Official Statement From Liberty Media

[Glenneration X]

Originally posted by Atlas:

Just reminiscing a little....



About 7 years ago I adopted a 12yo old boy who had never seen a baseball or football game. He was into computer games and I was trying to find a way to build some common ground between us.I figured a good way was to start fantasy sports,you know..his computer with my baseball. So we did 2 years of CBs and experinced a fair amount of success.



About 5 years ago I was in LV for a convention while the NFFC was drafting. I peeked my head in and a guy with a 'stache asked if he could help me. I told him I was interested and asked if it would alright to sit in for a while. Well, he let me.



The following spring, I got my son excited about playing "National" competition. We even went into NY to work the draft boards with Tom. Wow..not only did we get to see the best draft, but we even got $100 bucks! (Well, he got $100. I paid for parking and dinner )



Anyway, we started with a satellite team to get a flavor of the competition. We'd squirrel away in the basement "war room" and stocked up on Dunkin' Doughnuts and pizza for the evening. Our huge 4X5 foot dry erase board primed with different colors.

He would station himself at the keyboard and I was at the dry erase with my cheat sheet.



We did terrible the first year (CBS/H2H didn't exactly translate to NFBC rotisserie). We then did football. And another baseball. And another football. And another baseball, and...YES!..WE won! Entry to the main event!



We spent all last winter talking about how we would do. Who we would draft. Even in the midst of his mother and I getting divorced, fantasy baseball and the NFBC kept us tied together.



Not only did we get to sit side by side in CitiField, but the Wall Street Journal caught us a few times on camera and ended up on their internet piece! Cool!



He even interviewed Ron Shandler and a couple of other guys for his college freshman term paper.



Now that he's a sophomore in college and into the full swing of drinking and coeds, there's different fantasy aspirations that occupy his time. Dad's left alone to draft by himself....for the time being....my 9yo daughter wants to know if I can teach her to draft!



Thanks Tom and Greg!

You never know how you sometimes touch lives. Atlas, that is a great story. I have a 3-year old son and I hope one day to share this great hobby with him also.



Fantasy sports is a game that fathers, sons, brothers, friends can all share no matter the age differences, no matter how far away they may be from one another. My father, brother, and I for example have been in fantasy leagues together since the 80's when we played in a FTF Strat-o-matic league back in the day or joined those pioneer mail-in roto leagues. It's one thing that helps keep the bond strong. There's rarely a time we get together that we aren't talking about one another's teams. This year, I bought my father an NFBC satellite as I try to introduce him to the world of High Stakes. From my father & brothers for the past couple decades to my son in the future, this is a game that the generations can enjoy together.



Again great story and thank you for sharing.



Glenn

[Schwartzstops]

Hate to ask a blunt question, but I haven't seen this directly answered yet on this thread or really anywhere else on the boards: if I sign up for the main event today, what happens after 6/30/11?



Like many others who have commented on this and other threads, I have ultimate confidence in Greg and Tom to run the NFBC. But I'd still like to know who's going to be running a web site with stats and standings, holding the money, paying out winners at the end, etc.?

[Mankind]

Glen,

Don't forget about the daughters also I took my 11 year old daughter to Vegas last year for the double draft at Bellagio for the NFFC, man the look on her face calling out players, seeing her with cheat sheets all around her, whispering to me did Bowe go in the 3rd or 4th round...Spending that weekend with her I will never forget, at least once a week she reminds me when we are going back and doing it again..I hope we get a chance to do it again... RiversideSheriff SO CAL SMAC...

[Glenneration X]

Originally posted by Mankind:

Glen,

Don't forget about the daughters also I took my 11 year old daughter to Vegas last year for the double draft at Bellagio for the NFFC, man the look on her face calling out players, seeing her with cheat sheets all around her, whispering to me did Bowe go in the 3rd or 4th round...Spending that weekend with her I will never forget, at least once a week she reminds me when we are going back and doing it again..I hope we get a chance to do it again... RiversideSheriff SO CAL SMAC... You know Mankind, funny that really didn't cross my mind. I come from a family of three brothers and no sisters and we were all lunatics when it came to sports. Though our father was as much a sports fan as the three of us, my mother was into the more stereotypical feminine pasttimes. I married a woman with similar interests to my Mom, as to her a can't miss sporting event is a 1/2 price sale on shoes at Macy's.



I do have two daughters though now, twin 7-month baby girls. Maybe they buck the trend and end up sports fanatics like their Daddy. Wouldn't that be something? My son and twin girls joining their Dad for a NFBC Main Event draft.



Hey Greg, think I can get a buy 2, get one free package deal on co-manager fees?



Glenn

[Thunder]

Man, you guys are making me feel old. Your revealing the age of your young children and my grandchildren are 3,5,7,7,9.

[Winston's Empire]

Originally posted by Glenneration X:



Hey Greg, think I can get a buy 2, get one free package deal on co-manager fees?



Glenn Glenn, that is funny! Ya, Greg my soon to be 4 Year Old Daughter and 1 Year Son would both like to participate as Co-Managers as well, but they want to do it this year! Have you considered Disney as a Draft Spot?

[Buster]

My then 9-year old son and I won our league, drafting in Vegas, in 2009.



I left him at home last year... and finished 5th.



We all know who has the brains in our organization.

[JohnP]

Originally posted by WINSTON'S EMPIRE:

quote:Originally posted by Glenneration X:



Hey Greg, think I can get a buy 2, get one free package deal on co-manager fees?



Glenn Glenn, that is funny! Ya, Greg my soon to be 4 Year Old Daughter and 1 Year Son would both like to participate as Co-Managers as well, but they want to do it this year! Have you considered Disney as a Draft Spot? [/QUOTE]Greg and Tom would be the Gummi Bears (superhuman, ability to bounce). Ryan would be...hmmmm....maybe Scrooge McDuck, Dopey, or Dufus Drake? The question is....who is going to play "The Rescuers Down Under"?

[lschechter]

swartzstops -- unless I'm missing something, there is no main event to sign up for right now. Fanball is continuing current games already in progress and they will all be done by 6/30. They are not beginning any new games.



We're hoping that somehow this situation will change and the NFBC, or something similar, will be operational for this coming season.

[swampass]

Originally posted by Larry Schechter:

swartzstops -- unless I'm missing something, there is no main event to sign up for right now. Fanball is continuing current games already in progress and they will all be done by 6/30. They are not beginning any new games.



We're hoping that somehow this situation will change and the NFBC, or something similar, will be operational for this coming season. ok.. then put me down in the confused department. I thought i just saw greg take a main event sign up? no? is the main event not happening? i was under the impression that we all thought it was a go, just not officially, but all but officially.



oh boy.. im confused. ive booked my room in vegas already! im counting down the days, but this has ruffled my feathers a bit here, but im not giving up hope til I see greg post "no main event in 2011."



what games are on? what games are off? please please please say that the main event is happening.



thanks for any and all news!

[fwicker]

I think we need a separate thread on this message board, postable only by Greg or Tom, that gives DAILY status of the disposition of the NFBC and Fanball. I suggest Daily updates, even if there's no new news. This is SOP, or at least a best practice, for affected staff during mergers and acquisitions, and would benefit us in this situation.

[lschechter]

Okay, now I'm a little confused, too. Fanball announced they are shutting down and not starting any new games, and NFBC is part of Fanball...but I see that on the main page they are still accepting new entries for NFBC.

[TOXIC ASSETS]

Makes you wonder, doesn't it Larry.



I am in for $125 for Doughboy's early draft. I hope to get that money back. If not, it's not the end of the world, but it will make me think twice the next time.



Some people on these boards are probably in for a lot more than $125.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I have no concerns at all. As far as slow drafts drafting now and leagues that are completed, I can only see two fates.

1. We play these leagues out under Greg's direction somewhere.

2. We had a helluva mock draft and our money is refunded.

[TOXIC ASSETS]

Dan I hope you are right, but I remember too well what happened with the AFFL (I think that was the one) --- they did not pay out money owed. It's a shame because the NFBC has a lot of passionate players, and seemed to be profitable.

[Winston's Empire]

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

I have no concerns at all. As far as slow drafts drafting now and leagues that are completed, I can only see two fates.

1. We play these leagues out under Greg's direction somewhere.

2. We had a helluva mock draft and our money is refunded. 755% with Dough on this one... Hang in there guys, it will all work out!

[DOUGHBOYS]

The 755% gives it away, Max!

You were one of THOSE kids

You know the kind I'm talking about. One of those kids that bought into a coach asking for 110%.



After a pregame speech in which our coach asked for 110% from each player, teammates whizzed by me, yelling at the tops of their lungs,I asked the coach how a player can give more than max(no pun pretended)imum effort.

He asked me if I was good at math.

I said yes.

He said, almost at a whisper, "Well, it's like this, it is 50 guts, it is 50% determination...

and (in a roar) 10 PERCENT FEAR OF BEING BENCHED IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS ON THE FIELD!"

It added up for me.

[MadCow Sez]

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

The 755% gives it away, Max!

You were one of THOSE kids

You know the kind I'm talking about. One of those kids that bought into a coach asking for 110%.



After a pregame speech in which our coach asked for 110% from each player, teammates whizzed by me, yelling at the tops of their lungs,I asked the coach how a player can give more than max(no pun pretended)imum effort.

He asked me if I was good at math.

I said yes.

He said, almost at a whisper, "Well, it's like this, it is 50 guts, it is 50% determination...

and (in a roar) 10 PERCENT FEAR OF BEING BENCHED IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS ON THE FIELD!"

It added up for me. Did you test his math, Dan?

[DOUGHBOYS]

I did as I was told.

[Atlas]

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

That is an amazing story Atlas and it really touches home to what makes the NFBC so special. It also is what makes everyone here so determined to get this done and keep this fantastic community in place. That story is going to provide one of the bricks for the foundation to get this done, if possible.



Thanks for sharing. Now I've had two tears during this thread: One during your story and one for the picture from It's A Wonderful Life. I left out the part that during our first football draft he accidentally drafted Sebastian Janikowski in the 5th round!!





Ah, memories.

[rkulaski]

Originally posted by Glenneration X:

quote:Originally posted by Atlas:

Just reminiscing a little....



About 7 years ago I adopted a 12yo old boy who had never seen a baseball or football game. He was into computer games and I was trying to find a way to build some common ground between us.I figured a good way was to start fantasy sports,you know..his computer with my baseball. So we did 2 years of CBs and experinced a fair amount of success.



About 5 years ago I was in LV for a convention while the NFFC was drafting. I peeked my head in and a guy with a 'stache asked if he could help me. I told him I was interested and asked if it would alright to sit in for a while. Well, he let me.



The following spring, I got my son excited about playing "National" competition. We even went into NY to work the draft boards with Tom. Wow..not only did we get to see the best draft, but we even got $100 bucks! (Well, he got $100. I paid for parking and dinner )



Anyway, we started with a satellite team to get a flavor of the competition. We'd squirrel away in the basement "war room" and stocked up on Dunkin' Doughnuts and pizza for the evening. Our huge 4X5 foot dry erase board primed with different colors.

He would station himself at the keyboard and I was at the dry erase with my cheat sheet.



We did terrible the first year (CBS/H2H didn't exactly translate to NFBC rotisserie). We then did football. And another baseball. And another football. And another baseball, and...YES!..WE won! Entry to the main event!



We spent all last winter talking about how we would do. Who we would draft. Even in the midst of his mother and I getting divorced, fantasy baseball and the NFBC kept us tied together.



Not only did we get to sit side by side in CitiField, but the Wall Street Journal caught us a few times on camera and ended up on their internet piece! Cool!



He even interviewed Ron Shandler and a couple of other guys for his college freshman term paper.



Now that he's a sophomore in college and into the full swing of drinking and coeds, there's different fantasy aspirations that occupy his time. Dad's left alone to draft by himself....for the time being....my 9yo daughter wants to know if I can teach her to draft!



Thanks Tom and Greg!

You never know how you sometimes touch lives. Atlas, that is a great story. I have a 3-year old son and I hope one day to share this great hobby with him also.



Fantasy sports is a game that fathers, sons, brothers, friends can all share no matter the age differences, no matter how far away they may be from one another. My father, brother, and I for example have been in fantasy leagues together since the 80's when we played in a FTF Strat-o-matic league back in the day or joined those pioneer mail-in roto leagues. It's one thing that helps keep the bond strong. There's rarely a time we get together that we aren't talking about one another's teams. This year, I bought my father an NFBC satellite as I try to introduce him to the world of High Stakes. From my father & brothers for the past couple decades to my son in the future, this is a game that the generations can enjoy together.



Again great story and thank you for sharing.



Glenn [/QUOTE]Ahh well said, Glenn.



Last year for the nfbc main event, I drove from Nashville to Chicago. My wife, 1-year old son, and 77 year old dad all drove with me. We have family in Chicago and for the last 4 years, we all look forward to the latter part of March so we can make the trip to Chicago. I stay with my nephew and his wife and we make a 4 day weekend out of it and get together with family and have the greatest time. Of course, that Saturday truly is the "main event" of the weekend! But it's all because of the NFBC that led to this annual trip to visit and spend time with extended family. It's a tradition that I hope never ends.

[Fourslot40]

Ahh the days of Strat-o-Matic and mail-in roto leagues. Good times.



I played for years in a great Strato league. We kept stats and pro-rated AB's and IP's for realism. One night a week, getting the guys together, having some beers and watching the ball games while playing. Trash talkin and good times.



I miss that.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Originally posted by TOXIC ASSETS:

Dan I hope you are right, but I remember too well what happened with the AFFL (I think that was the one) --- they did not pay out money owed. It's a shame because the NFBC has a lot of passionate players, and seemed to be profitable. Toxic, I totally understand your concern and it's warranted. In recent years the industry has seen consumers not be paid in full by AFFL, Fantasy Jungle and FFOC. As a person who has been in this industry for 22 years and was an industry president of two different trade associations, I remain appalled at what happened to good paying customers. NOTHING can hurt this industry more than continued consumer non-payments.



That being said, Liberty Media has stated that all prizes will be paid in full for ALL Fanball games and we are working hard not to make sure that happens. Staff has been retained through February to make sure that happens and even more staff is being retained after that to make sure all of the basketball and hockey games are run to the end, rather than just reimbursing customers their entry fees. Additional staff is going to be in place through June 30th to make sure all other commitments are fulfilled.



I don't know what more Liberty Media could do to make sure this company winds down appropriately. So I've been given assurances that all of our customers will be taken care of and I think you can, too.



And as I've said before, the NFBC has the VERY BEST customers in the industry. Now we're doing all we can to keep that community intact for 2011 and beyond.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

I have no concerns at all. As far as slow drafts drafting now and leagues that are completed, I can only see two fates.

1. We play these leagues out under Greg's direction somewhere.

2. We had a helluva mock draft and our money is refunded. Bingo.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Originally posted by Schwartzstops:

Hate to ask a blunt question, but I haven't seen this directly answered yet on this thread or really anywhere else on the boards: if I sign up for the main event today, what happens after 6/30/11?



Like many others who have commented on this and other threads, I have ultimate confidence in Greg and Tom to run the NFBC. But I'd still like to know who's going to be running a web site with stats and standings, holding the money, paying out winners at the end, etc.? Cory, we are still taking signups for the Main Event and already have 117 of the 390 spots filled. We obviously are not taking payments or hitting credit cards at this time or with any of the new signups and Liberty Media has stated that Fanball will not be running any new games in 2011. The company will still have some employees through the end of June to wind down operations and fulfill current games, but it obviously isn't starting any game like the NFBC and then passing on the contest to another provider on June 30th.



Instead, we're staying confident here that something good will still happen for 2011. Don't sign up for anything until you know more and feel confident in the future plans, if there are any, but stay tuned here because a decision one way or another will be made shortly. Thanks man and thanks for all your support.