NFBC Announces Bellagio as First Weekend Host Hotel - Replacing Flamingo!

Ryan E. Houston · Post by **Ryan E. Houston** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:38 am

I stated we had a special announcement and let's get right to it.

Due to the overwhelming success of the 2010 NFBC, we felt we wanted to continue to refine the events.

Honestly, nobody expected us to be where we are today. Not Greg, not Tom, not Geoff -- and certainly not me.

When I look at what we've done this year, I think the excitement can be felt because of a multitude of reasons but one is definitely our award winning venues. Couple that with our continued focus on great customer service and the opportunity to compete against our NFBC family -- and we are truly building something special.

Special people and special events deserve to be held in special places. Therefore, we are announcing today that the first weekend events at Flamingo are moving to Bellagio, Las Vegas!

We have "bought out" of our last and final contract with Flamingo and the Bellagio will be the back-to-back weekend host of all events in Las Vegas!

Again, this is something we really wanted to do when we started this process. Let's give our users the best venue on the strip and we are sure everyone will enjoy it.

Additionally - The Bellagio will be our 2010 NFFC Host Hotel as well. Details coming later, but rest assured we have aggressive plans for our NFFC events in Las Vegas and multiple weekend opportunities will be available as well.

Again, thanks to all of you for making this possible. We are all very excited about this and want to ensure all of you participating in our events across the country are experiencing what you deserve - the best!

** We do have some players who have booked hotels at Flamingo Las Vegas. We are working on making rooms available at the Bellagio during the first weekend (starting on Thursday) at a rate of $159. They informed we have limited # of rooms available at that rate. If you want to move over to the Bellagio -- call the # on the site and tell them you are with Fanball Group or NFBC Group. I'm sure it will be set up today at some point.

Additionally -- we are going to give those of you who signed up for the Flamingo Hotel package early on and got 2 free room nights a $225 credit. Please contact Greg to get that issue rectified.

[ February 18, 2010, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: Ryan E. Houston ]

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 2:52 am

Sounds exciting!

The RoundTrippers · Post by **The RoundTrippers** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 2:53 am

my check cleared for the diamond league???

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 2:53 am

Sounds exciting!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:00 am

Originally posted by King of Queens:

Sounds exciting! My man is making this announcement from 36,000 feet up in the air. He's in an American Airlines plane flying to Liberty in Denver and able to use Skype from the plane. Oh man, this announcement should be good!!

King of Queens is posting from a beach in Jamaica and Ryan is posting from a plane 36,000 feet above ground. And I'm in Iola, a frozen town of less than 1,200!!!

Chest Rockwell · Post by **Chest Rockwell** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:06 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

quote:Originally posted by King of Queens:

Sounds exciting! My man is making this announcement from 36,000 feet up in the air. He's in an American Airlines plane flying to Liberty in Denver and able to use Skype from the plane. Oh man, this announcement should be good!!

King of Queens is posting from a beach in Jamaica and Ryan is posting from a plane 36,000 feet above ground. And I'm in Iola, a frozen town of less than 1,200!!!

[/QUOTE]I am surprised he flies commercial. Do they have a security detail that flies with him?

The RoundTrippers · Post by **The RoundTrippers** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:17 am

childs and jupinka are taking this year off???

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:19 am

RT: Childs is bowling, he said something sbout not needing much prep time to take you down. He added that he can draft with either his right or left hand and still top you.

[ February 18, 2010, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: Sack ]

Quahogs · Post by **Quahogs** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:51 am

Originally posted by The RoundTrippers:

childs and jupinka are taking this year off??? I got my gang working the FEB slow drafts Rick

But the staff will be ready to rock and roll come March !

[ February 18, 2010, 09:53 AM: Message edited by: Quahogs ]

JAGUAR · Post by **JAGUAR** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:01 am

what no hot flames coming from that girls hand????

Ryan E. Houston · Post by **Ryan E. Houston** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:02 am

I figured why start a new thread when we had this to look at

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:18 am

This is GREAT NEWS for all of us drafting in Las Vegas that first weekend of March Madness. The Bellagio sportsbook should be wild and it will be fun to gather on Thursday for March Madness games and talk smart before the auctions and Live Double Plays on Friday. Saturday should be fun as well as we have the same ballroom for this weekend as we have the second weekend. We'll make it feel cozy and do it up right.

For those of you who are at the Flamingo, you certainly can stay there for $109 a night and draft with us at the Bellagio. If we owe you two nights stay, just contact me at [email protected] and we'll work it out. As Ryan said, if instead you want to join us at the Bellagio rooms are available at $159 a night during the first weekend of March Madness. Wow, that's great.

We're at the Bellagio!!! Awesome news.

swampass · Post by **swampass** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:42 am

umm isnt this announcement a bit late? i mean we are a bit over a month away and most of us have already booked our rooms. whats the advantage here? are we going to get hit with draft fees like the folks from weekend 2 were supposed to get hit with for drafting at the bellagio?

this is bullshit this late in the game.... so yay! i can switch over my reservation and pay 50 more a night for the bellagio so that i can wake up in the hotel im drafting in.

again i dont get why this is such a fantastic piece of news.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:52 am

Makes me wish I could spend a week in Vegas, doing both drafts. Bellagio is such a GREAT place to enjoy the March Madness. Outside of the Venetian, no place I'd rather see the games.

With Flamingo just across the street, doesn't seem like a big deal for those already booked into the Flamingo to attend - although I'm sure you won't please them all.

With the CREDIT in place for those already signed up, seems like you've covered all the bases.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:55 am

CDM CREW, early in the game, actually had our first meet and greet in the wee hours of the Bellagio Sportsbook for March Madness.

The only restriction was that you couldn't fall asleep in the chairs.

Only problem with this was staying awake once the games started, right Emmett?

NorCalAtlFan · Post by **NorCalAtlFan** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:55 am

Originally posted by swampass:

umm isnt this announcement a bit late? i mean we are a bit over a month away and most of us have already booked our rooms. whats the advantage here? are we going to get hit with draft fees like the folks from weekend 2 were supposed to get hit with for drafting at the bellagio?

this is bullshit this late in the game.... so yay! i can switch over my reservation and pay 50 more a night for the bellagio so that i can wake up in the hotel im drafting in.

again i dont get why this is such a fantastic piece of news. agreed.

swampass · Post by **swampass** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:59 am

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sack:

[QB] Makes me wish I could spend a week in Vegas, doing both drafts. Bellagio is such a GREAT place to enjoy the March Madness. Outside of the Venetian, no place I'd rather see the games.

With Flamingo just across the street, doesn't seem like a big deal for those already booked into the Flamingo to attend - although I'm sure you won't please them all.

and since you are not in vegas your opinion is worth ZERO.

as far as basketball viewing.... are we there to draft or view basketball?... your point is moot.

Finkel · Post by **Finkel** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:17 am

Originally posted by NorCalAtlFan:

quote:Originally posted by swampass:

umm isnt this announcement a bit late? i mean we are a bit over a month away and most of us have already booked our rooms. whats the advantage here? are we going to get hit with draft fees like the folks from weekend 2 were supposed to get hit with for drafting at the bellagio?

this is bullshit this late in the game.... so yay! i can switch over my reservation and pay 50 more a night for the bellagio so that i can wake up in the hotel im drafting in.

again i dont get why this is such a fantastic piece of news. agreed. [/QUOTE]Agreed!!! This is total Bullshit!!! Already have a room booked at the Mingo and was planning on walking down stairs to the draft like I have the past 3 years.. How convienent it's the day after creditcards are processed. Better not be getting hit with any event fees!!!!!!!! some of us are on a tight budget, thus used the less expensive option.

Dirt Dogs · Post by **Dirt Dogs** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:35 am

I also agree. I'm drafting in NY and the best part of drafting there the last two years was waking up and going downstairs to draft. I would be pissed if all of a sudden you changed venues this late in the game.

this is a interesting decision made today...

[ February 18, 2010, 12:39 PM: Message edited by: Dirt Dogs ]

Ryan E. Houston · Post by **Ryan E. Houston** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:58 am

There are ZERO event fees for the first weekend at Bellagio.

No added expenses other then a higher room rate.

Let me see what I can do to get some room rates down for the first weekend to ensure everyone is happy. It's out of my hands but I will see what we can do.

All we are trying to do is make the event better and more appealing. Sorry if we've infuriated some of you.

mrhambone · Post by **mrhambone** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:11 am

Agreed, I am not staying at either venue but I picked a location that has easy transportation to the Flamingo. Now I have even more of a a trek to get to the Ballagio. I hope we will not see any event fees added on because I already feel screwed. And if we don't that's exactly the way the people drafting week 2 should feel. I hope for their sake you are doing something different to make those event fee worth while.

I have a few questions.

1. Will teams who are drafting week 1 be able to switch to week 2 if they want?

2. If yes to question 1. What is the least amount of leagues you will go to on week 1?

Don't care for the change. I think you could have prepared owners that this may have been an option instead of announcing it the day after you pull their cash and make it sound as if your doing us a favor. Favor not excepted. I want free beer, that's a favor and something to get excited about!

sportsbettingman · Post by **sportsbettingman** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:12 am

Not that I am even committed to Vegas yet, but I vowed to NEVER stay at the Flamingo ever again (I'll surely walk into it out of respect for its history) after seeing two years in a row how HORRIBLE their sportsbook handled March Madness.

It was a flat out disgrace, and I'm glad you cut ties with them for that blemish alone.

[ February 18, 2010, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: sportsbettingman ]

Dickie V · Post by **Dickie V** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:12 am

Now that you are in such a generous mood Ryan, could you please "see what you can do" about waiving those event fees for the 2nd weekend?

If you got the $$$ to buy out the Flamingo, surely you can find a little bit extra to make this happen.

swampass · Post by **swampass** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:26 am

Originally posted by Ryan E. Houston:

There are ZERO event fees for the first weekend at Bellagio.

No added expenses other then a higher room rate.

Let me see what I can do to get some room rates down for the first weekend to ensure everyone is happy. It's out of my hands but I will see what we can do.

All we are trying to do is make the event better and more appealing. Sorry if we've infuriated some of you. thanks for the response. i can totally understand why fanball/nfbc would like to draft in the same location two weekends in a row. it just makes sense. my issue is that you stated that you have been trying to make this work for awhile now. if thats a fact you should have at least hinted at this as a possibility on the msg boards. ive seen nothing. if you have posted this.. apologies, but the tardiness of the move is just not acceptable.

how is the switch to the bellagio week 1 beneficial to any of the drafters who were prepared to deal with a decent draft room (especially compared to the rest of the hotel) at the Mingo? will there be dancing girls operating the draft boards? will we get wristbands that get us free adult beverages? whats the hook?

finally.. i think we can all agree that the "sportsbook" at the Mingo leaves a lot to be desired. its a sad pathetic dark corner in a dark corner of a hotel. but people.. the sportsbook is not the issue here. the issue is now whether i fork over another $150 to stay at the bellagio, and thats if the rooms stay available, or do i make the 30+minute trudge across the way in the morning heat while dealing with belly full of yesterdays beer?

shitty either way.... i cant wait for the dancing girls!

mrhambone · Post by **mrhambone** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:27 am

Great point Dicky. This feels like a selfish move. Not a for the people move.

To late in the game for this. This is like a friend asking you to go to his house for the Superbowl and when you get there there's a note on the door saying he's watching it a a bar a half hour away and the bar has a 100 dollar cover.