Diamond Challenge

Timcards
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Diamond Challenge

Post by Timcards » Sun Jan 09, 2011 8:35 am

I started playing Diamond Challenge in 1998 and it led me here to NFBC. I really, really hope that someone takes in consideration both the NFBC and Diamond Challenge when decisions are being made. There are 4,000 people who play DC every year and we love that format as well as the NFBC format.



Bottom-line is that there is money to be made from both formats if they are run properly. Here's hoping Liberty Media or whoever makes the right call.

Juan LYB
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Post by Juan LYB » Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:12 am

No doubt...Diamond Challenge brought me over here last year. I'd hate to see it and its 4000 customers just vanish.

Closter Knickerbockers
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Diamond Challenge

Post by Closter Knickerbockers » Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:16 am

Amen. You've got a cadre of thousands of customers who stood by the challenge game format through thick and thin. Many of the NFBC's elite were challenge game players who've doubled up on their success in the draft and auction formats.

RichV
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Post by RichV » Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:22 am

Originally posted by Timcards:

I started playing Diamond Challenge in 1998 and it led me here to NFBC. I really, really hope that someone takes in consideration both the NFBC and Diamond Challenge when decisions are being made. There are 4,000 people who play DC every year and we love that format as well as the NFBC format.



Bottom-line is that there is money to be made from both formats if they are run properly. Here's hoping Liberty Media or whoever makes the right call. I'm with you Tim! Diamond Challenge, for me, and many other people is still the best game out there. Unfortunately, I think a lot of DC player's voices are going unheard during this period partially because people like me who only play diamond challenge are no longer able to post on the BBS. (another slap in the face by fanball to it's customers. How hard would it be to set up access for me, and others like me who can't post on BBS??..but I digress). I can't imagine a baseball season without a DC team, or the BBS for that matter. Hopefully, something can be worked out.

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Post by Sebadiah23 » Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:28 am

I never would have taken the leap to try NFBC in '07 just from reading about it in Fantasy Sports Magazine alone, although the article piqued my interest, if I didn't read CDM players on the Fanball BBS talking it up as a cool contest for serious players. It continues to convert players each year, being the same niche audience.



[ January 09, 2011, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Sebadiah23 ]
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MadCow Sez
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Post by MadCow Sez » Sun Jan 09, 2011 1:33 pm

Started DC in the very first year on my way back to my remote site after mid-tour leave. Played every year, even through multiple deployments to the sandbox. Had some league success but nothing bigger. Most of all I had fun. DC led me to NFBC and the annual gathering of posters in Vegas. It was great putting names and faces together for the first time.



Last year DC wasn't fun. The personal touch from the management was one of the things that went out the door with several key staffers who were let go. Last year was my last year, regardless of what happened.



Glad to say I played every year. Not happy to see a product with an amazing record of customer interaction become a Shells of itself and die off.
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
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Jim Christie
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Post by Jim Christie » Mon Jan 10, 2011 1:16 am

Lt. Dan, "A SHELLSof it former self." Was that a Freudian slip? :cool:



The CDM Diamond Challenge led to many gatherings across the country and eventually to an annual gathering in Las Vegas. A few of us still meet in Cooperstown the Saturday before the Super Bowl (Saturday 1/29 will be the 8th annual trek to the baseball mecca). All are invited this year we usually arrive around 9am and leave by 3pm. A great time.

The Diamond Challenge is a GREAT game and it will be a shame if it is eliminated.



Here it is Monday 1/10 and I am wondering if there will be an NFBC and Diamond Challenge in 2011. I can only hope we have an answer ASAP as the longer we don't know the more negative impact it will have.



BTW, Greg has made a few comments, but where the foulke is Ryan Houston?
"Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."

DOUGHBOYS
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Diamond Challenge

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Jan 10, 2011 1:35 am

Hands are tied right now. I don't think there'll be a negative impact, at least to the core of loyal customers. We can't do much more than stand by.



[ January 10, 2011, 07:56 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]
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Likewhat17
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Post by Likewhat17 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 2:05 am

As another player who was a longtime CDM player before making the jump to the NFBC, I would like to again echo the sentiment that we would be heartbroken to see that game go.

AM
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Post by AM » Mon Jan 10, 2011 3:39 am

Diamond Challenge is the gold standard. I have played for 15 years, gaining such an affection for the game that I wrote the column for Fanball the last two seasons. As others have said, DC is what got me into NFBC and other Fanball products. Unfortunately, the game has been managed about as well as my local Del Taco. So this is what we're left with.



It is an indictment of the people in charge that a game that appeals to the most devout (and free-spending) of fantasy players is now facing extinction. Give most companies a few thousand loyal customers and low overhead (code written, game runs itself) and they'd salivate at the possibilities. But the team in charge here has little vision and even less skill.



I hope Greg and the other NFBC guys stay dry through this. It's not surprising to most of us that this ship is sinking, but I hate to see good people go down. And regardless what happens, Greg, thanks for communicating on here. Like the silence of certain other people, it speaks volumes about you and your character.

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Greg Ambrosius
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Post by Greg Ambrosius » Mon Jan 10, 2011 4:00 am

As someone who has been in this industry for almost 22 years now, I appreciate the history and importance of Diamond Challenge and the intensity of the customers that come with it. You folks aren't old enough to remember it but when the concept of the salary cap game started it was called Carol's Fantasy Baseball. Carol, Brian and Charlie were so cheap they took out 1 inch x 1 inch ads in Fantasy Baseball Magazine before things really took off for them!! :D



Charlie had connections at The Sporting News and Carol's Fantasy Baseball soon became The Sporting News Diamond Challenge. It revolutionized our industry and brought the first big media partner into this space. Charlie then created a relationship with USA Today and ran the Diamond Challenge there. The growth of that game to 15,000+ customers was amazing.



I loved what CDM did through the past 15 years and Charlie always wanted to create a game for Fantasy Baseball Magazine and Krause's. When I created the NFBC for Krause's, Charlie and I continued to work together on the magazines and talked about combining forces since our audiences were so passionate. It made sense to one day bring those die-hard baseball fans together and you can see from posts here that many people played both game formats and loved them. They didn't compete for players they enhanced the baseball experience for players.



There's no reason why that should change, not with thousands of people demanding that the games continue and both games having such great historical importance to the industry. Not to mention they generate a lot of revenue that someone would want. ;) You all are the best and most passionate fantasy players in the country and Diamond Challenge in many ways had a big hand in bringing all of us together.



Brian, Carol, Charlie and John deserve more appreciation than me or anyone else can provide in this space. I sure hope they know that.
Greg Ambrosius
Founder, National Fantasy Baseball Championship
General Manager, Consumer Fantasy Games at SportsHub Technologies
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Yankees2009
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Diamond Challenge

Post by Yankees2009 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:20 am

I have to say that Diamond Challenge has been my favorite game; fantasy or otherwise, that I have ever played. I sure hope it doesn't take a lost 2011 season for someone to resurrect this great game with thousands of loyal fans.

Gates
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Post by Gates » Mon Jan 10, 2011 12:02 pm

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

As someone who has been in this industry for almost 22 years now, I appreciate the history and importance of Diamond Challenge and the intensity of the customers that come with it. You folks aren't old enough to remember it but when the concept of the salary cap game started it was called Carol's Fantasy Baseball. Carol, Brian and Charlie were so cheap they took out 1 inch x 1 inch ads in Fantasy Baseball Magazine before things really took off for them!! :D



Charlie had connections at The Sporting News and Carol's Fantasy Baseball soon became The Sporting News Diamond Challenge. It revolutionized our industry and brought the first big media partner into this space. Charlie then created a relationship with USA Today and ran the Diamond Challenge there. The growth of that game to 15,000+ customers was amazing.



I loved what CDM did through the past 15 years and Charlie always wanted to create a game for Fantasy Baseball Magazine and Krause's. When I created the NFBC for Krause's, Charlie and I continued to work together on the magazines and talked about combining forces since our audiences were so passionate. It made sense to one day bring those die-hard baseball fans together and you can see from posts here that many people played both game formats and loved them. They didn't compete for players they enhanced the baseball experience for players.



There's no reason why that should change, not with thousands of people demanding that the games continue and both games having such great historical importance to the industry. Not to mention they generate a lot of revenue that someone would want. ;) You all are the best and most passionate fantasy players in the country and Diamond Challenge in many ways had a big hand in bringing all of us together.



Brian, Carol, Charlie and John deserve more appreciation than me or anyone else can provide in this space. I sure hope they know that. Once again Greg, you are showing that you are a class act. This is exactly why people would follow you anywhere. Thank God you are on our side...

I wish you, Tom, Geoff and all the best and hope this is just a glitch and all will comeback to **normal** ASAP...



As for DC, I have been playing this great fantasy game since 2000 and hope that it will never disappear...As many others, I heard of NFBC through great friends I made on the BBS of the Diamond Challenge. The same friends that came over to Montreal to watch some games, yeah we still had a team then, friends that I joined in Vegas to celebrate the Fantasy Sport game that we love, Baseball talk 24/7....All of this because of the Diamond Challenge....



Keep it on, keep it on...



Gaëtan
Go ahead, make my day...

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MadCow Sez
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Post by MadCow Sez » Mon Jan 10, 2011 2:03 pm

Originally posted by Jim Christie:

Lt. Dan, "A SHELLSof it former self." Was that a Freudian slip? :cool:



No slip there....purely intentional, my Brudah. "Stop! My spreadsheets!"
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
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Jim Christie
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Post by Jim Christie » Mon Jan 10, 2011 2:58 pm

Originally posted by Gates:

quote:Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

As someone who has been in this industry for almost 22 years now, I appreciate the history and importance of Diamond Challenge and the intensity of the customers that come with it. You folks aren't old enough to remember it but when the concept of the salary cap game started it was called Carol's Fantasy Baseball. Carol, Brian and Charlie were so cheap they took out 1 inch x 1 inch ads in Fantasy Baseball Magazine before things really took off for them!! :D



Charlie had connections at The Sporting News and Carol's Fantasy Baseball soon became The Sporting News Diamond Challenge. It revolutionized our industry and brought the first big media partner into this space. Charlie then created a relationship with USA Today and ran the Diamond Challenge there. The growth of that game to 15,000+ customers was amazing.



I loved what CDM did through the past 15 years and Charlie always wanted to create a game for Fantasy Baseball Magazine and Krause's. When I created the NFBC for Krause's, Charlie and I continued to work together on the magazines and talked about combining forces since our audiences were so passionate. It made sense to one day bring those die-hard baseball fans together and you can see from posts here that many people played both game formats and loved them. They didn't compete for players they enhanced the baseball experience for players.



There's no reason why that should change, not with thousands of people demanding that the games continue and both games having such great historical importance to the industry. Not to mention they generate a lot of revenue that someone would want. ;) You all are the best and most passionate fantasy players in the country and Diamond Challenge in many ways had a big hand in bringing all of us together.



Brian, Carol, Charlie and John deserve more appreciation than me or anyone else can provide in this space. I sure hope they know that. Once again Greg, you are showing that you are a class act. This is exactly why people would follow you anywhere. Thank God you are on our side...

I wish you, Tom, Geoff and all the best and hope this is just a glitch and all will comeback to **normal** ASAP...



As for DC, I have been playing this great fantasy game since 2000 and hope that it will never disappear...As many others, I heard of NFBC through great friends I made on the BBS of the Diamond Challenge. The same friends that came over to Montreal to watch some games, yeah we still had a team then, friends that I joined in Vegas to celebrate the Fantasy Sport game that we love, Baseball talk 24/7....All of this because of the Diamond Challenge....



Keep it on, keep it on...



Gaëtan
[/QUOTE]Get: That summer trip was to Montreal was the best. Sitting in the luxury box right next to Gary Carter's box on his night was awesome. What a weekend!!! Patrick (DOWN) Gagne was the person who made that weekend happen.
"Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."

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JaserD
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Diamond Challenge

Post by JaserD » Mon Jan 10, 2011 3:48 pm

Can't post on the BBS, but call me disappointed on the DC deal.

M Co
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Post by M Co » Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:27 am

This has been very depressing. I enjoy the NFBC a lot, but the DC has always been my top fantasy passion. Not only is it a great game, but it has a loyal community, such that a lot of people who have posted in this thread are close friends of mine. And it's also a fact in my mind that the DC and NFBC are not only not competition, but that they've helped each other grow, in that a lot of DC players have moved here, and the games complement each other since they are so different. I really hope somehow we don't find a replacement for the DC, but that the DC itself can be saved, in some form or another. Whatever happens, long live the Diamond Challenge BBS!

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Post by DoubleX » Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:36 am

There is really nothing left to say about DC that hasn't been said so I will just throw my agreement in with all these class acts that have already posted.

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Post by Captain Crunch » Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:59 am

A big f-u to funball. Gotta believe that a DC-style game will rise from the ashes - it's just too good a format. And the same goes for the nfbc if funball bails. Way too many dedicated people out there on all levels.



Almost beyond belief that a company can be too stupid to take great ideas and run with them.

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Post by Juan LYB » Wed Jan 12, 2011 6:33 am

Greg,

I know I'm premature here, but any chance something happens to continue the challenge format?



I'm wishing you all well and hope that whatever happens in the coming weeks and months that everyone employed with Fanball is able to land in a better situation.



-Jeff

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Post by DoubleX » Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:59 am

DC boards are toast, that was quick. I'm going to miss jumping on there 1000 times a day....





:( :( :(



[ January 12, 2011, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: DoubleX ]

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Post by Juan LYB » Wed Jan 12, 2011 10:09 am

http://rotobasketball.fanball.com/bbs/b ... emessage=1



XX - Join us on the Hoops/Tech Foul board. Figure it will be the last to go. So far, CK, Reed, Quack, Oak, RTL and a few others have been there.

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Greg Ambrosius
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Post by Greg Ambrosius » Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:54 am

Originally posted by Timcards:

I started playing Diamond Challenge in 1998 and it led me here to NFBC. I really, really hope that someone takes in consideration both the NFBC and Diamond Challenge when decisions are being made. There are 4,000 people who play DC every year and we love that format as well as the NFBC format.



Bottom-line is that there is money to be made from both formats if they are run properly. Here's hoping Liberty Media or whoever makes the right call. I've resurrected this post because I know people have been trying to post alternative game sites for Diamond Challenge players on our boards and I've actually taken them down. I'm not trying to censor these posts, but right now there are at least a handful of industry companies scrambling to duplicate the Diamond Challenge game and promising big prizes and a seamless transition. Since I really don't know any of these new companies who are trying to promote these new games, I don't want our boards to be the promotional vehicle for these contests. Sorry.



I have no idea what Liberty Media is finally going to do with Diamond Challenge, but I think it's obvious by now that they are trying to keep these contest communities intact if they can. And Diamond Challenge is likely the jewel game of CDM/Fanball, so let's hope this contest stays intact with a new owner by the start of the 2011 season. I'm not predicting that will happen, but if I were a past Diamond Challenge member I'd probably stay patient rather than jump to a new ship at this point. There is still plenty of time for something positive to happen like what is happening with the NFBC.



Again, I apologize for taking some of these DC-like posts down, but I don't want to promote contests that I'm not familiar with and which are just starting out with no knowledge of the technology or the financial backing or anything else. It's easy to duplicate the format of a game, but the rest is different. It's a buyer-beware situation right now.



Let's hope something good comes out of this for the DC community, which is as tight if not tighter than the NFBC community. I wish this game the best of luck and let's see how this plays out over the next few weeks. It could still be a positive resolution for the players.
Greg Ambrosius
Founder, National Fantasy Baseball Championship
General Manager, Consumer Fantasy Games at SportsHub Technologies
Twitter - @GregAmbrosius

Timcards
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Post by Timcards » Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:43 am

Greg, I was hopeful a few weeks ago but now I'm feeling like it's getting too late. There are other options and although I'm one of the few waiting to see what happens with Charlie there are many who have already decided to move on. If something is going to happen it needs to happen quickly.

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Post by Jim Christie » Thu Feb 10, 2011 10:07 am

Originally posted by Timcards:

Greg, I was hopeful a few weeks ago but now I'm feeling like it's getting too late. There are other options and although I'm one of the few waiting to see what happens with Charlie there are many who have already decided to move on. If something is going to happen it needs to happen quickly. You may want to read between the lines; I will remain patient
"Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."

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