NFBC Message Boards

It is a boring day.

For the first time in almost a year, I am not drafting or running a fantasy team. Sure, there is the MB Mock, but we all know that is just not the same as a pay team.

In my boredom, I decided to look at a couple of websites. I am a cheap basstard, I do not pay for any site. Not only is it the cheapness, it is the thought that the information is all out there, I can find it myself without the help of an 'expert'. None of these writers call themselves 'experts'. For some reason, the producers, or directors, or whoever makes decisions at sites, think that we are in better hands with 'experts' rather than just plain writers.



BaseballMafia

I like Shawn.

Not liking Shawn, is like not liking Opie Taylor.

I hadn't visited in awhile. The looks were the same. Banner WCOFF/WCOFB ad with pictures of Eddie, Jesse, Eric, and Shawn on the right.

All the most recent articles were penned by Shawn, making the site still worthwhile.



The site itself is deplorable. Unless Eddie's favorite player is still Travis Hafner, the site hasn't been updated in years. It also left me wondering why Jesse, Eddie, and Eric's pictures were even there, since there are no contributions of note on the site from any of them. This may have been more remnants of not updating the site.



For me, it will be treated as a ShawnBlog, nothing more, nothing less. And that still makes it worth visiting every once in awhile.



Next, I looked at Mastersball.com.

They have rather a bland home page. They divide the free stuff on the left side of the page and the subscription offers to the right. A good thing for guys like me.



I liked the free stuff. Reading stuff from Lawr, Perry, and Todd is always good. They even give some free 'values' away from 2010.



A site that depends on subscribers to flourish needs to find a balance between free stuff and pay stuff. Cheap basstard that I am, I always want more free stuff, but I thought Mastersball did a good job of leaving me wanting more. In other words, pay for it, if you want it, you cheap basstard!





Fanball is a larger site and encompasses many sports, it's review is a little longer.



Fanball's home page gives an action picture of an in-season sport, reminding us of a CBS or ESPN type of page. The picture is surrounded by the various games that Fanball would like us to play. Right away, the feeling of ESPN and CBS is lost.

The page made me feel like walking onto a car lot and getting hardselled from the get go.

Anybody that was just stopping in for a look see, would move on almost immediately.



I clicked on baseball and was given a choice of different games. I was more than a little miffed that the NFBC was not listed. Not only was it not listed as an option, it is not even mentioned on the baseball page, though several other games are.

Just, boffo.



I clicked on baseball news and analysis and was greeted with the banner-

'Why Subscribe to Owners Edge MLB?'

Lovin' that news and analysis...



There has been one free article written about baseball since November started. I know how these sites work, when involved with multiple sports, shift focus to the sports that are, for the moment, buttering the bread.



Fanball is like the political ads that we are now rid of. So busy trying to get your vote, that they forget about the content.



A smaller site such as Mastersball has notable writers up front. Heck, even with tiny BaseballMafia we know we are at least going to give Shawn a read.

Fanball has no writer up front on their site, preferring to let the 'sport of the season' and various games be the draw. Curious, since Fanball depends on their publications to help sell the games.



As a baseball guy, I'll give Fanball another try in the future, when baseball is again a resource for them.

As a cheap basstard, the hard sell turns me off, and besides, if I did sign up for an annual subscription, with how Fanball follows the shiny object of the in-season or money making sport, it leaves me wondering how much content I would really get with a subscription during the off season.



[ November 08, 2010, 03:28 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:





BaseballMafia

I like Shawn.

Not liking Shawn, is like not liking Opie Taylor.

I hadn't visited in awhile. The looks were the same. Banner WCOFF/WCOFB ad with pictures of Eddie, Jesse, Eric, and Shawn on the right.

All the most recent articles were penned by Shawn, making the site still worthwhile.

The site was a good idea about 4 years ago. Unfortunately, they bought the WCOFF and the idea was put on the back burner. Over the past couple of years, I've carried the life line for the site.



For the most part, I talk about the games and the playing field. I haven't been much of a player pusher.



As a player in these games, I've been willing to do some stuff in the off season to help players maybe approach the game better.



In the next couple of months, the site is going to change. It is going to merge written content with video. It was be: Vufantasybaseball and Baseball Mafia will work under that site. It will be interesting to see how the site develops.