The Big Lead

Insane fantasy football revenge plot could lead to five years in prison

By Joe Lago

Fairley football head coach Frederick Copeland holds up a play for his players to study during practice at Fairley High School in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.
Fairley football head coach Frederick Copeland holds up a play for his players to study during practice at Fairley High School in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Tommy Pham is no longer the most intense fantasy football manager for slapping his league commissioner, Joc Pederson, after a waiver-wire dispute.

That dubious honor now belongs to a 25-year-old Philadelphia native named Matthew Gabriel, who went overboard in trying to get revenge for an online disagreement in his fantasy league's chat group.

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Gabriel faces a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty to two counts of interstate and foreign communication of a threat to injure. He sent false tips to law enforcement officials about a potential mass shooting and bombing plot to frame his fantasy football rival.

Gabriel hatched his first fake plot in August 2023 when he alerted authorities in Norway, where his adversary was studying abroad. "I just can’t have random people dying on my conscience," Gabriel wrote in his email to the Norwegian Police Security Service.

He sent another false tip to law enforcement in March 2024 with an email titled "Possible Threat," alleging that his fantasy league foe "was gonna blow up" the University of Iowa.

“While already being prosecuted for one hoax threat spurred by, of all things, his fantasy football league, Matthew Gabriel inexplicably decided to send another,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said in a press release. “His actions were extremely disruptive and consumed significant law enforcement resources on two continents, diverting them from actual incidents and investigations.

"Hoax threats aren’t a joke or protected speech, they’re a crime. My advice to keyboard warriors who’d like to avoid federal charges: always think of the potential consequences before you hit ‘post’ or ‘send.’”

That's really good advice. Also, it's wise to remember that it's "fantasy" football, not real football. The objective is to win but also to have fun. That got lost somehow with Matthew Gabriel.

But who knows? Mabye he had Bijan Robinson and Tony Pollard on his team last year.

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