As most of you know, last year we guaranteed the prize structure for baseball even though we finished with 195 teams after setting up the prize structure based on 300 teams. We took the first year bite, showing everyone that we were in this for the long haul, not the short-term. We chose not to restructure the payout last year, even though we did propose that idea to our original members at one point. We actually guaranteed the prize money when we hit 165 signups for the main event and we added 30 members over the last five days, which was truly amazing.
As of right now, we have 184 signups for the main event and 77 for the auctions. The $100,000 is unquestionably guaranteed and my biggest concern now is having enough meeting room space in Las Vegas to handle the crunch out West. Let's get those New York and Chicago signups going, please!

After last year's wild football season when so many high-stakes games folded weeks before the events were supposed to go off, I certainly understand the questions about the big prize being guaranteed. We weren't totally blameless, either, as we failed to reach our goal in football and went forward after our participants agreed to a new prize structure. But in 2005, we'll reach our goals and then some.
So officially, I definitely can state that the grand prize and entire prize structure is guaranteed for 2005. Now let's keep the signups coming, fill this up and get those leagues formed and draft spots slotted so all of you can start planning for your draft location.
Thanks everyone. It's going to be a historic 2005 and you don't even know the half of it yet!!!