Steem can be used to fund fantasy leagues
I have been trying to get a fantasy hockey league started over the past couple days. I'm pretty confident that we'll end up with a good group, though we still need people. Send me an email to play, either in the comments here or on RocketChat.
For reference, see my prior posts:
Let's Play Fantasy Hockey!
Space Still Available For Steemit Fantasy Hockey
Fantasy sports are a lot more enjoyable when you have something at stake. It's a lot of fun to play for PRIZES! It gives everybody a reason to keep up with it. But, of course, buying in is a barrier to entry. It may be determining factor in whether there is enough support to form a league.
I think Steem is a natural solution to the problem. Interacting with Steemit over the course of the season can generate significant prize pools.
Update posts were my first instinct... Weekly reports showing how each team did, highlighting the best results, and looking forward to the coming weeks. Through the upvotes they would receive, we could steadily build the pot over the course of the season. Even the modest growth from relatively low earning posts would add up over time.
But mixing in some other approaches might be even more effective.
I've been incredibly inspired by @steemsports and their innovative use of the platform as a predictions market. Once the season gets going, I plan on presenting some NHL games with them. The presenter's share of the proceeds could be allocated to the league prize pool. I spoke to @thecryptodrive about the possibility, and he thinks it's a great idea!
We could even bet on the outcomes of league matches, in order to generate liquid rewards while steadily building the end of season awards. Using a model similar to the one that @steemsports has implemented would allow for the participation of users who were not managing teams themselves.
Initially, I had intended to award only the top 3 finishers with a Steem based prize. And I still think there should be big prizes for the top 3. But I think we can do better. I think we can and should reward everyone involved in the league for their participation.
It's the Steem way!
There are so many possibilities with this platform. We know that "blogging" will not be the final use case for Steem. It will unfold in a variety of directions, providing value for whatever activity we decide is worth our time and attention.
I feel so lucky to be in the position to watch this all unfold and flourish. This is truly an amazing phenomenon!