Who's Coming To The 2013 NFBC And Where?

[Greg Ambrosius]

Well, you can sure tell that the fantasy football season is over with!! Baseball signups are flowing in this week as our NFBC veterans secure their travel plans and their spots in our Main Events. We now have 150+ teams in the NFBC Main Event, including 60+ in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 23rd. That means we are working on our 5th league there already. We don't have unlimited space for this event, so please don't delay your plans too long this year if you're planning on attending that First Weekend draft. Space is limited.

I'll get to the names of the current signups when I can find time to do so. Keep the signups coming and keep watching the 2013 Signup List to follow the trends. Things are looking good for all of our cities and contests, so let's keep things rolling over the next 80 days. Yes, believe it or not, OPENING DAY IS 80 DAYS AWAY!!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

Okay, I'm going to do my best to introduce a few members today and stay on top of it this week. We are now working on our 5th Main Event League in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 23rd at the Bellagio as we have several new members heading out West. One of them is Mark Bendar of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, who will be competing in Las Vegas for the first time. He is looking forward to our 10th anniversary celebration out there and will be participating in the Friday and Sunday Auction Championship Leagues and the Main Event on the 23rd. He's using house money for this trip as last year he led his Strike Force team to a 2nd place finish in New York League 4 with 108.5 points, while placing 36th overall with 2,958.5 points. Nice job Mark and best of luck in the hunt for this year's $16,500 in league prizes and the $115,000 in grand prize. We look forward to meeting you in Las Vegas.

[Greg Ambrosius]

From the early response, I wouldn't doubt if we have 70+ original members from our 2004 NFBC back for a 10th season. And I promise we will celebrate and honor these Charter Members. One of them is Leonard Ringle of New York City, who is returning for the Main Event at the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan on March 30th and for the Auction Championship there on March 28th and 29th. He's also going to be drafting a Main Event team Online on March 23rd. We are already working on our 3rd Main Event league in New York and we are close to selling all three time slots for the New York Auction Championship. Great response so far there everyone. Leonard has been with us every year since the beginning, but last year wasn't his best year as his Lucca OL finished 8th in Online League 4 with 84.5 points and 157th overall with 2,323.0 points. His auction teams were also middle of the pack. But this is a new year and we wish Leonard best of luck in the hunt for the $23,000 in league prizes and the $115,000 in overall prizes.

[Greg Ambrosius]

We're glad to welcome another new pair to our Las Vegas live events as the tag team of Eric Burd and Anthony Palavis of Weirton, West Virginia will be joining us at the Bellagio on March 22-23. Eric and Anthony have been with us since the very early years and they have had great success in New York. Now they're ready to fly to Sin City and to meet a lot of new people at our 10th anniversary celebration. They are taking the 3-Pack in Las Vegas: Main Event, NFBC XII and Auction Championship, while adding the Main Event Online on March 30th. Eric and Anthony made a great run for the $100,000 grand prize last year as they finished 3rd overall with 3,502.0 points. They led Chico Lind's Hermanos to a 1st place finish in New York League 2 with 132.0 points and the Hermanos also finished 2nd in the New York March 30th 10 am Auction League with 99.5 points. That team finished 31st overall with 838.0 points. The only team that didn't cash last year was the Hermanos in the NFBC XII Online March 30th league as it finished 6th with 63.5 points (133rd overall). But we're glad to have you guys in Las Vegas and this will just add to the incredibly tough competition on that First Weekend. Congrats and best of luck guys in the hunt for this year's $21,000+ in league prizes and the $165,000 in grand prizes.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Oooooooooohhhhh, we're going to meet a lot of new people in Las Vegas this year, which is a good thing!! Let's give a hearty welcome to Jody Earley of Pelham, Alabama as he will be joining us for the Main Events in Las Vegas on March 23rd and Chicago on March 30th. He's been doing the St. Louis and Chicago drafts the last couple of years, but will go further out West this year with us. We're glad to have him on board. Jody competed in two Mains and three NFBC XIIs last year with his best finish being in the NFBC XII March 31st 7 pm League where his Midfield Thinkers placed 4th with 77 points (74th overall). We're glad to have him back in 2013 and we'll show him a good time in Las Vegas and again in Chicago. Welcome aboard Jody and best of luck in the hunt for this year's $100,000 grand prize and the $13,000 in league prizes. Oh, and we do have NFBC XII live events in both places as well!! Come join us for those again. Thanks.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Let's stick in Las Vegas and welcome back Ken O'Brien of Virginia Beach, Virginia. I saw Ken recently at the Arizona Fall League Symposium and he got his travel plans taken care of early and is set for the NFBC Main Event, NFBC Ultimate Auction League and the NFBC Auction Championship in Las Vegas on March 22-24. That Ultimate Auction League is full already and we're working on a second league now. Should be a fun, fun time in Las Vegas this year. Ken led his BNBears to a 4th place finish last year in the Las Vegas League 6 of the Main Event last year with 96 points and finished 102nd overall with 2,581.5 points. His BN Bayers team also finished 4th in the NFBC Ultimate Auction League with 91.5 points and his NFBC XII team finished 8th in Las Vegas March 30th 1 pm League with 61.0 points. Let's move those teams up just a little bit this year Ken and you'll be good to go. Welcome back and best of luck in the hunt for all of these league prizes and the $115,000 in grand prizes.

[Greg Ambrosius]

We're happy to welcome back NFBC Charter Member and defending Diamond League champion Donn Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia to our 10th anniversary event in Las Vegas. Donn won the $75,000 league prize in the NFBC Diamond League last year as his Marsupials team finished first with 114 points. It was his one title from 2012 and it couldn't have come in a better league. Great job there Donn and congrats. Donn will be back to defend that title at the Bellagio on Sunday, March 24th and he might even be a star on the airwaves!! Stay tuned. He also will be in the Main Event on Saturday, the Diamond on Saturday night and the Super that weekend. Last year, Donn's best Main Event team was the Boys of Summer as it finished 6th in Online League 2 March 24th with 82 points (181st overall). Welcome back Donn and best of luck in the hunt for this year's two $75,000 Diamond League prizes, the $20,000 Super League prizes and the $100,000 grand prize and $6,500 league prize in the Main Event.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Speaking of defending champions, let's welcome back Jon Stadtmueller of Little Rock, Arkansas back to the 2013 NFBC. Jon and Josh Honeycutt led their Mudhen-Get Carter team to a first place finish and $40,000 in the NFBC Ultimate Auction League last year. An "excuse me" bid on Mike Trout led to the first place total of 106 points. Nice job guys. Jon also finished first in the NFBC March 25th Online Championship with 80.5 points, while finishing 86th overall with 6,168.0 points. Jon's best Main Event finish came in the March 24th Online League 3 where his Mudhens finished 6th with 87.5 points and 162nd overall (2,304.5 points). This year Jon is coming to Las Vegas and staying both weekends, drafting in all three Main Events in Las Vegas, every available Auction Championship League, the Ultimate Auction League and the $1,300 AL and NL Auction Leagues. Wow, you'll be busy Jon!! Welcome back and best of luck in the hunt for all of these great league prizes and the $115,000 in grand prizes.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Let's welcome one more long-time owner of the NFBC to the First Weekend at the Bellagio Las Vegas as Dan Semsel of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is coming back for more fun and sun. Dan will get his runs in during the down time and draft as often as humanly possible when available!! He is back for the Main Event on Saturday, March 23rd and he will be doing auctions on Friday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 24th. Last year, Bama & Madcow finished 7th in a very tough Las Vegas League 2 of the First Weekend with 94.5 points, while finishing 128th overall with 2,452.0 points. His Boom Goes the Dynamite team also finished 7th in the Las Vegas Auction Championship with 80 points, placing 55th overall with 739.5 points. Welcome back Dan and best of luck in the hunt for the $16,500 in league prizes and the $115,000 in grand prizes.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Let's get the Welcome Wagon out again today and pick up one of our favorite customers north of the border where we have more and more customers these days. Gaetan Lavoie has been with us since the early years and he's back again in 2013 in a big way. He's currently signed up for two Main Events, including the March 23rd event at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, two NFBC XIIs in Las Vegas and two Super Leagues. He competed in more than a dozen NFBC leagues last year and I suspect he will top that total again as he's been competing for the last few weeks in Draft Champions Leagues. Good luck there Gaetan. Last year, he had his best finishes in the NFBC March 27th Online Championship where finished 2nd with 88.5 points (100th overall with 6,068.0 points) and a 2nd in the $375 Slow Draft #15. GET OUT OF MY WAY struggled in two Main Events, finishing 12th in Las Vegas League 2 on March 30th with 62 points (294th overall). But it's a new year Gaetan and I expect even more money finishes. Welcome back and best of luck in the hunt for all of these great league prizes and the $200,000 in grand prizes.

[Greg Ambrosius]

It's great to welcome back another owner who is returning for his 9th season with us. Heck, I can remember when Jason Duponte of Waltham, Massachusetts came to Las Vegas and competed in our NFBC Ultimate League, razzing David DiDonato for taking too many Yankees!! That was a lot of fun, even though David won that Ultimate League title with all of those Yankees!! Anyway, Jason has stayed on the East Coast in recent years and this year he will be back in New York City for the Main Event, Auction Championship and Super League on March 29-30. He's also doing the March 23rd Main Online and the April 1st Super League. Last year, Jason won two league titles. He led Beastmode to the April 3rd Super League title and $20,000 with 132 points. He also won the $150 Slow Draft League #3 with 109 points. And he led Beastmode 1st to a third place finish in the March 24th Online League with 99.5 points, finishing 82nd overall with 2,657.5 points. Beastmode2 also placed 8th in the New York Main Event with 77 points (271st overall) and it finished 5th in the New York $1,300 Auction Championship with 91 points. Congrats on another great year Jason and best of luck in the hunt for all of these great league prizes and the $115,000 in grand prizes.