TAMPA, Fla — This is the BFFL (Best Friends For Life). It's a fantasy football league that’s all about tradition.
“We started off as a fantasy football league. But now really the family, the fun, everything else,” said co-founder Christopher Hatton.
It started with eight members when Hatton was at Georgia Tech. Now, 34 years later, there are more than 20 people in the league.
Husbands, wives, daughters, and sons. Most are in Tampa. A few are out of state, but they all get together yearly for the draft.
“We call it really a family reunion. We gather in Tampa, Atlanta, and Clemson. We rotate every three years,” Hatton said.
They have a kids league, too.
Eventually, they grow up and go head to head against dad.
“It’s the only game of the year I really don’t look forward to. I enjoy beating everybody else. But when I play him (his son) it’s like I really don’t care if I win or lose,” said John Terry.
In this league, they don’t play for money, just pride and the hardware.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is this is named after my dad. The Lon Hatton Memorial Trophy. My dad really gave me the passion to be a huge Bucs fan,” said Hatton.
Everything is computerized these days.
But in the beginning, Christopher did it all by hand.
“The owners would call into an answering machine. They’d list the players. I would write them down. Get the newspaper. Then hand write each of the scores,” Hatton said.
THE BFFL has lost some friends along the way but the league is still going strong.
“We really are best friends for life. It’s been an amazing 34 years and it’s probably going to be another 30, 40, 50 years. Then they’ll have to do something with all us OG’s as they start the rest of the kids,” said Hatton.
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