I REALLY Miss 1st Weekend Of March Madness LV

[Greg Ambrosius]

For the first 11 years of the NFBC in Las Vegas, we held drafts on the First Weekend of March Madness. For anyone who has ever been out there during that First Weekend, they will admit that it's one of the best sporting spectacles you can attend in Las Vegas. Each game has a lot of money on the line and the folks who set the lines have every game by the nuts!!

In fact, I started the Fantasy Sports Trade Conference in 2000 and starting in 2002 we held it during March Madness, so I went there every year from 2002-14. Last year was the first year that we didn't host a live draft or conference in Las Vegas during the Opening Weekend of March Madness. It felt weird. Oh, and I was VERY sad.

I'm blaming Major League Baseball for this. They pushed the start of the season back a week and now compete with the National Championship Game on that Monday Night. They avoided that before, but apparently wanted to open the season that same day. Bummer and I don't think MLB is going back to the old schedule anytime soon.

I can speak for many who wish we could host live drafts in Las Vegas during Opening Weekend. I know several of our customers are going there next weekend and can't come back to Sin City for our drafts. We've lost a few folks because of the schedule. And this year with Easter on Sweet Sixteen weekend, it makes it even tougher.

This all brings back some good memories. When we first started the NFBC in 2004, we hosted live drafts two weeks before Opening Day. We needed the time to get back to the office, type in all of the lineups and get it live before Opening Day. In 2010 when we decided to host live drafts on two weekends, it allowed some drafters to still come for Opening Weekend of March Madness and to draft a week before Opening Day. It was the first time anyone questioned why we drafted so early for so many years.

Now that we enter all draft picks automatically on site, we can host a draft on Opening Day and have everything live that day. We've come a long way baby.

I'm not sure if we'll ever host drafts again in Las Vegas on Opening Weekend of March Madness, but I know I'm going back there again at that time some day. I love the atmosphere, the gambling in the sportsbooks and all the die-hard fans supporting their teams out there with their pocketbooks. I love it.

I'm looking forward to March Madness starting next Thursday and missing every second of it.

[cfolson]

Three Las Vegas weekends!?!? Make it so!

[Potter]

Month of March, split time between AZ and LV. Cactus League, conference tournaments, March Madness and NFBC drafts. Could it get any better?

[Sack]

Yes, if you could find a way to Turf Paradise - slacker

[Potter]

I might just swing by for the 2nd half of the card.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Nothing beats March Madness on the First Two days of Opening Round, especially when the first day is on St. Patrick's Day. Damn, do I miss not being in Las Vegas. I sure wish I could lose money betting on every game today and tomorrow. Bummer.