The History of Fantasy Sports: And the Stories of the People Who Made It Happen Paperback – May 4, 2024

Fantasy sports are everywhere—over 50 million Americans play fantasy football, baseball, basketball, and beyond, while 200 million fans in India fuel fantasy cricket. What started as quirky backyard games exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry... but the full story has never been told—until now.In this first-ever complete history, Amazon bestselling author Larry Schechter (Winning Fantasy Baseball) reveals the wild, inspiring, and hilarious true tales behind it all. After 18 months of exclusive interviews with pioneers and entrepreneurs, you'll uncover:• The real origin of fantasy baseball by Dan Okrent (no, not on an airplane)• How a World War II hero spread fantasy football across the country• Five nuns in a Chicago convent co-managing a fantasy football team• A dedicated player with ALS finally winning his league after 39 years• The surprising role Monica Lewinsky played in saving fantasy sports• And dozens more stories of obsession, innovation, and underdog successThis isn't a dry textbook—it's an entertaining, page-turning celebration of passion turning into empire. Praised as “simply fascinating from start to finish” by Midwest Book Review and lauded by industry leaders for its depth and storytelling.If you live for drafts, trades, and championships—or love great business underdog stories—dive into the hidden history that shaped your favorite obsession.Reviews:“Simply fascinating read from start to finish.” — MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW“Despite spending my entire career in the industry, I was enlightened by all the interviews and countless stories throughout the book.” — PAUL CHARCHIAN, President of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, 2009-2020“Unlike most sports history books, this is fun to read.” — MARK STEVENSON, Book Reviewer“What sets this book apart is its ability to bridge the gap between historical data and the human elements of the fantasy sports community. This is a must-read." — MARK MARIANI, CBS Sports and Turner Sports“This is the definitive history of fantasy sports. Schechter brings remarkable detail to the then-and-now dynamic of fantasy, from the bootstrapped early years to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today.” — JOE LEMIRE, Sports Business Journal“Larry regales us with colorful accounts, many of them direct from the source. This is a must-read for any passionate fantasy sports fan.” — TRISTAN COCKCROFT, ESPN.com Senior Fantasy Sports Writer“The History of Fantasy Sports is a fun look back at how fantasy sports has grown from its infancy into the absolute monster that it is today.” — MICHAEL FABIANO, Senior Fantasy Analyst for Sports Illustrated“Larry craftily guides readers through fantasy’s ascension in vivid detail.” — BRAD EVANS, long time Yahoo senior fantasy writerContentsPreface1. In the Beginning2. The Origins of Fantasy Baseball3. The Origins of Fantasy Football4. The First Commercial Games5. Newspaper Games6. CDM Sports and the Landmark Legal Case7. First Fantasy Sports Publications8. First Fantasy Sports Books9. Advanced Metrics10. Commissioner Services11. Fantasy Radio and TV Shows12. News Services13. First Football Websites14. High-Stakes Games15. Major Media Companies16. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association17. Legal Battles and Legislation18. Injury Experts19. Innovative Entrepreneurs20. Experts Leagues21. Daily Fantasy Sports22. Fantasy Sports WorldwideEpilogueBibliography Read more