The Draft (''The League'')
"The Draft" is the series premiere of the FX (TV channel) television series The League. The episode originally aired on October 29, 2009 and was written by series creators Jeff Schaffer and Jackie Marcus Schaffer and directed by Jeff Schaffer.
Plot
Pete Eckhart (Mark Duplass) is making a video introducing the beginning of the season for the members of his fantasy football league. He is the current champion, and ribs the others for having lost so often. The other members of the league who also live in Chicago are Pete's childhood friends: Kevin MacArthur (Stephen Rannazzisi), Rodney Ruxin (Nick Kroll), Dr. Andre Nowzick (Paul Scheer), and Taco MacArthur (Jon Lajoie). Kevin (who is also Taco's older brother) is often helped by his wife Jenny (Katie Aselton), who is not a league member but very invested nonetheless. Pete announces that the draft will be held at Andre's loft. Pete's wife Meegan (Leslie Bibb) interrupts his video chat; she does not approve of the league and makes her annoyance known.
Pete and Kevin are on the phone when Kevin tells him that he and Jenny are going to try for a second child. Pete advises against this, since it brings up his own issues with Meegan. That night Pete is getting ready for bed and can't find his lucky draft shirt. Meegan assures him she hasn't seen it. She asks about his conversation with Kevin; he avoids telling her about the MacArthur's plans for another kid.
Ellie MacArthur's 5th birthday party is being thrown in the MacArthur's backyard. Taco tells Jenny and Kevin that he wrote Ellie a birthday song, which he wants to perform. Pete arrives with the Shiva, the trophy that goes to the league winner. It's an old high school trophy decorated with a high school photo of one of their classmates, Shivakamini Somakandarkram. Pete knows that Jenny helps Kevin with his team, though they both deny it.
Pete takes the trophy outside where the guys trash talk each other about who will win this year. Kevin puts numbered papers in a bowl for everyone in the league to pick. He explains that the number they draw will correspond with the number of a child at the birthday party competing in the sack race. The order in which the kids finish the race will determine the draft order. They gather to watch the race, and Ruxin's child finishes first. Kevin, Andre, and Ruxin observe one of the older kids, Matt Friedman (Paulie Litt), who they call The Oracle because of his immense fantasy football knowledge. Ruxin immediately jumps on the chance to get advice and approaches him.
Taco sings his birthday song for Ellie, which starts out innocent but quickly becomes explicitly sexual, horrifying the other adults. Jenny cuts him off before he can finish the song.
Meegan offers to get Jenny a drink, but Jenny declines, explaining that she and Kevin are trying for another baby. Pete tries to head off the conversation as Meegan speculates that he might have "slow swimmers," which she thinks could be the reason she hasn't gotten pregnant. Pete is annoyed by this and brings up details of their sex life that bother him, and Meegan storms off.
Ruxin and Kevin are getting off the elevator at the law firm where they practice while Ruxin is going into detail about who he'll be drafting since he has first pick. They go into a meeting with a client whom Ruxin is defending and Kevin is prosecuting and begin to haggle over the draft pick: Kevin will knock off time served for Ruxin's client if Ruxin will give Kevin first pick. They come to an agreement and move on, much to the confusion of the client.
Ruxin goes over to Matt's house to talk football and gets turned away by Matt's father. Kevin goes to Pete's to return the Shiva, but Pete says that he's going to be too busy to play in the league this year. Kevin thinks he's bluffing and leaves the Shiva in the street in front of Pete's house.
Andre introduces everyone to his loft space on draft day. Kevin notices what appears to be a framed joint hanging on the wall; Andre tells them that it's the first one he ever smoked. Ruxin tells Andre what the rest of the guys already know: they pranked Andre with the joint by rolling Kevin's pubic hair, not marijuana.
Pete is home getting ready for a charity event with Meegan. The doorbell rings and Pete goes downstairs to collect the dry cleaning from Theresa, who is wearing his lucky draft shirt. Theresa tells him that Meegan gave her the shirt, and Pete pays her $200 to get it back.
Kevin is stalling for time because Pete has not arrived yet, and it's his pick. Pete shows up with the Shiva and his lucky shirt and the draft continues. They have to nag Taco to make his picks, as he is the least interested in football. Matt arrives at the party with Ruxin but makes Ruxin give him his jersey in exchange for advice and the two of them go upstairs to talk strategy away from the others. Pete and Kevin are telling Russell (Rob Huebel) about the joint prank while Taco hooks up with one of the bartenders Andre hired to serve drinks. Pete is telling Kevin and Andre that he and Meegan have broken up when Matt's parents arrive. They find Ruxin and Matt in the bedroom where Ruxin is trying to pull his jersey off Matt, who doesn't feel like helping any more. Matt's father throws Ruxin against the draft board before leaving with his family.
Taco comes out of the bedroom and asks Kevin to give him some pubic hair to smoke, as he tried smoking his own and it didn't work, but Kevin says no.