Thursday, October 6, 2011

"The League" Live

Last night, my roommates and I went to The League Live, performed by the characters of the hit FX comedy.  I've been a fan of "The League" since it premiered two seasons ago, and the cast was just as entertaining on stage.

The show was a mix of stand-up and back-and-forth banter between the actors and the crowd.  The highlight was definitely Steve Rannazzisi, who had us dying with his stories of doing damage control for his two-year-old son and contracting a homeless man to exact poetic justice on another motorist.  He even tossed my roommate Doug a DVD for a well-timed Chad Ochocinco joke.  The cast offered to give fantasy football advice, which quickly devolved into ridicule of audience members who droned on about why their Jamaal Charles trade should be vetoed.  The actors' takeaway was that fantasy football teams are like dreams: everyone has them, but no one wants to hear about yours.

And that's the beauty of "The League."  The show is as much about fantasy football as
"Parks and Recreation" is about nature preservation.  What makes you tune in every week is the dynamic between the characters as they try to best each other while other life obligations, like family, get in the way.  Come to think of it, aren't those interactions the appeal of our own fantasy football leagues?  Coming from someone who has won his league before, celebrating the championship and collecting the prize money isn't nearly as fun as the draft parties, trade negotiations, and general smack-talk that come before it.  

For example if you saw my college friends, you'd quickly recognize that we are a very tight-knit group.  But for the first year after we graduated, we started to drift apart as we set roots in different cities.  It wasn't until someone suggested we create a fantasy football league that we started communicating regularly again.  Soon after, we were exchanging dozens of emails a day, most of them unrelated to our league.  We've had frequent reunions ever since, and that wouldn't be the case if not for the constant connection that our fantasy league provides.

So I suggest DVR-ing "The League," whether you play fantasy football, or just want to understand why people play fantasy football.  If you're still not convinced, here's one of my favorite clips:




Image found here.

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