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We had so many uploads of our first podcast (thanks Mom!) that we thought it made sense to do another one at the midway point of the Olympics.  Bryan Clark and Jeremy Bridgman recorded this on Sunday, and we'll probably be back with another installment after the Games conclude.  Enjoy!

Fantasy Olympian Podcast No. 2

We are thrilled with the number of individuals and leagues that have signed up - your interest and enthusiasm has been overwhelming! But it looks like only about a third of the leagues have completed their drafts and entered results. We know some of you are holding draft parties tonight during the Opening Ceremonies, but this is a friendly reminder that draft results MUST be entered on the site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern tomorrow (2/8). At that time, we will be turning off the ability to create leagues, create teams, and complete drafts.  So get your results in as soon as possible so you can be part of the fun!

Otherwise, we are continuing to troubleshoot and work through any issues as quickly as possible while juggling jobs, families, etc., so we appreciate your continued patience.

As interest in the site continues to grow, we are pleased to introduce the Fantasy Olympian Podcast!  In the innaugural episode, Bryan Clark and Jeremy Bridgman discuss the history of Fantasy Olympian, offer some draft tips, dig deeper into Team USA, and analyze some of the top picks on their draft boards.  Enjoy!

Fantasy Olympian Podcast No. 1

We have had a lot of questions about how exactly to play the Fantasy Olympian game on the new site, so here is a step-by-step guide to Fantasy Olympian 2014.

Step 1: Register for the site.  In order to participate in our game this year, you'll have to be a registered user.  We'll only use your e-mail address for registration purposes and to contact you about the game.  For more detailed information about how your information will be used, check out our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Step2: Create or join a league.  If you have been invited to join a league, all you have to do is create your team.  If you will be the commissioner of a new league, just create the league and send out invites to the rest of your league.

Step 3: Set a draft order.  Once everyone has registered for your league (but not before!), the commissioner should click on the "Draft Order" button.  The commissioner will then have the opportunity to generate a...

Welcome everyone to Fantasy Olympian 2014!  If you are new, we are glad you found us -- we've been doing this since 2006 and we have gotten bigger every Olympic cycle.  If you are returning, welcome back! It's always great to see the same folks returning every couple years.  But if you are a returning player, you have no doubt noticed some changes.  We are fortunate that veteran Fantasy Olympians and computer programmers Steve Hammond and Nat Budin took such an interest in this project that they spent quite a bit of their free time building this new site.  Thank you Steve and Nat! 
 
For the new and old alike, here's a look at how the game will work this year:
 
1.  Registering with the site
 
Unlike in the past, you now need to register with FantasyOlympian.com.  As we have spelled out in greater detail in our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, we will not use your information for any purpose other than to administer...

Let's start with this -- I'm not anti-NBC, anti-media, or anti-Bob Costas. I know a lot of people like to take shots at the flowery puff pieces and the overall presentation, but I really don't mind that stuff. I actually kind of like learning a bit about the athletes. But at this Olympics, NBC had made so many bad strategic decisions that they are making Chik-Fil-A's marketing guy look like Don Draper. We've only had three days of action, and already FIVE major blunders. 

5. Refusing to show the Opening Ceremonies live:  Americans couldn't even watch the Opening Ceremonies online. The Opening Ceremonies are supposed to be a worldwide showing of unity and a global celebration of sports. But the residents of one of the foremost Olympic nations can't watch live? Are we in North Korea?
 
4. "Live" streaming of marquis events: Judging from Twitter and Facebook, I'm not alone here. Thousands of Americans have...

Over the next couple weeks, in addition to other Olympics content, we'll be posting a series of columns from our co-founders about why we love the Olympics. In the wake of Missy Franklin's gutsy performance, Dustin weighs in.

It was late last night and my family had gone to bed. The only light in the family room was the glowing flash and flicker from the TV across from where I sat sprawled out in the sofa chair. We had just returned from a weekend trip to New York and the car ride had delivered my body the dull throbbing ache that I can only presume one would get from a flight to say – New Zealand. My eyes were heavy as I wound down to the sound of Bob Costas sending the Olympic coverage out to the pool for some highly anticipated swimming races.

I listened as they profiled the story of the young, yet very focused and mature, Missy Franklin. This American swimmer, who has grown up idolizing U.S. Olympic great Natalie Coughlin for her success in the 100m backstroke...

Over the next couple weeks, in addition to other Olympics content, we'll be posting a series of columns from our co-founders about why we love the Olympics. At the start of the Games, Jeremy weighs in.
 
Every two years, the Olympics become a grindstone for anyone with an axe that needs to be sharpened. The IOC is awful, the games are corrupt, the athletes are on something (even if it’s a misunderstanding), fear of terrorism! But that’s not why we watch the Games.
 
We watch because the Olympics are amazing.
 
One of my fellow co-founders introduced some great points, but I’m going to get personal.
 
I watch because young people from around the world have dedicated their entire life to being the best. Take a look at our events list. Aside from basketball and an increasing number of soccer fans, there is no mass perennial interest in fencing or ping pong or trampoline. But, for a few weeks, the Olympics is THE MOST IMPORTANT competition in...

Over the next couple weeks, in addition to other Olympics content, we'll be posting a series of columns from our co-founders about why we love the Olympics. As the Games continue, Bryan weighs in.

Why do we watch the Games? It seems like an easy answer.  For moments like this.  And this. And definitely this.

But the bigger question to me is why the Olympics matter so much to me.  Perhaps that last clip is a good starting place.  As a child of the ‘80s, I grew up at the tail end of an era in which the Olympics were about more than just the games.  The first Olympics in my lifetime was the 1984 Games boycotted by the Soviet Union.  In those days, it wasn’t just about winning medals – it was about showing the superiority of our country and our way of life.  In short, it was a more fun, safer proxy for the Cold War.  And the best part: America was winning.  A bit before my time, we had the Miracle on Ice.  In 1984,...

Over the next couple weeks, in addition to other Olympics content, we'll be posting a series of columns from our co-founders about why we love the Olympics.  On the eve of the Games, Lee weighs in.

As the opening ceremony approaches and Fantasy Olympian’s accounting department (or more specifically, a guy who just got his kids to bed) works diligently to upload the numerous draft results that we have received, we continue to be amazed by the interest we get every other year for this fantasy game. Amazed, but not surprised, because we share the same enthusiasm for the Olympics as all of those who have joined us; those who have recruited friends, possibly spent time researching some obscure athletes, and sent an e-mail to our budget website – it is, after all, our shared passion for the Olympics that prompted us to organize the first Fantasy Olympian game several years ago. As Deadspin.com famously wrote about our game: “These guys probably like the Olympics...