Wow, are we fortunate that Greg came up with this hair-brained scheme called the NFBC.
Wow, we're fortunate we are brought to together for these live events.
Wow, and at the same time, Greg is damned lucky to have us as his core clients.
WHAT A GREAT GROUP!
I came in Friday night to see if I could meet some folks at the Bellagio. I saw Greg in the middle of a draft and settled in next to old friend Bob Mazur. He was drafting at the tail end of a draft with Mike Cameron. Had a great conversation with them as they wrapped up their draft. Trust me, if wanting anybody to contribute more to these Boards, it would be Bob. Terrific personality and writer to boot.
Mike, I'm enjoying myself in your neck of the woods.
Greg and Tom hardly had time to stop and smell the roses. Running around make sure everybody was happy. This was THE big event for them and they wanted no part of something going wrong on their end.
They succeeded.
A job well done.
Shawn Childs glided around the Bellagio as if owning the place. I think he even had a Bellagio shirt on, that, like all of Shawn's 'purchases', was probably comped from somebody.
Shawn was constantly being asked about one player or another. I decided not to ask him about one player from his 'inventory' this year.
We think of players totally differently and I'm one of the few that could care less what Shawn's draft looks like.
Scott Fleming was a treat. He had this rather muscular guy groupie though, hanging around him though.
I'll talk about that guy later.
Scott, it was a pleasure meeting you.
Matt Anderson, I've met a couple times in the past.
Love seeing Matt. He's in the stage of being a new dad again and still not old enough to forget the single life.
I think Matt looks forward to this more than just about anybody.
A great guy who knows his baseball.
Dave Potts, it was great to meet you. I still picture you playing an acoustical version of 'We are the Champions!' after finding out that you had, indeed, won our contest last year.
Roger Martin, I've done a million drafts with the guy. Even done one together.
And it was almost like we went through his daughter Mia's brain surgeries together. The support he received from our little community was tremendous.
I lost it when meeting his wife.
Although I know how much the husbands think about and want to protect their child, the wife is the one that bears the emotional 100 per cent thought process when one of her babies is suffering.
Soooo, soooo, glad that story had a good ending and it was well worth the tears to meet Roger and his wife.
I sat next to Dave Clum, Ray Murphy, and Win Murray at the Main Event draft. Dave Clum is as engaging as I thought he would be. He knows his baseball in and out and is a character.
Dave, you really need to switch from Rotowire to RotoWorld though
I was looking forward to sitting next to the 'Murrayphy' Bros.
Ray is the editor for the Forecaster and he was gracious enough to autograph a Forecaster for me.
You fellas know that I don't follow the Forecaster much, it was just for my twisted sense of humor that I had Ray autograph it over the place on the back cover, where it says, 'Written by Real Experts!'
I get a kick out of that line.
I briefly got to meet Gaetan Lavoie and had him speak some french for me. A great guy, who I understood perfectly. I usually have a hard time with dialects. Gaetan knows his baseball in French/English/Canadian/American.
Mark Bendar brought me a bag of Doritos!
Mark always seemed to be everywhere in drafts. I think he got more out of the experience than just about anybody there.
He knows how to work a room and if anybody met more people than Mark over the weekend, I'd like to know who it was.
Jim Christie, I tracked down after a draft. A guy that was having just a wonderful time. After Sack started associating him with the Gov's name, I was expecting a shorter, heavy set guy, Jim is just the opposite.
And grinning from ear to ear and truly enjoying himself.
Artie, William Tyrer, Chad Schroeder, and Kris Carroll, it was great drafting with you fellas. I just wish there was more time or that circumstances would have given us more time to talk.
Greg Janoff, always good to see you. You are always so excited about your team. Don't ever lose that. I love seeing the sparkle when hearing why you drafted those players.
Wayne Edwards and Glenn Lowy, hugs for you guys. No, lierally, hugs for you guys.
Somehow, I missed seeing you the first 10 years of this event and I wasn't going to let it happen again!
You guys are a major part of what makes this event tick.
Glenn, you're shorter than I expected!
Bob Particelli, I know you're a lawyer. But, you're a nice guy anyway. Go figure!
Talk was in the rooms that you used your lawyering ways to get in not, not two, not three, but, FOUR expensive events with the fella I will talk about later.
That HAS to be more than luck!
Rick Thomas, always good to see you. The west is awaiting you, Rick!
Rick's seat at the Main Event became the hub of that Main Event. Anybody who was somebody came around that seat before the draft. Rick knows how to draw people.
Steve Jupinka, good to see you after all these years. We've shared so many laughs on the Boards and it was your suggestion that led me to this little place of the world. It was good to see the face in front of the mind. And the guy I will talk about later is right.
If your own wife asked you who you were taking in the first round of your next draft, you would change the subject to shoes and suggest she buy a pair.
Ante Meich, Jeff DeVoto, and Sam Botnick, Jon Stadtmueller, it was great meeting you guys. We didn't get much time and I wished it could have been longer.
These fellas are an absolute pleasure to meet and draft with.
Glenn Schroeter, I probably butchered your last name, but did my best.
It was a kick seeing the face in front of all those youtube videos and pictures, and smartass comments.
My grandpa always told me, "Son, if you've got to be an ass, be a smartass."
Loved the,
Nolan Reimold, who? Nolan Reimold. Who?
TomI'mOld! To Tom as he was trying to get your pick.
Neal Moses, always great to see you. I always get a kick out of the SF-LA uni's that you and your partner wear to a draft.
It was wonderful talking baseball with you.
And even though you, Ray Murphy, Win Murray, Dave Clum, KJ, and other good drafters were in our draft, the only thing I heard from others looking at our Board was,
'Where's Shawns picks?' It sucks to be us!
Terry Haney, after what seems like years of e-mail prodding, you finally came back out.
I hope it was worth it for you. I think it was judging from the look on your face.
Always good to see you, Terry.
Nick Cassavetes. How a tattooed, swearing, biker dude of a guy can make 'The Notebook', I'll never understand.
But I know it pays the bills and I know you know your baseball.
Great meeting you.
Alan Greenberg, I wanted to make sure and meet you. We;ve been 'seeing' each other on the message boards for so long, I wanted to make sure and not miss you. It was an absolute pleasure.
Todd Zola, great meeting, the persona from which Numerish exudes. I wish we would have had more time.
Joe Berg, as I said, I was disappointed you weren't wearing a jersey with the number 12 on it. Joe Namath would have fit you well. I'm honored to have met you, Joe.
Rich VanFleet, it was good meeting you again. A little sad not picturing you running to Las Vegas to participate in the drafts. At least that was the picture I always had in my mind when thinking of you.
Flying is a lot easier on the body, yes?
Andy Nolan, I gave you your space in my other post.
And I know the less mentioned the better for you.
But thanks again.
Oh, and Chris (Stevie), I know you're not reading this, but I'm glad I could provide amusement in not knowing which end of a phone to speak in.
KJ, what can I say....
Somehow, I feel like we are brothers. We think in the same terms a lot. We share the same types of love for the women and dogs in our life. We think the same way when it comes to baseball.
But, in every shape, way, and form, technology has embraced you, and you, it.
While it gives me the middle finger.
Always a pleasure, Kevin. There is nobody I look more forward to seeing.
Joe and David Anthony
These guys are almost exactly how I pictured them.
They were taking everything in, not missing a moment of the fun.
David, wearing his Phillies hat, of course, had a smile that I don't think ever left his face the whole day. And THAT, is what this whole event is about.
Joe is the more common sensical (shuddup spellchecker!) of the two. Even being around them for the short time that I was, I got the feeling that there was nothing that these two wouldn't do for each other.
True Brothers.
And guys, thanks for escorting me to the door. You didn't know it then, but I was thinking just how cool that was to be walked to the door by you guys as we talked about the Hall of Fame and other subjects.
And last Mike Massotto.
If there was anybody who could not live up to the billing for this draft, it was Mike The Mouth.
But, he did.
A truly engaging character who can dish it out as well as can take it.
I went to College with a guy just like him. On the outside a brash, braggadocio of a guy who never met a microphone or camera he didn't like. On the inside, a guy that'll do anything for you.
Mike, thanks for the smiles and muscle flexing.
I hope that video comes out. If they edit it properly, that could be an NFBC Classic!
To all that I din't mention or missed, I'm sorry.
But don't let me get away with it. Post here and tell me what a moron I was for forgetting you.l
I WANT to remember all. And I won't take it badly at all.
It was just a classy, wonderful group of people and a weekend I'll never forget.
) Our paths didn't cross much over the weekend, but it was nice to get to talk to Joe's for a few minutes during his break and of course he was happy to start that 12 team with the fellow Tiger Prince 
