This year’s number one Fantasy Football pick gets it: he is an entertainer, a stats generator, a commodity. But does Arian Foster enjoy being treated like your employee? Get real.
In ESPN The Magazine’s 2012 Fantasy Football Issue, on newsstands Friday, July 27, writer Janet Reitman explores the psyche of the Houston Texans running back prodigy to discover why Foster is so averse to the make-believe game we love. But whether he’s hating on Fantasy via Twitter, praising the virtues of his newly adopted vegan diet or conducting an independent study of quantum physics, one thing’s for certain: Foster is always real, and he wants fans to know it.
Go to outtakes from Foster’s cover shoot http://es.pn/Mm3LaV and http://es.pn/Q4kKiq for video.
The 2012 Fantasy Issue also boasts a diverse lineup of deep-dive features on everything you’ll need to draft smart:
101 things to know before you draft
The Mag’s guide to looking through the statistical barrage to figure out whom you can trust, whom you can’t, and whom you really want, with breakdowns of the best at each position. By Matthew Berry
Victor Cruz’ fantasy life
Before last year, hardly anyone but Giants fans knew who Victor Cruz was. Since then: Salsa, Super Bowl, President, Grammys, Letterman and more. Where is he headed next, and who are the wide receivers primed for Cruz-like breakouts this season? By Allison Glock, sidebar by Christopher Harris
Fantasy cheat sheet
The only draft order guidelines you need this year.
The world’s oldest fantasy football owner
Forty-nine years ago, Andy Mousalimas made George Blanda the first pick in fantasy football history. With that first mistake, the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPPL) forever changes how American watch the game. In honor of his 50th fantasy season, we’re sharing Andy’s story. By Morty Ain
Additional Fantasy Football Issue Highlights:
- “10,000 meters”: The Olympics are just days away, and this year’s 10,000-meter final is likely to pit Mo Farah, the world’s best, against Galen Rupp, the best American runner in decades. And the two train with the same man, Alberto Salazar, in top-secret at the Rocky Mountains.
- “PGA Championship Preview”: Designer Pete Dye talks to The Mag about the miserably difficult final two holes of the ocean course at Kiawah Island, the host of the PGA Championship.
- “What Makes a Woman”: A look at the gender testing debate, which has become only foggier after the IOC’s new rules. Some people have more testosterone, some less, and breaking down athletes’ genetic makeup is nearly impossible. Case in point: Indian runner Santhi Soundarajan, who was stripped of an Asian Games silver medal because of androgen insensitivity syndrome.
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Media Contact: Carrie Kreiswirth at (860) 766-6042 or carrie.b.kreiswirth@espn.com
