managers can pay their buy-in as a direct, tax-deductible donation to a designated 501(c)(3) non-profit.A league can also designate a certain percentage of funds generated to a single cause or multiple charities, or a manager can select a designated charity of his or her choice before the draft and every week, matchup losers pay a small donation to the winner’s designated cause. Charitable contributions can also be based on each touchdown, sack, interception, and yardage milestones.Scott Fish, who operates Fantasy Cares and the Scott Fish Bowl, is among the pioneers who incorporate charitable giving into fantasy leagues. “It’s just incredible what’s become with the fantasy industry and charity,” Mr. Fish told Fantasy Football Unlimited. “I remember a time where it just really didn’t exist. It just wasn’t a thing.”Mr. Fish began his personal campaign years ago by going on social media and suggesting each league designate one entry fee to charity. His pitch was, “You’re not going to miss it, and with 100,000 leagues we could do a lot of good.”“Now it’s just universally considered a good idea,” he said. “I’m very happy this is actually a thing now.”There is no way to determine how much money has been raised through donations from fantasy football across the country through the years. But Mr. Fish, who began playing fantasy football in 1992, has operated leagues where up to $10,000 has gone to charitable causes. He was named Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2019 for his “efforts raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity and for pushing the mindset in the community that if we each give a little bit with our hobby, we can do a lot of good.”Fantasy Cares, a non-profit operated by Mr. Fish, contributes to a number of charities with the majority of funds going to Toys for Tots to purchase today for kids at Christmas. The organization also supports dog rescues, hurricane relief efforts, food shelves, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and others, according to its website.“It’s such an easy thing to do,” Mr. Fish said. “Charities have been down and it’s rough out there. Every penny really helps. Everybody likes doing good things. We’re all inherently good right? This brings us together for something common. There’s a little bit of community to it in that ‘our league did this.’Knowing the Human Under the HelmetMr. Flynn’s website, Fantasy Football for Good, is a unique research tool for those wanting to learn what charitable endeavors many of the NFL players support. Thumbnails of about 100 players details their off-the-field impact and the causes they support.Click on Christian McCaffrey, running back for the San Francisco 49ers, and there is a brief description of his foundation and his mission, along with him partnering with the Logan Project to provide gaming kiosks to children undergoing medical treatment, as well as paying holiday expenses for 363 military families.Click on Saquon Barkley, running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, and there is a link to his foundation dedicated to “empowering underserved youth and families through education, stable housing, and holistic health initiatives.” He’s also raised more than $7 million as chairman of the Covenant House New Jersey “Sleep Out” campaign.Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb is an ambassador for “Elephant in the Room,” a nonprofit dedicated to destigmatizing mental health conversations, while Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza established the Mendoza Family Fund to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.“I try to tell stories about who these guys are off the field and what they’re doing with their personal charities,” Mr. Flynn told the Sun.A non-profit specialist, who works with high school and college sports teams on their fundraising, Mr. Flynn said his guide can be a pre-draft and post-draft resource. “I’m not naïve enough to think somebody’s going to change their first-round draft pick based on the charities they support,” he said. “But it lets you know more about the human under the helmet.”Part of the fun of adding a charitable element to a fantasy league, Mr. Flynn said, is the variety of formats. There is no limit to creativity. “I can see something where somebody pledges $1 per point scored by their first-round pick so you have a connection to his on-the-field success as well as a connection to his off-the-field success,” Mr. Flynn said. “Or maybe the winner who pledges the most gets a chance to meet the player. There are any number of scenarios where the fantasy team owner wins and the on-the-field player wins, too.”Protecting the Spirit of the GameEarly in his journey Mr. Flynn, who is based in Sacramento, set a Google alert to receive notifications about anything relating to the intersection of fantasy football and charity. Ever since the allegations against Mr. Miller broke, he said his inbox has been flooded with notifications.Mr. Miller’s troubles can serve as a cautionary reminder about accountability, but advocates remain confident that the broader fantasy community will not lose its appetite for doing good. At its core, fantasy football has always been about connection, and adding a charitable element can elevate the stakes.“Look, we’re competitors in these leagues,” Mr. Fish said. “Maybe it’s for money, maybe it’s for bragging rights. But at the end of the day, we are also about doing something good with it and being part of something bigger than yourself.”

Despite Matt Miller Scandal, Philanthropy Has Found a Home in Fantasy Football

Despite Matt Miller Scandal, Philanthropy Has Found a Home in Fantasy Football

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