Official Statement From Liberty Media

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:40 am

Nail on the head, KOQ!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:45 am

Originally posted by King of Queens:

quote:Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

I've learned a lot of lessons in this last week and one of them is that many of you folks are more than just customers. Some of you may have formed great friendships together as players, but I hope many of you realize that Tom and I have also formed some great friendships through the NFBC and NFFC. And those friends have been so supportive of us this last week that it's incredibly heartwarming. THANKS to all of you who have reached out to us with emails and calls and advice and offers. It's been unbelievable.

There is no doubt in my mind that the NFBC customer base has to be the richest group in the fantasy sports industry!!

I've never seen so many successful people offer financial support to help us out. I mean there are literally dozens of you who could back this product financially and the offers to help have been non-stop. And I love the Packer Board idea. Splendid and close to my heart.

That being said, money has never been the issue. If it were that easy, we'd have more money than the Packers. There's work to be done here yet, but I'm confident that smart people will make smart decisions and in a quick time frame. Stay tuned. To Commissioner Greg, the richest man in town!

[/QUOTE]I hope you know that movie is Top 2 in my book, just below the Wizard of Oz!!

I get a tear in my eye just seeing that picture for crying out loud. Nice touch. And thanks for everything.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:49 am

My favorite movie is the original "King Kong."

That isn't applicable to this situation in any whatsoever. I just wanted to share.

Jim Christie · Post by **Jim Christie** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:54 am

Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:

My favorite movie is the original "King Kong."

That isn't applicable to this situation in any whatsoever. I just wanted to share. This was too funny; The King Kong with Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange sucked but not as bad as the one with Naomi Watts and Jack Black

Thunder · Post by **Thunder** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:59 am

Originally posted by Jim Christie:

quote:Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:

My favorite movie is the original "King Kong."

That isn't applicable to this situation in any whatsoever. I just wanted to share. This was too funny; The King Kong with Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange sucked but not as bad as the one with Naomi Watts and Jack Black [/QUOTE]so true Jim, but nothing sucked about seeing Jessica laying in that lifeboat..

lschechter · Post by **lschechter** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:20 am

AFBC and AFFC -- Ambrosuis Fantasy Baseball Championship and Ambrposuis Fantasy Football Championship -- has a nice ring to it.

If Fanball is really going to shut down in June, that should let Greg and Tom out of any non-compete agreements, and they'd have plenty of time to get the AFFC up and running for next fall (if the NFL is actually going to play next year).

My only question is whether something can happen in time for the NFBC this spring. But I think worst case scenario, we just miss one year of the NFBC.

And I predict 40 years from now, my son will still be playing in the AFBC and AFFC. Greg, do you have a son, he can take over the business eventually.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:32 am

Originally posted by Larry Schechter:

Greg, do you have a son, he can take over the business eventually. He's 9 and ready to make a damn living!!

I'm putting all my kids to work soon!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:38 am

Just a heads up that part of the official statement that wasn't talked about involved the demise of the magazines for this baseball season. For the first time since December of 1989, there will not be a Fantasy Sports Magazine. When we first published that, Fantasy Baseball Magazine (as it was called then) was the first national newsstand publication for the industry. We had 21 years of great magazines and it was a historic part of the growth of the fantasy sports industry.

Even more unfortunate is that the beautiful mug of Stephen Jupinka holding our $100,000 NFBC check won't appear in print right away. We have the picture that Steve sent in and maybe one day it will grace a cover or a story, but not now. Sorry man.

The Fanball Fantasy Baseball Annual has also been scrapped. Much of the content for that previously planned magazine has been done and maybe we can start posting some of the work that Tom and I had done for it here. I have a feeling the other editors and writers will be posting their content on Fanball.com soon as well. Fanball.com will continue to have content through the next month-plus, so stay tuned for details on all of that.

There you go. Thanks all.

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:48 am

What will become of Kay Adams and the Fanball Fantasy Drive? Should "Gekko, RT and the King" be preparing our audition tapes?

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 6:15 am

Does this make the Lindy Hinkelman edition a collector's item? Some will say that after Lindy's mug on the cover, well , I better leave that one alone.

In all seriousness, sad day to lose the magazines. I've looked forward to the early snapshot each season and especially when they placed some faces to the names of the players in the NFBC/NFFC.

We look forward to reading some of the work both you and Tom have already logged. Look forward to the eventual Steve Jupinka story, he certainly deserves these accolades as do all of last years national champions.

[ January 12, 2011, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: Sack ]

lschechter · Post by **lschechter** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:04 am

Damn, this means I've lost a competitive advantage for LABR. I usually have the FBG at my side, so I know how high Greg is willing to bid for players.

I shouldn't have been sexist before. Greg's daughter can take over the business, too.

Quahogs · Post by **Quahogs** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:16 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

Just a heads up that part of the official statement that wasn't talked about involved the demise of the magazines for this baseball season. For the first time since December of 1989, there will not be a Fantasy Sports Magazine. When we first published that, Fantasy Baseball Magazine (as it was called then) was the first national newsstand publication for the industry. We had 21 years of great magazines and it was a historic part of the growth of the fantasy sports industry.

Even more unfortunate is that the beautiful mug of Stephen Jupinka holding our $100,000 NFBC check won't appear in print right away. We have the picture that Steve sent in and maybe one day it will grace a cover or a story, but not now. Sorry man.

The Fanball Fantasy Baseball Annual has also been scrapped. Much of the content for that previously planned magazine has been done and maybe we can start posting some of the work that Tom and I had done for it here. I have a feeling the other editors and writers will be posting their content on Fanball.com soon as well. Fanball.com will continue to have content through the next month-plus, so stay tuned for details on all of that.

There you go. Thanks all. I better not see that pic floating around on TMZ Greg.

Shame about the mag. Over the years it had developed a nice FUBU feel to it.

Atlas · Post by **Atlas** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:23 am

Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:

My favorite movie is the original "King Kong."

That isn't applicable to this situation in any whatsoever. I just wanted to share. I liked the remake with Jessica Lange. Much better than Faye Wray. Just my .02

Atlas · Post by **Atlas** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:53 am

Just reminiscing a little....

About 7 years ago I adopted a 12yo old boy who had never seen a baseball or football game. He was into computer games and I was trying to find a way to build some common ground between us.I figured a good way was to start fantasy sports,you know..his computer with my baseball. So we did 2 years of CBs and experinced a fair amount of success.

About 5 years ago I was in LV for a convention while the NFFC was drafting. I peeked my head in and a guy with a 'stache asked if he could help me. I told him I was interested and asked if it would alright to sit in for a while. Well, he let me.

The following spring, I got my son excited about playing "National" competition. We even went into NY to work the draft boards with Tom. Wow..not only did we get to see the best draft, but we even got $100 bucks! (Well, he got $100. I paid for parking and dinner

)

Anyway, we started with a satellite team to get a flavor of the competition. We'd squirrel away in the basement "war room" and stocked up on Dunkin' Doughnuts and pizza for the evening. Our huge 4X5 foot dry erase board primed with different colors.

He would station himself at the keyboard and I was at the dry erase with my cheat sheet.

We did terrible the first year (CBS/H2H didn't exactly translate to NFBC rotisserie). We then did football. And another baseball. And another football. And another baseball, and...YES!..WE won! Entry to the main event!

We spent all last winter talking about how we would do. Who we would draft. Even in the midst of his mother and I getting divorced, fantasy baseball and the NFBC kept us tied together.

Not only did we get to sit side by side in CitiField, but the Wall Street Journal caught us a few times on camera and ended up on their internet piece! Cool!

He even interviewed Ron Shandler and a couple of other guys for his college freshman term paper.

Now that he's a sophomore in college and into the full swing of drinking and coeds, there's different fantasy aspirations that occupy his time. Dad's left alone to draft by himself....for the time being....my 9yo daughter wants to know if I can teach her to draft!

Thanks Tom and Greg!

You never know how you sometimes touch lives.

Sebadiah23 · Post by **Sebadiah23** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:45 pm

As I said a couple days ago, Fantasy Sports Magazine led me to the NFBC- I believe it was the article about Vinny's Team that year, great article, and I have never left. The lack of the magazine has not gone unnoticed Greg/Tom in this very unfortunate turn of events. While it may not have been any individual Fanball employee's goals for this to happen, I feel like they or Liberty stabbed the community in the back. But what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Best of luck Greg and Tom in turning this around.

-Craig K.

ScottieBaseball · Post by **ScottieBaseball** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:39 pm

Thanks for informing us Greg. Another kick in the face to us and especially you guys the employees. Thanks for nothing Liberty Sports Media.

I was so happy to see the first Fantasy Baseball magazine the other day at Borders, which was Lindy's Fantasy Baseball and now this news.

Greg any chance of resurrecting the greatest Fantasy Magazine ever, Fantasy Sports? One of the main reasons I entered the high stakes tournaments like some of the other guys was because of the informative articles about it in Fantasy Sports.

SS

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:02 pm

Fantasy Sports Magazine has always been our number one driver of new customers. When the issue hit the newsstands, the phone always rang with inquiries about the events. It will be missed badly by us if things move forward. But the print magazine industry is also going through many transitions and making ends meet is very difficult these days. I'd certainly love to see Fantasy Sports Magazine make a resurrection some day -- heck, it was my baby long before I gave birth to the NFBC and NFFC -- and I was sad to learn it wasn't going to be published this year. But we'll see what the future holds for everything, including print.

We need home for the mug of our $100,000 champion on the cover, so ya never know.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:22 pm

ATLAS:

Great story; thanks for sharing.

Geoffrey Stein · Post by **Geoffrey Stein** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:26 pm

Originally posted by Atlas:

Just reminiscing a little....

About 7 years ago I adopted a 12yo old boy who had never seen a baseball or football game. He was into computer games and I was trying to find a way to build some common ground between us.I figured a good way was to start fantasy sports,you know..his computer with my baseball. So we did 2 years of CBs and experinced a fair amount of success.

About 5 years ago I was in LV for a convention while the NFFC was drafting. I peeked my head in and a guy with a 'stache asked if he could help me. I told him I was interested and asked if it would alright to sit in for a while. Well, he let me.

The following spring, I got my son excited about playing "National" competition. We even went into NY to work the draft boards with Tom. Wow..not only did we get to see the best draft, but we even got $100 bucks! (Well, he got $100. I paid for parking and dinner

)

Anyway, we started with a satellite team to get a flavor of the competition. We'd squirrel away in the basement "war room" and stocked up on Dunkin' Doughnuts and pizza for the evening. Our huge 4X5 foot dry erase board primed with different colors.

He would station himself at the keyboard and I was at the dry erase with my cheat sheet.

We did terrible the first year (CBS/H2H didn't exactly translate to NFBC rotisserie). We then did football. And another baseball. And another football. And another baseball, and...YES!..WE won! Entry to the main event!

We spent all last winter talking about how we would do. Who we would draft. Even in the midst of his mother and I getting divorced, fantasy baseball and the NFBC kept us tied together.

Not only did we get to sit side by side in CitiField, but the Wall Street Journal caught us a few times on camera and ended up on their internet piece! Cool!

He even interviewed Ron Shandler and a couple of other guys for his college freshman term paper.

Now that he's a sophomore in college and into the full swing of drinking and coeds, there's different fantasy aspirations that occupy his time. Dad's left alone to draft by himself....for the time being....my 9yo daughter wants to know if I can teach her to draft!

Thanks Tom and Greg!

You never know how you sometimes touch lives. Awesome post!

It's the family feel to the NFBC and NFFC that makes it so great. When I was in the hospital back in October, it was wonderful reading the numerous emails that came in from the family on a daily basis. Knowing that I was in your thoughts and prayers meant the world to me. (Most have asked, but I've been back to 100 percent health for a while now and giving Tom hell on a daily basis ... just in case you were wondering.)

What we have here is special and will find a way to survive -- I'm positive of that. It's the love of the games that you guys (and Jules) have that keep these games running; Greg, Tom and I are just the ones lucky enough to be along for the ride.

Winston's Empire · Post by **Winston's Empire** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:32 pm

Thanks for all you do too Geoff! You are always able to make fixes and picks for us no matter if we send you a text, call, email or smoke signal and that is a LIFE SAVER for us guys in them!

Also glad to hear you are 100% again!

rkulaski · Post by **rkulaski** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:07 pm

Originally posted by Atlas:

Just reminiscing a little....

About 7 years ago I adopted a 12yo old boy who had never seen a baseball or football game. He was into computer games and I was trying to find a way to build some common ground between us.I figured a good way was to start fantasy sports,you know..his computer with my baseball. So we did 2 years of CBs and experinced a fair amount of success.

About 5 years ago I was in LV for a convention while the NFFC was drafting. I peeked my head in and a guy with a 'stache asked if he could help me. I told him I was interested and asked if it would alright to sit in for a while. Well, he let me.

The following spring, I got my son excited about playing "National" competition. We even went into NY to work the draft boards with Tom. Wow..not only did we get to see the best draft, but we even got $100 bucks! (Well, he got $100. I paid for parking and dinner

)

Anyway, we started with a satellite team to get a flavor of the competition. We'd squirrel away in the basement "war room" and stocked up on Dunkin' Doughnuts and pizza for the evening. Our huge 4X5 foot dry erase board primed with different colors.

He would station himself at the keyboard and I was at the dry erase with my cheat sheet.

We did terrible the first year (CBS/H2H didn't exactly translate to NFBC rotisserie). We then did football. And another baseball. And another football. And another baseball, and...YES!..WE won! Entry to the main event!

We spent all last winter talking about how we would do. Who we would draft. Even in the midst of his mother and I getting divorced, fantasy baseball and the NFBC kept us tied together.

Not only did we get to sit side by side in CitiField, but the Wall Street Journal caught us a few times on camera and ended up on their internet piece! Cool!

He even interviewed Ron Shandler and a couple of other guys for his college freshman term paper.

Now that he's a sophomore in college and into the full swing of drinking and coeds, there's different fantasy aspirations that occupy his time. Dad's left alone to draft by himself....for the time being....my 9yo daughter wants to know if I can teach her to draft!

Thanks Tom and Greg!

You never know how you sometimes touch lives. Atlas,

What a great and touching story. Thanks a bunch for sharing... My son is 1 1/2 years old and I cannot wait until he is old enough to start helping me prepare for nfbc and nffc drafts.

Winston's Empire · Post by **Winston's Empire** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:13 pm

Originally posted by rkulaski:

quote:Originally posted by Atlas:

Just reminiscing a little....

About 7 years ago I adopted a 12yo old boy who had never seen a baseball or football game. He was into computer games and I was trying to find a way to build some common ground between us.I figured a good way was to start fantasy sports,you know..his computer with my baseball. So we did 2 years of CBs and experinced a fair amount of success.

About 5 years ago I was in LV for a convention while the NFFC was drafting. I peeked my head in and a guy with a 'stache asked if he could help me. I told him I was interested and asked if it would alright to sit in for a while. Well, he let me.

The following spring, I got my son excited about playing "National" competition. We even went into NY to work the draft boards with Tom. Wow..not only did we get to see the best draft, but we even got $100 bucks! (Well, he got $100. I paid for parking and dinner

)

Anyway, we started with a satellite team to get a flavor of the competition. We'd squirrel away in the basement "war room" and stocked up on Dunkin' Doughnuts and pizza for the evening. Our huge 4X5 foot dry erase board primed with different colors.

He would station himself at the keyboard and I was at the dry erase with my cheat sheet.

We did terrible the first year (CBS/H2H didn't exactly translate to NFBC rotisserie). We then did football. And another baseball. And another football. And another baseball, and...YES!..WE won! Entry to the main event!

We spent all last winter talking about how we would do. Who we would draft. Even in the midst of his mother and I getting divorced, fantasy baseball and the NFBC kept us tied together.

Not only did we get to sit side by side in CitiField, but the Wall Street Journal caught us a few times on camera and ended up on their internet piece! Cool!

He even interviewed Ron Shandler and a couple of other guys for his college freshman term paper.

Now that he's a sophomore in college and into the full swing of drinking and coeds, there's different fantasy aspirations that occupy his time. Dad's left alone to draft by himself....for the time being....my 9yo daughter wants to know if I can teach her to draft!

Thanks Tom and Greg!

You never know how you sometimes touch lives. Atlas,

What a great and touching story. Thanks a bunch for sharing... My son is 1 1/2 years old and I cannot wait until he is old enough to start helping me prepare for nfbc and nffc drafts. [/QUOTE]Agree! My son Winston turns 1 in 2 weeks and will have a fantasy baseball Empire to grow into.. Thanks for sharing!

ScottieBaseball · Post by **ScottieBaseball** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:30 pm

Same here Geoff, thanks for all of your help with the Slow Draft. We only have about three rounds left and we will be done. Glad to hear that you are at 100% too!

SS

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:44 am

That is an amazing story Atlas and it really touches home to what makes the NFBC so special. It also is what makes everyone here so determined to get this done and keep this fantastic community in place. That story is going to provide one of the bricks for the foundation to get this done, if possible.

Thanks for sharing. Now I've had two tears during this thread: One during your story and one for the picture from It's A Wonderful Life.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:51 am

And I'm glad to see that Geoff posted in this thread as well. Geoff is a special, special person who has become a good friend of mine and Tom's. He's done the things that I can't do and he has the same "customer first" mindset that we do. We would have been lost without him these past few years and working together for years to come would be the best case scenario.

But even more than that, I'm just glad we're all still living now. Anyone who takes life for granted hasn't seen potential death in front of them before. To think that this 27-year-old was close to death's door with so much in front of him scared the life out of me and everyone who heard about it. I will never take a single day of life for granted again. But through the Grace of God and prayers from many, many people, he pulled through and as he said he's now doing fantastic. I hope all of you in the NFBC and NFFC know how much your thoughts and prayers and posts meant to him during his recovery. It was one of the things that pulled him through.

So we're all alive and that's a good thing. The rest will work itself out and like Geoff's condition when he was in the hospital, I remain completely confident that the patient will live to see another day. Hang in there all and we'll see what the future holds sooner than it took Geoff to kick that virus out of his system. I'll let you know something when I can.