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Last year, Lindy Hinkelman did what all of us strive for. He mastered the NFBC and won the jackpot. I've never met the man, but hear from very reliable sources that he is a great guy.



Shawn Childs has finished in the top five of the NFBC three or four times (sorry Shawn, I'm too lazy to look it up). I have met Shawn, he is a nice fellow. Heck, last year when I didn't post for awhile, he called me to make sure I was ok. At my age, he probably had concerns



I spotlight this duo, not for their accomplishments or their character, rather, that if we had 'experts' in the NFBC, these two would be near the top of every list.



I hate the word 'expert' as it pertains to fantasy baseball. Anybody that knows me, knows that I don't throw the hate word around much. I know that neither Shawn or Lindy have called themselves 'experts'. It's not in them.



A friend of mine in the NFBC, Bob (Spartacus), was kind enough to let me in on one of his drafts early in the season and asked me for a critique afterwards. Putting myself in the 'expert' role, I wrote a harsh follow up. I told Bob that drafting Adam Dunn changed his draft, making it seem as though he had created a hole he would never climb out of. I've beaten myself up mentally from the moment I hit that send button to the present. Who the Hell am I? Bob knew that league better than I, and knows fantasy as well as I. I was role playing an expert, not a friend, I'll never fall into that trap again.

Since then, Bob is atop or near the top of that league and Adam Dunn has hit circles around any of my recommended players. A pat on the back for Bob, a bitchslap for me.



Matthew Berry also hates the term 'expert' and has said he would never use it in describing himself or his work. THAT is a good start to eliminating the word from our hobby.



We have a hobby that cannot be mastered. Sure, Lindy conquered it for a year, and what a year. What Lindy did, to me, was the equivelant of a golfer winning all four major tournaments in one year, the Grand Slam. Lindy now has a team that ranks 392 of 435. And right now, Lindy is thinking, 'Sure Dan, you're too lazy to look up Shawn's facts, but you looked up that one up

I point it out, not to illustrate what I am sure is a frustrating year for Lindy, but that we have an ebb and flow hobby. We can be incredibly smart one year and Homer Simpson the next. Experts one year, novices the next.



This year I have decided to boycott any publication that has the word expert on the front or back cover. Most likely, I will not be buying any publications.

One magazine had the word on the front cover six times last year, more than the word 'fantasy', more than the word 'baseball'.

UGH.



I include the back cover because of the Forecaster. The Forecaster does not use the back cover for advertising. More so to describe their process and spout achievements. They used the word 'experts' three times on the back cover. Twice to describe their leagues, the other had this line, "Written by REAL Experts in Fantasy Play"

UGH.

Maybe somebody from the Forecaster can tell us the difference between a REAL expert and a normal or phony expert.



I don't want to pick on the Forecaster. In fact, I am hoping they lead the way to dismiss the word from their publication. Maybe others will follow suit. As of now, they rank 381 in our contest. NFBC'ers would be taking the word 'expert' on the back cover with a wry grain of salt should it be used next year.



'Experts' may sell magazines. I don't know. I do know that although there are knowledgeable folks in our industry, I know of none that would enjoy the tagline of being an 'expert'. Individually, writers, for the most part, do not refer to themselves as experts. I mostly blame editors for splashing it on covers and using it to such an extent as to cheapen the word itself.



Paraphrasing from something heard long ago-

'An expert is someone who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today'

THESE are the 'experts' in our industry.



[ July 10, 2010, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

wow it must take a lot of time to write down so much crap . hey but what would old fat doughboys do in the summer, if it was'nt for fantasy sports . maybe go to the lake or swim in a pool .oh i forgot nobody wants to see a doughboy with out a shirt .

Deemed, not worth it...



[ July 10, 2010, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

JAGUAR, go away.



DB, what specifically about the word expert do you not like? That it's used as an advertising tool? Or do you object to the notion of experts existing in fantasy baseball?

Thanks Whipsaw,



Let's take you for example. You have shown in your posts that you are knowledgeable of fantasy baseball. In a league, you would probably do as well as writers for magazines that Editors keep pushing as experts. Why should they spout that they are experts when in many ways they are on the same level as yourself, or maybe even a two year Yahoo veteran.



I guess the answer to both your questions is the same. There are no fantasy experts and using the word to sell magazines is a shame since there are no fantasy experts.



I will say that there may be experts within a field of our hobby. For instance, Todd Zola can break down numbers like nobody's business. A facet that I would call Todd an expert at doing. As far as I know, Todd has never called himself an expert, in fact, he has poked fun at the notion.





Take Ron Shandler. He pioneered a new way to look at fantasy. But as far as calling him an expert? No.

Entering the NFBC, I would not call Ron an odds on favorite in any league.

We'd have to ask Ron if he deems his entry to the NFBC as an 'expert league'.

I wonder.



It is just a word, I know. And, it is my own battle. Thanks for enduring the rant.

I'm guessing this means the Doughboy Fantany Baseball Fireside Chat Tour will be skipping its stop in Flint this winter.



That's ok, put Villa Grove, IL on your tour Dan. I'd love to listen to ya!

Dan, you're so right. I hate when people call me "expert".



In all seriousness, you'd be what I'd call an expert poster. Another very interesting piece. Thanks.



Glenn

Dan

Have always loved your posts. Keep them coming. You are the Andy Rooney of the NFBC. The sarcasm and wit remind me so much of him. Me being an old timer, seasoned vet, or whatever verbage enjoy your posts. Betch a lot of players in NFBC have never heard of Andy Rooney but I can tell by your posts you have. i agree with Glenn you are the expert poster. Good Luck and keep them coming. Ignore puma which I am sure you have.

Marty

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

Thanks Whipsaw,



Let's take you for example. You have shown in your posts that you are knowledgeable of fantasy baseball. In a league, you would probably do as well as writers for magazines that Editors keep pushing as experts. Why should they spout that they are experts when in many ways they are on the same level as yourself, or maybe even a two year Yahoo veteran.



I guess the answer to both your questions is the same. There are no fantasy experts and using the word to sell magazines is a shame since there are no fantasy experts.



I will say that there may be experts within a field of our hobby. For instance, Todd Zola can break down numbers like nobody's business. A facet that I would call Todd an expert at doing. As far as I know, Todd has never called himself an expert, in fact, he has poked fun at the notion.





Take Ron Shandler. He pioneered a new way to look at fantasy. But as far as calling him an expert? No.

Entering the NFBC, I would not call Ron an odds on favorite in any league.

We'd have to ask Ron if he deems his entry to the NFBC as an 'expert league'.

I wonder.



It is just a word, I know. And, it is my own battle. Thanks for enduring the rant. An interesting post. I definitely agree that FAR FAR too many publications, in print or online, fling the word "expert" around too cavalierly to describe their product. But I don't think that there aren't fantasy experts. Sure, the activity involves a TON of risk/luck (depending on how you want to look at it), but that doesn't necessarily mean there can't be experts. As long as there's some appreciable amount of skill then there can be those that prove themselves sufficiently better than the crowd so as to earn the title "expert." With this much luck, however, it just takes far more seasons to prove you have beaten the luck and are in fact skillful.



A slightly different point might be that because of the fact that all these pubs use the word "expert" far too often, that it has actually lost any value in the field. The word might be just a meaningless word now, sort of like when someone says something is "interesting." Just a generic hollow meaningless word.

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

Last year, Lindy Hinkelman did what all of us strive for. He mastered the NFBC and won the jackpot. I've never met the man, but hear from very reliable sources that he is a great guy.



Shawn Childs has finished in the top five of the NFBC three or four times (sorry Shawn, I'm too lazy to look it up). I have met Shawn, he is a nice fellow. Heck, last year when I didn't post for awhile, he called me to make sure I was ok. At my age, he probably had concerns



I spotlight this duo, not for their accomplishments or their character, rather, that if we had 'experts' in the NFBC, these two would be near the top of every list.



I hate the word 'expert' as it pertains to fantasy baseball. Anybody that knows me, knows that I don't throw the hate word around much. I know that neither Shawn or Lindy have called themselves 'experts'. It's not in them.



A friend of mine in the NFBC, Bob (Spartacus), was kind enough to let me in on one of his drafts early in the season and asked me for a critique afterwards. Putting myself in the 'expert' role, I wrote a harsh follow up. I told Bob that drafting Adam Dunn changed his draft, making it seem as though he had created a hole he would never climb out of. I've beaten myself up mentally from the moment I hit that send button to the present. Who the Hell am I? Bob knew that league better than I, and knows fantasy as well as I. I was role playing an expert, not a friend, I'll never fall into that trap again.

Since then, Bob is atop or near the top of that league and Adam Dunn has hit circles around any of my recommended players. A pat on the back for Bob, a bitchslap for me.



Matthew Berry also hates the term 'expert' and has said he would never use it in describing himself or his work. THAT is a good start to eliminating the word from our hobby.



We have a hobby that cannot be mastered. Sure, Lindy conquered it for a year, and what a year. What Lindy did, to me, was the equivelant of a golfer winning all four major tournaments in one year, the Grand Slam. Lindy now has a team that ranks 392 of 435. And right now, Lindy is thinking, 'Sure Dan, you're too lazy to look up Shawn's facts, but you looked up that one up

I point it out, not to illustrate what I am sure is a frustrating year for Lindy, but that we have an ebb and flow hobby. We can be incredibly smart one year and Homer Simpson the next. Experts one year, novices the next.



This year I have decided to boycott any publication that has the word expert on the front or back cover. Most likely, I will not be buying any publications.

One magazine had the word on the front cover six times last year, more than the word 'fantasy', more than the word 'baseball'.

UGH.



I include the back cover because of the Forecaster. The Forecaster does not use the back cover for advertising. More so to describe their process and spout achievements. They used the word 'experts' three times on the back cover. Twice to describe their leagues, the other had this line, "Written by REAL Experts in Fantasy Play"

UGH.

Maybe somebody from the Forecaster can tell us the difference between a REAL expert and a normal or phony expert.



I don't want to pick on the Forecaster. In fact, I am hoping they lead the way to dismiss the word from their publication. Maybe others will follow suit. As of now, they rank 381 in our contest. NFBC'ers would be taking the word 'expert' on the back cover with a wry grain of salt should it be used next year.



'Experts' may sell magazines. I don't know. I do know that although there are knowledgeable folks in our industry, I know of none that would enjoy the tagline of being an 'expert'. Individually, writers, for the most part, do not refer to themselves as experts. I mostly blame editors for splashing it on covers and using it to such an extent as to cheapen the word itself.



Paraphrasing from something heard long ago-

'An expert is someone who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today'

THESE are the 'experts' in our industry. If you remember correctly Dan, I agreed with with your forensic report after the January draft in the Shawn Childs league. It wasn't so much that I took on Adam Dunn's BA risk, and earlier than I had to (I did both), but taking him when I did, based on my previous picks, created a significant and early draft imbalance that I had to negotiate from the 4th round on. That it worked out okay-to date-is irrelevant, it was a draft mechanics point of order that we both recognized, and your analysis was given, dare I say it; 'expertly'

Now as I see it, the biggest difference between 'the experts' and the rest of us is that the roto industry professionals (perhaps we should just call them R.I.P's from here on out) get financial compensation for their 'fact' and 'opinion' offerings (and we ignore that distinction at our own peril). I buy all the magazines, subscribe to HQ as well-who I think do a great job, in order to increase the pool of players available to me on draft day, and to some extent free me from my own biases. So when It comes to an NFBC style draft, I want a 'R.I.P' to review it, and if memory serves me well here Dan, to date, you've been compensated pretty handsomely. I'm no fool, I know where to go for 'expert' advice

Bob, you had Dan helping you in that league?

I guess that explains why Dan said he had plans that night when I requested that he help me!!



By the way, nice job so far. Feel free to come back to the pack at anytime now.



Glenn

This is one of the more thought provoking and entertaining posts that I've read in a long time.



Great read as the All Star break arrives. Good luck Doughy and to all the "experts" out there in the 2nd half of the season.

I will say that there may be experts within a field of our hobby. For instance, Todd Zola can break down numbers like nobody's business. A facet that I would call Todd an expert at doing. As far as I know, Todd has never called himself an expert, in fact, he has poked fun at the notion. That's a really good point. Part of the problem is that it's too large of a discipline for anyone to be an expert. Calling Zola a valuation expert or Will Carroll an injury expert does not bother me at all. Calling some magazine guy that I finish ahead of every year a fantasy expert is an insult.

Originally posted by JAGUAR:

wow it must take a lot of time to write down so much crap . hey but what would old fat doughboys do in the summer, if it was'nt for fantasy sports . maybe go to the lake or swim in a pool .oh i forgot nobody wants to see a doughboy with out a shirt . I bring this quote back not to slap Jaguar. In fact, I agree with him that almost anybody over 55 should keep their shirt on. Age is a beeyatch.



Anyway, I thought I'd use this as a vehicle for a story about a fat joke that came back to bite a Major Leaguer.



Dick Bartell played shortstop for 18 years in the Major Leagues. He was a scrappy ball player, his nickname was 'Rowdy Richard'.

Bartell played in the first All-Star game in 1933 and again made the team in '37. He amassed over 2,000 hits and ended his career with a .284 batting average.



In 1939, Bartell played for the Cubs. One spring training day, he walked to the park with Dizzy Dean. In front of them was an overweight man trying to make his way through the turnstiles. He was adjusting and contorting a lot of ways before making his way through the obstacle.



Bartell laughed and said, "What time does the blimp go up?" Bartell drew a small chuckle from Dizzy. The large man turned around.

He pointed a finger at Bartell, "You know what? You'll be hearing from me all summer!"



Bartell recognized the man when he turned around. His name was Ed Burns. A writer for the Chicago Tribune and an official scorekeeper for the Cubs.



Bartell started getting called for errors on balls that came close to him, and by the same token, not getting credit for some hits that whizzed by some fielders.



Burns also had a little editorial control at the Tribune.

Here, is a Burns-influenced headline-



'Cubs Win. Bartell Makes Error No. 14'.



At a writers dinner after the season, baby booties were brought to the dais. The baby shoes were called 'Boots for Bartell'. These boots would increase by size during the night, each time accompanied by the announcement, "Another boot for Bartell!"

Bartell, in attendance, described the dinner as the biggest hit he had made all year.



Bartell finished the season at .238. 48 points below his career average. Usually an above average shortstop, Bartell finished near the bottom in fielding average for his position that year.



Burns apologized after the dinner to Bartell, for maybe getting too even for Bartell's fat joke. Bartell accepted the apology.

Bartell was traded from the Cubs before the next season began.



[ July 20, 2010, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

funny story doughie



Ignore the jagoffs out there. Keep them coming !

Originally posted by JAGUAR:

wow it must take a lot of time to write down so much crap . hey but what would old fat doughboys do in the summer, if it was'nt for fantasy sports . maybe go to the lake or swim in a pool .oh i forgot nobody wants to see a doughboy with out a shirt . Oddly enough I know a guy with a pool. This retard who facilitated one of my buddies fantasy drafts just got one. Could not afford both a pool and the league so sad...

why is it sad chest that you hang out with retards . by the way if the guy can buy and take care of a pool he must not be to big of a retard as you call him . by the way most nice pools are quite a bit of $$ . hope you and doughnut don't go to the same bakery . nice out today time for a swim .

Originally posted by JAGUAR:

why is it sad chest that you hang out with retards . by the way if the guy can buy and take care of a pool he must not be to big of a retard as you call him . by the way most nice pools are quite a bit of $$ . hope you and doughnut don't go to the same bakery . nice out today time for a swim . This is a little bit what it's like when a Klan member trys out his new comedy routine in Harlem. Helloooo, is this thing on ?????

Originally posted by JAGUAR:

nice out today time for a swim . absolutely.



what is the weather like in crazytown Jag?