The Slow Draft Dilema

[Glenneration X]

i don't care which one of you is the gm and which one of you is averages. just make the damn pick. you have pick #5. couldn't you use the auto-draft? it has been over two hours.

What part of IT'S NOT MY TEAM don't you understand?

We have a company account under my name.

This is Lawr's team. I have nothing to do with it.

C'mon Todd. Stop stalling and pick already.

[DOUGHBOYS]

651956!!!
English didn't work....

[Glenneration X]

651956!!!
English didn't work....

Oops, sorry. You're right.

6'094 Todd. 5786 49022876 231 9657 3495175.

[ToddZ]

I should probably change my name to Giancarlo.

[katanga]

I am in slow draft 37, and it is slowwwwwww... really slow. We have 27 days to get through 34 more rounds and at this pace we wont make it. I love the 2 hour per pick idea and turn off the timer at night. But then, if even half the teams take close to 2 hours, you'll still only get through 1 round per day. I'm really liking this draft format and will try to do it again next year, but hope the timing can be tweaked somehow to stop people from taking sooo loooong to pick.

If its a hassle to make the effort to check in frequently, then try something else that you might enjoy more. I get so excited about my turn coming up that i check in constantly. Its fun for me and I look forward to it. If your work keeps you from being able to check in for 6-8 hr periods, than this probably isn't the format for you. You'd probably do better in a standard online draft when you have some free time. Okay. I'm done venting. Either way I'm Stoked about this season. Go Tigers! And Team Jackie Treehorn

[Winston's Empire]

Not all go as fast as the $1,000 Slow Draft League, but that one is for crazies!! Just kidding guys.

Jump on in these last few days of Slow Drafts everyone. I trust you'll have a good time and even get done in plenty of time for Opening Day.

There are always a few bad apples, but the VAST Majority of players (both old and new) have been very respectful and fun to draft with! No, the rules don't state that you have to communicate with the guys in your league during the draft, but life doesn't come with a rule book telling you not to be a D-Bag either... Its just known by most people, life is better and easier as a good guy. These people are the guys in your league and most fantasy baseball leagues are meant to be fun!
Don't be afraid to jump into a slow draft, there is simply no better draft prep on earth than a slow draft and its a great way to get to know other guys here in the NFBC!

And for those Crazy guys in the $1000 SLOW DRAFT that are in round 46 on day 8, you guys rock!

[normkent]

What would really be cool is if we could get some statistics on how long each of the slow drafts took and which was the slowest and which was the fastest.... that would be fun to know... i would like to think in league 30 we are in a race to be the slowest, because, after all, the NFBC is up to about 50, and we are still at round 30..saw this coming when our first pick in the first round took 7 hours to decide between Pujols and Kemp and then he took Chone Figgins (only kidding)-- but really, would it not be fun to know which league got the title for Fastest Slow Draft, and Slowest Slow Draft

Inquiring minds want to know...I do know that the pace dragging to a halt dissuaded me from joining others....

Anyway, this is not a complaint, just an observation, and shows my sickness for stats...i really want to know which league wins the title for slowest slow draft....

Which of the ones are still going on?

That would be fun to know too.

Greg and Tom don't have enough to do, let's have them get on this too....

(And the least you guys could do if you start a thread, and have anal editors in it, is spell the words in the title correctly, it is Dilemma, not Dilema....)

[Money]

What would really be cool is if we could get some statistics on how long each of the slow drafts took and which was the slowest and which was the fastest.... that would be fun to know... i would like to think in league 30 we are in a race to be the slowest, because, after all, the NFBC is up to about 50, and we are still at round 30..saw this coming when our first pick in the first round took 7 hours to decide between Pujols and Kemp and then he took Chone Figgins (only kidding)-- but really, would it not be fun to know which league got the title for Fastest Slow Draft, and Slowest Slow Draft

Inquiring minds want to know...I do know that the pace dragging to a halt dissuaded me from joining others....

Anyway, this is not a complaint, just an observation, and shows my sickness for stats...i really want to know which league wins the title for slowest slow draft....

Which of the ones are still going on?

That would be fun to know too.

Greg and Tom don't have enough to do, let's have them get on this too....

(And the least you guys could do if you start a thread, and have anal editors in it, is spell the words in the title correctly, it is Dilemma, not Dilema....)

Damn Norm, my spell check had the day off that day. I changed it after the fact but it does not carry over.

We did slow draft 19 in 18 days which was just fine and a lot of fun. The one I'm in now is averaging about 18 picks per day and is anything but fun. Most of the picks come during a significant runs, the others trickle in with multiple hours in between. I've had a couple of days where I didn't make a pick. This situation kept me from grabbing another team as well.

With there being so many of these leagues this year I'm sure that the NFBC will look to improve (tweak) the product and the experience for their players. There have been a lot of suggestions that I'm sure will be discussed after the dust settles and the season starts. I agree that there will be some fun stats and facts when analyzing where the winners of the overall contest came from.

All in all I'm glad I did these, as I got out of them what I needed to (I think).

[DOUGHBOYS]

Formerly known as dilemna.....
One of the few words with a spelling change over time.
Unfortunately Joe, it was never dilema

[Rog]

Instead of trying to change something that is working correctly most of the time ,why not just next year offer the slow drafts with the ability to choose a four hour clock or an eight hour clock? Keep it the way it is but offer two choices either slow daft wirth eight hours or for tbe diehards(like me)enter a slow draft with a four hour clock. We would have the 150 four or eight drafts to choose from.

[BlindSquirrel]

Instead of trying to change something that is working correctly most of the time ,why not just next year offer the slow drafts with the ability to choose a four hour clock or an eight hour clock? Keep it the way it is but offer two choices either slow daft wirth eight hours or for tbe diehards(like me)enter a slow draft with a four hour clock. We would have the 150 four or eight drafts to choose from.

GREAT IDEA!!!

[Winston's Empire]

Instead of trying to change something that is working correctly most of the time ,why not just next year offer the slow drafts with the ability to choose a four hour clock or an eight hour clock? Keep it the way it is but offer two choices either slow daft wirth eight hours or for tbe diehards(like me)enter a slow draft with a four hour clock. We would have the 150 four or eight drafts to choose from.

I really like this idea too!

[Surrender Dorothy]

4 hour clock or 8 hour clock - it wont make any difference. The issue with the slow drafts isnt that people keep running against the time limit; its more whether the group you're drafting with makes a concerted effort to keep things moving.

I have been in a few slow drafts that just sped along. Nice pace. People checking into the draft board frequently, posting updates as to when they would be unavailable, hanging out chatting between picks. Just a great time.

I've been in a couple others where most of the owners have been fantastic, but a few other owners who just didnt seem to care. They showed up when the showed up, picked when they felt like it. The picks did come in fits and bursts, then the draft would just drag to a halt while we waited on the non-responsive owners.

Some owners just refuse to use auto pick or one-round auto, and I don't think switching to a 4 hour time limit will help.

What I would like to see is an "owner participation" rating system, where once the draft ends, each owner can rate the other owners' participation level on a simple 1-5 scale. Display each owner's rating system when they sign up for a draft. It's simple, and it's done everywhere on the internet.

Personally, I have a list of owners on a "No Draft List" and I try as best as I can to avoid them when signing up for a Slow Draft. It doesn't always work, as sometimes they "sneak" in at the last minute.

At any rate, I want to make sure this doesn't sound like complaining, because I think the Slow Drafts are about the best thing going, but I also think it would be a mistake to think they can't be improved/tweaked.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Folks who come up with answers by pointing fingers at the clock are wasting time. The clock can be changed, but the drafters won't. A lower amount of time does not help because sleep is involved. Turning the clock off at night would not be fair to the graveyard workers or other shifts.
Some folks have meetings or no access during parts of days. Some are around a computer all day. Some can only check in at certain times of the day.
For people that have a lot of access, we can label these 'Slo Draft, Fast Paced'
For people that have meetings, check in at certain points of the day or is away from the computer for a few hours at a time, we can label these 'Slo Draft, Easy Paced'
For folks who really enjoy not being pushed and want to live up to the actual slow draft experience, we can label these, Slo Draft, Slow Paced'
The eight hour clock remains a constant but expectations of the drafters are noted before the draft begins.
Just thoughts....

[Outlaw]

Folks who come up with answers by pointing fingers at the clock are wasting time. The clock can be changed, but the drafters won't. A lower amount of time does not help because sleep is involved. Turning the clock off at night would not be fair to the graveyard workers or other shifts.
Some folks have meetings or no access during parts of days. Some are around a computer all day. Some can only check in at certain times of the day.
For people that have a lot of access, we can label these 'Slo Draft, Fast Paced'
For people that have meetings, check in at certain points of the day or is away from the computer for a few hours at a time, we can label these 'Slo Draft, Easy Paced'
For folks who really enjoy not being pushed and want to live up to the actual slow draft experience, we can label these, Slo Draft, Slow Paced'
The eight hour clock remains a constant but expectations of the drafters are noted before the draft begins.
Just thoughts....

Excellent idea Dougboys on the three types of slow drafters. Also i think the Fast slow drafts will be a huge hit next year.

[Winston's Empire]

I like the 3 Levels a lot Dough! I would expect well over 100 Slow Drafts for the Draft Championship next year if this were the case and we got started a little earlier.

[gpchurchill]

however...can you imagine 15 slowdraft/slow paced participants entering the same $150. 200 days and counting. would serve them right.

[Tom Kessenich]

I agree the time limit isn't the problem. We can't keep shortening the time period. At some point we'll shorten the time all the way down to 60 or 75 or 90 seconds and then it won't be a slow draft, it'll just be a draft. They're called Slow Drafts for a reason. They take a little longer to execute. I also don't believe shutting them down in the middle of the night is the answer because, as pointed out above, we can't dictate people's schedules and it's possible some may need that time available in order to make their picks.

I think maybe we need to do a better job of providing an outline of what's expected (or hoped for) in a Slow Draft. No one should be expected to make their picks every 30 minutes or criticized if they don't. Again, they're called Slow Drafts for a reason. And everyone who signs up for them should be aware of the rules involved. The 8-hour time limit is a very big rule. That doesn't mean we want people taking the full eight hours every pick obviously but life does have a way of getting involved when you have a draft that takes a few weeks to complete so it's our hope that everyone is cognizant of that and respectful of that.

But perhaps we need to do a better job of making everyone aware of what's involved with Slow Drafts and how best to take part so they do move along at a reasonable pace and everyone has fun. Making people more aware of the auto-pick option, for example. There are certainly some things we can look at and we will do that going forward. But as has been noted already in this thread, this part of our business is booming. It's gone well beyond what Greg and I anticipated for this season. We now have 67 full slow drafts at $150, $375 and $1,000 price points after planning for 20. So it's clear this is a very popular format and one that is working. That doesn't mean we can't tweak it going forward and we will make any revisions we believe are necessary in order to make this game an increasingly popular and enjoyable one for everyone to play.

[normkent]

Inquiring Minds Still Want to Know

Is there a way to find out which league wins the title for Slowest of the Slow Drafts?

Can we in League 30 get a trophy. Wait, I think we just hit round 30.

Gotta Go.

[Ryan C]

Since others are throwing some ideas into the wind - I will throw this one out there.

How about a draft where not only do you pick your draft slot - you also pick your time slot

You would sign up for a draft that might look like this:

Slow Draft #?
Times EST

10am-
11am-
12pm-
1pm-
2pm-
3pm-
4pm-
5pm-
6pm-
7pm-
8pm-
9pm-
10pm-
11pm-
12pm-

You go in and sign up and take the time slot you want. Everyday - that is the time you make your pick. If you can't be at your computer you auto-draft. Regardless - you make 1 pick each and everyday.

The downside is that this would take 50 days to complete. The upside would be that by knowing exactly when you were going to pick - you could easily manage multiple slow drafts at one time. I would look at these as a supplemental option to the regular slow draft, much like the Fast/Slow draft, that would make it easier for people to do three, four, five of these at once.

Just an idea - rip it apart boys

[Money]

Since others are throwing some ideas into the wind - I will throw this one out there.

How about a draft where not only do you pick your draft slot - you also pick your time slot

You would sign up for a draft that might look like this:

Slow Draft #?
Times EST

10am-
11am-
12pm-
1pm-
2pm-
3pm-
4pm-
5pm-
6pm-
7pm-
8pm-
9pm-
10pm-
11pm-
12pm-

You go in and sign up and take the time slot you want. Everyday - that is the time you make your pick. If you can't be at your computer you auto-draft. Regardless - you make 1 pick each and everyday.

The downside is that this would take 50 days to complete. The upside would be that by knowing exactly when you were going to pick - you could easily manage multiple slow drafts at one time. I would look at these as a supplemental option to the regular slow draft, much like the Fast/Slow draft, that would make it easier for people to do three, four, five of these at once.

Just an idea - rip it apart boys

Ryan,

A 50 day slow draft? I don't think that's for me. I do know of a couple of players in my current slow draft that whole heartedly believe in this. Actually I think they're executing it as we speak.

[SyracuseSlappers]

Inquiring Minds Still Want to Know

Is there a way to find out which league wins the title for Slowest of the Slow Drafts?

Can we in League 30 get a trophy. Wait, I think we just hit round 30.

Gotta Go.

I think we have you beat....League 34...in round 28.

[Money]

Inquiring Minds Still Want to Know

Is there a way to find out which league wins the title for Slowest of the Slow Drafts?

Can we in League 30 get a trophy. Wait, I think we just hit round 30.

Gotta Go.

I think we have you beat....League 34...in round 28.

It must be an epidemic. Slow draft 37 is in round 23. We had a nice run from rounds 2 though 12 to. It's that time of year where some think it's their right to wait on information out of spring training.

We have a good group, with a couple of exceptions. All of the picks come in major runs and a we have prolonged stoppages f from mainly one or two teams in the middle. Eight hours each way and it kills an entire day. The total refusal to use the Auto- One Round is baffling, but so is waiting on information coming out of spring training. It is what it is for this slow draft season. A little fine tuning and this thing will roar to new heights again next season.

[sandckaye]

Here is the true definition of SLOW DRAFT I am in lg 35 which will be 3 weeks old Tues..We are in the 26th rd...

Stan

[Ryan C]

Ryan,

A 50 day slow draft? I don't think that's for me. I do know of a couple of players in my current slow draft that whole heartedly believe in this. Actually I think they're executing it as we speak.

I hear you - but ask yourself this - Could you see yourself doing one of these while you were doing a regular slow draft? That to me is the key - thinking of a way to make it reasonable for someone to take on multiple slow drafts at one time without having to live in a draft room. You know when you are picking everyday. You schedule it into your day. Also - this would be the logical spot for those who don't wish to be ostracized for taking too long to go and draft, which would in turn make all the regular slow drafts run more smoothly.