A couple of unrelated things happened recently that made me think a little deeper about football and fantasy football. Like many things, it's probably a fleeting sentiment. But this seems like a good time of year to give it some real thought.

Former wide receiver Terry Glenn died in a motor vehicle accident on Nov. 20. I'm not a fan of any of his professional teams, nor Ohio State. I knew of Glenn because of fantasy football. He was also the guy Bill Parcells famously called "she." But Glenn was a guy I drafted, discussed, praised when his receptions helped me and probably cursed when his points helped beat my fantasy team. Then he was gone, and I hadn't thought about him in years.

Also, in a moment of boredom and nostalgia last week, I popped in an old football video game. Madden 12 plays pretty much the same as the most recent one, but the rosters are like time capsules to a prehistoric era. Of the 23 quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks and wide receivers on Washington's Madden roster, just three are still in the league: Two tight ends and a receiver. Only one (Niles Paul) is still with the team. Another hasn't started any games or logged any receptions this season.

This game isn't from some bygone era with leather helmets. It was just a few years ago. All the teams in the game have rosters like that. I remember drafting and starting some of those guys, and I haven't thought about them in years, either. They just fell off the radar. They still have families, other careers, different lives. Some, like Glenn, have passed away. Others are undoubtedly feeling the effects of their football days. But once they weren't fantasy relevant, and the following year's video game came out, it was like they were never here.

So what does any of this mean? NFL careers are short. Life is short. We think about the players, their ACLs, their knees and their concussions. We want them to play. Then we want them to step aside and make room for the younger guy. One year we think about them regularly for several months, and the next year they're gone. And a few years later, we might hear that they passed away. Or we might not, depending on how popular they were on the field. A lot of people became web-based legal experts waiting for Ezekiel Elliott's suspension to finally take hold. A few years from now they might forget him entirely. Players are a big focus one day, and out of the league the next. That's the nature of professional football.

Two other things are happening around the same time, and they're also unrelated. Thanksgiving is this week, and your fantasy team might be in a must-win situation to keep your playoff hopes alive. You might be tempted to stay glued to the television, tracking your players and your opponent's players in real time. And your mood might be affected based on how they perform. A family holiday could be dominated by football. After all, our fantasy fortunes might depend on it.

I'd like to encourage you to take a break from the screens (yes, that includes your phone) and spend quality time with friends and family. Watching games is part of Thanksgiving tradition, of course. But don't let it dominate your day. Don't worry about whether your team goes down in flames, or if you live to fight another week. Don't be the guy who parks in front of the television and doesn't talk or move until it's time to eat.

Besides, the family members you ignore while you obsess over stats might not be around next year. People move, they alternate holidays with in-laws, and their lives get busy. They also die, and you might not see them again. And it's not just the elderly members of your family, either. Terry Glenn was 43.

I'm not trying to get too philosophical, but I've caught myself ignoring family for football. And this year I'm on the post-season bubble with teams who have several players starting on Thanksgiving. It would be really easy to focus on the games. It might even seem fun at the time. But I'm not going to make it a priority. I'll watch some of them, but I'll mostly focus on other things and other people. It might seem a little strange at first, but I'm sure I won't regret it.

Everyone reading this column has reasons to be thankful this year. I'm not saying it was all wonderful. A lot of it might have been truly terrible. Real life isn't like the sanitized images we show on social media. But there are good things, too, and positive people in your lives. If you get to see some of them on Thanksgiving, make the most of it.

Let football be a part of Thanksgiving, but don't make Thanksgiving all about football. Good luck this week.

Did you know that Glenn caught Tom Brady's first NFL touchdown pass? See it and other highlights here

Are you thankful for anything specific this year? Share your thoughts below.