Footballguys Magazine - Not Happening in 2010 (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

Hi Folks,

Some news that sort of bums David and I out. We're not going to have the Footballguys Magazine for 2010.

As you know, we dropped the print magazine last year and tried doing a free PDF as an experiment. I thought it worked OK. But PDF magazines are still a little cumbersome.

As David and I looked at things for this year, we made the decision to not do the magazine in any format and instead focus more on the site. What we found was that virtually all the content in the magazine was also on the site. Actually, the site content was superior as it's updated. So instead of spending that money and effort on the magazine, we focused on the site. It's one reason we were able to have the iPhone App and the FBG Mobile website available as we did.

I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a little sad not to have the magazine. Part of that is me being "old school". I grew up playing fantasy baseball and football in the pre internet days. Back then, magazines were king. It's all we really had. Today, it's obviously a different world. But because that's what I grew up with, I'll always hold a special spot for the mags.

The other thing that bums us out about it that I really thought our magazine was good. Some of you did too and we appreciate the good words over the year. So it's a little painful to be dropping something that we thought was good.

And please don't take this as us saying "print is dead" or anything like that. My friends Ian Allan at Fantasy Index and Emil Kadlec / Bob Harris and Pro Forecast and Ryan Houston at Fanball and several other good magazine companies are producing an excellent product and it's working well for them. Every company is a little different and for us, and our company, we felt it made more sense to forgo the magazine and focus on the site and mobile apps.

It's important I think to say too that this is a 2010 decision. Who's to say what we do there in 2011 and beyond. David and I are very excited about the magazine possibilities with new media like the iPad. And I've no doubt that pdf or other digital format reader technology will continue to make the experience better and better for the user. So this is far from a "close the book" deal. This is us electing not to do a magazine for 2010 while we focus our energies on the website and the mobile apps.

I hope folks understand. And if they yell at me, I'll understand that too. In a way, it's a compliment as I think they liked the mag and will maybe miss it. I know I will.

But I also couldn't be more excited about what we're bringing you this year. Thanks for hanging with us.

Joe and David.

 

[ratbast]

I will miss it but I also will renew my subscription, last year was the first and only one I have bought in my 2 league 15+ years!

These forums are also the absolute best in the business!

 

[Team ROFLCOPTERS]

I only use the site content anyways. That's what printers are for

 

[waybackwhen]

Totally a bummer. Love the internet, but there is just something about June/July when the magazines hit the rack. FBG was one of my "must buy's".

 

[CravenM]

I wonder what would happen if you were to take a poll of the people who patronize this web site that DON'T bring a computer to their draft.

I haven't used a mag or printout for at least 8 years and a FBG mag in the mail would be a waste of paper for me.

I've used the draft dominator for every draft since its inception and will use it again this year.

Don't beat yourself up FBG - bigger print journals in the world who haven't embraced the digital revolution have been failing for years. You do a great job and I'll be your customer for life.

 

[RustyFA2]

As a long time subscriber I disagree with your decision. How many people buy the magazine, then go to the website and eventually subscribe. I enjoy reading your magazine even if the info is dated. The pdf last year was not close as far as I am concerned. I hope you change your mind in 2011. But as always I will subscribe.

 

[Pickle Rody]

I hope folks understand. And if they yell at me, I'll understand that too. In a way, it's a compliment as I think they liked the mag and will maybe miss it. I know I will.

But I also couldn't be more excited about what we're bringing you this year. Thanks for hanging with us.

Joe and David.

I am disappointed, to say the least, about the decision to forgo the magazine this year, whether it be in print or PDF.What will FBG be bringing us this year? We already know about the Iphone App and Mobile stuff. We know that IDP positions will be expanded in the Dominator series. What other improvements to the Dominator series might we expect this year? Or, are you pretty much done with any more improvements/enhancements to the Dominator series this year?

I'm beginning to think that with all of the focus on the Iphone/Mobile stuff, the Dominator series is taking a backseat in 2010. If so, I think that's more of a shame than the magazine decision. There are numerous excellent requests for improvements to the Dominator applications posted in the Applications Forum, yet there has been no indication from any staff "in the know" as to whether any of those suggestions will come to fruition this year. (This is aside from the IDP positional breakdown, of course.)

Please respond, as I've asked this question more than a few times in the last few weeks, yet there has been no response.

eta: Can I assume the Street Team is dead also?

Rody

 

[ClownDogs]

I am still in one old school redraft league (live draft every year) and that is the only league i use the Mag for during drafttime, gonna suck hard not to have it. Use the site for my dynasty drafts since they are online drafts

But i think i am gonna miss it more for my bathroom time to be honest

Hope you guys bring it back next year, just not the same without it.

 

[Tanner9919]

fantasy magazines, whether outdated or not,are a right of passage come July..if you dump the magazine for internet content, you're likely to lose a lot of subscribers and newbies who don't see your presence at newsstands...

do we really need an Iphone App?

how many of your followers/subscribers have Apple products? 35%..40%? have you polled the followers to see what they're using? I guess us Verizon folks who use the LG phones are out of luck huh? so you're alienating yet another group of would be followers by tying yourself to Apple.

what about Droid users, are they getting apps too? is hitching your wagon to Apple products really such a great idea?

I mean, what am I going to do with it, add/drop players while on a PATH train from Hoboken to NYC? do I really need player updates posted to my phone?

since football is a sunday/monday thing, we have plenty of time to peruse the internet on weekends to get the latest updates and set lineups..

if I can't set my lineup on CBS Sportsline via iphone because maybe they don't yet have an app for their website, why would I need/want to have to use two internet connections to do one thing? why wouldn't I use my laptop on a saturday/sunday,and set things from there?

there are a lot of old school fantasy footballers who enjoy the magazines, who don't use apps and iphones and dont live and die with their cell phones..you're pushing them away..

Fantasy index still does a great service to the FF community - they have a plain-jane website that is

perfectly suited for what it is..their magazine is top notch..they don't use all of the bells and whistles to sell products..their content is king.you have very good content,and now with Chase's numbers, probably even better content...but,eventually, isn't all this other stuff just window dressing and hoopla and hype?

when fantasy football comes to your cell phone, I think it's time to quit the game..it's no longer 'fun'..

if it ain't broke,don't fix it..

McDonalds started the McCafe, have they really dug in to the foothold Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts have in coffee sales? are they really going to dethrone these two powerhouses? probably not..

their bread-n-butter is egg mcmuffins,big macs,double cheeseburgers.not coffee.not lattes..

so why change? what they had was working perfectly well..

same with FBG's, if it aint broke,don't fix it..

 

[Andrew Garda]

Tanner: do you know you can access the same content as the iphone app with the mobile app?

I mean I gather it's not your thing and it doesn't address the rest of your concerns, but just letting you know the non-iphone access is there.

 

[Pictus Cat]

Um...how will I be getting my Golden Tickets?

PS: I use the mobile app almost everyday on my barely internet capable LG.

 

[JohnnyU]

when fantasy football comes to your cell phone, I think it's time to quit the game..it's no longer 'fun'..

I went out to dinner last night with my wife and noticed a young married couple sitting at the bar. Both were messing with their cell phones for the entire 20 minutes we had to wait for a table. I wonder how stable that marriage is? Then after we got seated I noticed two women sitting at a table, both messing with their cell phones. They did this ever minute before getting their food. I also notice this type of behavior everywhere I go. Their phones are glued to their hand while sitting on the bus. They get a call and talk about absolutely nothing. "I'm on the bus now, I just finished work. I'll be home in two minutes". Was this necessary if he's going to be home in two minutes? I went to the beach in Florida for vacation a couple of years ago. There was this beautiful girl laying out on the beach every day at the same spot. She spent the entire time there texting someone and messing with her phone in general. She even took her phone into the ocean with her. People talk on them constantly while driving or doing some other dangerous activity. It's insane. People are too obsessed with their cell phones. I'm glad I'm free from this......well, maybe I'm not since I have to see it every day.

 

[3nOut]

Would it be possibe to have a button on your web pages that can "Save as PDF" to your laptop? I travel for work a lot and like to read magazines on the plane when i do not have an internet connection. Last year, I spent many hours reading your PDF version on mty flights so something like that would be very suefult for me. I know I can save the web page locally but I do not need the extra navigation and other links that would also be saved. It would be nice if the page could be reformatted to a "printable" version. I would even tolerate an ad on the page.

This way, people can save the pages they want to read, and delete them or save them as they wish after they are done. Sounds like a reasonable compromise.

 

[adrenaline]

As others have stated here I think your losing a good form of advertisement. I see your guys point with the online version, I had no use for that.

I did check out your mobile content & thought it was cool but really have no use for it.

I'm more concerned with you having projections ready by wednesday.

 

[Man in the yellow hat]

Would it be possibe to have a button on your web pages that can "Save as PDF" to your laptop? I travel for work a lot and like to read magazines on the plane when i do not have an internet connection. Last year, I spent many hours reading your PDF version on mty flights so something like that would be very suefult for me. I know I can save the web page locally but I do not need the extra navigation and other links that would also be saved. It would be nice if the page could be reformatted to a "printable" version. I would even tolerate an ad on the page. This way, people can save the pages they want to read, and delete them or save them as they wish after they are done. Sounds like a reasonable compromise.

This is a good idea.

 

[amit-nfl]

although i loved very much the football magazine 2 years ago and kept it, i totaly understand ur logic.. and nowdays looking to buy new Iphone to use ur application.

love ur site as a subcriber , and looking forward to another great year with you all, thanks !

 

[Joe Bryant]

Would it be possibe to have a button on your web pages that can "Save as PDF" to your laptop? I travel for work a lot and like to read magazines on the plane when i do not have an internet connection. Last year, I spent many hours reading your PDF version on mty flights so something like that would be very suefult for me. I know I can save the web page locally but I do not need the extra navigation and other links that would also be saved. It would be nice if the page could be reformatted to a "printable" version. I would even tolerate an ad on the page. This way, people can save the pages they want to read, and delete them or save them as they wish after they are done. Sounds like a reasonable compromise.

Thanks 3nout. I like that idea. Let me ask Keith and David about the possibilities of something like that. Thanks for the idea.J

 

[5-ish Finkle]

I can understand you not wanting anyone to think you're crowing 'print is dead!!!!' or anything, Joe...... so I'll do it for you.

Print(at least of this type. magazine's, newspapers, etc.) is definitely on life support. I work in an industry that goes hand-in-glove with printing a lot of the time. Within the next 10 years it's probably going to be stone cold dead. The way things have changed in just the past 3 years is astronomical.

This was the right call for you, IMO. The PDF version was a 'nice to have', but like you said, it was all content that was available on the site, which is updated. The PDF wasn't. A printed magazine is dated the second it hits a shelf/a mailbox, so again, why would I want the dated info. when I can get the fresher stuff here whenever I want it?

Pushing forward with more online content, be it on the site or by developing stuff like the iPhone apps, etc., is probably your best bet. Anybody who thinks the 'iPhone culture' is going to go away they can probably get that idea out of their head right now. More information available, basically at will? Good luck putting that genie back in the bottle.

 

[jude]

Tanner: do you know you can access the same content as the iphone app with the mobile app?I mean I gather it's not your thing and it doesn't address the rest of your concerns, but just letting you know the non-iphone access is there.

how do i find this app for bberry?

 

[guderian]

Would it be possibe to have a button on your web pages that can "Save as PDF" to your laptop? I travel for work a lot and like to read magazines on the plane when i do not have an internet connection. Last year, I spent many hours reading your PDF version on mty flights so something like that would be very suefult for me. I know I can save the web page locally but I do not need the extra navigation and other links that would also be saved. It would be nice if the page could be reformatted to a "printable" version. I would even tolerate an ad on the page. This way, people can save the pages they want to read, and delete them or save them as they wish after they are done. Sounds like a reasonable compromise.

I second the request for a "printable version" link.

 

[rzrback77]

a little sad that no magazine will be coming as I thought that y'alls was the best, but also agree that it seems to be the right call.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Tanner: do you know you can access the same content as the iphone app with the mobile app?

I mean I gather it's not your thing and it doesn't address the rest of your concerns, but just letting you know the non-iphone access is there.

how do i find this app for bberry?

Though it's not an "app" in the same sense that the iPhone is, all other mobile platforms can visit http://footballguys.com/m and get the same mobile functions.

 

[Pictus Cat]

It is interesting how the world is changing with cell phones and mobile access.

How have fantasy footballers adapted from the pencil & paper days?

Information is portable and current.

How to use the latest news vs quality analysis and etiquette are only a few issues.

 

[David Dodds]

I think it's important people see what we see in regards to this space. As Joe said this wasn't an easy decision to make as we absolutely loved our magazine.

In no real order here are all the things that contributed to this decision:

- FW Pubs printed our magazine. In the first year, we paid for the printing and distribution costs and we kept the ad money and split magazine sells from the news stand. We lost money. We made up for some of that by selling the magazines are ourself, but we definitely lost money. The biggest problem we had was that a $7.00 magazine sale got divided up like this. $3.50 went to the store that sold the magazine. And the remaining $3.50 was shared between us and FW Pubs. That left $1.75 for us for every magazine sold against a printing/distribution cost of just under a $1. But the magazine business is very crooked. For every Barnes and Noble who reported we sold through at 65%, some mom and pop franchise said we sold at 8%. Ad sales were fairly strong and printing costs were reasonable, but there were 25+ magazines on the shelf to choose from. These were as good as conditions would ever get and we lost money.

- In years 2 through 4 of the printed magazine, we renegotiated the deal with FW Pubs where they would pay all the printing and distribution costs, but would keep all money (including advertising money). We paid between $5,000 and eventually $10,000 a year (plus all the effort to create the magazine) just for the "advertising and feel good component" of having a magazine. We likely should have been able to recoup some of this money by selling the magazine online, but there were no good methods of shipping it cheaply. If you sell 4 or more magazines a year, the post office will give you a break. If you sell an annual magazine, no break. And as long as ads appeared in the magazine, we were not allowed to use media mail (also a discount). So the difference between mailing the magazine and mailing via Priority mail ended up being a very small difference. Every year Priority mail costs kept increasing. Our final year with a printed magazine, we lost between $20,000 to $25,000 as well as about three weeks of time where we had to neglect the website.

- Going into last year, FW Pubs was also going to need extra money (as they were struggling with rising printing/distribution costs and ad sales had fallen off the cliff) so the losses were not only going to continue, but get bigger. We struck a deal to do just an online version of the magazine so that we could create the magazine we always wanted (250 pages of all color). The problem was that no one really wants this kind of magazine though (unless it was already printed out and bound). We opted to give this content away for free (both on the website and via 150,000 CDs we created for the Street Teams). We had some minor successes with the Street Teams, but for the most part we again spent a lot of money with little to show for it in terms of new subscribers / visitors to the website.

- Last year FW Pubs sold their fantasy magazine publishing business and the high stakes NFFC contest to Fanball. Two of the people (Tom Kessenich and Greg Ambrosius, but not Kevin the graphic artist) that we worked with for the FBG magazine went with these businesses to Fanball. We had started down a path with Fanball to redo the 250 page PDF, but the negotiations were getting messy. They were willing to do the magazine exactly as we wanted, but it came with stipulations and "other considerations" that are just not how we like to do business. We nixed the deal.

- As we delved deeper into the FBG Mobile project, we took a step back and asked ourselves what we have always been trying to do with the magazine. The answer was to bring more people into the FBG fold. Instead of producing a magazine each year, we have decided to put our energies into making virtually everything we do also available via our mobile platform. That's the clean version of articles, top 200 lists, cheatsheets, rankings with no navbar, ads, etc. Our mobile site can be accessed from any web-enabled device (a netbook, any smart phone, etc). Our strategy is to put everything (and a lot more) that appeared in the magazine on mobile. We are finishing up FBG Mobile version 1.1 right now and you are going to be floored. It's everything (and a lot more) and it's just going to keep getting better and better. And best of all it's 100% FREE.

- Going into 2011 (provided there is an NFL season), we are looking to take the next logical step and that is to create a dynamic iPad magazine that really takes advantage of our commitment to mobile and all the hard work we do early in this process. On the iPad we don't have the rising postage costs, distribution headaches, etc. We can make this a 250+ page all color interactive magazine. We can have it self update so the cheatsheets, rankings, projections, writeups are always current. We can embed video and sound and have tables expand. We can make a fantasy product that makes full use of our skills and maximizes the users experience. And we can do it in an environment where we don't lose a lot of money that impacts the resources of other things we want to accomplish.

 

[Silver & Black]

While I totally understand the decision, it makes me sad.

I'm an old school guy. It seems like only yesterday I sat on the train to work with the box scores and figured out scores to games. I was one of the last commissioners to get a web site and hit the internet.

Plus, the mags are just fun to have. I buy every single freaking one of them. I take them on my deep sea fishing trips in June and August, I read them on the train or in the thrown room. Or in the backyard when I'm grilling......

It's true, the reality is in today's modern society, the mag is probably outdated. And with so much info being available on line, they probably aren't even as useful as they once were. But I'm not a modern guy and I love the mags. And I will feel the loss of you guys not putting one out.

 

[mozzy84]

no biggie, I'll just buy a different mag. Don't care or want the mobile stuff either, just my opinion there.

 

[Sweet Love]

when fantasy football comes to your cell phone, I think it's time to quit the game..it's no longer 'fun'..

I went out to dinner last night with my wife and noticed a young married couple sitting at the bar. Both were messing with their cell phones for the entire 20 minutes we had to wait for a table. I wonder how stable that marriage is? Then after we got seated I noticed two women sitting at a table, both messing with their cell phones. They did this ever minute before getting their food. I also notice this type of behavior everywhere I go. Their phones are glued to their hand while sitting on the bus. They get a call and talk about absolutely nothing. "I'm on the bus now, I just finished work. I'll be home in two minutes". Was this necessary if he's going to be home in two minutes? I went to the beach in Florida for vacation a couple of years ago. There was this beautiful girl laying out on the beach every day at the same spot. She spent the entire time there texting someone and messing with her phone in general. She even took her phone into the ocean with her. People talk on them constantly while driving or doing some other dangerous activity. It's insane. People are too obsessed with their cell phones. I'm glad I'm free from this......well, maybe I'm not since I have to see it every day.

Johnny,I agree with the near-obsessive behavior of people on their phones (that does not bother me as much as people on BlueTooth, but each to their own). It did make me chuckle as my dad still travels for work (69 years old) and he refuses to use a cell phone. When people do those "home in two minutes" or "I'm here now" calls, he belligerantly bellows "who cares!!??"...you should see the stares he gets...lol. One time when I flew into Newark and he had my mom's cell phone, I called to tell him which baggage area I was in. He missed his parking spot when he was concentrating on the call and I hear him yell "Awww f'it!"...and then a crash. When he comes into the airport I asked him where the phone was. He smiled, and told me he thought the passenger windo was open.But I digress...I too will miss the mag, but as Joe alluded to, there are a lot of good ones out there. I am warming up again to Fantasy Football Index (they tried to get a little too cute for me with some of their projections a few years back) and I will most likely be the only one to say I like ESPN. It is a little infantile in the comments, but it goes like 100+ deep on WRs (even if they do not have much constructive to say) and I appreciate a little breakdown versus none.I am also one who has never taken a computer to a draft (nor do i plan on it). I enjoy arriving with my FBG cheatsheet, a pen (to cross of players I missed) and a highliter (to high light the guys I took). Something simple and refreshing about it.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

fantasy mags are going the way of the newspaper- they are dinosaurs.

If you lost money on them already, It would be harder for you guys to make money on them in the future.

 

[Black]

Maybe you can collect together links to the stuff that 'would have' made up the magazine.

I actually did use the PDF quite a bit, since it is focused on fantasy drafts and narrows down rankings, player articles, stats to more recent stats that will help prepare for the draft.

I hope the 'Perfect Draft' article(s) will come out this year!

BTW, I am not a 'mobile' user and don't plan to be anytime soon. I prefer to read my stuff in 'full size' print, so hope that the regular Web Content and Functions (like MyFBG) does not suffer.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

fantasy mags are going the way of the newspaper- they are dinosaurs.If you lost money on them already, It would be harder for you guys to make money on them in the future.

Not sure that's true. While magazines are taking a hit and many are going out of business, niche magazines will always have appeal to their target. Newspapers were a way of distributing daily or weekly information, and they're just not as efficient as other methods.Newspapers are pretty much dinosaurs, but magazines will always have a place for readers of that specific topic. Whether FBG can make money on it is a different story. It's certainly not easy, and I don't think this site appeals to the casual player (for whom magazines will still hold appeal). The sharks (and those who think they are) will want what the site offers, so it might be a smart idea to devote resources there.Magazines are like the Wii for gamers. It's fun and you might enjoy it for a little while, but it's not really for hard-core players. FBG is a souped-up Alienware box. Just a different segment of the market imo.

 

[rzrback77]

The front page of the web-site should be updated. Halfway down there are listed three easy steps for dominating your league. Step 2 includes..."From the Footballguys Magazine, to ...."

probably ought to edit

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

I hope folks understand. And if they yell at me, I'll understand that too. In a way, it's a compliment as I think they liked the mag and will maybe miss it. I know I will.

But I also couldn't be more excited about what we're bringing you this year. Thanks for hanging with us.

Joe and David.

I'm beginning to think that with all of the focus on the Iphone/Mobile stuff, the Dominator series is taking a backseat in 2010. If so, I think that's more of a shame than the magazine decision. There are numerous excellent requests for improvements to the Dominator applications posted in the Applications Forum, yet there has been no indication from any staff "in the know" as to whether any of those suggestions will come to fruition this year. (This is aside from the IDP positional breakdown, of course.)

along with improvements for the rate my team

 

[jude]

Tanner: do you know you can access the same content as the iphone app with the mobile app?

I mean I gather it's not your thing and it doesn't address the rest of your concerns, but just letting you know the non-iphone access is there.

how do i find this app for bberry?

Though it's not an "app" in the same sense that the iPhone is, all other mobile platforms can visit http://footballguys.com/m and get the same mobile functions.

Excellent thanks.

 

[jude]

no biggie, I'll just buy a different mag. Don't care or want the mobile stuff either, just my opinion there.

you are in a very very small minority. which is also no biggie.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

fantasy mags are going the way of the newspaper- they are dinosaurs.If you lost money on them already, It would be harder for you guys to make money on them in the future.

Not sure that's true. While magazines are taking a hit and many are going out of business, niche magazines will always have appeal to their target. Newspapers were a way of distributing daily or weekly information, and they're just not as efficient as other methods.Newspapers are pretty much dinosaurs, but magazines will always have a place for readers of that specific topic. Whether FBG can make money on it is a different story. It's certainly not easy, and I don't think this site appeals to the casual player (for whom magazines will still hold appeal). The sharks (and those who think they are) will want what the site offers, so it might be a smart idea to devote resources there.Magazines are like the Wii for gamers. It's fun and you might enjoy it for a little while, but it's not really for hard-core players. FBG is a souped-up Alienware box. Just a different segment of the market imo.

Fantasy mags printed in May for drafts in late August dont cut it anymore.

 

[massraider]

fantasy mags are going the way of the newspaper- they are dinosaurs.If you lost money on them already, It would be harder for you guys to make money on them in the future.

Not sure that's true. While magazines are taking a hit and many are going out of business, niche magazines will always have appeal to their target. Newspapers were a way of distributing daily or weekly information, and they're just not as efficient as other methods.Newspapers are pretty much dinosaurs, but magazines will always have a place for readers of that specific topic. Whether FBG can make money on it is a different story. It's certainly not easy, and I don't think this site appeals to the casual player (for whom magazines will still hold appeal). The sharks (and those who think they are) will want what the site offers, so it might be a smart idea to devote resources there.Magazines are like the Wii for gamers. It's fun and you might enjoy it for a little while, but it's not really for hard-core players. FBG is a souped-up Alienware box. Just a different segment of the market imo.

Fantasy mags printed in May for drafts in late August dont cut it anymore.

Exactly, and really, any FootballGuy isn't using the mags at the draft, except in a secondary role. And FBG was late to the magazine party, the amateur fantasy guy that goes to the draft with a mag usually already had his preferred mag, FFIndex or whatever.For the amount of work involved in putting something like that out, plus the cost, I am not surprised that FBG decided to shelve it. Cripes, how much info could be in a magazine that is not on a phone app?

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

fantasy mags are going the way of the newspaper- they are dinosaurs.If you lost money on them already, It would be harder for you guys to make money on them in the future.

Not sure that's true. While magazines are taking a hit and many are going out of business, niche magazines will always have appeal to their target. Newspapers were a way of distributing daily or weekly information, and they're just not as efficient as other methods.Newspapers are pretty much dinosaurs, but magazines will always have a place for readers of that specific topic. Whether FBG can make money on it is a different story. It's certainly not easy, and I don't think this site appeals to the casual player (for whom magazines will still hold appeal). The sharks (and those who think they are) will want what the site offers, so it might be a smart idea to devote resources there.Magazines are like the Wii for gamers. It's fun and you might enjoy it for a little while, but it's not really for hard-core players. FBG is a souped-up Alienware box. Just a different segment of the market imo.

Fantasy mags printed in May for drafts in late August dont cut it anymore.

They don't cut it for you and me. But for the casual player who has an office league or some old college buddies, it's just fine. People still buy those magazines when you could go on the web and find something more current and free the day you bought it. You can get cigar reviews online as well, but people still like their cigar magazines. The niche markets will always have a desire for magazines. Now, in this niche market you have casual players and hard-core players. You're probably more hard-core. A magazine wouldn't give you much that you didn't already know yourself or could get online. But it's a nice "textbook" for a casual player who wants to beat his old buddies or do better in a work league. Maybe they want to read it on the train or while fishing or in the bathroom or whatever. But there is a market for it.In this case, FBG didn't build its brand by catering to a casual players. They appeal to more serious players who want a lot of statistical analysis and in-depth study of different formats. They take the game more seriously, probably devote more money to it and expect more for their time and money. It's not really possible to satisfy that customer with a magazine. That doesn't make it "better" or "worse." but it means that FBG knows their customers and would rather devote resources to what satisfies them than try to do what a fantasy football company is "supposed" to do, like put out a magazine. That sounds smart to me. But I don't see it as "magazines are dead" as much as "fantasy magazines don't satisfy the people who support FBG." Again, I'll use the video game comparison. Nintendo seemed crazy by putting out a product with inferior graphics with a library that won't appeal to the average gamer. So instead, they picked up all the casual gamers who wanted something fun to play with their kids, made a profit on each console from day one and reaped the profits. They knew their customers and they didn't need the hard-core gamers to succeed. They knew their market, and I see FBG as doing the same thing. I don't use mobile apps but I think it's a good place for them to be. Their hard-core customers will definitely benefit from it.

 

[comfortably numb]

Even the casual fan can find any info they want any time on their phone for cryin out loud.

And agree, seeing ranking from June when you drafting in August does no good anymore.

Gore is projected at 1488 and 14 TD's, awesome. But he blew his knee out in training camp so now what.

I would probably guess most of the magazines are a loss for whomever is printing them.

Magazines are now a novelty, something to read while on the bowl.

I used to love them, but seeing stuff printed moths before rookies get hurt, climb depth charts, cuts are made massive injuries are sustained.

Looking back, the only reason we loved magazines, is because that is all we had.

 

[goonsquad]

do we really need an Iphone App?

how many of your followers/subscribers have Apple products? 35%..40%? have you polled the followers to see what they're using? I guess us Verizon folks who use the LG phones are out of luck huh? so you're alienating yet another group of would be followers by tying yourself to Apple.

what about Droid users, are they getting apps too? is hitching your wagon to Apple products really such a great idea?

Considering they've never had a Mac version of the Draft Dominator, I'd say you're being a little melodramatic with the Apple rhetoric. Consider the iPhone app as them throwing Apple users a bone for ignoring us with DD all these years.

 

[goonsquad]

Do any of you guys complaining about this have any idea just how much it costs to print and ship a magazine like this? It's a huge monetary RISK because they have to front the cash for writing, design, printing and fulfillment beforehand, and then hope that end sales cover the investment. With all the competition on the newsstands and the diminishing demand for magazines that are out-dated before they even hit the streets, it's really a smart decision to invest that time and money into the site and mobile apps.

 

[D'OHtis]

Good call. Magazines are a losing venture nowadays. I agree with the idea someone noted above making a printaqble version.

 

[Andrew Garda]

Tanner: do you know you can access the same content as the iphone app with the mobile app?

I mean I gather it's not your thing and it doesn't address the rest of your concerns, but just letting you know the non-iphone access is there.

how do i find this app for bberry?

Though it's not an "app" in the same sense that the iPhone is, all other mobile platforms can visit http://footballguys.com/m and get the same mobile functions.

Yes that's it, thanks jene

 

[GroveDiesel]

Totally agree with the call. The fantasy specific information you provide is much more useful when it's fresh. The life blood of your business and what we do is having update information as things change.

If people really want some good, thoughtful, different football writing with a strong analytical approach like you expect from FBG, I'd highly recommend going and buying the 2010 Football Outsiders Almanac when it comes out. Last year they had it in print form and discounted as a PDF. It's truly a tremendous read for true football fans.

 

[Andrew Garda]

Totally agree with the call. The fantasy specific information you provide is much more useful when it's fresh. The life blood of your business and what we do is having update information as things change. If people really want some good, thoughtful, different football writing with a strong analytical approach like you expect from FBG, I'd highly recommend going and buying the 2010 Football Outsiders Almanac when it comes out. Last year they had it in print form and discounted as a PDF. It's truly a tremendous read for true football fans.

FBO's Almanac is OUTSTANDING and takes me all year to really read.Great call for stats and analysis even if it's not quite FF specific, it's definitely applicable. Good call grove

 

[kurtrudder]

Totally agree with the call. The fantasy specific information you provide is much more useful when it's fresh. The life blood of your business and what we do is having update information as things change. If people really want some good, thoughtful, different football writing with a strong analytical approach like you expect from FBG, I'd highly recommend going and buying the 2010 Football Outsiders Almanac when it comes out. Last year they had it in print form and discounted as a PDF. It's truly a tremendous read for true football fans.

FBO's Almanac is OUTSTANDING and takes me all year to really read.Great call for stats and analysis even if it's not quite FF specific, it's definitely applicable. Good call grove

I'll second that one....and it takes me ages to read as well but I still love it. It's the only print item I will be buying this year.......no wait I did buy Josh Buchanan's small scholl draft guide too. I'm fine with the call on moving on from the magazine business, FBG know what they are doing and no doubt will continue to offer us the best content and best FF community on the planet so that's good enough for me.

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

no biggie, I'll just buy a different mag. Don't care or want the mobile stuff either, just my opinion there.

you are in a very very small minority. which is also no biggie.

I would bet it is the majority opinion but that you mobile guys in the minority are just a lot more vocal about wanting the crap

 

[goonsquad]

no biggie, I'll just buy a different mag. Don't care or want the mobile stuff either, just my opinion there.

you are in a very very small minority. which is also no biggie.

I would bet it is the majority opinion but that you mobile guys in the minority are just a lot more vocal about wanting the crap

"Back in my day we didn't have these flashy innernets and mobiles. We didn't need yer fancy magazine books with yer typerwriter words and polaroid pictures . If we wanted football information, we'd tie it to a crow's foot and send it flying over yonder hills. This whole town was all farm back then, as far as the eye could see. We didn't have yer high-follutin' strip malls dollar stores. We had one store, run by one man. Ah, good old Arty Pogolski. Used to call him "Pogo", on account of the stick he'd use to chase the youngin's out of the store for pilfering penny candies. Well, that and a due to the fact that he only had one leg. He lost the other one in the Great War; stepped on one of the Kaiser's land mines while dancing the two-step with dame from Brussels. Oh, he'd bounce after them rascals swinging that stick round and hooting and hollering something awful. Now that was a fella that knew his football. A regular old "FootballFella", as we'd call 'em back then. You wanted to know something 'bout the Sawgatuck Steamcookers, you'd ask good old Pogo. He'd give you the straight cheese. Those were the days. Not like today, with you damn kids and your magazine books and electric mail." /oldmangoon

 

[waybackwhen]

no biggie, I'll just buy a different mag. Don't care or want the mobile stuff either, just my opinion there.

you are in a very very small minority. which is also no biggie.

I would bet it is the majority opinion but that you mobile guys in the minority are just a lot more vocal about wanting the crap

This is true. Most fantasy footballers come August are not here in May voicing there opinion.

 

[DanFouts]

Ipad magazine.....

 

[Horses Mouth]

when fantasy football comes to your cell phone, I think it's time to quit the game..it's no longer 'fun'..

I went out to dinner last night with my wife and noticed a young married couple sitting at the bar. Both were messing with their cell phones for the entire 20 minutes we had to wait for a table. I wonder how stable that marriage is? Then after we got seated I noticed two women sitting at a table, both messing with their cell phones. They did this ever minute before getting their food. I also notice this type of behavior everywhere I go. Their phones are glued to their hand while sitting on the bus. They get a call and talk about absolutely nothing. "I'm on the bus now, I just finished work. I'll be home in two minutes". Was this necessary if he's going to be home in two minutes? I went to the beach in Florida for vacation a couple of years ago. There was this beautiful girl laying out on the beach every day at the same spot. She spent the entire time there texting someone and messing with her phone in general. She even took her phone into the ocean with her. People talk on them constantly while driving or doing some other dangerous activity. It's insane. People are too obsessed with their cell phones. I'm glad I'm free from this......well, maybe I'm not since I have to see it every day.

I hear you. I went bowling this afternoon with my six year old son. In the next lane was a dad and his 3 year old son. The entire time his son was bowling, his dad was on his blackberry, making phone calls, and then actually went to his car and busted out his laptop. He gave no attention to his son. On a Saturday! It's insane. My son and I had a blast interacting and I felt sorry for his child.