With the Los Angeles Dodgers closing in on a seventh consecutive National League West title and as the MLB postseason draws near, so too does the start of the NFL season. With that, fans have begun to draft their respective fantasy football league teams.
That extends to the Dodgers, who annually host their own draft. Player wives and girlfriends have also started their own tradition, which Kourtney Turner detailed during her appearance on “The Big Swing” podcast, co-hosted by Ross Stripling.
In addition to expanding into podcasting this year, Stripling is a defending champion with Clayton Kershaw in the Dodgers’ fantasy football league. Last year they snapped former general manager Farhan Zaidi’s streak of three consecutive championships, much to delight of not only Kershaw and Stripling, but the Dodgers clubhouse as a whole.
Now with the target on their back, Kershaw was happy to explain his role with the team is similar to Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“I guess the best way to hold onto the title is to have people do it for you. That’s why you have Strip and one of our old video guys who works in the front office now, John Pratt. You surround yourself with smart guys. I consider myself like the Stan Kasten of our fantasy team. Andrew (Friedman), (Alex) Slater and all those guys are Strip and Pratt. That’s how we do it.”
Kershaw additionally drew a parallel between himself and an angel investor. He admitted on a personal level he isn’t the most well-versed in the NFL and fantasy football, but the triumvirate as a whole is arguably the best prepared.
Based on @alannarizzo’s pregame interviews tonight, Walker Buehler is commissioner of the #Dodgers’ fantasy football league this year. Also, Chris Taylor wears Flacco’s jersey but doesn’t participate. https://t.co/yM9WpT2usm
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) August 30, 2019
Walker Buehler is responsible for serving as acting commissioner this year, which Kershaw noted includes the responsibility of collecting the steep buy-in from all participants.
That price keeps Chris Taylor away, though he again played the part by wearing a Joe Flacco jersey for the Dodgers’ flight to Arizona. Corey Seager showed support for his hometown Carolina Panthers team, and Joe Kelly donned Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield’s jersey.
The Dodgers held their draft after Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
