NFBC Plans For 2009

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:35 am

First of all, congratulations to all of our 2008 NFBC money winners. With 108 leagues last year, we have plenty of folks who deservedly will receive checks in the next two weeks. In fact, in 2008 we paid out over $970,000 in prizes. Great job everyone and thanks for a FANTASTIC 2008 NFBC season.

That being said, it's time to begin preparations for the 2009 NFBC season, which will be our sixth. Let's call it NFBC VI. But better yet, let's call it NBC Sports' National Fantasy Baseball Championship!!

That's right, in 2009 we are joining forces with NBC Sports and Rotoworld.com to take our baseball event to the next level. We will officially be called NBC Sports' National Fantasy Baseball Championship starting in 2009 and will expand in a number of ways. We're still working on all of the details and will have those soon, but I wanted to get the ball rolling today and allow you to make plans for next season.

In 2009, we will host live drafts on March 20-22. We will be in four cities, although we're still working on the fourth city. We will expand slightly in our main event, and still offer auction leagues, satellite leagues, Super Leagues, Ultimate Leagues and quite possibly an online championship.

The auction leagues will be held in each city on Friday, March 20th. We will run the main event in each city on Saturday, March 21st. And we'll run the Ultimate Draft and Auction Leagues on Sunday, March 22nd. We will run the Super Leagues on Saturday night after the main event for anyone who is interested and again on Sunday if demand warrants it. We also can incorporate bigger entry-fee private leagues online this year with MDC offering an online/phone option that guarantees success. More on that soon.

We are still finalizing our site locations, but we definitely will be back in Las Vegas, New York and Chicago in 2009 and likely Tampa. We have a signed contract with the Flamingo and have a room block for the whole weekend there. We are finalizing a contract with the New York Sheraton and look forward to returning there for a second straight year. And we have a solid location at or near the Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago again. So we're close to familiar territory and hope to finalize Tampa soon. We may even offer an online/phone option for those folks who just can't travel in 2009 for the main event. Stay tuned.

We are not officially taking signups online yet, but we will soon. We are going to redesign the site soon, but will update everything on the current site during that time. So bare with us during the construction period. If you want to be an early-bird signup and you know what events you want to partake in, just e-mail me at [email protected] or post it here and I'll secure everything and put you on the list. We won't charge anyone for the leagues until Feb. 15, 2009, so no problem there.

As for pricing, we will not raise the cost of entry in 2009, so the main event will again be $1,300 and $50 for a co-manager, the auction leagues will again be $650 and $1,300, the Super League will again be $2,500 and the Ultimate League will again be $5,000. Satellite leagues will again be $125, $250, $500 and $1,000 and everything will be 15-team leagues.

We do have plans to expand to a 12-team league format for a separate online contest in 2009 and possibly for satellite leagues, but all of that is still being explored. Will we have an overall prize combining the main event and the online championship?? Possibly. We're still working on that. Could we add more live events?? Possibly, but maybe starting in 2010 not 2009.

That's what we have right now. I'll post the Schedule of Events below in a few minutes, the prizes and more. We are shooting for 405 teams for the 2009 main event after reaching 390 teams in 2008 and have added the additional prize money to 4th through 7th overall. If we do top 405 teams this year, it will go towards the overall prize pool again. Here's the increases:

4th overall: $6,000 to $7,500

5th overall: $3,000 to $5,000

6th overall: $1,500 to $3,000

7th overall: $1,300 to $1,750

Okay, that's a start. Congratulations to Bobby Jurney, who became our fifth different overall champion to win the NFBC title. Give Bobby his due, pay him his $100,000 and then let's move on to 2009!!! I know Bobby is already planning on repeating and will be among the first signups for the new season. Thanks all for a GREAT 2008 season and let's make 2009 even better. See ya in less than five months!!!

[ October 02, 2008, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:43 am

This is still tentative on hotels and Tampa, but the time of the events will remain:

2009 NFBC Events Schedule

Las Vegas

March 20-22, 2009:

Flamingo Las Vegas

Friday, March 20:

9 a.m.: NL-only Rotisserie Auctions begin for $1,300 leagues and $650 leagues

4 p.m.: AL-only Rotisserie Auctions and Mixed Auction Leagues begin for $1,300 leagues and $650 leagues

Saturday, March 21:

10 a.m: NFBC main event draft begins (Sunset Ballroom).

Sunday, March 22:

10 a.m.: NFBC Ultimate Draft League and Auction League begin (Laughlin I, II and III).

Chicago

March 20-22, 2009:

Friday, March 20:

3 p.m.: AL-only, NL-only & Mixed Rotisserie League Auction, $650 leagues

Saturday, March 21:

Noon: NFBC main event begins.

Sunday, March 22:

Noon: NFBC Ultimate Draft League begins.

New York

March 20-22, 2009:

NEW YORK SHERATON HOTEL & TOWERS (tentative)

811 7th Ave. at 52nd Street

New York, NY 10001

Friday, March 20:

4 p.m.: AL-only Rotisserie League Auction, NL-only, and Mixed Auction League, $1,300 and $650 leagues.

Saturday, March 21:

1 p.m.: NFBC main event begins.

Sunday, March 22:

1 p.m.: NFBC Ultimate Draft League begins.

Tampa

Friday, March 20:

4 p.m.: AL-only, NL-only and Mixed Auction Leagues will begin for $1,250 leagues and $650 leagues.

Saturday, March 21:

1 p.m. NFBC main event draft.

Sunday, March 22:

1 p.m.: National Fantasy Baseball Championship Ultimate Draft League.

[ October 02, 2008, 03:49 PM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:51 am

2009 Prizes

National Fantasy Baseball Championship

Overall Grand Champion $100,000, plus a crystal trophy

Second Place $20,000

Third Place $12,500

Fourth Place $7,500

Fifth Place $5,000

Sixth Place $3,000

Seventh Place $1,750

Eighth Place $1,300 or Free NFBC Entry in 2010

Ninth Place $1,300 or Free NFBC Entry in 2010

Tenth Place $1,300 or Free NFBC Entry in 2010

Eleventh Place $1,300 or Free NFBC Entry in 2010

Each (27) League Champion $5,000

Each (27) League 2nd place finisher $2,500

Each (27) League 3rd place finisher $1,250

KJ Duke · Post by **KJ Duke** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:52 am

You should be getting some good deals from these hotels Greg.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:53 am

Auction Leagues Prize Structure ($1,300 Entry Fee)

12-Team AL-Only Leagues:

1st Place: $7,400

2nd Place: $2,800

3rd Place: $1,500

13-Team NL-Only Leagues:

1st Place: $8,100

2nd Place: $3,000

3rd Place: $1,575

15-Team Mixed Leagues:

1st Place: $9,400

2nd Place: $3,500

3rd Place: $1,725

Auction Leagues Prize Structure ($650 Entry Fee)

12-Team AL-Only Leagues:

1st Place: $3,700

2nd Place: $1,400

3rd Place: $750

13-Team NL-Only Leagues:

1st Place: $4,050

2nd Place: $1,500

3rd Place: $775

15-Team Mixed Leagues:

1st Place: $4,700

2nd Place: $1,750

3rd Place: $860

NFBC Ultimate Leagues

Ultimate Draft & Auction Leagues:

1st Place: $40,000

2nd Place: $15,000

3rd Place: $7,500

NFBC Super Leagues

Ultimate Draft & Auction Leagues:

1st Place: $20,000

2nd Place: $7,500

3rd Place: $3,750

NFBC Satellite Leagues

$1,000 Entry Fee Satellite Leagues:

1st Place: $8,000

2nd Place: $3,000

3rd Place: $1,000

$500 Satellite Leagues:

1st Place: $4,000

2nd Place: $1,500

3rd Place: $500

$250 Satellite Leagues:

1st Place: $2,000

2nd Place: $750

3rd Place: $250

$125 Satellite Leagues:

1st Place: Free entry into 2010 NFBC main event or $1,300

2nd place: $200

$125 Satellite Leagues (Pay Top 3):

1st Place: $1,000

2nd Place: $375

3rd Place: $125

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:59 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

We are shooting for 405 teams for the 2009 main event after reaching 390 teams in 2008 and have added the additional prize money to 4th through 7th overall. If we do top 405 teams this year, it will go towards the overall prize pool again. Here's the increases:

4th overall: $6,000 to $7,500

5th overall: $3,000 to $5,000

6th overall: $1,500 to $3,000

7th overall: $1,300 to $1,750

AWESOME news greg!!!!

Liquidhippo · Post by **Liquidhippo** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:08 am

Sounds good Greg, and don't forget the potential Keeper Auction on Thursday or Saturday night!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:09 am

Originally posted by Liquidhippo:

Sounds good Greg, and don't forget the potential Keeper Auction on Thursday or Saturday night!

Correct. I will note that I will try to be in Las Vegas on Wednesday this year and if you or Kevin want to organize a Thursday night event we can probably make that happen. I'd just need to know ahead of time so that I could rent a conference room. But I'm all for a Thursday night event if the demand was there for anything.

If Kevin wants to do the Keeper Draft League online or a combination of live and online, we can pull that off, too. We'd just add in the phone/online option and make that work through MDC. More is better in 2009.

KJ Duke · Post by **KJ Duke** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:19 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

quote:Originally posted by Liquidhippo:

Sounds good Greg, and don't forget the potential Keeper Auction on Thursday or Saturday night!

Correct. I will note that I will try to be in Las Vegas on Wednesday this year and if you or Kevin want to organize a Thursday night event we can probably make that happen. I'd just need to know ahead of time so that I could rent a conference room. But I'm all for a Thursday night event if the demand was there for anything.

If Kevin wants to do the Keeper Draft League online or a combination of live and online, we can pull that off, too. We'd just add in the phone/online option and make that work through MDC. More is better in 2009. [/QUOTE]Greg, I'll try to figure this out soon. Will get ahold of the keeper draft teams to discuss live or not. Will also get an auction signup started. We were close last year, I think we can pull if off this year with an early start.

gigglin marlin · Post by **gigglin marlin** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 11:22 am

Greg,

Will the Super be offered. If so what time slot(s)?

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:54 am

Originally posted by chris schinker:

Greg,

Will the Super be offered. If so what time slot(s)? Yes. Right now I'm offering two different time slots for the Super like we did last year: 4 pm PST (7 ET) on Saturday after the main event like we did last year and then on Sunday morning at 10 am PST during the Ultimate. That gives guys like you a chance to do both if you'd like.

Congats on the Super League triumph.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:48 am

Okay, it's a new week and time to unveil a new season for the NFBC. I'm working with STATS now to get our NFBC Registration page up and running today and you can sign up online for any event that you'd like and of course you won't be charged until Feb. 15, 2009. You can also just e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll take care of your entries as well and get you on the signup list. That's probably the easiest course of action now.

Thanks all and I'll provide updates on everything all week long. It's time to get moving towards the 2009 draft as it's a mere 5 1/2 months away!!

Let's get it on as NFBC VI is now officially NBC Sports' National Fantasy Baseball Championship VI. Welcome aboard.

Liquidhippo · Post by **Liquidhippo** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:58 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

I'm working with STATS now to get our NFBC Registration page up and running today and you can sign up online for any event that you'd like and of course you won't be charged until Feb. 15, 2009. Greg, times have changed. Delaying the charge has lost it's appeal. The way the markets are going, I think charging IMMEDIATELY is more of an incentive. Our money is safer with you NOW!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:11 am

Originally posted by Liquidhippo:

quote:Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

I'm working with STATS now to get our NFBC Registration page up and running today and you can sign up online for any event that you'd like and of course you won't be charged until Feb. 15, 2009. Greg, times have changed. Delaying the charge has lost it's appeal. The way the markets are going, I think charging IMMEDIATELY is more of an incentive. Our money is safer with you NOW!

[/QUOTE]I hear ya. INVEST WITH GREG!! I like the slogan.

One option we should have ready soon is a payment plan before Draft Day. Some folks would rather pay in four installments or two installments before March and we're trying to have that option for folks. Seriously, if you want to pay a little each month starting now or Dec. 1 or Jan. 1, we can do that, too. We've always just held off on payments until Feb. 15th to keep the money in your hands longer, but I have heard from folks who would like to pay with their NFBC winnings now or pay in installments and we'll try to work with everyone. Just talk to me and I'll get it done.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:32 am

Just another quick update today: We are finalizing the contract now with the New York Sheraton Hotel & Towers and should be back there for baseball and football for a second straight year. That is a good location for our members and the size of the ballroom is big enough for us to grow this event. I feel good about this.

It looks like we may also be returning to the Rosemont Convention Center for baseball and we could secure that for football as well. I still like the Oakbrook Marriott for football and it's possible we could return there in September, so we'll see what happens there. But it looks like three locations are almost secured with the Flamingo already locked and loaded for the NFBC and NFFC in 2009.

We're still working on Tampa, but have two good options. Hope this helps.

Nutty Scrats · Post by **Nutty Scrats** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:35 pm

Tampa? HMMMMM?

May just have to be back to New York next year? Family is not going to be too happy but they'll get over it! LOL

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:41 pm

Greg:

When will we have city #4 plans in place? Thanks.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:40 am

Originally posted by Sack:

Greg:

When will we have city #4 plans in place? Thanks. Yeah, we're struggling to finalize that one, which is why I haven't fully rolled out the Registration details and plans. We had two good locations in Tampa and now we're down to one. We should know today if that one is going to work or not. If not, we're back on the hunt in Orlando and have a few new options there. Sorry for the delay, but this one hit an unsuspected snag. We should know something more by tomorrow at the latest.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:17 am

Still rooting for Orlando!

Central to everything...........don't rush on our account. Explore those NEW options.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:17 am

Originally posted by Sack:

Still rooting for Orlando!

Central to everything...........don't rush on our account. Explore those NEW options. Okay, I hope that we'll have everything finalized by the end of the week. We took a turn here as we found a nice option in Orlando that made returning to DisneyWorld a good option. We are finalizing the contract now with an Embassy Suites on International Drive and that should be a good upgrade from last year.

So we're good to go in Chicago at the Rosemont Convention Center, back where we started. And we're at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in NY and the Flamingo in Las Vegas. And we are almost back in Orlando. Now let's get at least three main event leagues there and at least one auction league. Thanks all.

Plymouth · Post by **Plymouth** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:14 pm

Bummer, I liked Tampa much better. You can't please everyone all the time I guess.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:15 pm

Hey kids.......we are going to Disneyworld!

Nice choice Greg! Hoping you can beat the $179 per night the hotel is advertising, but no worry as there will be alot of other choices in the area. Could turn this into a Spring Training week if I can GET the wife to pull the kids from school for a week.

Every team holding Spring Training is within reach from such a central spot. Plus, no need to battle my way in and out of Tampa. Love the choice.

If it was up to me......... I think you know what the result would be!. CHIP has a better chance for a real life education trying to settle on his first round pick than a math or science test.

[ October 22, 2008, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: Sack ]

imported_Low Talkers · Post by **imported_Low Talkers** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:12 am

When do we need to make hotel reservations for the Flamingo in Vegas? Are the rooms blocked out now?

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:29 am

Originally posted by Low Talkers:

When do we need to make hotel reservations for the Flamingo in Vegas? Are the rooms blocked out now? Yes, those rooms should be blocked for us now and ready to go. We have a limited number of rooms under our NFBC room block for each night, so don't delay as the $189 price for the weekend of March Madness is pretty sweet. These are all GO rooms, which if you've stayed at the Flamingo before are a nice upgrade from the regular rooms. Flat screen TVs in each room and even a TV in the bathroom mirror!!

The Flamingo is setting up the code in their system now and it will be SFPUB9, but this information should still work: To secure a room at the Flamingo, call 1-800-732-2111 and mention the National Fantasy Baseball Championship. Room rates are $189 per night, Thursday through Sunday.

By the way, for my buddies planning their Las Vegas vacation plans with me, I'll be in on Wednesday night and staying until Tuesday morning. Come join me for the first full day of March Madness on Thursday and stay a day later for some fun in the sun on Monday.

[ October 27, 2008, 01:40 PM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]