Viva Murillo!

Suppose I told you that "mixing pints with picks is not recommended." Suppose I continued by stating that "alcohol impairs judgment and leads to poor decisions," and "distractions at the draft can lead to poor decisions." What would you say?

I know what you'd say: There he goes again. Every year, Murillo writes some stupid column about not drinking and drafting. He just doesn't get it. Drinking is a part of drafting. It's what makes the event fun. He must be a real bore at his drafts, sucking all the fun out of it while his buddies suck down some cold ones. He doesn't understand that some people draft better when they drink. I know plenty of guys who got hammered and ended up winning the league. If you can remember the entire draft, you did it wrong. What's this guy's problem?

At least, that's what some would say, judging from selected feedback I get from those columns. Of course, others write to say they agree completely, but I kind of enjoy the negative feedback as well. People are very passionate about their positions, and I respect that. And after all, who am I anyway? I'm certainly no expert.

But see, here's the thing: Those quotes you read above? I didn't write them. They were written by fantasy football experts-- in fact, they're some of the guys who provide their feedback in our "Ask the Experts" column each week. They own websites, they've written books and they advise their visitors on how to win championships.

I asked for some feedback regarding drinking and drafting and received a few interesting responses. I won't reveal who said what, because I wouldn't want anyone to hold these views "against" them. After all, if these guys are known to make their selections and predictions with a clear head and no impairment to their reasoning skill, how can you trust what they say? Wouldn't it be better if they gave their advice after getting wasted?

But seriously, these guys are industry experts. So instead of just giving you my opinions this year, I'm giving you theirs.

"Anyone who ever went to bed with Meg Ryan and woke up with Buddy Ryan will tell you that you don't have the best selection skills while intoxicated. This applies to fantasy football too," wrote one expert. He advises you to let your fellow owners make alcohol-inspired picks while you keep a clear head. Another expert takes his fantasy football seriously and doesn't think drinking plays a role in what he does for a living. "This is the business we have chosen," he wrote, "and when doing business, drinking is OUT in my opinion." Now, you could argue that since you don't play fantasy football for a living, that advice shouldn't apply to you. But in that case, you have to acknowledge that you don't take your leagues as seriously as he takes his. Maybe winning isn't that big of a deal. Maybe the league is a casual way for friends to keep in touch. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But if you have a league you do take very seriously, it might pay (literally) to treat it the way these guys treat their careers.

To be fair, not all experts said the exact same things. One stressed that, in moderation, drinking is okay. "If it's a couple beers and it's not impairing your decision-making, then I don't think there is anything wrong with it," he said. And that's fair-- if it's not impairing your decision-making, like he said. I choose not to drink on draft day, but an owner who drinks a small amount and stays in complete control should be fine as well.

But please note that none of the experts said that getting drunk was a good idea, and none of them implied that you'll ever draft better drunk than you will sober. These guys are very serious about winning, and their business depends on finding and keeping competitive advantages. So if you don't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to them.

Nobody is telling you what to do, of course. But I'd like everyone reading these columns to have a successful season, win leagues and make money. Really. So I'm giving you what I honestly believe is advice that will help you select better players and claim an advantage over several league members. And, apparently, there are experts who feel the same way.

You can reach Michael Murillo at vivamurillo@gmail.com.

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