Actor, comedian, podcast legend, and the newest member of Barstool Sports Michael Rapaport shares his strong, funny and sometimes offensive points of view on life, sports, music, film and everything in between on the I Am Rapaport Podcast. He has starred in Boston Public, Friends, True Romance, and more. The Dingo is the self-proclaimed king of fantasy football. He dominates the Howard Stern fantasy league and other leagues every Sunday of the fall.
I was able to chat with Michael about playing fantasy football with his sons, acting, and fatherhood.
Art Eddy: What popped into your mind when you found out that you were going to be a father for the first time?
Michael Rapaport: Excitement. Fear. Nervousness. Everything. It covers the whole gamut. It continues to cover the whole gamut as actually being one. It is a great ride. It is the unsolvable jigsaw puzzle. You never really have the answers. It is a beautiful thing and it is a blessing. Anybody who is a father knows that it is not easy. It is an everyday struggle with everyday gifts.
AE: What are some of the core values you look to instill into your kids as they grow up?
MR: Oh man. It is all the clichés. Believe in yourself. Don’t take no for an answer. Be humble. Be confident. All the things that I am trying to figure out. As a father your kid will look at you like you are perfect. As grownups we know that we are not. You just want to set your kids up to have a better chance and have a better view of things than you. You want to pass that along. Ultimately you want to pay it forward.
AE: What is the one biggest piece of advice you have for new dads?
MR: Pace yourself. Everyone is going to make mistakes as a parent. You are never going to be perfect. You try to say the right thing all the time. It is unconditional both ways. Just pace yourself and don’t be hard on yourself.
AE: What do your kids think of your many different roles on TV and in the movies?
MR: To be honest there was a certain point with my kids where I was the cool dad. Now I am just the dad. They like the sports stuff. They are really into the fantasy stuff and the NBA stuff. I am just a guy to them. I am just a dude.
AE: You said your sons got you into fantasy football. Now that you have been playing fantasy football for some time now who is the best fantasy league GM in your house?
MR: My sons and his friends will always be my guide. I have gotten to the status of senior fantasy football analyst. I can’t tell you exactly how to get that title, but I am a senior fantasy football analyst. In all seriousness my sons and their friends are the ones who made me fall in love with it. Now I am all over it. I love it. I am looking forward to mock drafts. I have been doing everything I can to prepare for the season. It is all about the dance. When you compete in fantasy football you will win some and you will lose some. It is about that dance. It is about that choreography. It is about who you are going up against week after week. You look them in the face and you take them down gently. A slow dance is a good way to beat somebody. (Both laugh.)
Life of Dad Quick Five
AE: Do you guys have a favorite family movie that you all love to watch together?
MR: Good question. It would probably be (National Lampoon’s) Vacation.
AE: Do you guys have a favorite song that you all like to sing to or dance to as a family?
MR: Man that is tough. That is a tough question man. It changes so quickly with the kids. That is a tough one. I would say the song on the drive to school would probably be Lovely Day. That is the one that comes up the most, but they are into their own thing now musically.
AE: Describe the perfect family vacation.
MR: I would say Hawaii. That was a good one. I would love to go back there. It has got everything. It is beautiful. It is warm. It is Hawaii. You can’t go wrong there.
AE: What is the most quoted line from your movies that fans say to you when they see you?
MR: In regards to movies it would probably be True Romance and Cop Land. TV would be Friends. Those are the ones that span the test of time. I have been fortunate to have been doing it for a long time. It is all over the place, but those are the ones that definitely come up a lot.
AE: If you had the first pick in your fantasy football league what position would you select? Is it quarterback, wide receiver or running back?
MR: That is a good question. Because it is such a running back heavy season for me if I had the first pick I would go with Le’Veon (Bell) or David Johnson. Then I would go wide receiver and wide receiver. That is what I would do. Get that beast running back and then just build my wide receivers. I am not going to go too running back heavy. That is the trend. As a senior fantasy football analyst one of the things that I tell people is do not follow the trend. Be a leader. Don’t get caught into the trend. I would pick a running back first and then go receiver, receiver, and receiver.
Follow Michael on Twitter at @MichaelRapaport