Chapter 1: The Birth of a Fantasy League

In today's world, there are trivial matters and then there are significant ones—like the highly anticipated NFL season. Amidst these priorities, Brian Prentiss, a seasoned merchandiser in bulk and beer, proposed the idea of launching an in-house fantasy football league to gauge interest. The enthusiastic responses were enough to kickstart the initiative.

Brian is a dedicated fantasy player, often joining multiple leagues each year. The seven others joining him range from novices to occasional players: Craig, his brother-in-law Michael, Sharon, their IT specialist Jack Lincoln, Valerie, Edgar, and a newcomer named Will from the grocery department. This group barely meets the minimum requirement for the online platform Brian selected, but it fits their needs perfectly.

Edgar, surprisingly, has never considered participating in fantasy football before, which is odd given its nerdy allure when approached correctly. For instance, take Brian, who rises at 5 AM on Wednesdays to analyze his picks. While this may seem extreme, Edgar suspects he might lean towards being more invested than he initially thought. Conversely, Will expresses a desire to support the Panthers without any complications, and Vince Brancatto dismisses fantasy football in favor of college games. Shad, who recently announced his departure to a competitor, might also be included in this list. As a result, Candace is "promoted" to take over as Arcadia's assistant store manager while maintaining her cashier duties.

With the league established, they each contribute $20 with the winner taking all, and the draft selection process begins. Before they officially start, Edgar feels he has picked up a few tips on improving his chances. The ESPN fantasy website organizes players into divisions based on their sign-up order. As the organizer, Brian is naturally first, and Edgar is second. However, this eagerness might have been misguided; the first to register tend to be the most passionate players. Consequently, Edgar finds himself placed in the Eastern Division alongside heavyweights Brian, Michael, and Will, while those who hesitated are in the easier Western Division. Only the top two from each division qualify for the playoffs, which raises the stakes. If he participates again, Edgar vows to take his time in registering to be grouped with less competitive players.

At least he secured the second pick in the draft, and the order will rotate in subsequent rounds. When draft day arrives at 7 PM, Brian offers Edgar a valuable tip. Although it's debatable whether to heed advice from a competitor, Brian’s sincerity shines through.

"I wouldn't pick anyone from New England except Tom Brady," he insists. Edgar chuckles, perceiving this as an odd strategy, but Brian elaborates, "You might have a random tight end score three touchdowns in one game, but Belichick might bench him for weeks afterward. He seems to enjoy messing with other teams."

As the draft unfolds, Brian follows his own advice and selects Brady. Edgar, clueless about the process, plans to follow the website's highest-rated picks for positions he needs. With plenty of options available, he drafts Lacy, a running back from Green Bay. Meanwhile, the group wonders about Craig, who still hasn't logged in. He eventually appears, scrambling in a car with his girlfriend, trying to manage the draft on his phone amid the chaotic traffic.

Ironically, while Jack is logged in from the start, his first pick times out, resulting in an automatic selection. This pattern continues for nearly half of his choices, as he either gets distracted or forgets about the draft. However, he manages to assemble a decent team, making Edgar question the necessity of making selections himself.

These moments may serve as a bonding experience, but they only occupy a few minutes of their day. Meanwhile, work continues to flow in, maintaining its unpredictable nature. After ten months of Edgar manually entering updates into deli scales, Felix finally delivers a remote software package for the department. Edgar had nearly given up hope after countless discussions about "approved funding" without any visible progress. While this new program, Deli Pro, requires learning a different database from Palmyra's outdated ScaleMonster, it signifies progress, and Edgar is not complaining. The learning curve is manageable, and it integrates seamlessly with the ChefAssist recipe interface, a requirement Edgar had insisted on. Felix, perhaps finally understanding the importance of proper equipment use, even solicits Edgar’s feedback this time.

With the transition back to Universal Foods complete, three regional representatives visit their stores, volunteering to install new shelf tags if Edgar prepares them. At Palmyra, the first location, he meets them, providing the batches sorted not only by aisle but also by section, thanks to his years of keeping track of location codes. This might represent the ultimate reward, even though there were evident advantages to being organized all along. The representatives express their admiration, with one commenting, "You have the most organized operation we've ever seen!" to which the others readily agree.

This praise is a stark contrast to the reaction of their immediate supervisor, Corey Brown, an old acquaintance from Healthy Shopper Market. The following day, while the team tackles Central, Corey wanders through the office, the only time Edgar sees him after his departure from the company. Like a foreign dignitary on a visit, he greets everyone, pointedly bypassing Edgar. Various theories arise regarding this snub, ranging from a desire to avoid Barbara to mistakenly believing Edgar's area is just a storage closet. Edgar remains skeptical of these explanations, especially after briefly making eye contact with Corey across the room when he entered with his guide, Vince.

Additionally, Corey seems to have held a grudge against Edgar for several years. While it’s plausible he avoids Edgar for business reasons, possibly wishing to steer clear of discussions about the transition back to Universal Foods, Edgar suspects it stems from personal animosity. The math behind this switch seems questionable and replete with signs of favoritism. Edgar is convinced that Corey’s discomfort arises from the realization that some, like Edgar, openly challenge his often nonsensical claims. The notion that someone like Edgar could excel at his job while disagreeing with Corey frequently creates cognitive dissonance for him. Consequently, avoiding someone like Edgar seems to be the safest option, especially when it implies that Corey might not be the ultimate authority in every department.

In the first episode titled "Tales of a Scorched Coffee Pot," the narrative explores the peculiar dynamics of office camaraderie and fantasy football, highlighting the absurdities and challenges faced by the characters.

The second episode, "Tales of a Scorched Coffee Pot," delves into the trials of balancing work, competition, and personal relationships, showcasing the humorous side of their fantasy football experience.