I am terrible at fantasy sports, and now I can share that ineptitude with my son

The official logo of the longstanding Beer Hockey League

My fantasy sports resume is, if not distinguished, at least fairly long.

I participated in fantasy baseball as far back as the 1980s. In the 90s I did a mail-in fantasy basketball league, dabbled in fantasy football, and enjoyed my first stint as a fantasy hockey owner in the Beer Hockey League (aka, the BHL, more about which in a moment).

If you're not familiar with the concept of fantasy sports, it's fairly simple: People serve as "owners" of virtual teams consisting of real-life players they have chosen or "drafted." They compete against other owners in a league format, with the goal of building the most statistically accomplished team over the course of a season in order to win bragging rights and/or some sort of cash prize.

I have enjoyed what can at best be termed "modest" success in fantasy sports through the years. I've always had a good time, though, which makes the whole endeavor worthwhile whether or not my teams do well.

About a decade ago, my life got sufficiently busy that I stepped away from all fantasy sports. Not really missing it once I was out, I figured I would never participate in a fantasy league again.

But then, a few months ago, an opportunity to rejoin the BHL came along. My son Jared and I were offered the chance to take back a fantasy hockey team we had actually co-owned in the BHL some years earlier. I initially declined, but when Jared decided to jump back in, I figured I might as well do it, too.

So now, once again, Jared and I are general managers of the Sapporo Wheat Kings, the fantasy team I founded more than 25 years ago that has changed owners (and names) a few times before coming back around to us.

Sapporo is a Japanese beer. All teams in the league have to be named after a beer. The "Wheat Kings" part is taken from the Brandon (Manitoba) Wheat Kings, one of my favorite real-life junior hockey teams.

Hockey is pretty far down the list in terms of the most popular fantasy sports, trailing not only NFL football, Major League Baseball and NBA basketball in terms of overall participation, but also NASCAR and even the Canadian Football League, for crying out loud.

The important thing is, it's something Jared and I can do together, even if he lives 1,000 miles away in Florida. We will consult via text on important team decisions like who to put in our "starting lineup" each week and which players we might want to pick up, drop or trade away. It's a nice way to stay connected even as he plies his career several states away as a baseball communications staffer with the MLB Tampa Bay Rays.

Given my fantasy sports track record, however, the experience is also likely to mimic our shared fandom of real-life Cleveland sports teams.

That is, it will be painful.

But at least it will be fun.