The Saints and others are debuting this week in what once were called exhibitions and I’m being recruited harder than a Manning offspring to join a fantasy football league before all the spots are taken. 

As I understand it, “owners” in such a league pick players from the rosters of NFL teams and compete on the basis of how those players perform during the season.

A touchdown counts so many points, a pass reception so many, etc. 

There are all sorts of leagues with all sorts of rules. Some are free with participants competing for fun; others require a fee, with participants vying for cash prizes. 

The fantasizer trying to talk me into his league says you don’t have to know anything about football, much like some real-life team owners, and I might win as much as $500. 

That sounds like the same line I got when first lured to a casino. “Just put your money in and see what happens,” so to speak.

The recruiter says having a fantasy team makes watching the 17-18 weeks of games during the season more interesting, as if I could possibly spend that many Sunday afternoons, or nights, or Monday nights, or Thursday nights doing that. 

“Why I hardly see my wife any weekend in October or November or December, with getting ready for the game, watching the game, watching other games, counting points, figuring standings, checking the waiver wire and all that,” he said.

He just got my attention.