Michael Owdij, a Hunterdon County teacher who lives in Branchburg, has been named ESPN's Fantasy Football commissioner.
BRANCHBURG -- For township resident and Hunterdon County teacher Michael Owdij, being named ESPN's Fantasy Football League Commissioner of the Year was a dream come true.
Owdij is commissioner of "The Hoosh in the Boosh" fantasy football league, which boasts two unique trophies: A 40-pound bronze ram titled "The Ramstein" given to the league winner and a crossed eye tiger statue named Hobbes for the loser.
"It's really just an excuse for us to stay in touch," said Owdij, a Hunterdon Central Regional High School alum who's been playing in a league with the same seven guys since 2006. "It's a lot of fun. We were searching for a winners trophy for like two years. We wanted something offbeat, and everyone thinks it's hilarious."
Owdij, a North Hunterdon Regional High School biology teacher and freshman football coach, was nominated by his friend and fellow league member Mike Ace, and was first selected as a winner during Pizza Hut's Commissioner of the Week contest during week 14.
Owdij first won a tie autographed by SportsCenter co-host Trey Wingo. Then in January, he was awarded the grand prize by during the Pizza Hut Commissioner of the Year Award Show hosted by ESPN NFL reporter Field Yates.
After winning the contest, Owdij and Ace were treated to a tour of the Bristol, Conn., ESPN campus on April 1 to meet ESPN celebrities like fantasy sports writer Tristan Cockcroft, which the pair called a "bucket list day."
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Owdij was then presented with a custom ruby and diamond ring valued at $10,000, made by championship ring creator Jostens.
As for his league, Owdij's friends received two year's worth of Pizza Hut pizza which his football players have already been prodding him for, as well as $3,500 in gift cards and a custom 3D printed bronze bust.
"Honestly for someone who is a sports person like me it's once in a lifetime experience," he said. "Everyone was super nice and awesome, and it was cool to meet people I listen to on the radio every day and see 'SportsCenter' and 'Outside the Lines.'"
With fantasy football participation growing by 40 percent in the past year, Pizza Hut Spokesman Jared Drinkwater said the company was eager to sign on as the official pizza sponsor of ESPN Fantasy Football, according to a press release from ESPN.
"The passion around fantasy football continues to grow each year, and by working with ESPN, we're able to be a part of each and every exciting fantasy football moment this season, from draft parties through playoffs," Drinkwater said in the release.
However, unlike Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football, DraftKings and FanDuel the ESPN Fantasy Football League does not have fantasy games with daily cash prizes and instead offers news, scores and standings for social players.
Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook.