What's playing fantasy sports have to do with information literacy?

 In the past few years, a few academic libraries have adopted the philosophy of "if you can't beat them, join them" regarding fantasy football. Since students invariably use some computer time to check their team status, why not use the opportunity as a teachable moment to pass along some core information literacy skills?

"Fantasy sports players apply information literacy skills when playing. The goal of fantasy football is to create a roster each week in pursuit of the greatest statistical production so that when you compete head-to head against another participant, your team will produce a win. All of this requires players to practice strong research, critical thinking, and communication skills in order to succeed."                                                                                                                                                   (Paul Waelchli, University of Dubuque Fantasy Football Information Literacy Project, 2007)

nIt's commonly accepted lore among sports geeks that the fantasy sports phenomenon traces its roots to 1980, when a group of New York baseball fans gathered at La Rotisserie Francaise restaurant and started the first known fantasy baseball league, then known as Rotisserie baseball. nIt turns out the roots go deeper than that. According to a Knight Ridder story and confirmed by research by the Fantasy Football Pro Forecast, every armchair quarterback's obsession started nearly 20 years earlier on the opposite coast. The Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League was formed in 1963 by Bill Wickenbach, a Bay Area businessman with financial ties to the Raiders. The league had eight owners, including former Packers general manager Ron Wolf. ("Extra Points: [Final Edition]." The Washington Post. 14 Sept 2003, E.10. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest.)