Contingency Plan

Poolies,

Last night, for fun, I replied to a league that was looking for a manager to take over a team. Year two and they'd lost a manager. The team had finished last in a 10 man race in 2007-08. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it seems to me that it will be difficult to impossible to fill this vacant seat. There's no prize money. Rather than assume someone else's mess, it would make much more sense to find a seat in another league, in the event that you wanted to operate another team.

Someone said the other day that they played in 9 leagues. What do they do to ensure that there is an owner for teams like this? We're kidding ourselves if we pretend we're going to 'significantly bond'. We don't know each other. It's unlikely we'll ever meet the other members of the pool. Having bragging rights isn't the same as it is with a bunch of your regular buddies.

How do we get people to continue?

When we get a new owner in, and they're picking up a mess, do they play for free for a year while re-tooling? Even then, they'd need to be a cracker jack GM, so that they'd want to pay the next time round.

Just curious what experiences others have encountered. If we talk about them, then maybe we'll be more successful in developing a long term strategy. Should there be an escalating entry fee? $100 for 1st, $90 for second, $80 for 3rd, $70 for 4th, $60 for 5th, $50 for 6th, $40 for 7th, $30 for 8th, $20 for 9th, $10 for 10th? That generates $550. Prize structure would remain about the same. If you were trailing in the pool at least you wouldn't be questioning the monetary involvement the same way. We are employing equalization tactics with our variable protection policy. This should be good in ensuring that people return.

$75, $75, $75 $50 $50 $50 $25 $25 $25 $25 = $400

Anyway, I'd like some discussion now. Waiting until spring will create problems in getting agreement.

SCOOP n RED

I see your concern. Right now, all we have to go on is each other's word. I have been in my other league for 14 years and we basically have the same core of 10 teams for our 11 member league for entire time.

It is difficult to find new members who will commit the same amount of effort that the rest of the group does but eventually you/we will find one. Right now, I believe that my league will be together with this group for the next ten years. The reason it is that way because I don't let any funny business go on. Also we have fine tuned the categories to make it fun and competitive. That is what we have to do here also. Don't make it over-the-top. Work with what we have established now and tweak it here and there. The league will have a life of it's own and each and every one of us will be a vital part of keeping that alive. If any one of us is not good for the league, we all will know and we will remedy it.

I already know one of the guys in my league wants in, and he is as committed as I am. I would have asked him to partner up with me but I didn't want to divulge my secret analyses(muuuwaaahaaahaha!). We all kniow someone who has a passion for the game like us, that's how we make the league better.

So, I see your concern, but I know that this league has the potential to be really good. I'm in it for the long haul, that's what I pledged at the start.

Ray

I'm not sure if what I'm going to say is related in any way but I'd like to see the prize payout structure change in season 2 --but leave same for this season

by then there might be some clear seperation so it would be neat to reward (for example) the ''most improved team'' some type of reward like entry fee back (60) and perhaps a few other awards which spread the chips around a bit to keep everyone interested.

In my other league it is just a points only league, not a head-to-head like here. We use G, A, PPG, PPA, GWG, W and SO. Every week the total point winner for the week gets a weekly prize. The Year-end Category winners for G, A, PPG, PPA, W and SO gets a prize. The leftover pot gets split up 70/20/10 for first, second and third places. The top winners usually win most of the weekly awards but there are a few teams that do not come in the money at the end of the year that could possibly win something back in the form of the weekly award or a goalie category at the end of the year. So we have different ways for teams to make some money back.


So perhaps we can have category awards like I had mentioned above to give everyone a little more incentive. But like I had mentioned earlier, the league will form it's own life, let's try not to make too many cahnges right away and see what neesds fine tuning and what doesn't.

Those are my thoughts btu I agree with Butch to leave things alone for this year year at least and see how it pans out.

Ray

I've got a few suggestions for next year as well. But, again, we'll leave that for the offseason.

As for trying to keep people together. I think we just have to roll with what is given to us. If one of us leaves, they'll leave. Its hard to try and give incentives to stay, because it ends up punishing the GM who plan on staying anyways. And we don't want some guy just staying and not bieng that interested. I'm sure we'll be able to find other GMs who are interested for the long haul.

Prize structuring for this year is set. There's no reviewing this as far as I'm concerned.

It's only the future that is on my mind. A descending prize structure $150 or $200 and down - that rewards as many members as possible is the best plan by my thinking. Maybe 2nd drops to $50 or $75. Then steadily declining increments. Perhaps the playoff prize is quite small - $50.

I think I just said that the winner essentially won $10 or $15 from each of the other members, when you factor in their price to enter. Having a trophy would be a damn good idea too. It could be really cool, or absolutely ghastly. Either way, doesn't matter much. It's a fun thing. When one won it, we would have to entrust that they passed it along to the next winner (their cost).

Nutbars du Canucks
"World Championship - Fantasy Hockey League"
Then we put a pin from everyones town on the plaque.

Creating a bit of bonding, although somewhat difficult, is important. Keeping the risk/reward elements reasonable from every vantage point is important. $60 when everyone is on an even keel, isn't problematic. Its the second time through I'm thinking about.

SCOOP

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for starting a thread on this subject. As you all know, there is a stipulation in our manifesto that allows GMs to pitch ideas for change during the summer months. From those ideas Greg and I will review them all and choose anywhere from 3-5 ideas that seem of common interest to everyone and present them for voting. We'll use the league's structure as a base and tweak a few things as we go along.

It sounds like everyone is interested on changing up the prize structure a little bit, and that is something we could definitely look at next year. I am not opposed. Perhaps it will help to spread the winnings around a little bit.

As for the cost of the league discouraging GMs to continue playing, I think everyone needs to keep things in perspective here. When you think about it, $60 is really not all that much for several months of fantasy hockey entertainment. It's about equivalent to a tank of bloody gas these days, and most of us would spend more than this on gas to go away for a single weekend.

I also think the cascading feature will keep things more competative than what people think. It may take some of us rookies a couple years to catch on (like me), but I think the rule structure definitely will help to keep things uber competative.

So a GM finishes last this year? If they're savvy, they could dish off some of their high scoring vets (who they probably wouldn't keep anyway) in return for some prospects and other rebuilding pieces. This is just like the NHL cycle you see taking place. And with the prospects, they could be contending again within a year or two.

I think a savvy GM could contend every year, but I think it will be really difficult for them to win year after year. Personally, if I finish last this year, I would embrace the challenge of rebuilding. I think it would be a fun process in many ways.

Regarding Scoop's concern that we may lose the occasional GM here and there. As long as we respect one another and continue to build comraderie in a positive way, I can't imagine GMs leaving all that often. And if one does, I'm sure we can figure out a way to entice another GM to take on the rebuilding challenge by way of using incentives. Perhaps they get to pick a few guys from the free agent pool (after drops) before we have our annual September draft. Just one idea.

Lastly: Scoop's suggestion to buy a trophy. I like this idea. In my friend's pool I purchased a pewter beer stein and we've started engraving the winner's name on the mug every year. We call it the "Kancho Cup." (It's a Japanese term - look it up!)

There are all kinds of variation on this kind of thing. A similar mug could be purchased for this league, although the engraving can be a bit of a hassle. I finally found a guy here in Vancouver that does it manually and it costs around $40 a year to do that. Not sure how easy it would be to find engravers elsewhere who are willing and able. It took me about seven false starts before I found this guy in Vancouver.

I might be willing to front the cost of the mug (about $50) if the annual winner was willing to front the cost of shipping it back to me in Vancouver at the end of their title year. The annual engraving fee of around $40 could be taken out of the prize money. The money to ship the mug back to the new winner could also be taken out of the prize money. Combined, this would eat up about $50 of prizze money every year.

In any case, that is something we could vote on next year, after we know who the first winner is. I don't see any need to rush this decision.

Good day, lads.

Matt

I'm really bad with handing back trophies, lol.

That's alright. I can't see your team winning it anytime soon....

lol, nice burn. I have nothing to counter that with

Just a little joke fellers. First off, great to bring up the topic in the first place. Personally, nobody needs to worry about placing last because I will take care of that duty just fine. E.J. out. Gonchar out three months plus. Next goes Nabakov in a bizarre gardening accident I suspect, followed by Fleury who will be injured in a post game orgy.

So, I am all for spreading the prize money out and I agree we can fine tune that for next year. I like the idea of some additional prizes for weekly winners or most improved. We can all come up with some ideers and vote them through.

I agree with Matt that the cascading part of our league should help create a very interesting and competitive environment and one that will keep GMs coming back for more.

The trophy is a good idea as well. We do not have one in my other league, but rather another form of gratification. Oral sex. Not sure if we want to introduce that or not here. We can vote I guess. Sure gives one some extra incentive not to finish last I tell ya.

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Greg, respond to my PM

lol, it's all good

I'd settle for a photo of the trophy displaying the fresh engraving of said champion as opposed to having it shipped all over the place.

Someone told me that Matt has a big 100 year old oak tree in his front yard. I'll root around and find some kid wanting to make his mark on this planet. He'll chainsaw the Stanley Cup out of Matt's tree. Then every year we can get our team and name chiselled into the Stanley Cup in Matt's front yard. This is one of the duties of a commish? Isn't it?

(Actually, I entered a Stanley Cup I made in a contest last year. That's how we got to go see Ovy. It's birch and cost about $300-$400 to make. It took 60 or 80 hours. My first wood lathe project since high school. Anyway, we lost to some cat that chainsawed the Stanley into a dead tree in his front yard. He lived in Windsor and won tickets to see a Stanley Cup finals game to the closest city in the final. Including airfare. We were a finalist. Let's see Windsor/Detroit... Yup those two cities touch!)

Butch has a point. Maybe we just take a hockey stick. One of those kiddy $10 wooden jobbies. Straight blade. Get a little plaque made to go on the blade that says Nutbars Du Canucks. Then every year the winner gets a picture of Matt holding the Championship Stick with the new plaque. Cost for engraving will be 15 or 20 cents a letter. We gave out a Capn' Crunch Award a few years back for our mens team. Best Hit. Box of cereal on a board. Didn't cost bugger all. Pick out a box of "Nutbars". I'd hang the pic on the wall of fame in the event we ever managed to secure it.

Anyway. Hab a great day! (a little something for Jay!)

SCOOP n RED

I think Butch's idea is a good one. If we can decide on a token "stanley cup" to use, I could keep it here in Vancouver and take a picture of it every year with the new engraving on it. That might be the easiest way to do things.

As for potential trophies/cups/awards/plaques. So many options.

If we wanted to get really fancy, I recently saw a large Stanley Cup shaped trophy (a slightly smaller version of the real thing) that was pretty sweet. It cost around $250 though, so it would mean all of us chipping in $25 if we wanted to go with the luxury model. I'd be willing to do that, but we'd need pretty much everyone on board if we were going to get that fancy.

A second option I like is the pewter beer stein that I use for my friend's league. It's about $40 to $50 (if I recall correctly).

I'm imagining it would cost roughly the same to engrave the person's name on the trophy every year, around $40 to $50.

So the fancy version would cost around $25 each for the first year, and then about $5 each for every year afterwards, which we could either add on top of the $60 annula fee or take out of the prizze money.

The less fancy version would cost around $5 each the first year and another $5 each on top of that for the engraving.

The third version would be for something really simple like Scoop suggests.

Place your comments here if you have 'em.

cheaper version for me plz

I myself don't really feel like a trophy is all that necessary but I don't want to be a party pooper so to speak, so in that case I am all for the cheapest option.
Signed,
Lame-O

It's a fun idea. But nothing I'd want to invest money in. An ultra cheap version would just be to go into espn's system and create a trophy

Okay, that gives me a pretty good idea where people stand. We'll see if we can rig up something cheap (or free). Sounds from Scoop's email like he might have something up his shin pad.

I'm certain if I have some time to review the trophy idea carefully I'll come up with something. No cost. It should be good. A lot of trophies booting around here. Probably something that could be remade up. A bit of sandpaper and a new coat of varathane. I would like to see some little ways attended to that help make us a special group. A group that we all really want to continue to play in and have fun in. It's been a great start!

SCOOP n RED