Written by Jackson Saylor | Photo provided by Britton Kinser
Fantasy sports, particularly fantasy football, have been popular for a while, and the industry is still growing. Some leagues who participate face punishments that are often coined as “friendly” for the loser, and in the case of senior Jackson Montgomery, that included a full stomach after a six-hour stay at Waffle House.
“That’s the worst punishment I’ve ever had to do for fantasy football,” Montgomery said. “We made up a little deal about what would happen to the loser, and the deal was 12 hours in Waffle House, and a lot of leagues do that, but we did it for 12 hours and for every waffle the loser ate, is an hour less.”
Jackson ended up staying at Waffle House from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. after eating six waffles on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. While Jackson may not have had the time of his life at the restaurant, others enjoyed the penalty, including his roommate.
“I thought it was a pretty good idea,” junior Britton Kinser said. “I had never thought of it, and I thought it would be funny for the loser to sit in there, and I think that’d be a pretty good punishment.”
Another friend of Montgomery’s agreed and even mentioned other creative punishments for losers he knew about.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a punishment play out personally, and I think it’s a worthy penalty,” senior Jackson Newsom said. “I’ve heard of the Waffle House punishment before. I’ve also heard of other creative punishments for fantasy leagues, including having the loser take the ACT again or having everyone else pick out the loser’s outfit for the week.”
Montgomery’s league wasn’t the only one on campus.
“I would say that the majority of people that I know are affiliated with a fantasy league in some way, whether that’s with their club or with friends from back home,” Kinser said. “I would say that the male population at Harding is pretty into it, and I know a lot of teachers are really into it as well, so I would say it’s pretty popular.”
While the fantasy football season has ended with the conclusion of the NFL’s regular season, punishments may just be beginning.
