Why Are You Here?

[DOUGHBOYS]

Why are you here?
By that, I mean why are you in the NFBC?
I asked myself that question over the weekend.
I love fantasy sports.
If including APBA, gambling, or playing fantasy baseball, I have been involved with the outcome of baseball games for over 50 years.
But that doesn't answer why I am here.

If reading this, you are probably one of the top fantasy players in America.
In my mind, we go through a minor league system of home leagues, Yahoo, ESPN, or other sites until winning them becomes easy.
I want more skin in the game.
So here I am.

I certainly do not play here because of better optics or superior tech.
There are always problems with the tech in the NFBC.
Once or twice a year, FAAB crashes for a period of time.
The draft room has had problems in the past and is still hard to navigate by phone.
Average draft time, Queues that won't scroll, positioned players out of place, those postions different in the draft room than on the draft board, drafters who disappear from the top of the page in the draft room, the list goes on and on.
The powers that be say they'll 'ask' IT for improvements.
Or worse, they'll blame your browser.
Seriously, has any other site blamed your browser for problems of their sites?
To me, that illustrates the weakness of the site, more than the strength of a browser. I digress.
Sufficith to say, we do not come here for the site or the technology itself!

Are the games any different?
Not much.
Other sites have slow drafts and auctions and head-to head or cutline type leagues.
For my tastes, the cutline is a little too convoluted, but I'm only one guy and glad that others love it.
I enjoy the slow drafts, but get easily frustrated by drafters taking too long.
I look at a drafter taking too long as a guy who gets in line at the Supermarket with a full cart of groceries and wheeling it up to the "5 items or less" line.
It's just rude to time out when 14 other drafters are waiting.
I sign up for these drafts knowing that 2 hours is the maximum time I'll have to wait.
Others seem to sign up thinking that those two hours are all 'theirs' instead of moving the draft along at a good pace which the 2 hour, not 4 hour time, implies.

So, I'm sure as Hell not here for the tech or the games.
I'm here because of YOU.
I want to play against the best fantasy players on earth.
The best of the best season-long players are here.
If winning here, you've already won somewhere else...and yawned.
If winning here, you are one the best players on Earth.

Once here, there are further steps to get better under the NFBC umbrella.
Most will start with the Draft Champions leagues.
Once successful at that level, you may try a more expensive contest.
For me, the Main Event is THE contest of all contests.
Back in the day, all these drafts were live.
Now, we have the choice of doing a Main Event live or online.
If squirming a little about paying to go to a live event, I don't blame you.
You'll still get that same competition online.
But live at Vegas, NY, or Chicago is the ultimate experience.
If you're here, and I know you are, because you are reading this, you have to try a Main Event live, especially in Las Vegas.
Nothing like it.
If having been to a live event, you know what I'm talking about.
If not, and you've won some DC's or other games here, do it. It's the next and last step.

In asking yourself why you are 'here', you may be a lot like me.
You want to play with the best.
The best are here.
Enjoy the ride.

[Thurman15]

I think you are off base in the first half of your post Dan. And I bet if you thought about it, you would agree you were too harsh on the NFBC. I've been in for 4 years now, but have years of experience with other sites and organizations. Sure there is the odd problem , but all in all this is a fantastic organization, not just because we get to play with the best. The tech department is very good in my opinion. When you have a huge organization (like the NFBC) of course you will have a few glitches, mistakes etc. But all in all, I have a lot of respect for the tech department and the leaders of the administration, in Greg, Tom and Darik. The amount of hours they work just has to be ridiculous. The amount of question they receive, to which they must respond, is overwhelming. And they get insulted from time to time. There is no call for that. And because the tech department is in the background, without a face or a name, people hurl accusations against them, that they are slow or unable to fix what the poster considers "an easy fix". Most times the poster/complainer has no idea how much work is demanded of them. And while some are likely "easy fixes" I would bet many are much more complicated.

At any rate, you are a well respected guy, and deservedly so/ I enjoy reading your thoughts and comments. But I see EVERY area of the NFBC as being very good. I am a member for the competition....yes that is true.....but also for the full experience. I believe most players are members for the entire package they are provided with. These are my thoughts. Like I said Dan, I have lots of respect for you.....just thought you were being a little harsh in the first bit of your post.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Thank you.

I am harsh on the NFBC when it comes to technology. As I've said many times before, we are all on the same team here and want whats best for ALL NFBC drafters.
It's funny, I probably look to be one of the harshest critics of technology, but most of the problems seldom effect me personally.
For instance, I hardly ever draft by phone.
But i'll get four or five emails or messages from those that do. They'll ask me to say something about the lack of progress on one item or another.
They know I am on the Boards all the time and don't want to be 'that guy' that complains.
I don't mind doing that for them.

The competition is not lacking in the NFBC.
The games are not lacking in the NFBC.
Ask anybody in the NFBC what IS lacking and they'll respond that it is the technology.
Has it gotten better? Hell yes!
It has gotten better through new IT teams through the years, Greg imploring them to do better, and us who are asking for a better experience here.
I understand that everything can't run smoothly all the time.
And I probably don't take the high road enough to say the good things we have.
For instance, there is no better FAAB system ANYWHERE@
The NFBC has done a wonderful job with FAAB and should be proud.
The draft room is very nice. It is easily accessible and easy to follow.
I do hate it when the drafters at the top of the screen disappear.
But that is a minor problem.

Greg, Tom, and Darik are very accessible. Always there.
Even if I have a mean spirited post, they always answer.
Sometimes in kind, which tickles me.

There is no better place to play.
But make no mistake about it.
Almost 100 per cent of us are here for the same reason. It is where the best come to play.
Imagine, some day, somebody says they come here for the great IT work.
It would stop me from making harsh posts.
Greg could sell and come up with new games with his free time.
IT could send me a post saying we're the best, but YOU still suck at this game!
It would be the best site, BAR NONE!
We will all live for the day!

I'll pump the brakes of harshness.
Thanks again for the reminder, Al.

[Thurman15]

All good Dan. I think everybody on the board knows you are a big supporter of the NFBC. And getting back to your original post here, most of us do indeed love the fact we are competing with the best of the best when joining the NFBC. I also understand how people ask you to mention things, as some are just not comfortable or confident enough, doing it themselves.

But ya, it is a great feeling, something a lot of us like to brag about, being a member of the NFBC. And going to Vegas for live events can't be beat. The way I look at it is I'm having a vacation in a fun city, and a good part of it is sitting in with the gang, competing in what I love. Even if I lose money, I feel I got my money's worth because it was so much fun. I've been fortunate to do reasonably well in the auctions but I should add a main event in my"schedule" as well. I go in MTM's fast on line drafts because they move quickly....you need to think quickly. Slow drafts are something I detest. I don't have the patience. This year I'm going to add to my experience by hooking up with a few of you guys for Beer, and of course, more baseball talk.

Lastly, keep your posts coming. Most of us find them quite interesting. Cripes all this talk makes me wish for March and my annual trip. "Only" 3 more months of my Canadian winter to get through.....ugh....%&*(#$#

[Philippe27]

I started playing fantasy football in 1995 (I was 7 years old), a little home league with my brother and my dad. Did that for about 10 years then I started my own fantasy football website which I ran for 3 years and have been playing fantasy football leagues online for the past 12 years or so.

In 2017 I thought, hmm why not baseball? I'm pretty sure it's because I heard Chris & Jeff talk about the NFBC on SiriusXM but I'd never played fantasy baseball before. I asked my brother if he wanted to split 2 Main Event teams, I signed up and one of them finished 12th overall that year. I've been hooked ever since to a point where I now have very little interest for fantasy football.

I've never tried any other website and don't think I ever will, I want to play against the best and beat the best.