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FanDuel Interview By Jason Tenzer

Published

6 years ago

October 24, 2019

I’m a supporter and that’s the rules that we’ll test — is put your money where your mouth is” … Jerry Jones, Owner – Dallas Cowboys.

From a very early age until now, I’ve had more energy than most kids. I was able to funnel that energy into playing sports year-round (baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and anything we could make up with a ball in our back yard). As I got older, the sports continued, and I was introduced to fantasy sports. Draft day for my baseball league is one of the most fun days of the year. Then, the big one hit … Daily Fantasy Sports. When I got the chance to interview Fan Duel, I leaped at the opportunity to get to know a little bit about this amazing company. This is what I learned about Fan Duel from Emily Bass, Senior Communications Manager.

1. What is FanDuel and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)?

EB: FanDuel Group is an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. The premier gaming destination in the United States, FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, advance-deposit wagering, and TV/media, including FanDuel, Betfair US, DRAFT, and TVG. FanDuel Group has a presence across 45 states and 8 million customers. The company is based in New York with offices in California, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, and Scotland. FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc, a leading international sports betting and gaming operator and a constituent of the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange.

Daily fantasy sports contests are an innovative twist on traditional season-long contests.

People love fantasy sports, which have become our new national pastime. DFS is an evolution of traditional season-long fantasy — rather than select a team and compete against other participants over the course of a full season, participants select a team and compete with other participants over the course of a single day or weekend.

2. So, what you’ve done is turned a season-long fantasy football season into a 1-day (or week) contest, correct?

EB: Correct. Like season-long contests, with daily contests, participants select a team of real-world athletes and accumulate points based on how their players perform in an actual game. The goal—regardless of format—is to select a team of players that will score the most possible points. The only difference between daily and season-long formats is duration: A DFS contest condenses a NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA (and other sports) contest into a single day or weekend of games.

3. Is it legal?

EB: Fantasy sports are skill-based games. DFS contests are nothing more than a condensed version of the traditional season-long format. Rather than select a team and compete against other participants over the course of a full season, participants select a team and compete with other participants over the course of a single day or weekend. Those contests don’t just rely on the same skills as season-long contests— the skill is even more determinative.

Like the season long fantasy games that so many Americans participate in, daily fantasy sports are a game of skill which calls upon users to research and evaluate players, opponents, matchups and other variables just like you would in a season long fantasy season.

4. How much does it cost to play, and can I play more than 1 game at a time?

EB: There are range of different contest types and game styles to choose from in every sport, from free to enter contests to contest with entry fees as low as $1.

You can enter multiple contests across multiple sports at once.

5. What is the biggest payout in 1 NFL game each weekend?

EB: Our Sunday Million contest pays out ONE MILLION DOLLARS to the first place winner each week with a total of THREE MILLION DOLLARS in prizing.

6. Does Fan Duel have a “Championship” game that can be won? Something like an office fantasy football pool that culminates into a head to head Super Bowl game.

EB: We offer Friends Mode leagues where users can play in leagues with friends all season long on FanDuel. Each week, we make a daily fantasy contest for your league and your overall progress is recorded in the season standings. You can play once a week for sports like football, and on multiple days per week for sports like baseball and basketball.

7. When I play, will I be playing against Fan Duel employees or employees from other DFS sites?

EB: We have a clear Employee Play Policy in place that says employees of FanDuel and any other DFS website are restricted from playing on FanDuel.

8. I saw you have games where “no experienced players” are allowed to enter. What is an experienced player and how do you stop one from playing in these games?

EB: We have experienced player badges which are used to identify players with certain levels of experience so you know who you’re up against. These badges appear alongside the player’s username. Experienced players can’t enter contests specifically excluding such players, like beginner only contests. A player will be tagged with an experienced or highly experienced badge according to the following criteria:

Experienced Player (blue star in white circle) — Any user who has played in 500 or more contests OR has won a total of $2,500 or more over a span of six or more contests.

Highly Experienced Player (white star in blue circle) — Any user who has played in 1,000 or more contests OR has won $1,000 or more in a single contest four or more times.

9. What is the behind the scenes importance of owners like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft investing in DFS?

EB: They see the value in DFS and how integral we are to live sports. “From my perspective, anything that follows the rules, that causes and creates more interest and more fan participation, I’m really for,” Jones said. “So, I’m a supporter and that’s the rules that we’ll test — is put your money where your mouth is.”

10. If you can give 1 bit of advice for all of the Fan Duel players, what would it be?

EB: Have fun!

If you’re interested in trying to win ONE MILLION DOLLARS on Fan Duel, CLICK HERE

Blog

One of the Greatest Putts in U.S. Open History?

JJ Spaun’s 64-Foot Walk-Off

Published

3 days ago

June 16, 2025

James Fairway

When JJ Spaun stood over a 64-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, few could have predicted what would come next. The ball meandered across the slick green, trickling over every contour, picking up speed at the crest, and then—like it had GPS—dropped center cup. Spaun dropped his putter, raised his arms, and the crowd erupted. With that single stroke, he claimed his first major title in one of the most dramatic finishes in U.S. Open history.

But how does Spaun’s putt stack up against other legendary finishes in the tournament’s storied past? Let’s break down some of the most iconic moments and see where this one lands.

1. Payne Stewart – 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst

Perhaps the most iconic putt in U.S. Open history came from Payne Stewart, who nailed a 15-footer for par on the 18th to win by one over Phil Mickelson. The pose—fist pump and outstretched leg—has since been immortalized in a statue at Pinehurst. What made it legendary wasn’t just the putt—it was the context: Stewart’s final major before his tragic death just months later.

Verdict: Iconic and emotional. Spaun’s putt was longer, but Stewart’s was more poetic.

2. Tiger Woods – 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines

Woods drained a 12-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate—while basically playing on one leg. That tournament went to sudden death after an 18-hole playoff, and Tiger prevailed. This was peak Tiger drama, pain and all.

Verdict: Spaun’s putt was longer, but Tiger’s win was sheer willpower and mystique.

3. Jack Nicklaus – 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

With a 1-iron shot that hit the flagstick on 17 and a crucial birdie putt on 18, Jack sealed a dominant win. His precision and timing under pressure showed why he’s the GOAT.

Verdict: Not a putt for the win, but a signature finishing statement from Jack. Spaun’s was more electric in terms of pure putter drama.

4. Ben Hogan – 1950 U.S. Open at Merion

Hogan’s 1-iron into the 18th fairway and the par to force a playoff—just 16 months after a near-fatal car crash—remain legendary. He won the playoff and completed one of golf’s great comeback stories.

Verdict: Larger-than-life comeback. Spaun’s putt had more flair, but Hogan’s win was heroic.

5. JJ Spaun – 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont

Let’s not underestimate what Spaun accomplished. The pressure was immense. He wasn’t the favorite. And on the most treacherous greens in golf, he buried a 64-foot bomb—a putt most players would be happy to lag to within 5 feet—to win the U.S. Open outright.

Verdict: For distance, surprise, and drama, Spaun’s putt may be the most shocking winning stroke in U.S. Open history.

Final Thoughts

JJ Spaun may not have the résumé of a Nicklaus or Woods, but for one Sunday afternoon in June 2025, he created a moment that will live in golf lore forever. Spaun’s putt was longer than Stewart’s, more unexpected than Tiger’s, and more dramatic than any final-hole finish in recent memory.

In terms of pure clutch putting? It might just be the greatest walk-off in U.S. Open history.

Blog

The Zen of the Shank: Finding Inner Peace in Your Worst Shots

Find your inner peace even when you aren’t playing well.

Published

3 days ago

June 16, 2025

Ty Webb

Ah, the shank. That glorious, unpredictable misfire that sends your pristine golf ball screaming sideways, often directly into the unsuspecting shins of your playing partner, or perhaps, with a touch of poetic irony, into the very lake you’ve been trying to avoid all day. Most golfers, bless their earnest little hearts, view the shank as a catastrophic failure, a blight upon their scorecard, a testament to their inherent lack of coordination. They curse, they throw clubs, they contemplate a career in competitive thumb-wrestling. But not I. No, my friends, for I, Ty Webb, have found enlightenment in the humble shank.

You see, the shank is not a mistake; it’s a revelation. It’s the universe’s way of reminding you that control is an illusion, that perfection is a myth, and that sometimes, the most direct path to your goal is, in fact, a wildly indirect one. Think of it as a philosophical detour, a sudden, unexpected journey into the unknown. One moment, you’re aiming for the green, a paragon of precision and intent. The next, your ball is ricocheting off a tree, narrowly missing a squirrel, and landing, by some divine comedic intervention, closer to the hole than your perfectly struck drive ever would have. Is that not a miracle? Is that not a sign that the golf gods, much like life itself, have a wicked sense of humor?

The key, my dear apprentices of the links, is acceptance. Embrace the shank. Welcome it with open arms, like a long-lost, slightly inebriated relative. When that familiar, sickening thwack echoes through the air, do not despair. Instead, take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Feel the gentle breeze on your face. And then, with a knowing smile, open them and observe the chaos you have wrought. Is it not beautiful in its own chaotic way? Is there not a certain freedom in relinquishing control, in allowing the ball to choose its own destiny, however bizarre that destiny may be?

Some say the shank is a sign of poor technique. I say it’s a sign of a vibrant, untamed spirit. A golfer who never shanks is a golfer who has never truly lived, never truly explored the outer limits of their own golfing absurdity. They are content with mediocrity, with predictable trajectories and mundane outcomes. But you, my enlightened few, you understand that the true joy of golf lies not in the score, but in the story. And what a story a good shank can tell.

So, the next time you feel that familiar tremor of a shank brewing, don’t fight it. Let it flow. Let it be. For in the heart of every shank lies a lesson, a laugh, and perhaps, just perhaps, a path to a lower score you never saw coming. After all, as the great philosopher Basho once said, “A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.” And a golf game without a shank? Well, that’s just not golf, is it?