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

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:09 am

Rob, what's good for the NFFC is good for everyone in all of our events. The more success we have the more we can grow and expand what we're offering. Case in point - eight cities for 2010 and the industry's first national auction and draft champion championships. If you feel slighted we didn't have a 14-team Online Championship format I'm sorry you feel that way. I mean that. However, we did create a successful event and so radically altering it as you and a few others are requesting doesn't make good business sense. I think Greg and I have explained the reasons why very thoroughly.

None of this means we don't want to have a 14-team Online Championship or won't ever have one. But I will again ask for people to go back to my questions and look at Question No. 1 and answer that for me because, in my opinion, it strikes at the heart of the issue. We had 512 teams in the Online Championship last year and this year we're projecting 600. So let's say we have three possible scenarios. You tell me which you think is the one has the best chance of happening?

1. 12-team format with 600 teams/14-team format with 600 teams.

2. 12-team format with 300 teams/14-team format with 300 teams

3. 12 team format with 400 teams/14-team format with 200 teams

Those aren't the only possibilities obviously but for the sake of discussion you all tell us which of those you think stands the most realistic chance of happening?

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:27 am

Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:
and the industry's first national auction and draft champion championships. Not the first, Tom. WCOFF has been running a national 1K auction championship since 2008. I believe WCOFF has also run a DC championship for the past couple of years.

However, you are correct that NFFC was the first to run multiple cities for the same grand prize.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:30 am

Originally posted by Tamuscarecrow:
You would be changing it back to what the NFFC has been and stood for for the last 6 years, Tom. Don't know where you've been, podnah. Bang your head this weekend and are feeling a little amnesia?

Guys, this discussion is great and even our competitors are loving this!!

Trust me, they've told us.

But honestly, if all I wanted to do was monetize from the 300 or so 14-team die-hards I'd create every contest as just 14 teams. We'd have our own little niche to ourselves and DOMINATE!! As it is, we do have this 14-team niche to our own and we have more 14-team unique offerings than ever before with the Auction, DC, Super and Ultimate. As for online, I think most will agree that even our 14-team satellite business dropped the last two years when a million dollar contest arrived, so we're evaluating that area of the business too.

As I've said before, my goal is to add to the group we have here and we believe that the 12-team online contest is the way to go. We added 200+ new members to the NFFC last year through that contest and we hope some of them advance to the live events this year. If other contests have copied our format and price point and bring in new players to the high-stakes model it just helps everyone. We need new players in our contest and we need our die-hard players remaining with us and that's sometimes a delicate balance. By switching the NFFC Online Championship to 14 teams it's quite possible that we'd undercut the NFFC Classic as folks went with the cheaper option and the online over live, which is something I don't want. So while I trust we could get 300+ teams in a 14-team Online Championship format, I'm not sure we'd be adding a lot of new participants or helping the Classic.

Honestly, our Online Championship has a much better payout than last year, we're rewarding first and second place league prizes with more money and the overall is $50,000 compared to $30,000 last year. I know it's 12 teams, but more people in the country are playing 12 teams than 14 teams and we believe this will appeal to the masses. Again, in time we hope those folks enjoy the NFFC experience so much that they transfer over to the Classic and our other live 14-team events and help us maintain those events.

And next year, if everyone in the Classic wants a 14-team Online Championship we'll do it. We'll monetize you folks more if that's what you want.

Heck, maybe even this year if needed.

But my primary goal is to bring in new players and that's why we went with 12 teams again and hope to increase from 512 teams to 600. Hopefully you can appreciate the plan.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:43 am

Originally posted by King of Queens:
quote:Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:
and the industry's first national auction and draft champion championships. Not the first, Tom. WCOFF has been running a national 1K auction championship since 2008. I believe WCOFF has also run a DC championship for the past couple of years.

However, you are correct that NFFC was the first to run multiple cities for the same grand prize. [/QUOTE]Good catch, Glenn. Second.

No offense meant to our friends at WCOFF. Just an oversight on our part. Sorry about that.

renman · Post by **renman** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:48 am

Originally posted by Tamuscarecrow:
I would like to see each team walk up to the table where all of the player stickers are, pick out their next pick, and stick it on the board themselves with no announcement. Owners can sit on the inside of the U-shape or reconfigure the tables for easy access to the draft board. This would alleviate the player announcements throughout the draft room that p*ss me off. If you don't like this approach to noise control, then have each owner write down their next pick and hand it to the draft moderator/timer with no announcement.

Have the draft worked by 2 people, one moderator/timer and one computer input person loading a laptop with the draft in EXCEL format to download to CD and to email to all league owners in that league by, say, Tuesday. It would be much easier for FANBALL to download CD's to league boards than to manually input. Two points I would like to make.

1- This is what I mean by discussing things that can make the DRAFT DAY EXPERIENCE more interesting for "little expense." I am not saying the discussion about how the overall NFFC is constructed regarding 14 team and 12 team formats or live/online/DC/Auction events etc, isn't worthy to have. But I would enjoy reading innovative ideas from smart, savvy, experienced fantasy players on things (even little things) that can improve the draft day experience.

2- I kind of like this idea. It might make the drafts take a little longer but who cares? We wait ALL YEAR for the draft, why would we be in a rush to fly through it?

[ June 08, 2010, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: Renman ]

TamuScarecrow · Post by **TamuScarecrow** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:44 am

Just imagine, RENMAN, how much quieter the draft would be and the feeling of privacy you would have in a room full of people. I wouldn't feel as though 5 other leagues worth of owners were listening in on my draft and vice versa. Thinking and discussions with your partner would be a whole lot easier as well.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:49 am

It's an interesting idea Rick. Personally, I like the "announcement" aspect. It makes it feel like a real live draft. But that's just me.

BillyWaz · Post by **BillyWaz** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:06 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:
quote:Originally posted by Tamuscarecrow:
You would be changing it back to what the NFFC has been and stood for for the last 6 years, Tom. Don't know where you've been, podnah. Bang your head this weekend and are feeling a little amnesia?

Honestly, our Online Championship has a much better payout than last year, we're rewarding first and second place league prizes with more money and the overall is $50,000 compared to $30,000 last year. [/QUOTE]I agree 100% that the payout is better (better than ANY other 12 team online championship as a matter of fact).

My question is if for some reason you only get 300-400 participants, are the $50,000 grand prize and league prizes GUARANTEED???

If so, my check will be in the mail tomorrow!

BillyWaz · Post by **BillyWaz** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:08 am

Originally posted by Tamuscarecrow:
Just imagine, RENMAN, how much quieter the draft would be and the feeling of privacy you would have in a room full of people. I wouldn't feel as though 5 other leagues worth of owners were listening in on my draft and vice versa. Thinking and discussions with your partner would be a whole lot easier as well. Rick,

If you aren't a fan of "excess noise" you mighta killed someone in Chicago last year!

I imagine that problem has already been taken care of for this year.

[ June 08, 2010, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: BillyWaz ]