The League presents several bizarre and quirky scenarios over the course of the series. Fans might say the premise is ripe for comedy, as each NFL season presents new conflicts between its goofy characters like Rodney Ruxin and Pete Eckhart.
Fans of The League will notice there is a variation on repetitive tropes throughout. Each season the main characters face off in their fantasy football league, but with a different winner and loser. Furthermore, the show builds on itself, often calling back to jokes and creating running gags. Some fans might say these running jokes help make The League one of FX’s top comedies.
Ruspin
Some fans call Taco MacArthur one of The League‘s less bright characters. As such, fans often see his foolish behavior on display, and it frequently makes for laughs. Thanks to Taco’s airheadedness, fans get one of the show’s memorable running gags.
Fans of the show know Taco and Rodney Ruxin have known each other for years. Yet, often when Taco sees Ruxin, he refers to him as “Ruspin.” Each time, Ruxin isn’t thrilled about it. However, this is just one example of a running joke concerning Ruxin’s name.
Pocket Dogs
Audiences might say Rafi is a fan favorite in The League, and devotees perhaps note it is because he is outrageous and often presents wacky unhinged behavior. He repeatedly shows up to the houses of the main characters uninvited and grosses them out.
One of Rafi’s running gags is both talking about and showing off his “pocket dogs.” These are loose hot dogs he carries around in his pockets for snacks. Although just one of his unhygienic exploits, audiences might say it is one of the most memorable.
“Everybody Calls Me Ruxin”
Ruxin is one of the smarter characters in The League. However, he shows a lack of emotional intelligence when others annoy him. Something that grinds his gears most is when people address him improperly.
Most of his friends refer to him as Ruxin. However, several people outside of his friend circle call him by his first name, like his father. Each time this happens, he immediately corrects them, saying “everybody calls me Ruxin.”
Mr. McGibblets
Many of the running gags in The League are repeated lines, but there are physical gags as well. Fans might say one of the most memorable physical running gags is the Mr. McGibblets costume.
Mr. McGibblets is Kevin and Jenny’s daughter Ellie’s toy. In several episodes, Taco dresses up in a costume of the character. He appears in the outfit and causes havoc in “Mr. McGibblets” and “A Krampus Carol,” among other episodes.
Brian & “Tall Guy”
There are multiple running jokes about misnaming Rodney Ruxin. However, he isn’t the only main character experiencing this gag. Kevin MacArthur is also called by the wrong name in a different running joke. Rafi bothers the main group of characters constantly throughout The League and gives the show hilarious quotes.
One of the more subtle annoyances Rafi takes part in is calling Kevin “Brian.” He also refers to Pete as “Tall Guy,” even though he isn’t the tallest member of the league. Despite being around them constantly, as well as being corrected, he continues to address them this way.
“It is Decided”
Pete is one of the biggest schemers in his group of friends. He manipulates them into ill-advised trades which benefit him and hurt their fantasy teams.
He tries to drive changes in the league and his personal life to manipulate things in his favor. After he convinces others to do so, he repeatedly uses the phrase “it is decided,” to shut down their protests.
Yobogoya!
In the universe of The League, Yobogoya is a popular fast-food restaurant. The main characters in the show seem to enjoy the food it produces, but they also describe the serious consequences that follow eating it.
Yobogoya is brought up several times in The League, almost always accompanied by a situation in which its diners get sick after eating it. The main group usually shouts the name of the restaurant in pain after feeling its after-effects.
The Shiva
The Shiva is perhaps the most prominent physical gag in The League. It is the name of the trophy winners of the league receive at the end of the season. The look of the trophy sometimes changes, like when Andre creates “The Dre.”
The trophy is adorned with an image of the league’s classmate from high school, Shivakamini Somakandarkram. Furthermore, an additional trophy for the losers, the “Sacko” is introduced to provide further humiliation for the last-place player.
“Forever Unclean”
Perhaps the most recognizable running phrase in The League comes from Ruxin but is used by many characters by the end of The League. “Forever Unclean” is spoken to underscore the grossest of the gross moments in The League.
Several people and items are referred to as “forever unclean” after being tainted in some way, including both Sofia Ruxin and Baby Geoffrey. Considering the many gross-out moments in The League, fans might say the phrase could have been used even more frequently than it is.
