Looking For Feedback On Main Event Doubleheader

[Greg Ambrosius]

There is no question that our main event doubleheader worked out well this year and going foward we are ALL IN on this format. We are going to tweak some aspects of this Saturday format, but going forward you are definitely going to see the NBC Sports NFFC hosting two main events each year.

But I need your feedback on the time frame, the price structure, the prize structure, and the locations. We certainly don't have all of the answers, but I can tell you that by the first week of January we WILL have all the answers. In 2009, we want to have our web sites finalized and more organized for all of our events. We were on a short timeframe after finalizing our partnership with NBC Sports in late April this year and it definitely caused some confusion within our satellite league offerings and our live events. That won't happen in 2009, I promise.

Okay, I'm going to throw out a few questions and I'd like your feedback on some of these or all of these:

1. Was the 3+ hour time inbetween main events just right, too long or too short? From an operational standpoint we need at least 5 hours between the start time of the two events, but was 6 hours the appropriate timeframe? Why or why not?

2. Was the $1,300 cost for each main event just right or too high? Should we keep one of the events at $1,300 and one lower? If lower, at what price point (keeping in mind that it would then affect the overall prize structure)? $750 or $1,000 would be options I'd consider unless convinced otherwise.

3. If one of the events went to a lower price point, which one would you choose: NFFC Primetime (14 teams) or NFFC Classic (12 teams)? Why would you choose that one over the other main event?

4. We have exhausted our efforts to host live events in Florida for football, I believe. New Orleans was No. 1 on my list before Hurricane Gustav followed Hurricane Katrina and now that just doesn't seem like a feasible option. If we stick with four cities, which city do you believe makes the most sense for 2009? And why?

5. I'd like to find a suitable time for an NFFC Super League because I believe folks will compete in that format, but this year we shoved it in at a rough time on Sunday afternoon. Would Saturday night be an option or is that too much in one day? Would starting the NFFC Ultimate at 9 a.m. PST and the Super at noon be too much in one day??

6. The phone option that we offered this year with MockDraftCentral.com worked well as we hosted two NBC leagues with folks on the phone and the league available online as well. By allowing owners to voice their picks, there were no issues with picking wrong players online or time-out issues or computer glitches. This is a format we may consider in the future as well with travel costs likely to be high again next year. Is expanding online an okay option for NFFC participants? Again, why or why not?

You don't have to answer each question at once, so feel free to pick one and expand your thoughts. I really do want a lot of feedback so that by the end of December I have a strong consensus on what we'll be offering in 2009 and where we'll be offering those products. Thanks all.

[Greg Ambrosius]

One point I'd like to make first is that the timeframe between main events probably felt different for people in every city. Personally, in Las Vegas it was a perfect timeframe for us as we were able to get the room cleared out and ready two hours before the next event. Our facilitators, staff members and participants easily had time to eat, relax, gamble and get ready for the next event and since so many participants had hotel rooms they could easily go upstairs and get ready for the next round. In other cities where folks didn't have hotel rooms, it probably felt like a long wait inbetween drafts.

There's plenty to do in Las Vegas between drafts when the first weekend of college football is on at the sportsbook and lots of MLB games are on as well. But I'm sure it felt differently in the other cities.

[Samlawyer]

I'll chime in on a couple of points.

1. I drafted in both leagues in Chicago. I thought the 3-hour gap was too long. If you weren't staying at the hotel, you had to go kill 2.5 hours. I'd make it no more than 2 hours.
2. The entry fees were fine, but the $1M prize is nothing more than a gimmick. I think you'd generate a lot of interest by offering a prize (say, $50,000, as an example) for the guy that makes the playoffs in both leagues and totals the highest combined points.

[kjduke]

1. Was the 3+ hour time inbetween main events just right, too long or too short? From an operational standpoint we need at least 5 hours between the start time of the two events, but was 6 hours the appropriate timeframe? Why or why not?
Just Right for Vegas.

2. Was the $1,300 cost for each main event just right or too high? Should we keep one of the events at $1,300 and one lower? If lower, at what price point (keeping in mind that it would then affect the overall prize structure)? $750 or $1,000 would be options I'd consider unless convinced otherwise. As low as you can for the 12-teamer while keeping the top prize at a minimum $75k. Two-for-$2000 would be nice. (Maybe price the NBC at $800, but offer a $100 discount if you do both contests? ... this gets you to ~$750 average entry with a nice player incentive to double-dip.)

3. If one of the events went to a lower price point, which one would you choose: NFFC Primetime (14 teams) or NFFC Classic (12 teams)? Why would you choose that one over the other main event?
The classic should be the premium entry. It is the toughest league to win and the higher price point gives the best players more bang for their buck.

5. I'd like to find a suitable time for an NFFC Super League because I believe folks will compete in that format, but this year we shoved it in at a rough time on Sunday afternoon. Would Saturday night be an option or is that too much in one day? Would starting the NFFC Ultimate at 9 a.m. PST and the Super at noon be too much in one day??
I didn't do either this year, but if I did drafting at noon would be good, 9am not good.

6. The phone option that we offered this year with MockDraftCentral.com worked well as we hosted two NBC leagues with folks on the phone and the league available online as well. By allowing owners to voice their picks, there were no issues with picking wrong players online or time-out issues or computer glitches. This is a format we may consider in the future as well with travel costs likely to be high again next year. Is expanding online an okay option for NFFC participants? Again, why or why not?
I'd like to see online as a separate lower-cost option, but I wouldn't want to compete with online drafters in the live main event leagues.

[ September 10, 2008, 07:43 PM: Message edited by: KJ Duke ]

[BLACKHAND]

what about memphis as a site. casinos there and plenty to do.

[ultimatefs]

I drafted on the phone for NBC.

The guy that ran it did an excellent job, except for the fact that when someone went over the time allowed, he went "MDC auto" on the pick instead of what the rules say when that happens.

Also, the other phone draft moderator was very close to our moderator and the background noise on the phone of him running his draft was worse than hearing other draft noise/picks in the NFFC ballroom.

[BONGIZMO]

My .02.

Time between drafts should be shortened, the three and a half hour gap was brutal in Chicago. Had the facilities been less warehouse like it might have been tolerable, granted I know I have often stated I would draft in a basement, but didn't actually think I'd experience the true concrete feel for 1300 beans.

I think we were spoiled after years at the Oakbrook Marriott Greg. (I will add that the Ultimate setup this year was top notch with food, drinks and the room worked great! Was a pleasant surprise from the earlier events.)

Cost is fine although if you are looking for a lower price point to up the number of entrants, I completely agree with Duke as to which one and why.

[ September 10, 2008, 05:45 PM: Message edited by: BONGIZMO ]

[Greg Ambrosius]

Originally posted by BONGIZMO:
My .02.

Time between drafts should be shortened, the three and a half hour gap was brutal in Chicago. Had the facilities been less warehouse like it might have been tolerable, granted I know I have often stated I would draft in a basement, but didn't actually think I'd experience the true concrete feel for 1300 beans.

I think we were spoiled after years at the Oakbrook Marriott Greg. (I will add that the Ultimate setup this year was top notch with food, drinks and the room worked great! Was a pleasant surprise from the earlier events.)

Cost is fine although if you are looking for a lower price point to up the number of entrants, I completely agree with Duke as to which one and why. Yeah, I didn't expect that look and feel in Chicago as I knew we had their big ballroom but didn't expect the rest. My apologies. We have every intention of returning to a ballroom look and feel in Chicago and hope that either the Oakbrook Marriott or even the Schaumburg Renaissance can accommodate us with that. In fact, we're talking to Chicago locations now for baseball and will try to secure baseball and football in the same spot with a much more comfortable look and feel. Thanks for the input.

[Team Canada]

I'm telling you expand to Toronto!

I really think the NFL/americans underestimate the Toronto sports market it is a joke that there is 32 teams in the NFL and they didn't put one in Toronto yet we are absolutely football (NFL) crazy here and Toronto IS a top 5 North American city.
Just look at the Raptors attendance we are top 8 in attendance when we are brutal and top 5 when we are decent, and it was thought we would never make it. (right about Vancouver but 2 WAY different markets)
My point with that is football (NFL) is even more popular in this area than NBA but only we know it
So other great reasons for Toronto:
Closer to many smaller what I would think would be FF hotbeds in the states than NY or Chi.
Great airport in all ways, very easy, safe and affordable to get around without a car.
With advertisement in the most distributed mags in the area I really believe you could fill what NY does with canadians here.(probably make it easier on me )
Very close attractions include but not limited to:
Canada's Wonderland(20min) My only personal comparison is it's bigger and better then cedar point in ohio if anyone's been there.
Marineland(40min) Whale's and an amusement park!
Niagara Falls(40min) The falls are gorgeous, romantic for a date or there is TONS of haunted houses wax museum's, marvel comic museum's etc. for the kids.
Great clubs of all genres in Toronto.
Better rules on and lots of gambling,strip clubs,escort's etc if your into that
A bunch of science center's and such for the "smart kid" in the family lol.
Hockey hall of fame which actually a lot of americans bordering Toronto love. I used to listen to buffalo sports radio to hear football talk and it pissed me off how much they talked about hockey
And a lot of other things I forgot to mention


I did both drafts via phone this year and loved the break but next time I hope to be in one of the city's and think I would way rather have the extra hour to party

[kjduke]

I almost want to go to Toronto to draft now.

[ September 10, 2008, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: KJ Duke ]