Late-Round Perspectives: Matthew Berry

**JJ Zachariason** (0:00)
Matthew Berry is the founder of Fantasy Life, who hosts the Fantasy Football Happy Hour. He recently spent time with NBC Sports, and he spent 15 years at ESPN, helping turn the game of Fantasy Football into the monster that it is today. He's a writer, a dad, and he once played a very important role in Avengers Endgame. These are his late-round perspectives.
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We did Jeff Ma and Rufus Peabody's podcast yesterday, and they said that Jeff My wife told- me that he had asked you and that you were busy, and so I was number two, which is fine. But I, which of course, you know, you're getting Matthew Berry, you're getting Matthew Berry. But it reminded me, so you and I have known each other for a really long time now. And I mean, you knew me when I was in my like early 20s at this point, but.

**Matthew Berry** (1:34)
I knew you, or I was aware of you when you were literally just publishing like the late-round QB guide. Yeah, like I think on Twitter.
And then I think I met you when you started at Numberfire.

**JJ Zachariason** (1:47)
Yes.

**Matthew Berry** (1:47)
Like we went back and forth on Twitter. Like we argued about something. I forget what we, I forget what we argued about.

**JJ Zachariason** (1:53)
Yeah.

**Matthew Berry** (1:54)
But I know two things. I know two things. We went back and forth on Twitter a little bit. I was a little more fiery on Twitter back then.

**JJ Zachariason** (2:00)
I think we all were, were we not? Like this is what it was back then, right?

**Matthew Berry** (2:04)
But two things. I think number one is, is I think you were right. I'll just, I forget what the argument was, I'm pretty sure it was about late round quarterback value or something like that. I think you were right, by the way. You've definitely been proven right over the years. So number one is, you definitely were right in that argument. So I apologize for whatever dumb take I had back then. Like you sent me a really sweet DM, and we just started DMing back and forth or texting back and forth.
So I've known you for a very long time. Not as long, however, as I've known Jeff Ma. I've known Jeff Ma for over 20 years. Him and Rufus are brilliant. Well, he texted me and he's like, can you do my podcast? He texted me while I was on air doing my own show, doing Fantasy Football Happy Hour live at noon on YouTube. I'll plug that.
I'm a company man. When I got off it, I was just like, sorry, it's been a crazy day. Wouldn't you need me for an hour long? He's just like, we already replaced you. So I didn't know it was with you, but good choice.

**JJ Zachariason** (3:01)
It reminded me, because I haven't seen Rufus in particular. I know Rufus more than I had. I think I had a couple of meetings randomly with Jeff, and I was at Vandal and Numberfire and stuff. But Rufus, I had seen way back at one of the Sloan conferences, and I then told them that I was talking to you today. It reminded me, you probably don't even remember this at all, but back then, you were Matthew Berry to me, right? Obviously, the biggest name in fantasy sports. Now, you're just Matthew to me. It's a different kind of relationship. But I remember we went to a Celtics game, and we were in a box.
And the Numberfire guys went, and then Rufus and his team were there and stuff. And you walked in, and you came, and you saw me, and in a very loving and playful way. It wasn't like you were just like, what are you doing here? Like a very like just funny.
And it was one of those moments for me where I'm like, the thing that I've always respected about the way that you approach things is that a lot of people who are at the top of their industry can very easily just ignore other folks who are trying to climb up in that industry, but you know the smaller players and the analysts and the writers and such as they're coming up. And I think that's, it's been something that I've tried to pass on too, as I've gotten to meet people and they're asking for advice and all that kind of stuff. But I think that like you set that precedent very well, I have to say. And the fact that like you're doing big things, you're obviously doing what many people aspire to do. And yet you can still joke around with 25 year old me at a Celtics game, wondering why I'm sitting in that box with you.