62 Original NFBC Owners Competed In 2011 Main Event

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:10 am

In 2004, the NFBC debuted with 195 owners in our Main Event. We fell far short of our goal of 300 teams, but still guaranteed the $100,000 grand prize and created a contest that has been a huge success over the last eight years. The Main Event has sold out every year since 2004, reaching a high of 435 teams in 2010 and selling out in 2011 with 390 teams.

In 2008 when we held our fifth NFBC Main Event, I made anniversary hats for everyone who played all five years. Amazingly, we had 105 of 195 owners still with us. We've lost some of those competitors since then, but by my count last year we had 58 of 195 owners still in the event. It's an amazing group.

Let me know if I've missed anyone, but I believe here are the 58 owners I identified competing in the NFBC Main Event in 2004 who were still competing in 2011:

John Menna

Steve Wells

Dohn Terrell Jr.

Will Tyrer

Mike Cameron

Chris Stephenson/Andy Nolan

Emmett Ruland

Rick Thomas

Terry Haney

Nate Ravitz

Aaron Smith

David Longood

Scott Zeidman

Mark Yagan

Ken Norred

Shawn Childs

Wayne Edwards

Gene McCaffrey

KJ Duke

Ken Magner

Mike O'Connor

Clark Olson

Chris Schinker

Donn Johnson

J.T. Visco

Artie Rastelli

David Zwickel

John Rundle

Don Mathis

Eddie Gillis

Glenn Schroter

Paul Weber

Scott Fleming

Leonard Ringle

Eric Price

Michael Edelman

John Hogan

Lenny Diveglio

Will Robertson

Ray Murphy

Marty Bedell

Joe Thelen

Kevin Cummings

Chris Plouffe

Stephen Jupinka

Ari Benjamin

Jeff Dobies

John Wojtkowicz

Brian Walton

Phillip McDonald

Greg Morgan

Todd Nord

George Kleemann

Gregory Glukhovsky

Matt Pike

John Piontek

Mark Srebro

Dave Cushard

Rob Conti

Todd Zola

Mike Samuels

That's one helluva list. Thanks guys and hopefully we'll see all of you in 2012!!

[ September 23, 2011, 12:47 PM: Message edited by: Tom Kessenich ]

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:22 am

There are some great names on that first year list:

Meat Loaf was in LV 1 and did the $1300 NL Auction League with Ken Bayes

Andy Shane in New York

Nathan Noy in Chicago

Rey Diaz, our very first NFBC signup who didn't play last year for the first time

Matthew Berry, 15th pick in LV #4

Alexander Hayden, who in the next year won $200,000 in the WCOFF

Michael Fishman, who is now the head of Baseball Analytics with the New York Yankees

Rick Cordella, now of NBC Sports/Rotoworld.com

Any other names or stories you remember from 2004?

Edwards Kings · Post by **Edwards Kings** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:01 am

I was looking over who was in my league (LV 4) that year. I remember most, but just realized that Ken Norred and Bradley Shairson were in that same league and here I am eight years later competing against them again. Gene McCaffrey drafted next to me I believe and he is in my league this year too. If I remember, Gene had his entire draft on a poster sized board, color coded, but with print so small I couldn't cheat. And yes, that means I tried.

We also had Ken Bayes from Leaderboard Sports in that league.

Shawn Childs (who won the league handily) and Rey Diaz were with us. So was Lance Goebel, whom I competed again against the next year in Chicago. Unfortunately Lance was taken from us in 2009. RIP buddy.

Though I started out with Tejada and Ichiro, who had monster years, I struggled all year, but came on strong in the end, jumping over Lance's team briefly for third place about three weeks to go in the season. Then, of course, faded to seventh.

We had the panel discussion with Greg, Eric Karabel, Nate Ravitz (I think) and others. We also had a conversation with Marty Barrett, who was open, affable, and entirely entertaining. Some of the Fantasy Industry types had been in Vegas for about a week and by the time Saturday rolled around, more than a few had bags under their eyes deep enough to hold a pound of sweet feed.

In Vegas, everyone was on time except one manager/co-manager combo from the east coast who didn't adjust for time change. They came in "early" and missed half the draft. I wonder what ever happened to them (i.e how did they finish, did they ever come back)?

Of the 58/59 of the originals competing in 2011, how many of us have been lucky enough to make all eight years?

[ September 22, 2011, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: Edwards Kings ]

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:05 am

I can think of one person that you missed

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:11 am

Originally posted by ToddZ:

I can think of one person that you missed

Duly noted. Sorry. We're at 60 Minutes now.

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:22 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

quote:Originally posted by ToddZ:

I can think of one person that you missed

Duly noted. Sorry. We're at 60 Minutes now.

[/QUOTE]You're just sore over the Jose Bautista debate

Return of the Aces · Post by **Return of the Aces** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:42 am

I guess I was snubbed from the list:

Mike Samuels

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:47 am

Originally posted by Return of the Aces:

I guess I was snubbed from the list:

Mike Samuels We'll get you on the list too, Mike. Sorry about the oversight.