The NFBC In New York In 2010

[Top Dawg]

Greg,



I live about 60 miles from NYC and about 60 miles from Atlantic City. The first few years I drove my car into NYC and paid a fortune to park. I got "wise" with age and started taking the bus the past 2 years. Easy and only $22 round trip.



I have also done that "other" league for football in AC. Not as easy, but still not too bad. Parking is reasonable and hotels are not bad either.



I would not travel any further than the 60 miles I am doing now. So, notherern Jersey (Meadowlands, Woodbridge, Shandlers hotel) etc, are simply fine with me as are AC and NYC.



Boston, further north, etc - not going to happen. But the phone league would be an option. In fact if all I do for football is the $750 12-team league, it might be the phone option.



Pete

[Greg Ambrosius]

Originally posted by ZackPhilly:

You mentioned not being able to work with either NY Teams in the use of their stadium, and I understand it comes down to costs.



Although I should take your word for it, the CitiField portion of the Mets page specifically notes hosting events (I don't know why they would care where the $ comes from, even if the politics are sticky).



Option 1 - MLB Network Studios:

I don't know their full setup, but MLB Network has 9,600 square feet for Studio 42 in Seacaucus, and I can't think of anything cooler than drafting there (besides one of the stadiums).

Website states: "Public relations inquiries:

Please contact Raquel Ramos: [email protected] 201-520-6400"





Option 2A - Citi Field:



From Website:

CITI FIELD BUSINESS CENTER & AUDITORIUM

The perfect location for a company retreat is the Citi Field Auditorium and Business Center. The 150-seat Auditorium features plush, theater-style seats, a stage, and state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment. Together with the Citi Business Center, which is fully equipped with wireless internet, printers, a copy/fax machine, and outlets to charge personal electronic devices there is no better location to hold your company's next business meeting. For more information on please call Heather Collamore at 718-803-4032." (maybe e-mail contactable at [email protected] )



Plus all the club level and box's etc.



Option 2B - Yankee Stadium:

From the website "Please continue to check back at yankees.com for more information regarding Events at Yankee Stadium.



For more information, please contact Gina Chindemi at 718-579-4416 or e-mail [email protected]"



Also remember that new stadiums have restaurants or Museums at either location that may be interested in a draw or be able to accommodate the NFBC.



I know many of the newer stadiums have offered hosting fantasy baseball drafts (Cleveland, Philly), some even in the visiting clubhouses.



I understand I don't know the depth of the back story, but I implore you not to disregard these possibilities. They seem far superior to the hotel ballroom. If you have done your due diligence, thank you, for that is what I ask. In fact, I will contact these places under my corporate job to see what info. I can get.



Thanks for all the good work the NFBC team does. Thanks Zach. You misunderstood me, I didn't say it was costs that prevented MLB from hosting any fantasy event. It's a bigger issue than that.



Yeah, this sounds great, but 9,000 square feet won't get it done for the NFBC on the East Coast. We need at least 12,000 square feet and hopefully 15,000 square feet. I guess we could pack you folks on top of each other with each league crammed together, but it wouldn't be the same experience.



Trust me, we're looking at everything now. We have staff looking at Manhattan right now and we'll know more shortly. Anything outside of the Manhattan area will be done as close to the city as possible. And in this economy, I have a feeling that we'll find something sooner rather than later.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Originally posted by Sack:

Greg:



I'll always look to Vegas first for the baseball season. However, looking at how I'll approach the upcoming football season will help me best answer what you are looking for in regard to NYC for the NFBC in 2010.





I've lived my whole life within a fifteen minute ride of Manhatten. I've had experience both driving into the city and taking public transportation. The trip into the city is ALWAYS more expensive and quite a battle for even a person with a working knowledge of the area. After two years of this trip for the NFFC, I just didn't want to make the trek. I'm actually seriously considering the PHONE option for the NFFC Main Event to avoid this hassle. This is quite a shame, because to me, walking into the draft room and experiencing the Draft Live WILL bring people back. I've paid anywhere from $50 - $100 each day just to park my car. If you hold events 2-3 days, it just isn't feasible to make each event. I tried staying over, but the hotel costs are enormous.



The solution to me, as you requested, was to stay in the vicinity of NYC. Take a page from the NY Football teams, the GIANTS and the JETS. Start in Northern NJ ( Bergen County ) and work South towards Atlantic City.





I believe Edelman23 brought up the Shandler Forum. Excellent location that is easy to reach from many of the major airports and off the Garden State Parkway. Moving South, the area of Secaucus, NJ is now home to the MLB station for a reason. Close to the Meadowlands, it also has convienance of the airports and plenty of hotels in the surrounding area that are reasonably priced. Woodbridge NJ is a little further south, but once again is strong in hotel space and easy to reach from both the major roads and airports. Finally, you have Atlantic City. I've attended football drafts here and they have gone very well. However, it is out of the way from most of the major airports and the you can't wager of the basketball games ( March Madness ) in any of the casinos. So AC will never hold the same March appeal as Vegas.





So, for the sake of the event - keep it close to the NYC area and make it easy to get in/out and take out the big city hassle.



I rank them:



Secaucus NJ / Meadowlands Area



Saddle Brook NJ ( Bergen County )



Woodbridge NJ ( the longshot - but don't ignore this spot - probably the best price for both you and your target )



Atlantic City





I doubt your time in NYC for the NFL draft will leave much free time, but three of the locations are within an easy drive from where you'll be staying next week if you wanted to scout out the areas mentioned. Atlantic City would be a distance - same thing those of us deciding on attending would be faced with if that was the area picked to host. Sounds good Kenny and we'll talk about all of this next weekend, including making sure you and Chip are at a LIVE NFFC draft!!! I'm familiar with Secaucus and that area, but the key is finding a hotel with the big space and the availability. We can look into it now and know what the status is by this time next week. I know I checked the Meadowlands in the past and I think there was only one or two options with the type of space we needed for the Saturday main event. But I'll check again and have an update by next Saturday. See ya at Blondie's for the NFL Draft.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Just a heads up that next Saturday myself, KOQ, Sack, Shawn Childs and many other NFFC members are going to assemble at Blondie's in Manhattan for the NFL Draft. We're hooking up at 2:00 to watch some baseball and will be hanging out until later that night. Stop by if you'd like to see some familiar faces, including mine!!

[Gordon Gekko II]

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

Just a heads up that next Saturday myself, KOQ, Sack, Shawn Childs and many other NFFC members are going to assemble at Blondie's in Manhattan for the NFL Draft. We're hooking up at 2:00 to watch some baseball and will be hanging out until later that night. Stop by if you'd like to see some familiar faces, including mine!! sorry i can't make it. i'll be in Happy Valley watching the Blue-White game and enjoying the Penn State nightlife.



Have fun guys!

[poopy tooth]

Greg,



As far as NY, here are some points to consider...



1. Most people are commuters, so a hotel by the airport would make it more difficult to get to.



2. Obviously, you will not be able to please everyone, those north of the city will not like going past the city and the south wouldn't want to go north. You will lose some players if you move it out of the city, as commuting will be difficult for some.



3. NYC, while nice, doesn't offer the same nightlife as Vegas, so I think the idea of staying the weekend isn;t as interesting and those who do want to play in auctions, main, etc, often commute back and forth.



I live in Central Jersey, and to be honest, NYC is easier than Manhattan for me.



It seems like every location, outside of Vegas has a tough time filling non-main event leagues.



Why not consider he live online for the auctions and supers, etc and just do the main event in the city? It may cut down on some expenses for you.



I did the online this year and it was an excellent alternative. Sure, you miss the excitement of hanging out with everyone, but I would love a chance to participate in the Friday auctions and hopefully, there would be enough interest for an Ultamite auction, like in Vegas, but online for those who can't make it out to Vegas.



Just do the main in NYC and the others online.



I think the online will continue to grow and allow people a chance to play in all league types.



Good luck, I know everything in Manhattan is outrageous and no matter what, some people won't be happy. I'm sure whatever you decide will work.

[Spyhunter]

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

Just a heads up that next Saturday myself, KOQ, Sack, Shawn Childs and many other NFFC members are going to assemble at Blondie's in Manhattan for the NFL Draft. We're hooking up at 2:00 to watch some baseball and will be hanging out until later that night. Stop by if you'd like to see some familiar faces, including mine!! Damn, I used to live on 79th and Amersterdam!



Anyway, I know it is 'cheap' but what about the Milford Plaza?

[Red Sox Nation]

Originally posted by poopy tooth:

Greg,



As far as NY, here are some points to consider...



1. Most people are commuters, so a hotel by the airport would make it more difficult to get to.



2. Obviously, you will not be able to please everyone, those north of the city will not like going past the city and the south wouldn't want to go north. You will lose some players if you move it out of the city, as commuting will be difficult for some.



3. NYC, while nice, doesn't offer the same nightlife as Vegas, so I think the idea of staying the weekend isn;t as interesting and those who do want to play in auctions, main, etc, often commute back and forth.



I live in Central Jersey, and to be honest, NYC is easier than Manhattan for me.



It seems like every location, outside of Vegas has a tough time filling non-main event leagues.



Why not consider he live online for the auctions and supers, etc and just do the main event in the city? It may cut down on some expenses for you.



I did the online this year and it was an excellent alternative. Sure, you miss the excitement of hanging out with everyone, but I would love a chance to participate in the Friday auctions and hopefully, there would be enough interest for an Ultamite auction, like in Vegas, but online for those who can't make it out to Vegas.



Just do the main in NYC and the others online.



I think the online will continue to grow and allow people a chance to play in all league types.



Good luck, I know everything in Manhattan is outrageous and no matter what, some people won't be happy. I'm sure whatever you decide will work. Poopy - some good points here but I have to disagree on the online auction and super/ultimate idea in NY. I would never do either over the phone. It's tough enough to follow an auction in person - I can't imagine being on the phone for one. I'm a big fan of the live drafts in person. Unless someone comes to my house with a draft board and puts up stickers I would not enter anything online with big money on the line.

[Glenneration X]

Greg....one big thing to consider in your thought process while deciding what to do next year...

new signups.





This is my first year in the NFBC and the high stakes live draft experience is something that I enjoyed tremendously and will definitely do again no matter where it is.



However, I'm not sure I would have signed up for this first time if it weren't in New York. There's something about going to the biggest city in the world for a huge event like this. I'm not sure having a huge event in "Secaucus" would have carried the same weight.



I think the "big city" location is part of the attraction for new members. I'm not sure what kind of turnover you have each year or how many new members you figure you need to attract each year to sell out or grow to the levels you anticipate each year. However, I'm absolutely sure that the location of a Vegas, Chicago, New York gives it some of the big event cache to pry $1300-1500 or more from new members.



I think it has to be New York...or at a minimum Atlantic City....to continue to make the location an added attraction to the consumer.

What are you going to put on your website.....

Biggest Live Baseball Draft in the World....in Vegas, Chicago, & Secaucus....yuck!!



Just my two cents.

[poopy tooth]

Originally posted by Red Sox Nation:

quote:Originally posted by poopy tooth:

Greg,



As far as NY, here are some points to consider...



1. Most people are commuters, so a hotel by the airport would make it more difficult to get to.



2. Obviously, you will not be able to please everyone, those north of the city will not like going past the city and the south wouldn't want to go north. You will lose some players if you move it out of the city, as commuting will be difficult for some.



3. NYC, while nice, doesn't offer the same nightlife as Vegas, so I think the idea of staying the weekend isn;t as interesting and those who do want to play in auctions, main, etc, often commute back and forth.



I live in Central Jersey, and to be honest, NYC is easier than Manhattan for me.



It seems like every location, outside of Vegas has a tough time filling non-main event leagues.



Why not consider he live online for the auctions and supers, etc and just do the main event in the city? It may cut down on some expenses for you.



I did the online this year and it was an excellent alternative. Sure, you miss the excitement of hanging out with everyone, but I would love a chance to participate in the Friday auctions and hopefully, there would be enough interest for an Ultamite auction, like in Vegas, but online for those who can't make it out to Vegas.



Just do the main in NYC and the others online.



I think the online will continue to grow and allow people a chance to play in all league types.



Good luck, I know everything in Manhattan is outrageous and no matter what, some people won't be happy. I'm sure whatever you decide will work. Poopy - some good points here but I have to disagree on the online auction and super/ultimate idea in NY. I would never do either over the phone. It's tough enough to follow an auction in person - I can't imagine being on the phone for one. I'm a big fan of the live drafts in person. Unless someone comes to my house with a draft board and puts up stickers I would not enter anything online with big money on the line. [/QUOTE]RSN - I think we both missed the biggest point of consideration...once the draft was over, Fandango could turn and pass out right in his own bed!



You're right, the auction would be hard, but I think drafts would be ok. I did the main online and thought it had some good perks to it.



I do wish I had been able to go to the auction this year. It's by far, my favorite event. One year, I'll have to get enough money together to go to Vegas and try the $5k auction.



Good luck this year!

[Jackstraw]

I hate to distract the conversation from New York, but let's think about the fourth city option. There are a growing number of southerners in the mix. In Chicago this year, I saw several people from the KY, TN, and AL areas.



Why isn't Atlanta being considered as a fourth option?



Not knocking Orlando, but it is just as far as driving to Chicago for most of us, and it costs just as much to fly. Yeah, they got sunlight and spring training down there, but if you have ever had to drive through southern GA/northern FLA, it is about as boring as driving I-81 through VA.



Granted the south is not exactly the mecca of baseball fandom, but Atlanta is a central location. Also, it is pretty reasonable cost-wise.



Any thoughts?

[BEF]

Greg, for NYC, check out the Residence Inn Times Square, which is the home of the Tout Wars auctions. They have multiple conference/ballrooms on the third floor, and even though "Times Square" is in their name it's actually located at 39th and 6th. There's a parking garage a half block away that costs $15 for 12 hours, and another one about three blocks away that's about the same price.



I think it was Trace Wood who found it, but you should probably talk to Shandler or Lawr Michaels about the financial part.



Brian

[Greg Ambrosius]

Originally posted by BEF:

Greg, for NYC, check out the Residence Inn Times Square, which is the home of the Tout Wars auctions. They have multiple conference/ballrooms on the third floor, and even though "Times Square" is in their name it's actually located at 39th and 6th. There's a parking garage a half block away that costs $15 for 12 hours, and another one about three blocks away that's about the same price.



I think it was Trace Wood who found it, but you should probably talk to Shandler or Lawr Michaels about the financial part.



Brian Thanks Brian, but we need 15,000 square feet for the Saturday main event and the Residence Inn has just a couple of thousand square feet combined. I think our members would be surprised how few hotels in the NYC area have the space we need. I believe there is only 7-8 hotels in the city that has one room that big for us and even many of the nicer hotels on the outskirts don't have what we need. It's a bummer, but we're still looking.

[Ryan C]

Hey Greg - have you looked into a non-hotel space??



I was at a concert at Roseland Ballroom on W 52nd st. Seemed to me that there would be more than ample space for the Main Event. Also - there are bars in the venue - so it could be more of a party atmosphere. There are hotels all around the place for players to stay in. Perhaps you could pick a hotel nearby and book smaller rooms there for the Friday and Sunday events. Then do the Main Event in Roseland. They have a nice Marquee out front - and it would be cool to see the NFBC up there for all to see. I have no idea what they charge there - but there is info available at their website - www.roselandballroom.com.



[ April 21, 2009, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: Ryan Carey ]

[ZackPhilly]

Greg, I don't understand the need to have all the leagues in "one room", which is by far my biggest annoyance with NFBC. I don't like my opponents hearing a player I want or seeing a player I want on another board.



It seems that NFBC NYC could handle the logistics of the groups split into seperate rooms.



You state the need for 15,000sq ft, which is acheivable at MLB Network (understood this is pie in the sky), CitiField, or Yankee Stadium. Just not in one room. Which is a bonus for me, not a "deal breaker".



I would be a happier drafter if I didn't have to be in such close audio and visual proximity of the other leagues.



Thanks for considering the option.

[billywaz]

Originally posted by ZackPhilly:

Greg, I don't understand the need to have all the leagues in "one room", which is by far my biggest annoyance with NFBC. I don't like my opponents hearing a player I want or seeing a player I want on another board.



It seems that NFBC NYC could handle the logistics of the groups split into seperate rooms.



You state the need for 15,000sq ft, which is acheivable at MLB Network (understood this is pie in the sky), CitiField, or Yankee Stadium. Just not in one room. Which is a bonus for me, not a "deal breaker".



I would be a happier drafter if I didn't have to be in such close audio and visual proximity of the other leagues.



Thanks for considering the option. Um....how about cost???



I would think that one BIG room is cheaper than four little one's.



This is a business, and unless you want the entry fee to go up a bunch, I wouldn't think this is an option.

[Scott Boras]

Originally posted by ZackPhilly:

Greg, I don't understand the need to have all the leagues in "one room", which is by far my biggest annoyance with NFBC. I don't like my opponents hearing a player I want or seeing a player I want on another board.



It seems that NFBC NYC could handle the logistics of the groups split into seperate rooms.



You state the need for 15,000sq ft, which is acheivable at MLB Network (understood this is pie in the sky), CitiField, or Yankee Stadium. Just not in one room. Which is a bonus for me, not a "deal breaker".



I would be a happier drafter if I didn't have to be in such close audio and visual proximity of the other leagues.



Thanks for considering the option. Zack, there are always going to be special circumstances, but I for one feel this aspect is over-rated. Consider that:



1) The majority of NFBC participants are far more well informed than any league you've been in before. The vast majority have ADP lists from satellite drafts to study before the main event. Most already have a general idea when players are typically going to be drafted.



2) The majority of the NFBC participants have a draft plan already in place long before draft day. Most of us have different players targeted in different rounds. It is conceivable that hearing one of your targets called out at another table could cause one to panic, and abandon their plan of attack and reach earlier than expected. How is this not a benefit to you?



As has been debated many times on these boards, ADP is simply a guide. If you want a player badly enough and believe he will perform at a certain level, it doesn't matter where you draft them as long as they fulfill/exceed the expectations of the round they were drafted in. Point being, there will always be amazing bargains late in every draft but after 20 rounds and 2 breaks, all drafts are at different points and if you're upset about guys reaching after round 20... well that's just crazy.



If you want a particular player, you'll always be at risk trying to milk value out of the pick by waiting until a later round. The competition level is just too advanced here.



Drafting the players you want just picks before your competition is one of many skills required at this event. We all win some and we all lose some. Having one draft per room would have very little if any affect on this in my opinion.



The ONE case I've experienced where this happened was with Cueto last year. He appeared on ESPN the day of the draft as the next Pedro and many had already targeted him but much later in the draft. Once his name was first called out in the mid teens, he started filling up every draft board. There was definitely a domino and panic effect but that's the only time I've seen your concern in action at the NFBC Main and Cueto failed to live up to his ADP for the most part. Those that missed benefitted.