Suggestions For 2013 NFFC Classic

[ForLoveOfTheGame]

I imagine I did more Classic teams than anyone else this year and it wasn't close. I can say the reason I did all those teams was because of the REALISTIC chance at the grand prize. Every other contest is doubling the entrees every year and turning into total lotteries while Classic gives you a VERY realistic chance at 1 in 54. You should advertise it AS THAT, the last contest in the world (or so it feels like) with a REALISTIC chance to win!!! You add a 4th team to the playoffs and you can put me down for 0 teams next year. Sorry, I normally NEVER/HATE to say things like that, but it's the truth. Greg has the numbers to prove the 4th place team finishes CRAZY far behind the 1st place team and since your average that you start with in the playoffs is barely a lead at all a 4th place team will win the grand prize very quickly. That does not sound fun to me. One of my Classic leagues would have had a wild card team in if we ended after 12 weeks and isn't this only the first year there hasn't been a wild card team? Aren't we over reacting to one season? Not that I'm opposed to upping the wild card percent a tad

Might not be anything wrong with having a contest with realistic odds that doesn't double in size every year (especially considering Online and Primetime are going to continue to explode)... you'd have the only realistic grand prize in town along with (and I'm proof of this) all you have to do is get someone in the door and next thing you know they are signing up for every league! LOL!

[JETS SB]

I imagine I did more Classic teams than anyone else this year and it wasn't close. I can say the reason I did all those teams was because of the REALISTIC chance at the grand prize. Every other contest is doubling the entrees every year and turning into total lotteries while Classic gives you a VERY realistic chance at 1 in 54. You should advertise it AS THAT, the last contest in the world (or so it feels like) with a REALISTIC chance to win!!! You add a 4th team to the playoffs and you can put me down for 0 teams next year. Sorry, I normally NEVER/HATE to say things like that, but it's the truth. Greg has the numbers to prove the 4th place team finishes CRAZY far behind the 1st place team and since your average that you start with in the playoffs is barely a lead at all a 4th place team will win the grand prize very quickly. That does not sound fun to me. One of my Classic leagues would have had a wild card team in if we ended after 12 weeks and isn't this only the first year there hasn't been a wild card team? Aren't we over reacting to one season? Not that I'm opposed to upping the wild card percent a tad

Might not be anything wrong with having a contest with realistic odds that doesn't double in size every year (especially considering Online and Primetime are going to continue to explode)... you'd have the only realistic grand prize in town along with (and I'm proof of this) all you have to do is get someone in the door and next thing you know they are signing up for every league! LOL!

Ok, so they add 18 teams into the overall Championship pool and you are not going to join the Classic next year?

[ForLoveOfTheGame]

You said that adding more playoff teams is what makes the leagues grow so much so I figured it was going to get a lot more teams like you suggested... so you cant say 18 teams if your taking your first stance... instead of 18 leagues it'll be maybe 23-25 so now we're at 92-100 teams all of a sudden instead of 54, that's half the chance it use to be. Then in 2014 we have 30+ leagues and it's 120+ right? More each year with the 4 playoff teams making more teams sign up according to you

[JETS SB]

You said that adding more playoff teams is what makes the leagues grow so much so I figured it was going to get a lot more teams like you suggested... so you cant say 18 teams if your taking your first stance... instead of 18 leagues it'll be maybe 23-25 so now we're at 92-100 teams all of a sudden instead of 54, that's half the chance it use to be. Then in 2014 we have 30+ leagues and it's 120+ right? More each year with the 4 playoff teams making more teams sign up according to you

Greg and Tom are barely making money on the Classic (if at all), as it stands right now. Look at the numbers. They have to grow it to a higher amount of leagues.... That is a good thing. In your theory, lets keep it small.... that will not help keep the Classic as a viable contest, if it barely makes money each year. He asked for ways to help the Classic grow. My point was to help grow the contest.

[ForLoveOfTheGame]

Oh and actually adding a 4th place team into the playoffs in Classic adds 0 money to the prize pool so you're looking at 54+18=72 so 1 in 72 at $75,000 or Primetime where its something like 1 in 107 at $150,000?

That's a definite Primetime > Classic for me. But that's just my opinion! No big deal if others are different (which they are)

[JETS SB]

Your theory doesnt make sense. In the Primetime, there are 420 teams and 35 leagues. That is not a 1 in 105 chance to win $150,000. That is 1 in 420 to win $150,000. It is 1 in 105 AFTER you make the overall playoffs. You have to make the playoffs first, which isn't easy.

The Classic has 18 leagues. The odds of 1 in 54 are AFTER you make the playoffs. Raise the amount of leagues and then they can raise the grand prize. If you want to raise the grand prize, you need more teams. To get more teams, they need enticement. What better way than to offer a $100,000 or more grand prize and an easier road to get that chance. The more teams that sign up regularly, the higher the prizes they can offer. So its not as easy to just compare 1 in 105 and 1 in 54. If its 1 in 72 and its easier to be in that top 72 and the system is more favorable for the top teams, I would rather have that option.

Just my opinion.

[chriseibl]

Your theory doesnt make sense. In the Primetime, there are 420 teams and 35 leagues. That is not a 1 in 105 chance to win $150,000. That is 1 in 420 to win $150,000. It is 1 in 105 AFTER you make the overall playoffs. You have to make the playoffs first, which isn't easy.

The Classic has 18 leagues. The odds of 1 in 54 are AFTER you make the playoffs. Raise the amount of leagues and then they can raise the grand prize. If you want to raise the grand prize, you need more teams. To get more teams, they need enticement. What better way than to offer a $100,000 or more grand prize and an easier road to get that chance. The more teams that sign up regularly, the higher the prizes they can offer. So its not as easy to just compare 1 in 105 and 1 in 54. If its 1 in 72 and its easier to be in that top 72 and the system is more favorable for the top teams, I would rather have that option.

Just my opinion.

It might be perceived differently though by someone who perceives the ability to make the playoffs as a skill (which has been debated on this board but regardless of where you stand, there are many customers who firmly believe that it is) but that the playoff 3 week sprint is more luck based. I am one of those people, and while I don't know Jared and can't speak for him, I imagine someone who makes the playoffs as often as he does feels the same way.

Chris

[ForLoveOfTheGame]

I don't have any problem getting into the playoffs with the current format so it's worse odds for me. I have a team that got 5th in Classic and lost to the 4th place team by 1.5 points. As soon as you let 4 teams in then the following year that'll happen to a few teams and then we'll have to have a discussion about letting 5 teams in.

100% agree Chris. I can't possibly express into words how much I think this game is skill (but yes, some luck is involved... Andrew Luck!!! Lol, terrible joke, sorry!) I can honestly say I now never expect to win an Online Championship title like I started trying to do so many years ago doing (at other sites before I found this one). If I do I'll chalk it up as complete luck even with the number of teams I do because beating 367 teams in the playoffs alone might as well be statistically impossible for me... AND it's only going to get worse, probably 500 teams in the Online Championship Playoffs next year. Classic is SOOOOO realistic at the moment and Primetime isn't too bad either but Primetime looks set to explode to me, probably at least $200,000 grand prize next year is my guess

My whole life it's been reward the elite so maybe that's why I'm all for how it is. I can't believe how everyone wants (and gets) a ribbon these days...

[Sandman62]

I don't have any problem getting into the playoffs with the current format so it's worse odds for me. I have a team that got 5th in Classic and lost to the 4th place team by 1.5 points. As soon as you let 4 teams in then the following year that'll happen to a few teams and then we'll have to have a discussion about letting 5 teams in.

That's why I suggested not arbitrarily trying to let a 4th team in (or a 3rd when H2H isn't top-2), but instead just let in any teams within a close-range percentage of the last points-based team that made it. So whether it was the 2nd or 3rd high scorer, however many other teams were within a close "bubble" range would also make it. It could mean 4 teams, or even 5 or 6 if there were enough who were close enough to the last team that they pretty much deserved it as much as that last points-based team.

[JETS SB]

I don't see how this contest can grow to a $200,000 grand prize (though I hope it does, since I am in it every year), if we leave the status quo. I believe changes need to be made, in order to appeal to a higher amount of people. The contest has decreased in size over the past few years and part of the blame is that the Primetime has become much more popular, with the 12 team format. Still, I believe, in a 14 team format, you need to reward, at the very least, the 3 best teams in every league and that means, at the very least, awarding the top 3 points teams in every league, regardless. If the H2H team is one of the three, then you don't need to add another playoff position.

Although I don't necessarily agree with everything Sandman says, at least he has thoughts and ideas, which is what I thought this column was about. Agree or disagree with either of us, that's fine. I think most of us would love to have a $200,000 grand prize in the classic. But realisticly, in order to grow that big or even back to $100,000 again, we need to individualize the Classic as a different animal and make it appealing to the masses by allowing more teams the chance to win the big prize.

Increasing the roster size to 20 players from 19 isn't going to be tweeted anytime soon.