By NANDO DI FINO
Thirty years ago, when Daniel Okrent was introducing a group of friends and professional acquaintances to Rotisserie League Baseball, a game he had invented while on a plane, he viewed it as mainly a fun excursion that could earn him a few dollars if it caught on with the masses. As anyone who saw ESPN’s “Silly Little Game” can tell you, the game exploded under the moniker, “fantasy,” and Mr. Okrent, who had trademarked the term “rotisserie” instead, never made his millions. Or even his hundreds. Which is why it doubly hurt for him to discover that fast-food giant McDonald’s is sponsoring FIFA’s official fantasy World Cup game; an offshoot of a game he created.
Thirty years ago, when Daniel Okrent was introducing a group of friends and professional acquaintances to Rotisserie League Baseball, a game he had invented while on a plane, he viewed it as mainly a fun excursion that could earn him a few dollars if it caught on with the masses. As anyone who saw ESPN’s “Silly Little Game” can tell you, the game exploded under the moniker, “fantasy,” and Mr. Okrent, who had trademarked the term “rotisserie” instead, never made his millions. Or even his hundreds. Which is why it doubly hurt for him to discover that fast-food giant McDonald’s is sponsoring FIFA’s official fantasy World Cup game; an offshoot of a game he created.
