OFFICIALLY CANCELLED: 2021 NFBC Solo Shot

[Greg Ambrosius]

THE END!!

In baseball you get three strikes and then you're out. Such is the case with the ill-fated NFBC Solo Shot.

Today we are officially cancelling the NFBC Solo Shot and will give all of those who remained entered in this contest an email and a special promo code to get into another similar league. We thank everyone who tried to help us get this single-entry national contest off the ground and we're sorry we couldn't have done more to make it happen. We're sorry some of you tied up your funds for this contest and had set aside time to compete in this 15-team contest.

Look for an email shortly and feel free to take advantage of the special offer if you'd like. Thanks again.

This is it for the NFBC Solo Shot and our attempt at a single-entry, season-long national championship in baseball. We will continue this in football where our NFFC Silver Bullet has been successful over the last two years, but we will not try this again in baseball. This format apparently isn't needed in baseball and we hear everyone loud and clear.

Thanks to everyone who gave us suggestions over the years as we tried to create something that would be appealing to new players and our die-hards. We had a shot at selling this out last year, but the interest was so low this year that we never even got more than 20 signups with prizes based on 150 teams. So we took three swings over the last three years and now we move on.

Our Main Event is tough to compete against in the 15-team format, so now all our efforts are geared toward selling that contest out for a 17th straight season. We still have plenty of other formats for everyone to choose from, so all is good. Thanks all and best of luck in all your leagues.

[gellin]

The 2nd place overall prize for the NFBC 50s is a free entry in next year's solo shot. So, would you then award a $1,000 credit to be used in any contest?

[Greg Ambrosius]

The 2nd place overall prize for the NFBC 50s is a free entry in next year's solo shot. So, would you then award a $1,000 credit to be used in any contest?

Yes, we will have to do that. We'll give it some thought and come up with something a little spiffier, but that's probably the way we'll have to go. Thanks for the heads up on that.

[gellin]

You're welcome and glad to know I thought of something you guys didn't consider LOL! Thanks Greg!

[homer35h]

Sorry to bring it up again. I still live in Iowa. I can't play anyway,but I still think you could make this work with a $500 entry instead of $1,000. $500 would much easier for new people looking try NFBC for the first time. I like it because it has kinda old school feel. 1 team and only 1 team.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Sorry to bring it up again. I still live in Iowa. I can't play anyway,but I still think you could make this work with a $500 entry instead of $1,000. $500 would much easier for new people looking try NFBC for the first time. I like it because it has kinda old school feel. 1 team and only 1 team.

I agree that the contest should not be scrapped.
I feel that in listening to customers, the contest may have run off the rails. I can't think of or even fathom a drafter liking once-a-month FAAB.
It sounds easier to eliminate the heavy load that FAAB can be. And it might have a bit, we'll never know.
At the same time, I believe the Solo Shot should replicate the Main Event as closely as possible.
A smaller price point and a one team limit being the difference.

I don't believe ANY contest that doesn't sell out this year should be written off. It's a year unlike any other.
Covid has made it tough on a lot of drafters and has changed their perspective on fantasy games this year.
Just my two cents, but I'd give the Solo Shot another shot next year.

[mbendar16]

Agreed with both of the thoughts below. IMO, with taking into consideration that this has been a year as no other like Dan noted, a factor as or even more important is what % of customers in each contest are repeat entries. I think it's generally pretty high at this time, especially for the ME, but that's just a guess.

And I'm sure this has already been thought through, but what is the intent of a single entry contest for the NFBC? Is it to give players that original, old school 1 shot chance at a title or to introduce new players to the higher stakes format? If the former, I agree that your existing customers have spoken that it is a fail, as they'll spend the extra money to buy an extra ME team than take a one shot chance at $1,000 for a lower overall prize. If the latter, agreed that $500 is better than $1,000 to get a 1st time player into the event.

So, how to make it successful? Offer a 2-pack DC and Solo Shot package for $600 and factor that discount into the prize structure as you do for the other contests. The amounts of teams would have to increase to get a decent overall prize, so the combo pack may get 300-400 teams.

As far as FAAB goes, it's only an issue for your existing players that have multiple other teams to decide their FAAB team dollars on. If a good portion of your entries are DC players moving to a FAAB contest for 1st time, that could be a highlight to play, not a detriment IMO since they'll only have 1 team to manage.

I'm a good example of this being a success. My intro to the higher entry NFBC was the live double play format, which was a great experience that the live event always are and helped make my decision to enter a ME easier a few years later.

Just my two cents.