Toads
Footballguy
I've tried to hold my tongue and to let things settle so that I could report back on why I bailed in two. I'll try to give you my perception and try to fill in the gaps as to what precipitated that drastic action....what was the final straw and all.
It's my intention to do so without placing blame or being caustic and that's a challenge for me but here goes. It's my hope that this feedback will remain in place and be added to instead of being censored by the responsible parties.
When you reach the point where the fun goes out of the process it's time to move on. When that happens, and when I'm forced to resign as my only recourse, then that a sad day in black rock. I can not continue to gloss over the disease and not seek a solution to the problem. It's not my nature to do so: when I see something broken, it's my nature to try to fix it.
Now.....three years into this I've been around long enough to see how it is, to see the frustration that mounts when things turn into a fumble ****.
Year #1: learning the ropes making observations, asking questions about this or about that and wondering why:
1) There seemed to be a fire from the hip deal as the great #'s of drafts were run by guys that were just placed out there with "no direction home....into the complete unknown." Some drafts did this and some drafts did that with no ryme of reason as to what worked, didn't work, etc. In short, absolutely no help for these guys and nothing that would give them cause to avoid past mis-steps
2) No stated purpose as to reporting or standardizing the results. I remeber being really impressed with the results of BSS's ADP reports as it took a lot of work on his part to develop that as he needed to sift through the drafts and inturpret the info to develop those reports. I actuallu though that this was one of the purposes of this effort and that it was developed with that in mind.
3) There was the same for the new guy (me)....nothing by way of a guide for postings, how to make a fellow drafter a friend....how to use the machine to make it run smootly so that the other 15 guys, who were relying on me, could function accordingly.
I don't know if it was year #1 or year #2 when a major fumble **** occured during the WSL's when it all went way south for lack of directions around the super Bowl. Seems that there was some history that I was not privy to that made for clock-on and clock-off considerations over the week end . Some huys "thought this" and some guys "thought that" and it was just kinda accepted that it was OK not to communcate and solve the problem. Guy rides in on white horse, glosses over the whole deal and I vividly rembering asking the question "Who's in charge of this mess." It was a 72 hour turn around for some drafters but it was for learing, I guessed, and it was something that could be addressed once some guide lines were established.....just a communiucaction to all deal....a simple idea to avoid furture disasters.
Year #2 (last year):
1) A real encouraging sign as there appeared to be an effort affot to identify how this deal could run more smoothly. Long thread, lotsa good input and a ton of workable ideas. One of the best had to do with the same communication ideas: sending out a check in email prior to starting up a draft to make sure all the guys were "in tow." Great idea to avoid the slow start and the non-drafters and to eliminate the "I didn't know" posts.
2) It's still the same state of the act as year #1: no tools for draft managers, no help for new guys, same shoot from the hip stuff. Seems that the idea is to allow the guys to run the drafts and not give them the benefits of past experience....they are allowed to run the "free will" offerings and basically stumble though them as best they can.
2) I remember marveling that drafts were going on and chat was happening in the draft thread....and that there were drafts I was in that had no chat threads. So, I took the initaive and stepped up and did the chat thread. But, I also minced and diced the information the way I thought it should be done so that BSS didn't have to do it. all the positions by draft order, all the teams by draft slot....I really did it up because that made sense to me ....to help out BSS.
3) I made overtures about helping out with a "draft manual" but they weren't recieved. PM's to BNB were not returned. Just trying to help.
Year three (this year):
1) Thanked BNB for alerting me to the sign up thread and jumped on board. Compiled my initial list of ideas for helping out the drafts and sent BNB a PM asking if I could develop same as a means of making this deal easier for all concerned.
2) Result: stone wall, as before. Zippo, de nada.....no reply.
3) After three weeks, and remembering my question of "Who's in charge of this mess" I looked to the pinned topics and figured I should keep going so I added to my orginal PM (cc: in sent document) and forwarde it to Jeff. I figured that the ideas there would be welcomed and that the results would be helpful to all the guys herein. After all, Jeff is responsible for making it better (I thought) and he'll be all over this.
4) Mean while the draft in #2 is languishing and I get a PM that I'm up in #4. Great, love to do that and when I get there it looks like the same old story (second, third, fourth, fifth....verse no check in communication results in draft start with failure to show and I'm a replacement.
5) Jeff respnds after one week, after I send him a PM asking for some feed back. He guesses that it's worth a try and I send him back a PM asking a couple of questions and requesting that he respond back as to my proposal to pin the approved Guidebook as a means of distribting the information. My concern is that I'll go to all the trouble to do this and it will be ignored, not used, de-nada-ded....my experience have made me gun shy and I don't want to do all this for nothing. If you aren't gonna do this, just tell me and I'll go away.
Now....that's the state of the art going into SB week-end. I'm looking for a reply and I'm exicted to do this. No reply, same deal. And then comes the kicker: there's the experience of the previous fumbled hand off for the draft during the SB week end and I've alerted Jeff, in my PM's to the idea of communicating with the populace. There's nothing in the only document available for directions (The Rules) reguarding this happening and in lieu of same, or instructuions to some 70 drafters, the same mess that occured before occures again.......a complete and utter disaster.
Now, that's when it becomes apparent to me that something is not quite right in Denmark. That's when I wonder (out loud and in a post) if I'm ever gonna get a response?
So, that's it: when the same thing happens over and over again and I expect a different result, the jokes on me. I'll leave on the note and wonder why no more.
The jokes on all 70 of you and the next time the glass of beer or the dead pitch man comes in to put out the next fire you can try to figure out why. I can't wait till OldFatman gets the call in SSL. He'll be adrift in the seas of uncertainty with no way home and without a clue as to how to paddle the good ship lolly-pop.
Oh: one last idea. Did anyone ever stop to wonder why there's a site of 10-15,000 paid members, all of whom are dying to draft, who don't participate in the Mocks R Us part of this site?
P.S. Jeff, give um hell. You are right, it doesn't take a Guidebook to make a draft pick. It doesn't take a Guidebook to be able to run a draft. It just takes a civil response prior to doing the same thing over and over and over again. You ride can in and fix it without making it better so why bother to try?
Maybe someone else will ask if you, or BNB, really want input as to how to make it better?
Toodles, guys. All 70 of you deserve better.
It's my intention to do so without placing blame or being caustic and that's a challenge for me but here goes. It's my hope that this feedback will remain in place and be added to instead of being censored by the responsible parties.
When you reach the point where the fun goes out of the process it's time to move on. When that happens, and when I'm forced to resign as my only recourse, then that a sad day in black rock. I can not continue to gloss over the disease and not seek a solution to the problem. It's not my nature to do so: when I see something broken, it's my nature to try to fix it.
Now.....three years into this I've been around long enough to see how it is, to see the frustration that mounts when things turn into a fumble ****.
Year #1: learning the ropes making observations, asking questions about this or about that and wondering why:
1) There seemed to be a fire from the hip deal as the great #'s of drafts were run by guys that were just placed out there with "no direction home....into the complete unknown." Some drafts did this and some drafts did that with no ryme of reason as to what worked, didn't work, etc. In short, absolutely no help for these guys and nothing that would give them cause to avoid past mis-steps
2) No stated purpose as to reporting or standardizing the results. I remeber being really impressed with the results of BSS's ADP reports as it took a lot of work on his part to develop that as he needed to sift through the drafts and inturpret the info to develop those reports. I actuallu though that this was one of the purposes of this effort and that it was developed with that in mind.
3) There was the same for the new guy (me)....nothing by way of a guide for postings, how to make a fellow drafter a friend....how to use the machine to make it run smootly so that the other 15 guys, who were relying on me, could function accordingly.
I don't know if it was year #1 or year #2 when a major fumble **** occured during the WSL's when it all went way south for lack of directions around the super Bowl. Seems that there was some history that I was not privy to that made for clock-on and clock-off considerations over the week end . Some huys "thought this" and some guys "thought that" and it was just kinda accepted that it was OK not to communcate and solve the problem. Guy rides in on white horse, glosses over the whole deal and I vividly rembering asking the question "Who's in charge of this mess." It was a 72 hour turn around for some drafters but it was for learing, I guessed, and it was something that could be addressed once some guide lines were established.....just a communiucaction to all deal....a simple idea to avoid furture disasters.
Year #2 (last year):
1) A real encouraging sign as there appeared to be an effort affot to identify how this deal could run more smoothly. Long thread, lotsa good input and a ton of workable ideas. One of the best had to do with the same communication ideas: sending out a check in email prior to starting up a draft to make sure all the guys were "in tow." Great idea to avoid the slow start and the non-drafters and to eliminate the "I didn't know" posts.
2) It's still the same state of the act as year #1: no tools for draft managers, no help for new guys, same shoot from the hip stuff. Seems that the idea is to allow the guys to run the drafts and not give them the benefits of past experience....they are allowed to run the "free will" offerings and basically stumble though them as best they can.
2) I remember marveling that drafts were going on and chat was happening in the draft thread....and that there were drafts I was in that had no chat threads. So, I took the initaive and stepped up and did the chat thread. But, I also minced and diced the information the way I thought it should be done so that BSS didn't have to do it. all the positions by draft order, all the teams by draft slot....I really did it up because that made sense to me ....to help out BSS.
3) I made overtures about helping out with a "draft manual" but they weren't recieved. PM's to BNB were not returned. Just trying to help.
Year three (this year):
1) Thanked BNB for alerting me to the sign up thread and jumped on board. Compiled my initial list of ideas for helping out the drafts and sent BNB a PM asking if I could develop same as a means of making this deal easier for all concerned.
2) Result: stone wall, as before. Zippo, de nada.....no reply.
3) After three weeks, and remembering my question of "Who's in charge of this mess" I looked to the pinned topics and figured I should keep going so I added to my orginal PM (cc: in sent document) and forwarde it to Jeff. I figured that the ideas there would be welcomed and that the results would be helpful to all the guys herein. After all, Jeff is responsible for making it better (I thought) and he'll be all over this.
4) Mean while the draft in #2 is languishing and I get a PM that I'm up in #4. Great, love to do that and when I get there it looks like the same old story (second, third, fourth, fifth....verse no check in communication results in draft start with failure to show and I'm a replacement.
5) Jeff respnds after one week, after I send him a PM asking for some feed back. He guesses that it's worth a try and I send him back a PM asking a couple of questions and requesting that he respond back as to my proposal to pin the approved Guidebook as a means of distribting the information. My concern is that I'll go to all the trouble to do this and it will be ignored, not used, de-nada-ded....my experience have made me gun shy and I don't want to do all this for nothing. If you aren't gonna do this, just tell me and I'll go away.
Now....that's the state of the art going into SB week-end. I'm looking for a reply and I'm exicted to do this. No reply, same deal. And then comes the kicker: there's the experience of the previous fumbled hand off for the draft during the SB week end and I've alerted Jeff, in my PM's to the idea of communicating with the populace. There's nothing in the only document available for directions (The Rules) reguarding this happening and in lieu of same, or instructuions to some 70 drafters, the same mess that occured before occures again.......a complete and utter disaster.
Now, that's when it becomes apparent to me that something is not quite right in Denmark. That's when I wonder (out loud and in a post) if I'm ever gonna get a response?
So, that's it: when the same thing happens over and over again and I expect a different result, the jokes on me. I'll leave on the note and wonder why no more.
The jokes on all 70 of you and the next time the glass of beer or the dead pitch man comes in to put out the next fire you can try to figure out why. I can't wait till OldFatman gets the call in SSL. He'll be adrift in the seas of uncertainty with no way home and without a clue as to how to paddle the good ship lolly-pop.
Oh: one last idea. Did anyone ever stop to wonder why there's a site of 10-15,000 paid members, all of whom are dying to draft, who don't participate in the Mocks R Us part of this site?
P.S. Jeff, give um hell. You are right, it doesn't take a Guidebook to make a draft pick. It doesn't take a Guidebook to be able to run a draft. It just takes a civil response prior to doing the same thing over and over and over again. You ride can in and fix it without making it better so why bother to try?
Maybe someone else will ask if you, or BNB, really want input as to how to make it better?
Toodles, guys. All 70 of you deserve better.
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