| Nathan Ravitz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Point Pleasant, New Jersey |
| Occupation | Deputy editor for espn.com Fantasy |
Nate Ravitz is Deputy Editor for espn.com fantasy, dealing with fantasy sports.[1] 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 [2] and Fantasy Focus Football Podcast.[3] Nate also provides analysis for the Fantasy Focus Video Podcast,[4] as well as other written analysis for espn.com.[5]
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Nate grew up and attended high school in New Jersey. Nate graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
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.[6] Nate was eventually lured to ESPN, where he currently works as their Deputy Editor for Fantasy.[7]
Ravitz's most public work with ESPN is as the co-host of fantasy sports-themed podcasts along with Matthew Berry. 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.
"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.[8] The players discussed are often requested by listeners of the show, who submit their questions via email.
The Man's League is a Fantasy League in which the listeners of the show play against the show's producer, Jay Sodeberg (aka Pod Vader).[9][10] 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.
Nate and Matthew 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.[11][12][13]
Recently, many guests on the Focus have been asked to choose whether Nate or Matthew was more of a "weasel". Jesse Ventura, Aaron Hernandez, Jamaal Charles, Michael Smith (sports reporter), and Daniel Radcliffe have called Nate the bigger weasel, and Hulk Hogan even dubbed him "The Official Weasel Brother".
Both Ravitz and Berry 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,[14] and his inclusion on the ESPN softball team, on which Berry serves as a pitcher.
Nate is married to his wife Andrea, and they currently reside in the Bristol, Connecticut 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."
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