USA's 'Necessary Roughness' Celebrates Premiere with Soothing “Theraplay” Session!

Times Square hosts relaxing event to promote USA Network’s new psychotherapy drama with activities to confront and maintain your stress!

USA Network hosted a very special event to help promote their upcoming drama, Necessary Roughness. To coincide with the show’s premiere, airing tonight at 10/9c on USA Network, street-goers and passers-by were treated to numerous recreational activities that included sumo wrestling, a silent disco, and a free massage! The event was culminated with a special appearance by New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson!

Necessary Roughness stars Callie Thorne as Dr. Dani Santino, a Long Island psychotherapist, who successfully turns a bad-boy professional football player, played by Mehcad Brooks, into an accomplished athlete. From there, she becomes the most sought after therapist for athletes, entertainers, politicians, and other high-profile clients who are in a crisis. However, her newly found success begins to tamper her personal life as a single-mom raising two teenagers and Dani is forced to find a balance between both worlds.

It’s no doubt New Yorkers are always in search for a good way to relieve some stress — and Wednesday’s “Theraplay” session was certainly the BEST way to release your tensions. Held in the middle of Times Square, street-goers were able to walk up to a football-field printed grass-turf shadowed by the beautiful New York City sun. The first event was a sumo wrestle where pedestrians put on giant padded beige sumo-wrestler suits and got their aggression out — in a safe and fun way! If that wasn’t enough, you could let all of your anger out at “box out” by slipping into a pair of boxing gloves and beat the life out of professional punching bags!

For the pacifists among us, the Theraplay session was not all about beating out your aggression. Those in anticipation of Necessary Roughness could dance at a “silent disco” — a unique event where you put on a pair of headphones, turn on your favorite tune, and dance to your own beat! Think you have the skills to impress LaDainian Tomlinson? Attendees were able to show-off to the NY Jet at “toss it out” by throwing a football at a giant bulls-eye. LT himself took some time off from signing autographs for fans to relieve some of his own stress from the potential NFL lockout to take part in this awesome activity.

By far, the most relaxing — and my personal favorite — activity of the day was the personal massage. Whether you needed to take some time off from your personal life — or confront your stress after having recently stepped down from your congressional seat — Theraplay’s massage therapists allowed you to release all of your anxiety, fear, and tension. Once the masseuse started to gently massage my back, I immediately forgot that there were taxicabs zooming all around me. His hands synchronized to the beat of the relaxing background music and I felt like I was in another world.

If Tuesday’s Theraplay event was any indication as to how fantastic Necessary Roughness is going to be, then USA’s new show is definitely not going to disappoint. Be sure to check out the premiere tonight at 10/9c on USA Network!