Drafting 'LIVE'

[DOUGHBOYS]

I'll be conducting both of my Main drafts this year Online. It's not by choice. I'd rather be in St. Louis or Chicago or Las Vegas, but the plans that my family and I have for March didn't mesh with a trip.
Nothing tops the ambiance and the feeling one gets at a live draft. A time to share teams, memories, and stories with fellas that think like I do.
I'll miss that.

We used to have disagreements that one venue may be easier than another. Some drafters even felt 'going out of their way' to draft in Chicago while living close to New York was a good plan, since the 'easier' draft was in Chicago.
To me, it's all crap. There are good and bad drafters everywhere. Some leagues, no matter the venue, will have more of each than other leagues.

But what about the online leagues?
Online leagues do not have the same 'pressure' as being live. A facilitator in your face saying, "You're on the clock", is more fearful than the friendly reminder online.
While live, we hear other players names being called out in the background. Some times we think, 'Damn, I want that guy and he already went in another league!" or" Sssh, maybe others have overlooked about him!"
All we have for live drafts are the notes or laptop to remember who we are going to take.
In an Online draft, the default list is right in front of drafters. Overlooking a player is almost impossible.

At a live draft, we are almost obliged to talk to fellow drafters. Who wants to be thought of as a jerk, right?
Online, there are no distractions, just you and the other 14 drafters. Replying to a phrase on the message center is optionable without being thought of as a jerk.
Those without a laptop or smart phone are not privy to up to the minute updates in the way of injury or other mishaps during drafts, while onliners can continually scan for such items.

We can find plusses and minuses wherever we draft. This will be the first year that I'll miss the live festivities somewhere.
If you're new and still up in the air about going online or live, go live. There may be some advantages to being in front of a computer, but it won't compare to 'being there'.
We go through the off season with stats, strategies, and stylings of how we're going to put together this mousetrap. A better mousetrap than the 14 other contenders. When done with an Online draft, we'll simply stare at our team, shrug our shoulders, and hope for the best.
When drafting a live team, the 14 other contenders are there and will give you a verbal 'nice pick' or the lethal 'head shake' synonymous with 'What the Hell is he thinking'.
And after the draft, you're defending those head shaking picks and chest bumping the accepted picks with folks that think like you. And get to hear what their thoughts were in building a mousetrap. Thoughts that may have you thinking that you missed something, or better yet, that THEY missed something.

Are there more benefits to drafting a team online?
There could be.
Although not one of our winners has won from a computer.
But, I do know one thing.
Good team, average team, bad team, whatever team was drafted, the experience shared with others of your mindset in a 'live' setting, will blow away drafting alone at home.
Drafting 'live' is DRAFTING 'LIVE'.
Drafting online is just drafting.

[rockitsauce]

I'll be conducting both of my Main drafts this year Online.

well that's just great I find out about 2 wks ago that Joe is flying ouy to Vegas to do another Super, which means that I am going to Vegas. I view this trip like a muslim views a pilgrimage to Mecca. Meeting Doughboys would be like meeting the prophet Muhammed Dan, knowing you will not be there is very disappointing. I understand why, but it still sucks.

At least I'll finally get to meet Roger Goodell's stunt double

and some others !

Greg, if u see this and have need for a facilitator don't forget about the rockit ! I know you wouldn't hold it against me that I think Braun is a lying, cheating

shoot for a gig in Vegas I'll wear a Braun jersey (see that Max, spelled just like New Jersey )

[Glenneration X]

I hear ya Rockit. When I first made the decision to visit Vegas for the first time this year, I scanned the Vegas sign up list to see who among the many great players and cool people in this contest that I'd get to meet for the first time out there. Dan's was one of the names that were stood out.