Inside How a Fantasy Football Punishment Has Forced a Podcaster to Watch the Super Bowl in India

One football podcaster will be doing everything in his power to watch the Super Bowl from South Asia after finishing in last place in his fantasy league.

Football podcaster Joel Solomon will be attempting to watch the Super Bowl in Mumbai, India. | Joel Solomon, original photo

Anybody who has ever played fantasy football knows the pain of coming in last place in the league.

At best, you're the butt of many jokes among your friends. At worst, you're (attempting) to watch the Super Bowl in Mumbai, India.

Wait, what?

In quite possibly the wildest fantasy football punishment to hit the internet to date, one unlucky fantasy football owner is spending his early February in India, where he might not even be able to catch a second of Super Bowl LX.

Joel Solomon, the host of the Still Against All Odds podcast, revealed his plight for finishing in last place in his fantasy league in an episode of his show on Jan. 21.

"I need to make an announcement ... a little bit of business," Solomon said. "Unfortunately, this will be my last show for at least a little bit. I lost one of my fantasy leagues, and the bet was I need to watch the Super Bowl in a city of the winner's choice. My cousin Derek, he won the league, and he chose Mumbai, India. And I'm not kidding, that's where I'm off to. I hope I'll be able to watch the game there. But no, this is very real. I am Mumbai bye bye, at least for a little bit."

A brutal fantasy punishment for @joelwsolomon

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How the punishment came about

This is the first season that Solomon's 10-team, full-point PPR league has had a last-place punishment as wild as this.

"It's the first year of the punishment," Solomon told Sports Illustrated. "The commissioner is big time into fantasy. He lost a league and last summer had to sleep overnight on the beach in Westhampton [New York]. So we always thought it was funny ... the idea of sending someone somewhere. Leagues [in the past] have done it where you need to spend a day somewhere, fly to a random city, etc.. But flying somewhere for the day isn't so bad. And I'm sorry, but sitting all day in an IHOP and eating pancakes is not a punishment."

So the members of the league thought of something that would hurt just a little bit worse for the unfortunate soul who finished in last place.

"We thought the biggest football day of the year is the Super Bowl. The most fun is going to parties and being home for the food and watching all day. So what if you [as the loser] weren't here for it but literally in another country. Basically like the London game of the Jaguars of Super Bowl parties. Like you were exiled from the Super Bowl."

There were a few basic rules for the winner of the league when choosing the destination for the loser. The location had to be at least 10 hours away by plane. It had to be international, and the loser had to be traveling there for the first time.

Finally, it had to be a place where it would be difficult to stream the game.

Mumbai checked off all of those boxes for Solomon, who flew 12 hours from Los Angeles to Dubai before hopping on another three-hour flight after a layover to arrive in India. Solomon didn't mind the flight, as he passed the time watching five movies: The Smashing Machine, Good Fortune, Eddington, The Apprentice, and Sinners (twice).

With a week until the Super Bowl, Solomon is boots on the ground in Mumbai, but still has no idea if he'll actually be able to watch the biggest game of the season. Despite the NFL's international reach, it's safe to say the popularity of the league has not quite made it to India.

"Let me tell you, not only have I not seen anyone talking about the Super Bowl here. I have yet to see a single NFL shirt, jersey, hat, anything. So not sure if there's going to be an international NFL game here anytime soon! However, the Cricket Men's World Cup is currently taking place here, and USA is playing India. So anytime I bring up the 'Big Game' with the locals, that's what they think I'm talking about."

Joel Solomon's last-place fantasy football finish has landed him in Mumbai, India for Super Bowl LX. | Joel Solomon, original photo

That hasn't stopped Solomon from asking locals who they believe will win Super Bowl LX.

"I tried to gauge who people are rooting for here ... and it seems like the Seahawks. That might just be because it sounds cooler or because the Patriots are internationally hated," Solomon joked.

Misfortune for 'The Summer I Turned Purdy'

As is the case in most fantasy leagues for the last place team, Solomon's poor season didn't come without a string of bad injury luck.

His team—'The Summer I Turned Purdy'—that ironically never rostered 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, had its fair share of misfortune.

"I started six different quarterbacks this season, none of which were Brock Purdy," Solomon said. "Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Trevor Lawrence (but not the very good late-season Trevor Lawrence), C.J. Stroud, Aaron Rodgers and Jayden Daniels."

Solomon has been doing a lot of walking in India, which has allowed him time to reflect on not only getting the quarterback position wrong in fantasy this season, but the rest of his roster as well.

Joel Solomon will be in Mumbai for Super Bowl LX. | Joel Solomon, original photo

"I'm in a town called Madh," Solomon added. "To get into [the town] it's a one-lane road that is shared by cars and tuk-tuks going both ways, as well as dogs. The whole city—much like a Ben Johnson offense—is a controlled chaos.

"These walks have given me lots of time to think about my draft ... second-round pick Nico Collins (injured), third-round pick Brock Bowers (injured), fourth-round pick Lamar Jackson (injured), fifth-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. (injured), sixth-round pick Mike Evans (injured) ... I think you get the point."

The experience in Mumbai

Despite drawing the short straw and finding himself perusing through South Asia as a result of losing a fantasy football league, Solomon is enjoying himself.

"My cousin Derek who won the league is a vegan and he has always heard the food is incredible in India. He sent me here essentially to report back to him. He also joked that it was in an effort to turn me into a vegetarian and eat healthier, so he picked Mumbai. So far, I will say my cousin is right. The food has been incredible. I haven't eaten any red meat although I did see a pack of buffalo roaming the street yesterday on my walk."

Solomon saw plenty of buffalo roaming on his walk outside of Mumbai, India. | Joel Solomon, original photo

Solomon is not guaranteed to be able to watch Super Bowl LX. In fact, he's still searching for exactly where he will watch the Big Game.

"The game will be on at 5 a.m. here and I have yet to find a place that will have it on," Solomon said. "My hotel is looking into getting SkySports, but if there is someone reading this [story] in Mumbai and is having a Super Bowl party, please let me know. I'll bring the gulab juman. No matter what, I will for sure be watching."

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