No Stranger than Fantasy Football

I have a little game I like play, which I call How would I explain this to an extraterrestrial?

Whenever I learn something new about a topic, I literally think “If aliens came to Earth and they happened to ask me about this, how could I best answer?”

I love a short, clear explanation. I think this, the explainer game, may be my favorite hobby. And it is a key factor in my interest in running for the House of Representatives. We all benefit when someone can give us a quick, fair summary of an issue or topic. I think that’s something I can bring to the conversation.

I have many different interests. You do too. But sometimes, it’s easy to feel embarrassed (or snobby) about our hobbies. They can seem difficult to explain. We fear judgement or confusion from others. And so, we often keep them to ourselves.

Which brings me to fantasy football. Here’s what I might tell the Martians, if for some reason I was randomly given the sacred duty of outlining this one aspect of human culture.

Humans participate in a team sport called football. Fantasy football is a game of skill where participants design an imaginary team from the pool of all current players in an entire league. The fantasy game is played out by tracking the athletes’ real-world performances on their real-world teams (and trading players with other fantasy football gamers), giving the game participants a glimpse of owning their own football team.

I do not play fantasy football, but I feel this overview of the topic is balanced and accurate. Yet, to the outsider it can seem strange. Fake teams? Fake trades? How is that fun?

Of course, it is fun for those who play. And the explainer game is fun for me. And you might be interested in knitting or Buster Keaton movies or rap music or makeup. None of these is stranger than fantasy football. And fantasy football isn’t any stranger than any of these.

As this campaign continues, I am happy to talk about my personal interests. I am sure they will come up. If it helps you to trust me to know my favorite artists, my favorite podcasts, or my other fascinations, let me know.

But even if we don’t like the same board games, even if my hobbies seem strange to you or yours seem strange to me, you and I are still fundamentally connected. We both want our government to do good things and not do bad things. We both want to feel happy, secure, and free.

But to understand what our government is and is not doing, and to determine whether it’s good or bad, what we need is an explainer. Not a spin doctor or a non-answerer. Not someone repeating talking points and worn out slogans.

I’d like to continue to work to earn your trust. Explaining things feels like a great way to do that.

Ask me anything.