• Blog Post by: Michael Rand
• August 23, 2010 - 8:58 AM

This weekend, We had the first of three drafts for fantasy football leagues we are in. With apologies to the obviously fine folks in the RandBall League (draft pending ... Roughkat is on it) and our other work-related league, the Funk Funk Fantasy Football Federation is our "main" league. It's been around the longest. It's the one with the most money at stake. And it's the one where, despite people scattering across the country to live their lives, and now being in the 15th year in the league, we can still round up a bunch of 30-somethings (many with kids now) for a destination draft.

Roughly half of us still live in the Twin Cities area. But experience has taught us that having it here -- at least every year -- just doesn't work. It's not the same event as it is if everyone has to make an effort and get a full weekend out of it.

So after previous drafts in Las Vegas and Philadelphia, the masses assembled this year in the midwestern burg of Milwaukee. A few league players are from Wisconsin, and one still lives in Milwaukee. In all, six of the 10 teams ended up being represented in person, while the other four had to draft on-line. It's not perfect attendance, but at this stage in everyone's life at least getting a quorom is an achievement.

We will spare you the full details because every league has its own charms and traditions. Nothing particularly salacious happened; eating, drinking, drafting and card-playing ruled the weekend. New inside jokes were created. Old jokes were revived and replayed to the approval of most and disapproval of the targets. We saw some guys we don't usually see more than once a year -- and some we hadn't seen for a few years at least. The gist: if you have a league like this, that started in college or thereabouts and still lives on, be sure to make your draft an event. Maybe it doesn't happen every year. But a little planning goes a long way.

*What are your fantasy football draft traditions? Best stories? Let's hear them. It's that time of year again.

*X's and O's related stuff: That's our team in the picture. What do people think? We made a trade for the first overall pick, giving up the No. 5 pick overall and our fourth-round pick as well. Essentially it was a swap of Michael Turner and Jermichael Finley for Chris Johnson. Thumbs up or thumbs down?