From the Bureau of Made-Up Statistics: Fantasy Football to cost employers $9.2 Billion this fall.

In grad school, I had classes in Statistics, Data Analysis, and Research Methodology. The study below is a classic example of bad research. (Emphasis mine)

“CHICAGO, Aug. 18 (UPI) — Fantasy football will cost U.S. employers $9.2 billion in lost work time this season, a private research group said. (Big scary conclusion to get you reading)

Business researchers Challenger, Gray & Christmas said Monday the 17-week National Football League schedule will subtract 1.19 hours of productivity per week from about 17 million Americans who participate.

Using salaries information supplied by the Fantasy Sports Association, the average fantasy footballer earns $80,000 per year with 70 percent of the participants earning between $50,000 and $149,000. (Faulty data source as well as totally exaggerated income statistics. Do you really think 7 out of 10 fantasy football players earn between $50 and 150k/yr? Maybe I only know poor people…)

That amounts to an average loss of $45.22 per week per player, Challenger, Gray & Christmas said. (This figure is accurate, given their faulty source data)

“Most employers understand that not every minute of the day is dedicated to work. In fact, in today’s 24-7 global economy, it is likely that work bleeds into our personal lives,” said Chief Executive Officer John Challenger.

Clearly, 17 million workers sacked is unlikely, but Challenger advocated for leaving well enough alone.

“Managers should only crack down on those whose work is clearly suffering from the added distraction. An across-the-board ban on all fantasy football or sports Web sites could backfire in the form of reduced morale and loyalty,” he said. (Ok, this part they got right. Increased productivity would likely hurt my fantasy team and then I’d be in a pissy mood even more often and might take 2 donuts from the breakroom on Fridays instead of 1, and then everyone would be annoyed. Like I need an extra donut….but damn I love fantasy football. If only I wasn’t terrible at it. Did I mention I love donuts?) From UPI

Now, to bolster your shot at winning this year, make sure to have a guy like the one in the video on your team. Championship!

Tags: betting, ESPN, fantasy football, gambling, national football league, NFL, office pool, Sports, wagers, workplace productivity