Nate Ravitz
Encyclopedia
Nate Ravitz is Deputy Editor for espn.com
fantasy, dealing with fantasy sports. Apart from his internal duties for ESPN
, Nate is best known as the co-host (along with Matthew Berry
) of the award-winning Fantasy Focus Baseball Podcast and Fantasy Focus Football Podcast. Nate also provides analysis for the Fantasy Focus Video Podcast, as well as other written analysis for espn.com
. Nate has been outspoken about Derrick Ward and Eric Chavez being the greatest fantasy players of all time.
. Nate graduated from the University of Michigan
with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English.
, where he currently works as their Deputy Editor for Fantasy.
. While the shows are based on fantasy sports, popular culture
topics as well as personal stories make up a large portion of each show. Both podcasts feature recurring themes.
, Jay Sodeberg (aka Pod Vader). The name "Man's League" comes from the high number of team owners the league has, forcing each owner to use lesser known professional players to complete their roster, thus increasing the difficulty. Competition to be chosen for the league is very high, and listeners often have to go to extreme lengths to be selected to play.
make contradicting predictions on many zany issues, including how players will fare in an upcoming fantasy season, single week performance, and pop culture issues. These predictions are tracked "on the board", with the winner being the host who has the most accurate predictions at the end of the season.
". Jesse Ventura
and Aaron Hernandez
have called Nate the bigger weasel, and Hulk Hogan
even dubbed him "The Official Weasel Brother".
frequently share personal stories during their podcasts, to help develop an informal and light atmosphere while on air. Nate's best known stories include difficulty jump starting
his car (causing him to be late to work), deep sea fishing with his father, and his inclusion on the ESPN softball
team, on which Berry serves as a pitcher.
area. Nate is a New York Jets
and New York Mets
fan, and is an avid fan of professional wrestling
.
Matthew Berry
will often refer to him has "Negative" Nate, or the "Say Nay Kid", as Nate will often take the more conservative stance on an argument. Currently Nate, Matthew, and PodVader are still welching on the Jonas Brothers bet from last year. Nate's wife has been dubbed "Senora Say Nay."
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
fantasy, dealing with fantasy sports. Apart from his internal duties for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Nate is best known as the co-host (along with Matthew Berry
Matthew Berry
Matthew Berry is an ESPN fantasy sports analyst and ESPN.com columnist. He writes under the nickname "the Talented Mr. Roto," or "TMR". Berry currently works as ESPN's senior director of fantasy sports.-Hollywood writer:...
) of the award-winning Fantasy Focus Baseball Podcast and Fantasy Focus Football Podcast. Nate also provides analysis for the Fantasy Focus Video Podcast, as well as other written analysis for espn.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
. Nate has been outspoken about Derrick Ward and Eric Chavez being the greatest fantasy players of all time.
Education
Nate grew up and attended high school in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Nate graduated from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English.
Career
Nate began working in Fantasy Sports as a part time sports writer for Total Quality Stats in 1998. Nate then went on to found the website Roto Times, where he served as the Executive Director. Nate was eventually lured to ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, where he currently works as their Deputy Editor for Fantasy.
Work with ESPN
Ravitz's most public work with ESPN is as the co-host of fantasy sports-themed podcasts along with Matthew BerryMatthew Berry
Matthew Berry is an ESPN fantasy sports analyst and ESPN.com columnist. He writes under the nickname "the Talented Mr. Roto," or "TMR". Berry currently works as ESPN's senior director of fantasy sports.-Hollywood writer:...
. While the shows are based on fantasy sports, popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
topics as well as personal stories make up a large portion of each show. Both podcasts feature recurring themes.
The Name Game
"The Name Game" is a rapid-fire question and answer segment, in which two players' values are compared against each other, with one ultimately being deemed the better choice based upon the Fantasy League being discussed. The players discussed are often requested by listeners of the show, who submit their questions via email.The Man's League
The Man's League is a Fantasy League in which the listeners of the show play against the show's producerRadio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
, Jay Sodeberg (aka Pod Vader). The name "Man's League" comes from the high number of team owners the league has, forcing each owner to use lesser known professional players to complete their roster, thus increasing the difficulty. Competition to be chosen for the league is very high, and listeners often have to go to extreme lengths to be selected to play.
The Board
Nate and MatthewMatthew Berry
Matthew Berry is an ESPN fantasy sports analyst and ESPN.com columnist. He writes under the nickname "the Talented Mr. Roto," or "TMR". Berry currently works as ESPN's senior director of fantasy sports.-Hollywood writer:...
make contradicting predictions on many zany issues, including how players will fare in an upcoming fantasy season, single week performance, and pop culture issues. These predictions are tracked "on the board", with the winner being the host who has the most accurate predictions at the end of the season.
Weasel
Recently, many guests on the Focus have been asked to choose whether Nate or Matthew was more of a "weaselWeasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
". Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
and Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez
-New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop...
have called Nate the bigger weasel, and Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
even dubbed him "The Official Weasel Brother".
Personal stories
Both Ravitz and BerryMatthew Berry
Matthew Berry is an ESPN fantasy sports analyst and ESPN.com columnist. He writes under the nickname "the Talented Mr. Roto," or "TMR". Berry currently works as ESPN's senior director of fantasy sports.-Hollywood writer:...
frequently share personal stories during their podcasts, to help develop an informal and light atmosphere while on air. Nate's best known stories include difficulty jump starting
Jump start (vehicle)
A jump start, also called a boost, is a method of starting an automobile or other vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine when the vehicle's battery has been discharged. A second battery is temporarily connected to provide starting power to the disabled vehicle...
his car (causing him to be late to work), deep sea fishing with his father, and his inclusion on the ESPN softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
team, on which Berry serves as a pitcher.
Personal
Nate is married to his wife Andrea, and they currently reside in the Bristol, ConnecticutBristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
area. Nate is a New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
fan, and is an avid fan of professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
.
Matthew Berry
Matthew Berry
Matthew Berry is an ESPN fantasy sports analyst and ESPN.com columnist. He writes under the nickname "the Talented Mr. Roto," or "TMR". Berry currently works as ESPN's senior director of fantasy sports.-Hollywood writer:...
will often refer to him has "Negative" Nate, or the "Say Nay Kid", as Nate will often take the more conservative stance on an argument. Currently Nate, Matthew, and PodVader are still welching on the Jonas Brothers bet from last year. Nate's wife has been dubbed "Senora Say Nay."