Week 12 Discussion

[Trivia Bytes]

TRIVIA BYTES WEEKEND PREVIEW ... Interconference Play of Games at its best. Somebody upstais had to script this week's games. The majority of the teams have played each other only once before ..... and wait until you see which GMs are matched against each. Here are the games that feature at least one team from the TOP TEN.

:shoot: #5 HOUSTON visits #3 LAWRENCE ... Beans vs Jester ... This game is beyond a good friendship; it is a mini Imperial Bowl for the ultimate bragging rights as the "fantasy football king" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The game features two outstanding teams that will represent their respective conferences very well. On Sunday, one will lose, the other will win and claim bragging rights until the next time they meet. These teams have only met once before, in 2006. Lawrence won 19-16. Some pumped up action around Bean Town!

:shoot: #10 CLEVELAND travels to #2 LITTLE ROCK ... Eckman vs. Cringer ... The Clawz come off one of their biggest wins and take over the division lead from Iowa City. No time to celebrate as they go on the road to visit the second ranked team in the IFL. Cringer's Little Rock team uses a disciplined approach in every aspect of the game and he relishes the opportunity to finally test it versus a top ranked team. Eckman will match wits with a master of the game and the master will try to refresh the Clawz GM's memory of the only other meeting back in 2006 which ended up with a Toad victory 24-30.

:shoot: #13 MADISON vs #1 NORFOLK ... Boss vs. r00k ... A rematch of the 2008 Imperial Bowl where the Vipers dismantled the Demons, 24-7. Revenge will be sweet for Madison, especially since it would taint Norfolk's current unblemished record. This game will showcase two great field generals, both who have been in many a big game. This weekend is another, as r00k and Boss play their rubber match in their team series. Thus far, each team has won one game.

:shoot: #31 NEWARK vs #4 ST. LOUIS ... Matt vs. Suicane ...The list of great GM's match-ups just continues to impress. No doubt, the Newark Bulldog's have had their share of issues this year. Despite this, Matt kept bringing it, week after week and last week, Coder & Vermont found out that the Bulldogs can play with anybody. (By the way, Coder and Vermont have previously beaten Suicane and the Cardinals). But Suicane says that was early in the season and points to what his team has managed since then --- knocked off #5 Houston, #6 Portland and #10 Cleveland. This week, the feisty Bulldogs will travel to St. Louis. Suicane and his Cardinals will be waiting in ambush just like in 2006 when they visited Newark in their only other meeting. They won 20-7.

:shoot: #11 OAKLAND vs #6 PORTLAND ... Jave vs. Jeff... Another match made in heaven. This rivalry goes back to the times when Jeff managed in the NC. TB doesn't know how many times that these two GM's have faced each other, but does it matter? The game doesn't require any hype; both GM's will have their teams up for this one. The teams have many similarities as both teams build on offense and prefer to air it out. Portland comes off the game of the year versus Anchorage and Oakland is regrouping from a setback from Salt Lake City.

:shoot: #16 VANCOUVER vs #7 ANCHORAGE ... RichardM vs Budda .... Vancouver comes off a bye week which it needed in order to right the ship from a three game losing streak. Anchorage lost a heart breaker versus Portland. Richard M first meeting versus veteran Budda.

:shoot: #8 VERMONT vs #20 LOUISIANA ... Coder vs. Ragin ... Coder continues to manufacture ways to salvage a playoff berth despite the mash unit that he has been nurturing. Ragin's Voodoo comes off a upset win over Houston. This could be a great one. The teams have met only once, Louisiana 27 - Vermont 21, in 2006.

:shoot: #29 BOSTON vs. #9 LANSING ... Kingc vs. morellomre ... Don't let the rating of the Boston Dragons fool you. They have lost by three points or less in the last three games. Two of those opponents were Norfolk and Cleveland. Lansing continues a march to its very first Division Championship and Madison is looking for an opening to retake the lead in the NC North. Boston has won the only game between them ... again in 2006, 24-14.

[hawkster]

So the only two teams I play with winning records the rest of the season are Oakland and Anchorage. I'm 4-6 now, if I go 8-8, I'm going to punch a baby. This is a play the young guys and let them develop year, not a barely miss the playoffs and get crap draft position year. Ugh!

I'm not actively trying to lose by any means, I just treat a season with two mentalities. Go for it all (which was out when I lost 6 of my first 8 ) or play for next year and hope for good draft position. Finishing in the middle of it all is beyond frustrating because we accomplish neither. Is this wrong of me or do other guys share the same feelings? Again, I want to emphasize over and over that I'm not doing anything to hurt my team intentionally. I think throwing a season (a la old Texas owner) is beyond fucked up, but is it wrong to sort of root against your team when you think they can't win the title that year?

[JesterBlaze]

Hawkster

I have a very fluid view of the draft and view what most seem to consider "my picks" to merely be a starting point: If I win "The Bowl" and get handed pick 1.32 then that just means that to get pick 1.1 (if I so desire) then I have to give up more than if I had somewhere between 1.2 and 1.31.

I also think that understanding my current players (the ones that I plan on keeping past this season) and how to successfully utilize them is more important than draft position which only accounts for 3 players (once you hit the 4th round the amount it takes to trade up becomes negligible).

These two things cause me to focus entirely on gameplanning to win with the current roster even in the later weeks when eliminated from the playoffs. Many 4-0, 6-0 seasons build off the late season successes learned from the previous season.

Of course I say this haven never been eliminated early in the IFL so I haven't experienced what I assume are many, many thoughts of differing varieties that go through a GM's head when playing one game per week with the knowledge that you probably aren't making the playoffs.

[r00k]

Hawk, I also lean to what Jester says and I feel for your emotional reactions.

For me, draft choices have been for future fits into an existing scheme. I try to get the best fit for what is dealt to me in the draft (first rounders since 2004 have #15, #12, #30, #32, #31, #24). Even though these have been mid and low picks, I feel that I have gotten good quality with each especially for the purpose for which each was selected. But picking late has also forced me to value overall balance rather than try to focus a team around one or two exceptional players that can be gotten in a top draft pick. I probably would not know how to act if I landed a blue chipper. Of course, the option is always there to buy that blue chipper for market price at draft time, as Jester points out. I have never done this.

What can't be added in the draft should be sought in FA, in either a long term (permanent & committed) or short term fixes. The draft and FA go hand-in-hand and there should be a common strategy that intertwines both.

With this in mind, I am a big fan of cohesion rather than constantly upgrading for something that looks greener on the other side of the fence.

So when you say that you don't want crap draft positions ... I suggest that there is no such thing as bad draft positions because the draft is not the only thing that makes a top tier team. I also agree with Jester that I would put more importance on better understanding the players I have and how I would best use them in the next season rather than concentrating on a w-l record for draft position. So, how long can a team maintain its competitive edge without the benefit of some high draft choices? I really don't know but I am willing to push the envelope.

With this said, I'll trade you my first rounder for your first rounder ...

[Suicane]

Draft picks? Draft Picks? What the fudge are draft picks? I wouldn't be too bummed, you're just picking up ingredients to a cake, everybody uses the same ingredients but only the greats can make a masterpiece of a chocolate layer nut fudge delight. You've shown yourself to be a tremendous chef, don't fret.

And Matthew. I'll have to beat your team silly, but i love you.

[r00k]

:shoot: #13 MADISON vs #1 NORFOLK ... Boss vs. r00k ... A rematch of the 2008 Imperial Bowl where the Vipers dismantled the Demons, 24-7. Revenge will be sweet for Madison, especially since it would taint Norfolk's current unblemished record. This game will showcase two great field generals, both who have been in many a big game. This weekend is another, as r00k and Boss play their rubber match in their team series. Thus far, each team has won one game.

Boss, I'm looking forward to playing you and the Demons again ... these are such rare opportunities. Your franchise has always been a class act and is a pleasure to play against. I wonder if I kept that Imperial bowl game plan?

[hawkster]

Jester, r00k, I appreciate the advice. I do like the 2k7 draft methods because it does allow you to find solid starters or stars outside the top 10 picks and I've had a lot of bad luck drafting in this league. Hopefully I can turn that around this season. Things will be more stable now though since most of my older guys have moved on and my core is fairly set minus a few holes and figuring out what to do with my aging overrated offensive tackle tandem. My competitive side brings out the worst in me sometimes

Also, on a side note, I deploy to Iraq next week. After this export I'll be out of the loop until I get established in Baghdad with net access which could take a month or so. Just a heads up to anyone trying to contact me and/or talk shit.

[Suicane]

Jester, r00k, I appreciate the advice. I do like the 2k7 draft methods because it does allow you to find solid starters or stars outside the top 10 picks and I've had a lot of bad luck drafting in this league. Hopefully I can turn that around this season. Things will be more stable now though since most of my older guys have moved on and my core is fairly set minus a few holes and figuring out what to do with my aging overrated offensive tackle tandem. My competitive side brings out the worst in me sometimes

Also, on a side note, I deploy to Iraq next week. After this export I'll be out of the loop until I get established in Baghdad with net access which could take a month or so. Just a heads up to anyone trying to contact me and/or talk shit.

shit man, be safe.

[Argot]

Heh...advice about draft picks from teams that make the playoffs every year...meh..

So let me put my two cents in. I tend to play my players that have the highest potential rating at this point, as long as I can keep the veterans from becoming disgruntled. At that point I will interchange them just to keep team unity together.

In regard to draft position, I think 2k7 has helped here. The top 10 are no longer automatic locks. So I don't see a reason to intentionally losing or even hoping to lose. My early second rounder last year has a rating of 84, while my #3 overall 5 years ago is no longer playing in the IFL. And then there is the whole J.J. fiasco two years ago.

And losing does affect attendence which is another reason to keep winning.

[Matt]

Sui

we will bring the kitchen sink with us. My favorite 'poor man's' Tim Austin will wreck havoc all over his former team. I want to win this game, so I will. St.Louis is going D-O-W-N.

We're going to make McMurray look like the town bike.

[Jave]

I'm going to slaughter Portland. Nuff said.

[sovstar]

I'm going to slaughter Portland. Nuff said.

I hope you had your fingers crossed when you said that.

[Hell Atlantic]

So the only two teams I play with winning records the rest of the season are Oakland and Anchorage. I'm 4-6 now, if I go 8-8, I'm going to punch a baby. This is a play the young guys and let them develop year, not a barely miss the playoffs and get crap draft position year. Ugh!

I'm not actively trying to lose by any means, I just treat a season with two mentalities. Go for it all (which was out when I lost 6 of my first 8 ) or play for next year and hope for good draft position. Finishing in the middle of it all is beyond frustrating because we accomplish neither. Is this wrong of me or do other guys share the same feelings? Again, I want to emphasize over and over that I'm not doing anything to hurt my team intentionally. I think throwing a season (a la old Texas owner) is beyond fucked up, but is it wrong to sort of root against your team when you think they can't win the title that year?

i'm in the same boat as you. i wasn't mad at all when the Heroes lost to your team last week. what i want from this point on is for the Heroes to lose but score as many points as possible. i only have 3 wins this season and don't accomplish anything by winning. i do, however, want guys like Collela and Mullin to pad their stats, only cuz i want them to be all-time Heroes Greats and want Mullin to have a great career. an ideal week for me is the Heroes losing 35-28, 35-31. i'm not rooting against my team by any means nor am i trying to throw my season, but i'm in one of those situations where a win doesn't help me at this point. had i beat the Seals then i would have gone into "let's try to make a season out of it" mode and would've tried to gameplan my scrotum off. but it's a lost season now. if i finish with another 2, 3 wins tops i'll be happy. i'll have a top 10 pick and be able to put myself in a better position to compete down the line.

[Hell Atlantic]

case in point - i hit "recommend" for my Defense my every week but i've been tweaking the Offensive Gameplan to get it a little closer to what i would run. still too many screens and options, but a little every week is manageable. this past export i set up our formations so that we only run formations that Collela knows. i guess when i was having the AI do my offensive gameplan it was putting in formations that he wasn't familiar with, which doesn't make sense.

Head Coach: i want to run some 5-WR sets this upcoming week. other team won't know what hit 'em.
Offensive Coordinator: Dennis Collela doesn't know how to run 5-WR sets.
Head Coach: I'M THE HEAD COACH DAMMIT!!! AND WHEN I SAY I WANT 5-WR SETS - WE'RE RUNNING 5-WR SETS!!
Offensive Coordinator: sure thing, Boss.

[VitoStallion]

case in point - i hit "recommend" for my Defense my every week but i've been tweaking the Offensive Gameplan to get it a little closer to what i would run. still too many screens and options, but a little every week is manageable. this past export i set up our formations so that we only run formations that Collela knows. i guess when i was having the AI do my offensive gameplan it was putting in formations that he wasn't familiar with, which doesn't make sense.

Head Coach: i want to run some 5-WR sets this upcoming week. other team won't know what hit 'em.
Offensive Coordinator: Dennis Collela doesn't know how to run 5-WR sets.
Head Coach: I'M THE HEAD COACH DAMMIT!!! AND WHEN I SAY I WANT 5-WR SETS - WE'RE RUNNING 5-WR SETS!!
Offensive Coordinator: sure thing, Boss.

I don't recommend going 5-WIDE against this defense -- we will get to your QB THIS week