OTFL 14

[Nishlord]

http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1/8487

Draft date: Sat August 24, 7pm BST

Oh yes. No pissing about this year. Changes are afoot.

1. We're switching to a keeper league

2. We're moving from a random draft order to a merit-based order

3. We're looking for expansion teams.

4. We're going to have a debate about settings and scoring.

KEEPER LEAGUE
When the original 8 teams have re-registered, I'll activate the keeper settings. In a nutshell, you'll be given the opportunity to keep a number of players from last year's squad - partly to instill a sense of continuity, partly to reward picking out stars of the future in previous drafts, but mainly so the Cowboy Curtises can have Drew Brees for the next 20 years. What that number will be is up for discussion.

DRAFT ORDER

At present, it looks like this;

1. Expansion Team 1
2. Expansion Team 2
3. Cowboy Curtises
4. Westside Bobos
5. Csiki Sods
6. Seattle Shitehawks
7. Rushing Strangers
8. Admiral Armbar
9. Nottingham Crimewave
10.Proto

Up for discussion: having it in snake order (ie, pick 10 & 11 Proto, pick 12 Nottingham Crimewave, pick 13 Admiral Armbar, etc) or straight up and down (ie, pick 11 Expansion 1, pick 12 Expansion 2, etc)

EXPANSION TEAMS
If you're interested, shout up. Definitely want to bump the numbers up to 10, and maybe even 12. Happy to bow to majority opinion on this.

SETTINGS AND SCORING
More players per squad? Happy with the scoring as it is? Should we split the league into two divisions (Brit and RoW?)

Doing this nice and early to bag a draft time everyone's happy with, and to argue the toss about how to run the season.

[ad hoc]

OTFL 14

Just to let other OTFers know that if you are at all interested in this, go for it. It's not difficult to get your head around (and I'd be prepared to put some tips up here if people do want them), and it's a million times more enjoyable than any fantasy football (soccer) game I've played. And there really is no need to follow the NFL, or watch any of the games or any of that.

You probably do need to have a rough idea of the basic rules of American Football (though not even to the level of things like penalties).

The autumn has become one of my favourite times of the year because of the existence of OTFL.

[ad hoc]

OTFL 14

In answer to Nish's questions.

My preference for the draft is up and down, rather than snake.
I don't feel we need more players per squad
I can't see the benefit of having 2 divisions

(But happy to listen to other opinions)

[jason voorhees]

OTFL 14

Re: Divisions

I like it if there's a home-and-home for the division and 1-off for out-of-division. You know, like the NFL. What I like about divisions is
(a) The NFL does it.
(b) There will be a home-and-home anyway, so why not make both games mean something
(c) Having coached and won and not won meaningless division titles, I can say that they're not meaningless. They're like a shot of a tequila, not the whole bottle.

So depending on how many teams and how the league is structured, I'd like a home and home against the BoBos or that motherfucker tBlock.

[David Agnew]

OTFL 14

Great to see Nish back, btw. The site is poorer without you.

ad hoc wrote: You probably do need to have a rough idea of the basic rules of American Football (though not even to the level of things like penalties).

You do? I won this one year, and I haven't a fucking clue about the rules.

[caja-dglh]

OTFL 14

I will take an expansion team.

[Gerontophile]

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(aside for Nish: do you remember that website where apartments (from porn pics, or something) were ripped to shreds? Many thanks.)

[Nishlord]

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Yes mate; Lurid Digs.

As soon as we get the Original 8 back on board, we'll start the debate about settings and whatnot. So if you've not re-registered, do it now.

[Weiro]

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I'd be up for joining if possible, thanks.

[Gerontophile]

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Thanks Nish, and I should point out that the website concerned is absolutely NEVER suitable for work... unless your name is Nishlord.

[Daze]

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I too would like to join if possible.

[Gerontophile]

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Go on then, I would like a go, also.

(BT are nicking the baseball, so I am stuck for the summer. I will do exactly as well as I am doing on the fantasy baseball thing.)

[jason voorhees]

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PLEASE tell me Gero signs up.

This is one of those Year Zero kind of moments.

This will be George Steinbrenner buying the Yankees kind of moments.

[jason voorhees]

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Wow, the ComNISHiner presiding over the greatest expansion in OTFL history.

This season will be AWESOME.

[Gerontophile]

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jv: I applaud your exuberance in wishing the expansion to include me, but why?

Are you in need of someone who is clearly 'otherworldly*', that badly?

*nuts

[jason voorhees]

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This is simply a gamechanger as they call it these days.

You will up the entertainment value by 20,000%

[Gerontophile]

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how?

That's it, I am fucking flouncing.

To the next paragraph.

[S. aureus]

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I'd like to join, also, if possible.

[jason voorhees]

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We may have to have divisions now, like the old Major League Baseball days when the two leagues wouldn't meet until the World Series.

Oh yeah, also remember the rule: No Americans Ever Win OTFL (11 years in a row and counting.)

[Nishlord]

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Proto's a Yank.

[Nishlord]

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So, I suppose the first discussion needs to be; expansion to 10, or 12, or as many as poss? Personally, I don't mind either way, but I would prefer some kind of seniority thing(so the older OTFers get priority). Maybe if we're deluged with new players, we could start a seperate league.

(It's also only fair to point out to anyone looking to joining the league that - due to the new keeper system - your first and maybe even second or even third season is going to be a bastard. Not because we're all so brilliant at it, but because the elite players are going to be kept by the current players and they won't be draftable. But then again, all expansion teams have it rough at first)

[jason voorhees]

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My vote is more the merrier. Especially if we have people who talk about the games on this forum.

What is the amount of rounds before playoffs ? 10 ? 11 ? If so, that could be doubled into 2 leagues, top 2 in each league/division makes the playoffs. You can have Old TF and New TF, or England v World, or whatever. I only want to (1) Beat Inca.

[Gerontophile]

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It will certainly rekindle my interest in the NFL, as it dwindled a bit cos the Redskins were shite. But now that they are a wee bit better...

[Nishlord]

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OK, I reckon we could move to 12 quite easily.

As for divisions, I was thinking of trying to round up teams geographically, but keeping the schedule and the playoff structure as it is - so for the moment it would be a mere cosmetic change with no bearing on the playoffs. But there's plenty of time to thrash it out.

Next up; Keepers. How many per team? I've got it down as 2 at the moment, but I'm willing to bump it up if the majority wants it.

[Nishlord]

OTFL 14

(and so I can keep Russell Wilson as well as AF and AP, ahem)