Idea's to improve the NFFC experience - for little expense.

Sandman62 · Post by **Sandman62** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:12 pm

Regarding the people who give up... I don't know if this has ever been considered or if it'd even work, but what about collecting an extra $100 from each team as a DEPOSIT, to be returned at the end of the year as long at the owner didn't quit managing his lineup? It would create more paperwork for Greg/Tom, but might it offer a more "iron-clad" integrity guarantee. Just a thought.

TamuScarecrow · Post by **TamuScarecrow** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:49 pm

Glenneration Z, for 2-3 hours on draft day, I'm not thinking about having a fricking party. I'm focusing on winning the $100k and I really don't give a rat's rump who everyone else in the building is drafting. Those who know me know I will party hardy before the draft, I will party hardy after the draft, but during the draft, I prefer the league I'm in to be in its own little world FREE OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCES. I've drafted in 3 cities and have met a bunch of really great people in this league I don't mind calling my friends.

I've been in stacked leagues where 90% of the owners knew what they were doing. I've been in leagues where Greg was sitting someone next to me on draft day who showed up that morning who wasn't even signed up and had NO material to draft with. Nothing p*sses me off more than to be sitting on a sleeper pick in the 12th round and hearing the draft next to me holler out that sleeper as "dead money" in my league is sitting there lost with 15 seconds left on the clock. Next thing you know, you're hearing this player's name go off like an echo in the room. The veterans on this thread know exactly what I'm talking about here and the newbies don't.

This thread was started to give recommendations to improve the draft and I've given mine. They are free and the problem is real. Whether or not something gets changed isn't going to deter me from being at a live draft as I prefer seeing eyes over a computer screen and have plenty of friends to hook up with.

Glenneration X · Post by **Glenneration X** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:14 pm

Originally posted by Tamuscarecrow:
Glenneration Z, for 2-3 hours on draft day, I'm not thinking about having a fricking party. I'm focusing on winning the $100k and I really don't give a rat's rump who everyone else in the building is drafting. Those who know me know I will party hardy before the draft, I will party hardy after the draft, but during the draft, I prefer the league I'm in to be in its own little world FREE OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCES. I've drafted in 3 cities and have met a bunch of really great people in this league I don't mind calling my friends.

I've been in stacked leagues where 90% of the owners knew what they were doing. I've been in leagues where Greg was sitting someone next to me on draft day who showed up that morning who wasn't even signed up and had NO material to draft with. Nothing p*sses me off more than to be sitting on a sleeper pick in the 12th round and hearing the draft next to me holler out that sleeper as "dead money" in my league is sitting there lost with 15 seconds left on the clock. Next thing you know, you're hearing this player's name go off like an echo in the room. The veterans on this thread know exactly what I'm talking about here and the newbies don't.

This thread was started to give recommendations to improve the draft and I've given mine. They are free and the problem is real. Whether or not something gets changed isn't going to deter me from being at a live draft as I prefer seeing eyes over a computer screen and have plenty of friends to hook up with. I understood your point the first time you made it.

I'll now restate my point that one of the drawing cards of the live draft experience for me is the event atmosphere (or "party" as you called it). I'm confident that I take the draft itself just as seriously as you do and my focus on the 100K is just as strong. I just don't need to draft in a library setting to keep it.

Good luck to you in your leagues this year. It should be a lot of fun.

Glenn

PS....Oh and Greg, Tom, please sit me in a league next to Glen Schroeter's. I'd like to listen in on his picks before making mine. Thanks much.

Glenneration X · Post by **Glenneration X** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:17 pm

Originally posted by Rob B:
I agree with Glenn and we should congratulate him on his great baseball start. Glenn-X has game folks, you have been warned. Good luck the rest of the way in roundball. Getting kudos from an overall champion. Hopefully I can actually accomplish something to deserve them.

Thanks Champ....I appreciate the kind words.

Glenn

mikeybok · Post by **mikeybok** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:32 am

Let me help.

Rick is not wanting a quiet experience. He just doesn't want to be affected by picks from other leagues. He wants a lively fun draft ... when he has been in my drafts ... he gives and takes crap with the best. He just doesn't want the spill over from other drafts. I see his point.

Big Mike

TamuScarecrow · Post by **TamuScarecrow** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:50 am

Time for NY/CHI Grudge Match #3, Big Mike.

Ted's Cracked Head · Post by **Ted's Cracked Head** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:59 am

Nobody likes the spillover factor and I think that most of us who have been at these events for several years know that it can impact our drafts when we hear a name called out at another table.

This conversation does bring up a great point though and begs a few questions:

I think the advancement of technology could easily deliver a sterile environment as soon as this year if they wanted to make it happen. By this I mean, large screen TVs and wired/wireless hookups with each league having its own passwords and connectivity. The IPad is the tool for this and I have "people" who could make it happen.

I have given this a ton of thought but now wonder if it is the path we really want.

Do we want an environment where:

Each owner can use his/her laptop or Ipad, connected to the hub to make their picks that would be shown on a large display. Owners without these tools could submit their picks the old fashioned way and the facilitator could enter them into the system.

The leagues would be entered on the fly and available for viewing by all immediately after the drafts are complete.

Copies would be printed at the Master Table and you could have one in hand as you walk the room and view the boards and talk some serious BS.

Here is the main question: Would a more sterile environment enhance or stifle the Live Draft Experience that we love?

I was all for it until we started this discussion and I considered what the end product could do to the "experience". I am now torn by the possibility that the rooms could be quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Any thoughts?

TamuScarecrow · Post by **TamuScarecrow** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:33 am

The only noise we are talking about doing away with here, Rob, is the announcing of draft picks which I view as an unnecessary OUTSIDE INFLUENCE on live drafts. I didn't know having lots of noise during a draft was such a decision maker for people attending a live draft.

I love your idea about big screens and laptops hooked up to a hub/server. Tom has stated earlier in the thread he supports this idea immensely if affordable. Maybe doing this in one city this year as a test run would be a path forward for future years for both cost and efficiency.

Ted's Cracked Head · Post by **Ted's Cracked Head** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:42 am

Rick,

I know the environment would not literally be sterile but it would be awful quiet as owners focus more on the software than the board and even those around them.

Owners using their laptops/Ipads would not even need to look at the big board as the program would function as if they are drafting online while being in the big room.

BONGIZMO · Post by **BONGIZMO** » Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:59 am

My concern is that if you make the live event have a feel too much like that of an online draft, one runs the risk of more people saving the coin of travel, rooms etc. and simply drafting from home.

Should this occur, you might run the risk of cannibalizing the live events and creating a self fulfilling prophecy where the overall event eventually is more feasible to just be held online which in turn would effectively 'kill' the feel of the NFFC being an event imo.