Going Once, Going Twice.....

[DOUGHBOYS]

Mike Massotto is a good fella with lots of ideas in how to make the NFBC an even better place. While Mikey is 'loud', he has a passion for this game and his ideas should be given a listen.
I'm guessing all of us have something that we wish the NFBC did. Each of us have different ideas, different levels of income, different interests in what fantasy baseball should have or should be. But, no matter our ideas, they must run the gauntlet of having others approve them and then be given the final stamp of approval from Greg.

I've had a lot of ideas in how the NFBC could be better. The latest was that we should all get to change one pitcher on Friday.
Something seems to happen to pitchers every week, especially injury, rain, or Manager decisions. I thought it would be a good idea to have more control over our roster.
That was shot down because of drafters fearing streaming. Even though streaming goes on every FAAB period anyway.
But, I digress.
Oh wait....
One more bad year of injuries will find more folks interested in the one pitcher replacement and that the rule will probably be incorporated next year.
Ok, now I digress.

This was just a rule change. It really doesn't change the NFBC much. Only in how we play the game.
If improving the NFBC game, I would go back to something I brought up last year.
Auctions.
Auctions are treated like an ugly step-child right now.
None can be done online leading up to Live Drafts in the NFBC. Then, when there are auctions, they are too pricey for those that want to test auction waters before jumping in. 'Going the extra dollar' is lost on at least 80% of NFBC players.
Yeah, I made up that number, but I also reckon it's correct.

The NFBC accelerates leagues to gain new members each year. This year it is the Cutline. A league designed to capture the 10 team lovers and players who prefer a lotto ticket in fantasy, not the grind that a Main Event provides.
If STATS could just build some kind of auction site, there are customers both new and old that would love to participate in auction drafts.
These auction drafts could have their own Overall Championship and have different price points, so that everybody can enjoy taking part in an auction.
Short of building this auction site, auctions at lesser price points should be available at live drafts. Once dipping toes in less expensive drafts, drafters will want to spend more money on these in succeeding years.
With current auctions so limited, it limits our interest in who wins these auctions. We don't care who wins these auction leagues.
Winners of these auctions are like Martians winning races on Venus. We tend not to give a rat's ass when we have no chance to be a part of it.
We're not a part of it, so why care?
We should all care. The NFBC should make it so that we do all care.
And if auctions were made available at every price level, we would care.

Sometimes, in trying to come up with new ideas, we forget about something we already have.
Almost all of us have an interest in doing an auction. It wouldn't matter whether it was 10 teams, 12 teams, 15 teams, or 20 teams. The interest is there for that vehicle.
It doesn't even come under the subject of 'new idea'.
It's just something that customers, new and old, would embrace.

[Bronx Yankees]

I just noticed a few posts calling for online auctions on the general NFBC discussion board, commented in support, and then found your post making the same point. Let me strenuously support your idea.

I have been playing fantasy baseball for a number of years, the last several at the NFBC (which I love). I've played in roto and head-to-head leagues with 10, 12 and 15 teams, and various rules. I've never had the opportunity to play in an auction league. I would love to give it a try. Insofar as I can tell, the lowest price point to join an NFBC auction league is a $1,300 live event. Sorry, but I can't swing that to play in a league with a totally unfamiliar format.

If, however, the NFBC developed or purchased software that would allow for online auction leagues - like the $150 draft championship leagues - I'd probably join multiple leagues as soon as possible to give a try. Assuming I liked and got comfortable with the format, I'd be a sucker - I mean, surefire candidate - to gradually try more expensive auction leagues. I've noticed that with non-auction leagues. I started with a few lower-priced leagues in my first year at the NFBC, last year I was up to eight teams (again in lower-priced leagues), and this year I'm seriously considering taking the plunge and going for my first Main Event team (to go with my numerous draft championship teams and perhaps a few online championship and/or satellite teams). The thing is, I think for many folks there is a natural progression. We do some local leagues at work or with friends, perhaps graduate to some lower-priced pay leagues online, and then we "discover" the NFBC, where there are big steps up in competition and cost. While some may jump right to the higher-stakes leagues, there are others, like myself, that do things more gradually.

Right now, the NFBC has snake draft leagues at the following price points, and I may be leaving some out: $100, $125, $150, $250, $500, $1000, $1500, $2500, $5000, and $10000. For the aucton format, however, the price of admission seemingly starts at $1300 (or 13 times the lowest-price snake draft format).

I do not know the ins and outs of the NFBC's business. I suppose I can understand that to do live auction leagues, there has to be some considerable minimum price point. While I think a lower-cost option (say $500) may entice others into the format while could lead to greater participation at the higher price points, it may not be worthwhile.

I also do not know how much it would cost to develop or purchase software that would allow for online auctions. I'm pretty sure, however, that if the NFBC could do auctions at a low price point, there would be considerable demand. While most auction newbies presumably would stick to the lower-cost leagues at first, I'm sure that there would be a gradual transition to the higher-priced leagues as more folks got familiar with the format.

This thread makes me think of Field of Dreams. Greg and Tom, if you build lower-priced auction leagues online, people will come. Oh yes, people will come!

Mike

[DOUGHBOYS]

Thanks Mike.
It just makes sense. There are probably hundreds, maybe a thousand customers who are waiting to play in auctions.
(I made up those numbers)
New customers, old customers, ancient customers (me) would all enjoy playing in auctions at a lesser price point.
Eventually, like Online 50 rounders, folks will want to graduate' to a higher price point.
New games are fine, but this has a built in interest.
The game and rules don't have to be changed, just the style of drafting the players.
We just need the opportunity.

Like you, I don't know the costs or feasibility of building the Monster. I do know that once the Monster is created, it will roam the land bringing destruction to perfectly happy relationships and marriages.
It seems like something that STATS should/would be able to build.

[Money]

The auctions are very similar to the main event leagues in that if you enter with no experience, you have no chance. I have no experience in auctions and wouldn't even venture a try in the current available leagues.

The best way I can think of (to gain experience) is to try to partner with a veteran and let him run the show. Short of that I wouldn't invest more than a lower level entry fee to educate myself. Even with that it will be us new guys competing against us new guys. The next best way to learn is to jump in with the sharks, which I'm not wiling to do at the current price points.

Great idea Dan, with that said, I would give it a go in an introductory format.

[DOUGHBOYS]

The success of the 50 rounders has cemented that this is just not a high stakes contest any more.
We have left Kansas and are visiting a new land where ideas do not have to be high stakes ideas.
Sorry Mikey!
In fact, most of the newer ideas are designed for cheaper drafts.
There are so many folks that are dying to do an auction at lesser prices, that it is easy to see auctions becoming just as popular as the 50 rounders in this type venue.
In the 10 years of the NFBC, snake drafts with varying drafts, varying rules, and varying price points have become the norm.
A new contest seems to be introduced each year.
In the meantime, auctions have gone untouched. Virtually untapped.
Snake drafts are snake drafts. Auctions would be new to most of us. If not new to us, it would be an exciting addition to know that an auction could be signed up for and started the next day.
Offering auctions to the masses instead of the few would open up new customers and entice further participation from NFBC'ers.
At least it would from me.

I know there would be a lot of work and money to be put in an auction draft room.
I know that.
I know that dreaming up new snake drafts are far better economically.
I do.
But the time has come to further this phase of fantasy baseball. This room could be used for football and basketball too.
It's easy for a customer like myself to say, 'Costs be damned!'...I know it'll probably cost a lot.
But dammit, I ain't no businessman like KJ or Mikey, it just seems to me that if a demand is there, businesses want to supply that demand.

[Baseball Furies]

Thanks Dough for the "honorable mention" here on your forum. I really should visit here more often. I'm sure that I will be busy fighting the good fight for the remainder of the off season both on the front lines and behind the scenes for the sake of not only the high stakes players, but the low stakes ones as well. I want there to still be an NFBC in the next five years for not only myself but the rest of us to play our games in whatever form and price point that they take. This is why I have spent so much time and energy in analyzing the NFBC's business model from top to bottom so that I can try to contribute to both Greg and Tom for the sake of the NFBC's long term success and viability. Hopefully my efforts won't be for naught. I think I'll use this quote again on the General Discussion Forum at some point soon. It's one of my favorites. Perhaps you've seen this one:

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

-Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788 – 1860)

We are obviously at some point between stage one and stage two right now...

[DOUGHBOYS]

Although Schopenhauer's comment would fit possibly for the way Shandler saw Trout, if he followed this line of thinking for drafting fantasy players, he'd have his ass handed to him.

We're all on the same side. We all want the NFBC to thrive and flourish. There is so much room for this event to grow, both on the high price points and low that somehow we're all right. We just don't know it yet.

[BEF]

I totally understand the desire to do auctions, which I share (I'd probably drop snake drafts in a minute if I had a choice), but the appeal of an auction is being live in the same room. Much like playing poker live is better than online, in my opinion you need to be able to stare your opponents in the face when deciding how much to bid. You need to be able to read body language and gauge the tone of their voice. So while I agree that auctions would be a huge hit, I think that's true only if the majority of them are held live. Which leads me to the next point...

When you come right down to it, isn't the reason that lower priced auctions (or any lower priced events) aren't offered live is because there's not enough profit to cover the cost of the live event? And isn't the reason the cost is so high is because the events are held in hotels and conference centers that charge an obscene amount of money, especially for food and beverage?

Now I know that eating and drinking during the event is a big appeal to many people. But if I had a choice of paying $1,300 for a live auction so that I could eat their crappy hotel food and drink their canned beer or paying $250 in a lesser quality facility that is not attached to a casino while bringing a sandwich from Subway, well, call me crazy, but I want to be in that room for an affordably-priced auction.

My local league, which will be celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, is a live auction that is traditionally held the Saturday after Opening Day. Which got me thinking...what about keeping the higher-priced auctions as they are now, in Vegas and NYC, but also hold a series of lower-priced live auctions at lesser quality location(s) the weekend after Opening Day? Does it really matter that a few games have already been played, since everyone will have access to the exact same information? That way the high rollers can have their desired Vegas/NYC experience with full amenities, while those that ache to do live auctions at a lower price can do so without being burdened by unneeded/unwanted expenses?

Brian

[DOUGHBOYS]

No matter the type of draft, a Live draft is always better than online. The immediacy of telling somebody how bad their pick was and the tone of our voice letting the 'picker' know that we're just ragging on him beats any message we could send online.
At the same time, we draft online because of convenience. We can conduct a draft while spending time with the kids, sitting in an office chair, or even running in a marathon.

A draft is like sex. A single guy will try for the best options possible. If that fails, he'll go for lesser options.
And if that fails, he's 'drafting' alone.
For something we love so dearly and feels so good, we make amends.
We would much rather have 15 drafters in a room seven times a year, rather than doing seven slow drafts. The seven live drafts are an impossibility though, so we 'settle' for a 50 round slow draft.
It still feels good.

Live Auctions at a lower price point does not interest Greg and the NFBC. They are there to make money and lower priced auctions are not the way to go about it, no matter how they are timed.
I do think it is possible to have some 'Wildcat Auctions' in Las Vegas.
This would take somebody willing to get 15 drafters together at a certain time. Have Greg's permission to find a room(there always seems to be an empty room) and find a couple of people that would be willing to run the auction for 'tips' from the drafters. The results would then have to be given to the NFBC and installed on our team pages.
Other than that all happening, I just don't see another way.