I liked the league because it appeared to generate interest amongst the players. It gave new and returning players a chance to get into, or back into the game. It got players interested in the same format.
From my
perspective, I was hoping that we would have moved to TT, because it would have given me the opportunity to see how those cards worked together. This would have made me more confident to eventually move on to movie block (which by all accounts is the most popular format). Prior to playing on GCCG, i got back into LOTR around Bloodlines (after quitting at ROTEL), and did this isolated from experienced players. My playing group played several key rules incorrectly, and i only really learned to play correctly as a result of the league.
Out of interest - how is GCCG going at the moment. Has it slowed down without the league?