The Others

[DOUGHBOYS]

50 Round drafts have been ongoing for the last month or so. The early drafts were marred a bit by all the place holders that detracted from the fun of a draft. That problem fixed, the frustrations are solely with drafters themselves.
Almost all of us are born and bred in the one minute drafts. We learned to think on the fly. We learn to not get put on tilt when all set to pick a player, then hearing that players name ring in your ears from the drafter ahead of you.
We did not think about time much in one minute drafts. If our draft strategy put in place was working, the faster the picks the better. If not, we didn't mind other drafters taking the full minute.

50 round drafts are nothing like this. We make a pick...and wait. There is no rhythm to these drafts. In most drafts, there will be those that pick quickly, those that check in a lot to pick, and 'the others'.
'The others' don't care about other drafters. They won't leave messages as to their availability.
Their only messages will be to comment on whining or how others should get a life.
They do not mind using their full eight hours, even if they could have used less.
These comments are designed, in some way, to defend their selfishness.

This is the holiday season. It is understandable to have real life kick the crap out of fantasy life, rendering it backburnered.
Completely understandable.
At the same time, it takes only seconds to write, "Looks like I'll be gone from 2:30-5pm today"
Oh wait, I should say "Looks like I'll be gone from 2:30 TO 5pm today", since no dashes are allowed in chat for some reason.
If 'The Others' did even this, they wouldn't be considered one of 'The Others'.
But they don't.
They're selfish and they don't really care about the 14 others. It is THEIR draft. Not OUR draft.

'The others' ruin the draft for drafters in more ways than just not being communicative or better paced. The chat room hums in a draft room when picks are flowing. When picks are stalled, the chat room becomes disjointed, hardly used.
The draft room itself, becomes just a place to check to see if any movement has been made during the last couple of hours.
And worse, those that were faster paced start not caring and not check in as much as well.
The draft, once highly anticipated, becomes a little like standing in a long line at a grocery store .

Most fantasy players, when asked about the best part of being a fantasy player, will reply that it is the draft. That is not my reckoning with these 50 rounders. 'The Others' have seen to that.
I am in the midst of my second DC draft. Both e-mail drafts before these drafts had no 'The Others'.
The folks in an e-mail draft know they have a responsibility to others in a draft. There is no eight hour bullshit.
Just the responsibility that another drafter is waiting.
The 8 hour clock seems to give 'The Others' an escape clause. A reason to shed responsibility.
It's frustrating. Damn frustrating.
They lean on that clock to the detriment of others. Misconstruing the spirit of a DC Draft.
It has me finding myself itching for January, February, and March when I can put some 'fast slow drafts' together.
'The Others' need not apply.

[NorCalAtlFan]

here here. well stated.

it's amazing what one short sentence will accomplish. instead of running the clock down, making a pick and disappearing or making a pick and admonishing everyone else to "get a life," all it would take is a short disclosure about not being able to pick.

i too look forward to your faster paced DC's dan

[Deadheadz]

We've started signups for a DC with a 4-hour clock and by gentlemen's agreement likely won't pick between midnight and 6am ET.

The Others have had a chance to get up to speed but haven't joined in yet.
Where are the guys who like 6-8 picks per day in their slow drafts?

[Baseball Furies]

Genius as always, Dough. Well put. To all who are reading this, we are about to complete 50 rounds tomorrow afternoon sometime...and the draft started this past Sunday at noon! . Four days. A new record. No stress, no mess. Just a great group of guys who get it and were committed to each other to do their part for their fellow league mates of this "Fast/Slow" as Dan billed it and filled it. What a pleasure to average 10-12 rounds per day in one of these with all the requisite fun chat and ball busting to go along with it. Easiest draft facilitating job I ever had. You guys are to be commended.

Now where is Greg when I need him to see that not all of my posts are bitter. Oops, forgot. This post didn't involve him personally or any commentary on the NFBC. Never mind.

[Corleone]

The draft being completed in 4 days is amazing, I'd love to be part of one like that.

I've done I think now a total of 9 of these over the last 3 years, and the common thing I notice is that there are almost always 12 or 13 GREAT owners and 2 or 3 'others' as you state. It seems impossible to get 15/15 on the same page but based on the previous post it CAN happen. I'll keep hoping for that elusive perfect draft

I used to get very frustrated and still do at times (if it seems the owner is logging on/off while on the clock without picking is my personal favorite - but I never know if I can truly trust the green dots), but I'm resigned to the fact that there will be 2 or 3 inconsiderate drafters in every one of these unfortunately.

Hopefully we can fill up that 4 hour DC soon!

[DOUGHBOYS]

I was PM'ed that this post should be put under General Discussion. It's about the 'fast/slow just completed in four and 1/2 days....

This really was the perfect draft.
10 rounds drafted each of the first three days. 12 rounds drafted the fourth day. Then completed the next half day with eight rounds. Just a fantastic group of drafters and it re-enforces my thinking that as long as 15 reliable, responsible drafters are in a DC Draft, the clock becomes unimportant and irrelevant.

During this draft, we had a guy take the wrong player. We wanted to make things right, so we cut off drafting early that night till Greg/Tom could fix it the next morning.
We had a businessman taking trips. He was apologetic if even 30 minutes of his time were spent.
We had a guy in the process of moving out of state.
We had a guy having electrical and plumbing problems. So much so that the electrician had to turn off power to his house. When notified by cell that he was on the clock, he had the electrician turn on the power to his house so that he could pick through his re-booted computer.
We had a guy with heart problems have an episode of low blood pressure. I'll mention his name. Stan Kaye.
I mention his name because he went above the fantasy reliability and responsibility duty.
I called Stan to let him know he was on the clock. His wife, Caroline, answered the phone. Now Caroline, was probably none too happy about me calling over a silly fantasy pick while Stan was in the throws of nearly being unconscious with low blood pressure. She informed me of the problem.
I told her I hope Stan is feeling better and he can pick in the morning at his leisure.
Five minutes later, a pick is made for Stan. I was astonished. Then on chat, a message...
"This is Stan's wife, he asked me to pick the top player for him"
And, SHE DID IT TWICE!
We then snaked around to Stan's pick again. By this time, knowing Stan's condition, we had decided to call it a night.
Stan wrote this message. "I can pick, Dan".
It was the first time I had to ask a drafter NOT to pick. Stan went to bed, picked early the next morning and is feeling a lot better.

I'm really proud of this draft and the drafters who participated.
These folks have real lives. They also have a fantasy life.
And during this week, with so much going on in both a real and fantasy sense, they respected both sides of the equation.
The next time somebody writes, "I have a real life" in the chat room of a DC Draft after a lot of his clock has winded down, I'll think about the group in this draft.
Well done, fellas.

[Deadheadz]

Let's hope another just like it will happen soon.

[TOXIC ASSETS]

We had a guy having electrical and plumbing problems. So much so that the electrician had to turn off power to his house. When notified by cell that he was on the clock, he had the electrician turn on the power to his house so that he could pick through his re-booted computer.
------------------------------------------------------------
I called Stan to let him know he was on the clock. His wife, Caroline, answered the phone. Now Caroline, was probably none too happy about me calling over a silly fantasy pick while Stan was in the throws of nearly being unconscious with low blood pressure. She informed me of the problem.
I told her I hope Stan is feeling better and he can pick in the morning at his leisure.
Five minutes later, a pick is made for Stan. I was astonished. Then on chat, a message...
"This is Stan's wife, he asked me to pick the top player for him"
-------------------------------------------------------

Both great stories and obviously dedicated fantasy players!

[Baseball Furies]

The official unofficial NFBC record time for this DC draft was four days, nine hours, and two minutes. Remarkable. One of the best ever to be a part of. Great work gentlemen.

[Lunatic]

If I remember correctly, our $1000 slow last year went fairly quickly.

[Lunatic]

I have done one slow draft with no one I knew in the league; 11 days which was the best ever outside a draft where it was an invitational type draft.

[Corleone]

I wish the site tracked average time on the clock, and I further wish you could specify at the time of sign-up that you only be in a league with people that have an established clock average of 'less than 90 minutes' or whatever.

Those who think it's perfectly fine to use 6 hours of clock in the middle of the day without ever setting auto-one can select 'no preference' and have their own drafts (which will probably not complete until May).

[Money]

I wish the site tracked average time on the clock, and I further wish you could specify at the time of sign-up that you only be in a league with people that have an established clock average of 'less than 90 minutes' or whatever.

Those who think it's perfectly fine to use 6 hours of clock in the middle of the day without ever setting auto-one can select 'no preference' and have their own drafts (which will probably not complete until May).

I'm currently in DC number 52, we started last Saturday and are currently in round 19. We aren't setting records but every single player has been courteous and we've yet to have an extended delay. Players communicate delays, have given another player phone numbers when they needed a text and felt bad anytime they held the thing up for more than an hour.

Dan has a list that I'd be comfortable placing this entire group on the "Draft With" side of things.

It is the luck of the draw, I only recognized 2 names going in and was quite leery. I hope it's sign that more players are on board with the appropriate way to draft in these leagues.

[Bluecat]

I wish the site tracked average time on the clock, and I further wish you could specify at the time of sign-up that you only be in a league with people that have an established clock average of 'less than 90 minutes' or whatever.

Those who think it's perfectly fine to use 6 hours of clock in the middle of the day without ever setting auto-one can select 'no preference' and have their own drafts (which will probably not complete until May).

I could give you SEVERAL names to put on the "don't draft with" list from my current DCL. These guys have probably AVERAGED 2.5 to 3 hours + to make picks. Currently, the guy on the clock has used over 5 hours. This one started January 11 and we are now on round 43. If not for the handful of guys who make quick picks this one could've been unbearable. The guy on the turn went auto one a couple nights ago and his pick came up around 6 am. His auto pick was made and then he was left on the clock for about 5 more hours with his next pick. Others have been on when their pick came up only to go offline without making a pick, just brutal. Stuff like that has happened throughout this one.

[Deadheadz]

I wish the site tracked average time on the clock, and I further wish you could specify at the time of sign-up that you only be in a league with people that have an established clock average of 'less than 90 minutes' or whatever.

Those who think it's perfectly fine to use 6 hours of clock in the middle of the day without ever setting auto-one can select 'no preference' and have their own drafts (which will probably not complete until May).

In December I mentioned that I've thought about doing exactly as you suggested (tracking average draft times of managers in DCs) and the following is what I got in reply:

People have been asking me in PM to share the names of slow drafters.

I'd like to study the data (draft email) to come up with average time per pick and then post them all, good and bad.
Right now I've got data only for those leagues in which I drafted.

It would be helpful to have more data but I'm not sure if NFBC has a rule against sharing the full list of drafted players with managers not in the league.

You cant be serious with this. I get you are frustrated but its DECEMBER!!!! In many instances there are reasons why people are slow... work, sickness, kids, holidays, new drafter not understanding slow draft courtesy, etc. For you to post everyone's draft average is absurd. I agree with Dan that there are people who are not courteous and make things difficult on everyone, but you are taking it WAY too far. If we were closer to the season, even in Spring Training, it would be one thing, but be a little patient and wait for the DC express drafts and/or the 2/4 hour time clock drafting in March. For you to come on here and threaten to expose names and average draft times is pathetic. Greg was way too nice in his response..

Imagine...someone tracking the statistics and averages of other drafters. That sounds...well, nerdy. Right?

Oh wait, this is FANTASY SPORTS where we're all nerdy and track statistics and averages. Forgive me for suggesting we do WHAT WE DO.

Part of me thinks the responder was told the exact same things about his interest in fantasy baseball when he was younger. "Pathetic" he must have been told. "You can't be serious" they must have said.

You know you're getting old when you sound just like your father.

In reality, I do have better things to do with my time. Tax returns must be filed soon. I've just joined another DC. No time and too small a sample size to give accurate data on The Others.

What I will take the time to do is send a league email to the rest of DC 59 introducing myself and offering to send text alerts to those who want them. If another member of the league wants to do it instead of me, that's even better. But the most important thing I'll include in my email is the message that it's not so much how long you take to make your picks but having open and FREQUENT contact with others in the league to let everyone know WHEN you expect to make your pick.

We've had drafters gone to an NBA game and not pick for 6 hours but you didn't hear complaints because he told us in advance and we knew that when he was on the clock we'd have to wait until 11pm ET or later before the picks would start coming again. Everyone was able to plan out the night and leave their draft on the back burner. No feelings were hurt.

Newbies and even return drafters who are in their first DC of the year can benefit from a little understanding and a bit of coaxing. Not coaxing to draft faster but to speak up and get involved with the chat and the community sense of the league as a whole. Maybe they don't have time to chat every day. It's cool. Just let everyone know what to expect and let them know ahead of time.

STATS isn't likely to change the code just to allow for more and more variants of the DC and watch hopefully as five different $150 leagues sit half full.

What could work would be leagues at a different price point, maybe $250, where the length of the clock is determined AFTER registration of 45-60 managers. STATS could run a KDS style of Clock Preferences and group "like minded" managers into leagues with similar demand. But that's still only a pipe dream. Demand will drive supply but drafters should know and agree upon what they are demanding.