Dobber hockey league - draft date, rules, format?

[coldsquad2002]

Thanks for your time and patience. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

[smoothfun]

the play-off pool is open to all and some would argue that the true pool gurus win these pools , so \"have at er\" boys durring the playoffs!lol...

[Dobber]

coldsquad2002 wrote:

Five things to mention

1) Dobber hockey is my most reliable and favorite site for fantasy hockey.

2) But it is a really poor way to operate a site when the chances of being included in the fantasy pool for members and others are very remote at best.

3) In order to participate in a hockey pool you need to use a different site.

4) It doesn\'t make that person feel like a part of Dobber hockey.

5) I can\'t believe it would be too difficult to include everyone in a Dobber hockey fantasy keeper pool that wants to join. Then their would be no complaints

6) I can join several thousand other pools on different sites easily. The reason I complain so much about this is quite simply this would be my favourite pool to join.

Honestly, I just want to make a living doing something I love. Why can\'t I just run a website and do the things I want on it? Instead, I find myself pressured to run a fantasy league for the season. And the playoffs. And more pressure to include everyone.

It has grown into a business and I find myself losing sight of what I love. Too much time trying to please the reader (i.e. the \"customer\&quot and less time actually talking and researching fantasy hockey. The playoff pool was a lot of work - tracking down sponsors, promoting it, setting it up to make it fair. I\'m scared to see what it would take to allow anyone to join a regular season league.

I have never implied that it will be open for everyone. Why would I even consider implying something that will kill my family time if implemented? And if the term \"expert\" offends you and makes you think \"elitist\", then why don\'t we call it \"professional\". That way, the term is accurate - describing all participants as ones who are paid to give their opinions.

As for claims that that you are the best...I am of the opinion that in this kind of game, there is a ceiling that you can hit with your skill and that thousands of people hit that ceiling in this world. After that, it\'s just luck. Maybe you are one of the select few that has hit that ceiling and maybe I am one as well. And maybe not. Maybe joining this league will have you become the winner. Or maybe you\'ll finish last. With a couple of bad breaks or good breaks, either is possible. Whatever. But don\'t show me how complicated your league is and how often you win and then call me elitist for not inviting you into this one. Your league is not even in the Top 5 in terms of complicated leagues I have seen. I have had hundreds of rules emailed to me and I haven\'t even seen half the permutations and combinations of possible rules out there.

I have made it clear from the start that the expert (sorry - professional) division will be Dobberhockey columnists, the pro (sorry - I guess this will be \"middle\&quot division will be top forum posters and entry division will be a random draw. So you have two chances here to join - post like crazy and next year you can join the middle league if someone declines, or get randomly selected in the draw.

As an aside let me tell you - I am in three keeper leagues that will all take precedence on my time over this one. One I\'ve been in for 19 years, one I am running myself in its seventh year, and one against the guys in the Score Forecaster. So for varying reasons, I care deeply about them. I do care about this league, but it is fourth on my list whenever I have time to look at my leagues (which is why I moved this one to weekly). So even joining this league you won\'t be facing me at my best and I imagine that the other guys are the same way. We\'ll try. We\'ll make smart decisions. We\'ll have fun. But if any of us are in leagues for 10-20 years, then those leagues would obviously take precedence.

I love your trashtalking spirit and I hope next year you can get into the middle division. Maybe I\'ll be relegated down so we can face off in 2009?

[lanky522]

well said dobber.

when I read:

5) I can\'t believe it would be too difficult to include everyone in a Dobber hockey fantasy keeper pool that wants to join. Then their would be no complaints

I thought out loud, \"NO WAY... It\'s not gonna happen.\" Yes, it would be nice to include everyone, but with the current system, it\'s just not feasible...

you cannot have a pyramid type league (where losers move down and winners move up) with thousands of participants. You\'d have hundreds of divisions, and then you\'d have people complaining that they are in the 99th division and it would take them a lifetime just to get up to the top division to play against dobber and the other writers. How much sense would that make?

Also. as dobber says above... including that many people would require soooo much work. He would probably have to spend a minimum 2-3 hours at least per day exclusively with this gigantic dobber league. Also, who would run all the leagues? Would he have to appoint \"lieutenants\" or something to take care of the mundane in the hundreds of leagues?

As the commissioner of a few leagues, I can honestly say that it\'s a huge feat to run one league effectively, let alone 3.

I think the current format is great (the way it rewards extremely active people that visit the site & post often - think of them as \"gold\" members or whatever), but it also rewards the random casual user/fan with a chance at joining.

I mean in the end, this site works because of the traffic that it receives, and the quality of the posts in the forums... the more traffic and the higher quality of the posts, the better the site will ultimately become. There\'s nothing wrong with rewarding the people that have made this site (and it\'s forums) the best in the internet.

that\'s my 2 cents...

[Blueorrfan]

I think the layout now is fine...
I agree that to allow everyone in would just be a logistical nightmare. I myself would love to get in, but am in three other leagues also, one for about 15 years. I believe the way it started if everyone had been here from the start was...The elite division for the admins...The pro division, for the people with the most posts. I had asked to be included in the second division but missed it by a hair as I haden\'t posted as much. I went on a waiting list, but like I said had a lot on my plate anyways. Their has to be some advantage to being here from the start.
I\'m just lucky enough to be in a league where most of the people don\'t know about the site. I know this site takes a lot more than just one person to run...so keep up the good work everyone, particularly you Dobber. And do what you want here, cause so far it\'s working!

[HockeyHobo]

Wow Coldsquad is this a bad case of \"if i can\'t play in goal i\'m taking my ball home\":woohoo:

Dobber it must feel great to be so in demandB)

[87Flyer]

I think it\'s time that we all start petitioning the NHL to make the league a year round thing because there is obviously to much time in between seasons when we have to resort to this kind a chatter.

we\'re lucky enough to have this site run these leagues on the side of what they\'re regularly doing. I understand that some guys think they should be involved moreso than others but I think that if every member of this site who isn\'t involved was polled they would all say the same thing, they should be involved as well.

Some times things in life are all about timing, if your timing was off then the best thing you can do is keep hoping and wait for your time to come. To continuously pester the guys who organize these pools in the hope that they will be badgered into allowing you in isn\'t imo the best way to get an invite. I would almost think that that could lead to \"accidentally\" losing the invite in the mail when the timing is right and your number is called.

Didn\'t like the idea of adding my penny and a half but after reading some of the posts I think that this constant complaining should definitely be coming to an end. your time will come, be patient and when it does make sure you appreciate it for what it is. A chance to faceoff against many who you would consider your peers. Until that time though give the guys a break, they have enough on their plates as is.

[Blueorrfan]

Well said Flyer....hey you\'re looking really naughty in that pic there...

[rattus rattus]

I\'ve been away, northern Ontario for a week and a bit, so I missed this.

As the humble winner of the Tier 3 League last year, waiting now to see if the \"Big Boys\" (seemingly, people who like to post) are actually much different/better from those of us who were chosen at random, I make an appeal to Dobber.
Dobber, how about letting those of us in Tier 2 run with last year\'s rules?

A major part of the enjoyment last year was the here and now of having something previously un-noticed slap me in the face, then making the play.
Daily transactions, the rush of the now, are what rocks!
You know: Do it? Don\'t do it? Aghh - too late!
Ya gotta love it!

You could keep the weekly format for your own section, as I know you are hard-pressed for time. And for Tier 1 also if that\'s what you want.
But the guys in Tier 2, we\'re the keeners - gotta run free!
We WANT TO and ENJOY spending lots of time on this!!
At the very least, could we guys in Tier 2 just discuss keeping last year\'s rules for ourselves, and then vote on it?

N.B. DOULOS: Are y\'all from NDG?

rich

[doulos]

Sorry what\'s NDG? (That probably answers your question...hah)

[87Flyer]

hey you\'re looking really naughty in that pic there

odd, I thought this was my better side!

[rattus rattus]

NDG, that\'s Notre Dame de Grace, a suburb of Montreal from where came Doug Harvey (and Dickie Moore and quite a few others) whom I thought was the guy in your Avatar - but it\'s hard to tell as I have a small screen.
Anyway, if that is #2 up there, then now you know!
rich

[doulos]

It is Doug Harvey in my avatar, but no, I\'ve never even been east of the GTA before in my life.

[Dobber]

\"Entry Division\" draw is complete and invites have been sent to 13 winners, plus 7 backups.
B)

[Pete]

Mmmmmm I didn\'t receive that !