Live Chat With Ryan Houston On Tuesday, Feb. 16th At 4:00 PM ET

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:33 am

Okay, now that you've seen the many changes that we've made at the NFBC, it's time to voice your opinions or ask your questions to the man in charge. Ryan Houston is looking forward to a Live Chat with our NFBC participants and I've set aside 90 minutes for this on Tuesday, Feb. 16th at 4 pm ET. You can get it started ahead of time by posting questions on this thread and by Tuesday Ryan will be ready with the answers.

Ryan has also done more than a dozen mock drafts for the Fanball magazines, he's finished in the money in past NFBC and NFFC main events, and he's a die-hard Mets fan, so don't be afraid to throw some content questions his way too. Heck, NFBC, MLB, NFL and even NFFC questions are all open for discussion in this Live Chat.

Enjoy your time with "Easy E"!! This should be fun.

[ February 14, 2010, 07:27 PM: Message edited by: Ryan E. Houston ]

Red Sox Nation · Post by **Red Sox Nation** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:06 am

Ryan,

What do you think of the Mets off season?

Chest Rockwell · Post by **Chest Rockwell** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:54 am

Settle the office pool what does the E stand for? I have Edward.

CC's Desperados · Post by **CC's Desperados** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:57 am

Originally posted by Chest Rockwell:

Settle the office pool what does the E stand for? I have Edward. I'll take Excellent!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:58 am

These are the in-depth questions about our events and our future plans from the NFBC audience? Weak. Very weak.

I have faith that a few tougher questions will appear soon. Lance, where are you when we need you?

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:46 am

Ryan - understand that Greg asked for this...SO:

I consider the Double Play Option, both Live and Online to be an EXCELLENT game for the upcoming season and beyond. You've set ambitious goals in regard to signups, especially with the Online version. While the LIVE numbers look good, are you at all concerned that the ONLINE portion has yet to take off? Do you see the possibility going foward in re-introducing a 3 team package with some INCENTIVE for the players such as $100 off? (Sorry, the signed baseball will never push me towards multiple teams)

Thanks, looking forward to trips to AC & Vegas to participate.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:52 am

OK, One more, a two parter. Greg will consider this one "weak",but ya gotta have a little fun.

You've managed to max out the spending limits on the Fanball expense cards. You've got one more dinner in St Louis. Joining you are Greg, Tom, and Charlie Wiegert. After dinner, you break the news about the cards being depleted.

A- Excluding yourself, which one of those stand up guys is going to reach for the check first?

B- Whom would be the last?

Feel free to cite examples/war stories to strengthen your point of view.

[ February 14, 2010, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: Sack ]

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 3:29 am

E,

How long have you and Fanball been coveting the NFBC?

What are some of the biggest obstacles that have been overcome with the purchase? Logistically, there had to be some hurdles that seemed very tall.

Greg says, we have no idea how much you've done behind the scenes. What are the things you have done behind the scenes?

Once the purchase was made, what were some of the surprises in the way Krause ran things as opposed to the Fanball style?

rockitsauce · Post by **rockitsauce** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 4:16 am

How many games are the Phillies going to finish above the Mets (on the way to their 3rd straight NL pennant)?

Ryan E. Houston · Post by **Ryan E. Houston** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 4:46 am

Keep 'em coming.

Nothing is off-limits (aside from my family).

Looking forward to Tuesday and discussing all of this - with all of you.

Thanks.

Gekko · Post by **Gekko** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 4:55 am

Will you consider changing the 12 team league formats to 15 team leagues in future years?

rkulaski · Post by **rkulaski** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:29 am

Ryan,

Do you guys sell nfbc t-shirts or hats? Or will you be selling any at the live events in late March? I asked this question to Greg in the "Ask the NFBC a Question" forum but he recommended posting here. Thanks.

Rich

751542 · Post by **751542** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:58 am

ryan thanks in advance...the last time you bought me a round of beers in arizona(1 of many)i noticed your bald head was alot shinier than mine. do u use a polish??? or is it all in the razor??? i know you said no family questions but if you could tell me if the wife n kids like the fact your bald?? also, being a single guy...how do u feel the ladies view "us " bald headed guys??

RT

RedRyder · Post by **RedRyder** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 6:25 am

Hi Ryan,

I know you have your hands full with baseball right now, but when will the NFFC plans for 2010 be announced? February is my month for financials (taxes due, football winnings coming in, etc.), it's when I budget my fantasy dollars.

I've already earmarked about 6K for the various NFFC contests I think will be offered, but would really like to know if a "Diamond" type league will be offered in football, like you have done in baseball.

I also want to know what will be offered in football, to see if I have some extra buck$ to throw at baseball.

Also, I miss the $650 price level for AL & NL only auctions, hoping they will make a return next year.

-Jules

sportsbettingman · Post by **sportsbettingman** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 6:33 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

These are the in-depth questions about our events and our future plans from the NFBC audience? Weak. Very weak.

I have faith that a few tougher questions will appear soon. Lance, where are you when we need you? Pipe down "Director of Live Events!"

OK...I'll push back my Valentine's Day traditional Mimosa Brunch for a post...

Hello E!

Some noted evolutionary trends in the fantasy sports world...

Live events moving from average to elegant/interesting locations creating better memories and better vacations for those attending live with or without their families...GREAT!

Fantasy players moving from enemies to strangers to acquaintances to friends to business partners...GREAT!

Main events moved from the prestige of being a Champion with the perceived one man one team one year philosophy, to opening up and encouraging multiple team ownership in same main event, and replacing the Prestige with money earned. All events evolved the same way (in part due to the economy), so no prestige was lost for any single main event, as they all went the same direction...money = the new prestige. No so great. I wonder if a new main event with the "one owner" setup would garner interest?

With the above being how it is, and money = scoreboard = the new prestige now...I see an evolution to higher stake individual leagues being KING, as the payout percentage is better, and you are facing all of your opponents in your single league, thus you get to draft against them and bid on free agents against them, and there will only be one person per league, so no excuses when you win or lose.

The evolution of guarding knowledge secret and only sharing with close allies, to openly sharing this knowledge with your opponents in a possible effort to grow the competition player pool and/or create a niche for selling a website. Could successful teachers of the game eventually make more money via website vs. their actual yearly profits playing the game? (Like poker players writing books/magazines? ...but I hear books don't = much money)

OK...warming up to the tougher questions...

With the "Prestige" being replaced by money won...do you fear there will be more "side leagues" like high stakes poker players do when they play online? (They sign up for a $1 private online table to pay less juice/rake...but they are actually playing with thousands of dollars?)

Will the event evolve into a "movie theater" style business plan, where the event gets the people together, but the sale of "popcorn and soda" is where the real money is made?

How many years will my favorite Pig F#@$er hold onto the overall NFBC money lead?

Has the evolution of high stakes fantasy sports hit a plateau of evolution...or is it just beginning to evolve?

What's your opinion of the "Become my Bi$#h for years, or you won't get the second $100,000.00" that your buddy is pimping?

Are "Fanbucks" simply a way of reinvesting without taxation, or do we pay taxes on the fanbucks AND have to reinvest it?

Every casino or poker room has its Bread and Butter" games that make the most profit for the casino (slot machines come to mind)...and they also have games were the house rake is much better for the player (blackjack and playing the odds on the dice in craps come to mind). Online poker sites have horrible rake games, but if you dig a little deeper, there are some hidden gems that make the most sense to play. Which leagues does Fanball have the lowest house rake/juice on? I'd assume online, and also the higher staked leagues, but wondered if there were also some hidden gem games for the players that either had the lowest rake, or had the winner get a very top-heavy prize for taking the league title?

How do you see Fanball looking in 5 years? (without giving up trade secrets) Will you have mostly online events as they is more profitable? Will you expand into every sport that game support programing and customer interest will allow? Will there be a cross-sport championship?

Happy Valentines Day!

[ February 16, 2010, 11:06 AM: Message edited by: sportsbettingman ]

The Franchise · Post by **The Franchise** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:39 am

Hi Ryan,

1. As a business owner I feel that a little competition is always good. It always makes you strive to get better. I feel you lose your edge once you become content with your business.

Which leads me to my question. How do you feel about the WCOFF getting into Baseball (WCOFB) and other competitors out there?

2. Do you have silent partners/investors? If so, do you have final say on all decisions?

3. What percentage of sales do you allocate annually for Marketing/Advertisements? The reason I ask this question is I have always been interested in the business side of Fantasy sports companies.

4. What made you get into Fantasy sports and when/how did you decide to own your own Fantasy sports company? Obviously there was a passion, but what else contributed to you being where you are now?

5. Now, as a customer I am always looking for the best possible deal I can get. You currently have an offer for (2 Live Double + 1 Online for $1350) plus you get a autographed Lester Baseball and NO Events fee.........

I had asked if I could do a (Main Event + 2 Live Double Plays for $2600) plus the autographed Lester Baseball and No Events fee? I was told no. I was turned off by the response because I felt I was basically substituting a $350 event with a $1300 event ($950 extra in your pocket). I'm not trying to fight you guys on this but could you please explain the reason this does not work for you? At the time I was trying to decide what event I wanted to do....... Or do both the NFBC and WCOFB.

At the end of the day I'm just a customer looking for the best possible deal. I am not Pro or Anti anything. I have no hidden agendas, just looking to make money and have fun at what I do, which is play Fantasy Football and Baseball.

Thanks for your time Ryan.

Nelson Sousa

billywaz · Post by **billywaz** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:55 pm

Ryan,

Someone on another thread mentioned about the possibility of using "fanbucks" for NFBC events.

If that is possible, is there any benefit for being a CDM hall of fame member?

Thanks!

MadCow Sez · Post by **MadCow Sez** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 3:08 pm

The recidivism rate for me and my fellow fantasy baseball addicts is pretty strong. That being said, what is your plan to attract new blood to NFBC?

I watched the DC when it climbed well over 10K participants but it seems now they're struggling to get over 4K and most are repeat offenders, many of who play multiple teams.

NFBC is the capstone for fantasy baseball. Keep up the great work.

And to answer RT's comment for you....bald is dead sexay, according to my wife.

Ryan E. Houston · Post by **Ryan E. Houston** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 4:37 pm

Originally posted by Red Sox Nation:

Ryan,

What do you think of the Mets off season? Well thought I'd go ahead and answer this one.

First -- I'm a huge Mets fan. They are the ONLY team in professional sports that I follow religiously.

That being said -- I can't believe how poorly their off-season has been.

Jason Bay -- Solid but not spectacular.

I think the hidden gem might be Kelvim Escobar. If he stays healthy, and that's a big IF, he could be a viable late round fantasy flier.

I'm really disappointed at just how bad this has been handled. Our starting pitching is lackluster (at best) and the Beltran incident surely isn't helping matters.

Regardless, maybe this was Wilpon's way of telling Minaya - show me what you got and win with what you got and maybe then I'll give you the financial flexibility to do what you need. Let's be honest -- there are going to be a A LOT of teams looking to shed salary and save money. If the Mets start fast and get off to a good early start - I have no doubt they will make the moves necessary to make the team better. However, if they start slow - it's going to be a very ugly season at Citi!

We shall see.

I picked them to win the World Series -- and I'll stick by that. After all, everyone has a chance starting in April.

Quahogs · Post by **Quahogs** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:57 am

Originally posted by Ryan E. Houston:I picked them to win the World Series -- and I'll stick by that. After all, everyone has a chance starting in April.

That's right fight the good fight Ryan!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:19 am

Okay Ryan, it looks like our NFBC folks talk a good game but don't walk the walk when given the chance. Here they've cut into you when things were starting out and now when they have the chance to ask the tough questions they take the pass. I'll jump in for them. Get ready for some fastballs Big Guy:

1. You've seen the new NFBC FAAB setup. Will it pass the test for our die-hard NFBC owners? Better yet, give me a description of what you've seen.

2. Why did you increase the prize money for the Diamond League to 93.5% And what do you have in store for that draft site?? Better yet, will we have an NFFC Diamond and what can you do for those owners who want to secure a spot in the NFFC Diamond and will be in Las Vegas this March at the Bellagio?

3. Why are you hosting the New York event at Citi Field and not Yankee Stadium?

Any chance this stadium idea for hosting NFBC and NFFC events will continue or expand in the future?

4. Starting with football, how can I pre-order ALL of the available magazines at an affordable price and have them delivered to my home...ON TIME!! Can you set something up right away so that folks can click one button and get everything sent to them?

5. Anything you can tell us about the new NFBC draft software and the mock draft ability? Sounds interesting.

I'm sure some tougher questions will appear, but pick those off one by one and let's see what you've got for us!!

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:32 am

I am not alone in being antsy about switching to Fanball software for drafting. Seeing glitches on different pages already, leaves me leary of the draft site.

Alleviate my fears.

Red Sox Nation · Post by **Red Sox Nation** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:38 am

Ryan,

How about an I-phone app (phone app) for our NFBC teams where we can check live scoring, perform add drops, etc.? Sportsline has a very good one. Technology is all headed to phones that allow these applications. It would be nice to be able to spend Sunday's outside of the house for once. Thanks

Jason

Plymouth · Post by **Plymouth** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:10 pm

Ryan, what is with all the fees, I HATE fees. It seems to me that your business costs should be covered by your cut, so why add additional fees? I can understand additional fees for optional services/products on a by choice basis but forcing fees on players stinks. Tell me why (speaking for myself) I should pay your fees so that you can pay the high rent at some of the locations you have chosen when all I want is a place to draft with no bells and whistles? I appreciate you offering an on-line/phone option for the main event although there is no phone component this year. Having said that, how do you justify charging a fee to these players? Why is a main event on-line draft cost you more to put on than it does to do a satellite draft with no fees? Nothing personal Ryan, but I am having trouble getting over the feeling I am dealing with someone that is going to fee me to death like banks and airlines are already doing.

The RoundTrippers · Post by **The RoundTrippers** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:22 pm

E,

any idea when the 1st set of ADP's will be sent out??? and how many versions will be sent?? in the past, we had 2 i believe. thanks RT