A fantasy football league is turning the traditional format on its head with a punishment-only structure that leaves the winner empty-handed while everyone else faces increasingly absurd consequences.
From a night in a haunted clown motel to surviving a night in Las Vegas with only $20 to your name, there is no shortage of unique fantasy football punishments out there. But this league certainly adds an interesting twist to a popular pastime.
No Prize For First Place
In a viral video with more than 437,000 views, Robert Baricev (@knot.rob) breaks down the rules of what he calls “the most pointless fantasy football league on the planet.”
The twist? The winner doesn’t get a prize.
“The winner gets absolutely nothing. Nothing. There is no monetary value. We are strictly doing it for the love of the game,” Baricev says.
Instead, every other placement after the first comes with its own unique punishment, ranging from mildly inconvenient to what Baricev describes as “absolutely diabolical.” The caption on his video shows he’s currently sitting in fourth place.
The Punishments In Order:
Second place has to camp outside the winner’s house from Thursday to Sunday. That’s a full four days of outdoor living on someone else’s property.
Third place faces what might be one of the most physically demanding punishments: spending 12 hours inside the Flora-Bama in a ski suit. The Flora-Bama is a famous beach bar on the Florida-Alabama border known for its party atmosphere. Baricev notes there’s been debate about what time of year this has to be done but says if he gets third place, he’s doing it as soon as the season ends. “I’m not waiting till July,” he says, likely referring to the unbearable heat of wearing a full ski suit in a crowded bar during summer.
Fourth place (Baricev’s current position) has to drum on buckets outside Pat O’Brien’s in the New Orleans French Quarter until they make $50. Pat O’Brien’s is a legendary bar in the heart of the tourist district, meaning the fourth-place finisher will be performing street percussion until tourists throw enough money their way.
Fifth place has to audition for the lead role in a local play. “So for Mobile, where a lot of these guys are, it’s Peter Pan,” Baricev explains. “I’m in New Orleans. I have no idea what our local play is, but I’m hoping I don’t get fifth.”
Sixth and seventh place come as a package deal. Both players have to fly out to see a WNBA game and then immediately fly back. The catch? The seventh-place player has to do the entire trip sober, while the sixth-place player presumably gets to enjoy some drinks.
Eighth place might have the most logistically complicated punishment. The last-place finisher has to apply for, get hired, and complete one shift at a local Burger King. If the Burger King they apply to doesn’t accept their application, they have to move on to the next one. “And if you run out of Burger Kings in your city, well, on to the next. You better commute,” Baricev warns.
The Rise Of Fantasy Football Culture
Baricev’s punishment-only league is part of a broader fantasy football culture that has exploded into an $11 billion business.
According to USA Today, 29.2 million people in the United States played fantasy football as of 2023, making it a strong contender for the national pastime alongside the NFL itself.
One of the primary draws is the camaraderie that comes with being in a league.
“Long before Facebook or even Myspace and Friendster, fantasy sports was the first online social network,” NBC Sports analyst Matthew Berry told USA Today. “It’s an excuse to get together. It’s a way to engage.”
The punishment league format that Baricev describes takes this social element to an extreme. Rather than competing for money or glory, players are bonded by the shared threat of increasingly absurd consequences.
It’s fantasy football stripped down to its purest form, competition for competition’s sake, with just enough stakes to keep everyone engaged.
USA Today notes that fantasy football has become more mainstream in recent years, with dedicated shows on ESPN, NFL Network, and Peacock, plus an entire SiriusXM channel devoted to the game. The industry has also grown more inclusive, with women now representing approximately 38%.
“It’s really fun to play. It’s easy to understand,” Berry said.
He continued, “It’s hard to master. But the barrier to entry is not tough. Anytime you have a game that can be played by people from eight to 80, you’re onto something.”
Commenters React
Some commenters took issue with Baricev’s league considering a WNBA game a punishment and sounded off in the comments section.
“L for 6th and 7th. Just sexism there,” a top comment read.
“Christ the sexism is so deeply ingrained in our society because seeing a wnba game is such a punishment,” another wrote.
@knot.rob rocking 4th place in the most pointless fantasy football league on the planet. enjoy. #fantasyfootball #funny #prank #impracticaljokers #fyp
BroBible reached out to Baricev for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if he responds.