On the introductory slide of our website's homepage, you'll find a short paragraph stating that this league began with just a few guys doing an online ESPN fantasy draft back in 2012. You may wonder, "How did that turn into this?" Just like we stated in that slide, not one of us could've ever envisioned this league growing into its present day form.
Over the years, we've seen numerous members come and go. Some have left because they couldn't attend our now-mandatory live draft events. Some have left because, maybe, they didn't really enjoy the sport as much as the rest of the league. And of course, some have left because they ended up being absolutely terrible at fantasy football and couldn't handle the heat in this metaphorical kitchen.
For the most part, though, we've kept the core of this league together for several years and have created an atmosphere where our members are chomping at the bit for the beginning of fantasy season each August. We've even generated a waiting list of sorts with people literally submitting membership applications for a chance to enter the league if and when a spot becomes available. So how did we transform from just another basic, online league to the brotherhood you see before you?
LIVE DRAFT
This step might be the biggest one you can take in growing your fantasy football league. I believe that, for some of us, the annual draft is the pinnacle of the fantasy season and is why we come back each year. It just means so much more than any money or bragging rights. Honestly, what good are bragging rights if you don't have the chance to flaunt your success in the face of your league mates? Our early live drafts took place in members' back yards. We'd discuss a menu and everyone would contribute to it. We've had burger and hot dog spreads, low country boil, taco bars, buckets of hot wings, and the list goes on.
We then incorporated draft parties at public venues, the first one being our local Hooters. (Your beloved COG Commish let another member and tequila shots take advantage of him that night, leading to the drafting of approximately 4 tight ends, thus the name of the fourth division in 2022.) Our next public draft was held at TopGolf in Alpharetta, GA. This was one of the best drafts we've ever had that generated more wild stories in one night than we have time to tell right now. Maybe we can write a post or two down the road to share some of those stories...
In 2020, the decision was made to further our horizons and get away for a weekend of tomfoolery each August. Not only is it a good reason to escape life for a couple of days, but allows us to truly cut loose, have a good time, and focus on league business without distraction. So now, a portion of our league dues each year go toward booking an AirBnB where we can make the most of our draft spectacular.
GROUPME
Something about the chat threads within fantasy apps on our mobile devices just doesn't work well with our group. The GroupMe app was introduced to our league several years ago and has been perfect for what we do - talk trash. During the season, GroupMe notifications are unlimited, 24/7. Topics range from real-life football, to fantasy football, to trade discussions among members, to intense trash talk, and even to making a wager or two on upcoming action. In the off-season, this chat remains alive with discussions based around other sports, family life, and current events outside of the sports arena. Even if GroupMe isn't the app for you or your league, find something that fits. Staying engaged with your league mates year-round is huge for the culture.
LEAGUE DUES
The COG's early years were free to play. Once we'd been together for a few seasons, the decision was made to put a little more than bragging rights on the line. The $20 buy-in was born. At the end of the season, the champion would pocket the majority of pot, leaving the runner-up with a small portion to console them for coming up just short of the goal. 2018 was the year we all pitched in approximately $75 per person to make our live draft at TopGolf possible, leaving nothing for a winner's pot. This was important because it marked the first time in league history that all members agreed the experience meant more than winning money at the end.
In 2019, we doubled the original buy-in for league members to $40, simply doubling the original figures we started with. At the 2020 draft in a North Georgia cabin, we all discussed and agreed upon the idea of annual league dues totaling $120 per member per year. Members have the whole year, from one August to the next, to pay their dues either in one lump sum or in smaller installments. Doing this gives everyone financial flexibility and also creates a healthy league fund that covers nearly 100% of the annual draft costs plus a decent cash prize for the winner and runner-up. Oddly enough, we've had more success with this model than we ever had with the $20 & $40 models before.
DISTRIBUTION OF POWER
It's not like the leaders of this league are managing anything too heavy. We aren't managing thousands of dollars or a small country. But we do care and try to take this league seriously as something we're all proud to be a part of. A huge key to helping us operate as flawlessly as we do is a distribution of power.
We've all heard or read of the horror stories where fantasy leagues have one person running the whole show. Something happens and said commissioner doesn't like how things turn out at the end of the season, so they basically steal the buy-in money from the league by not paying the deserving parties. Or maybe the commissioner uses their power to overturn a trade between other members just because they didn't agree with it. Or even stories of how a commissioner might not like the person atop the league standings as the playoffs creep closer, so they excommunicate that member from the league mid-season. Insane stories like this can be found all over fantasy Twitter and Reddit each football season and it's sad, really.
In 2018, we appointed a co-commissioner who could help keep things in order with checks and balances. This position grew even more important in 2020 when we voted in the larger league dues to be paid throughout the year. This co-commish then became a treasurer of sorts, opening a bank account in the league's name and regularly updating the league with account balances and activity. We've since also created an assistant treasurer position as just another layer of accountability around the league fund.
We believe in transparency within the league and strive to make every member's voice heard. Any time there is an idea regarding change or growth brought to the table, from any member, the idea gets discussed and voted upon by everyone. Simply put, majority rules. This goes for just about any league business, from the draft location and date, to league rules, even to what we want on the menu for the draft party. With just 12 members, it's not that hard to do and could save the league a lot of potential headache if and when any discrepancies or disagreements occur in the future.
CHAMPIONSHIP HARDWARE
Believe it or not, the Church of Gronk didn't have a championship trophy or ring until just before the 2021 season. As stated earlier, this league was simply an online league where most members never even met one another in the early years, so a trophy was never a thought. Once we started doing the live drafts, more focus went to the chance of winning a couple Benjamins and talking smack than anything. As things grew more serious with each new season and we began to realize we had a really solid group of guys that could be counted on to return every August, the idea of a physical representation of success just made more sense.
After seeing the episode of Shark Tank which hosted the founders of the company TrophySmack, I knew it was time. This company was born from the concept of fantasy sports awards of all kinds, and they've since blown up with quite the variety of different trophies for both winners and losers, including fully-customizable pieces to fit the needs of any league! So, we ordered a perennial trophy that beautifully displays the names of all past champions with plenty of room to commemorate our champions of the future.
I also felt it would be a great idea to create a custom championship ring each season so that these proud winners could hold onto a piece of their winning history forever. Again, compliments of the awesome folks over at TrophySmack.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA
As fantasy football continues to grow more and more as a whole, our congregation wants a seat on its hype train. With shows like The League on FX drawing more attention to the sport and increasing demand for fantasy content across all sports networks, we figure there must be an audience that will follow and enjoy the content we can provide. This league means a lot to each of us and we have so much fun with it, it just doesn't make sense to hide it from the fantasy football universe. Plus, it would be pretty cool to get noticed by the leaders of the fantasy industry and get our name out there with ESPN, NFL, Yahoo, or any other entity feeling propelled to give us our 15 seconds of fame...
Creating a website and social media pages for our league gives our members just one more thing to be proud of when they think of the Church of Gronk. It's also a cool, easy way for those on the outside to get a look at how we operate and what's going on in our league. Not everyone will log into the NFL fantasy app just to check our scores or standings, but almost everyone is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or a combination of the few. It's easy to find us and see what's up!
BUY-IN
Lastly, but most importantly, is buy-in. No, not the $120 we require each year to participate. But spiritual buy-in. Maybe that isn't the proper word to illustrate what we mean, but it feels right. A fantasy league is only as good as its members. This blog, this website, our social media pages, the trophies, etc. don't mean a thing if our members aren't bought in to what we're trying to do here. As the Commissioner, I'm blessed to have 11 other people who all enjoy and truly participate to the fullest of their abilities year in and year out. Each one of us believes in the collective and wants the same things - to be a part of this brotherhood, to have a great time, and if some weird fame is born of it, then that's pretty awesome too.
These are the things that come to mind when I'm asked "How do I make my league more like the Church of Gronk?" It's simple. Maybe not always easy, but simple. Determine the size of the league you want, and then work hard to find the right people to fill it. These people may not come from the places you'd think, and you may question them at first, but give them a chance. Once that's done, just simply care about it. That's all we do, and the sky's the limit.
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