Today is all about Matthew Berry. I’ve never met Matthew, and it might be a strange thing to say about a fantasy football writer and a person I’ve never met, but he is not only one of my most cherished writers but also one of my favorite people. The guy is simply magic.
His job is to write about fantasy sports. I initially followed him because I have a couple of fantasy football teams and I find his insights smart and timely. That’s not what I really admire though. Nor am I breathless over his background as a Hollywood writer. And I’m not someone who gushes about celebrities who appear on TV either (he has a TV gig on ESPN). What’s amazing is that the man has parlayed a fantasy football gig into an opportunity to touch people in a very real and genuine way, each and every week. His weekly love/hate column, which details the players he loves or hates in that particular week’s games, usually leads off with a personal story. Some are more powerful than others, but every week I find myself waiting for Wednesday afternoon when I can read the love/hate column, not for the football insights but for the personal lead-off. He has written about sportsmanship, childhood memories, his dad, and his personal good fortune among other subjects, but my all-time favorite can be found here. Called “More Love than Hate” and written last season, it details how Matthew met, fell in love with, and eventually married his wife. It’s funny, it’s touching and yes, even poignant. Well over a year later the football advice is obsolete, but as I struggle in my search for an enduring relationship, I read that column every now and again to rekindle hope. And rekindle it does. Not bad for a weekly tout sheet.
This week was no different as he put out another gem (which prompted this post). Comparing Springsteen’s “Tunnel of Love” to managing a fantasy football team would seem to be a stretch, if not outright sacriligious, but the man was able to at once recognize the brilliance of Springsteen’s treatise on the complexity of love, while somehow credibly linking the song to late-season fantasy team management. You can read it here.
He is wrong this week about about one thing though. He notes in this week’s column that, in comparing himself to Springsteen and “Tunnel of Love”, “(i)t is awe-inspiring, humbling and, to be honest, a little depressing knowing that I will never write something that good.” Maybe not every week, Matthew. But most weeks you’re pretty good, and some weeks you can absolutely hang with the Boss.
Looking forward to next week.
ottomyhead 
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