Jedi Knight
Footballguy
Just curious. It's one of the articles I most look forward to.
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What's up with "Eyes of the Guru" articles (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jedi Knight
- Start date
I will say this is one of the only annoying practices I see implemented by FBG. Similar things happened to dynasty articles last year as well. Instead of just saying "Not available this week" or something similar, they up and go away. I'm assuming that's because it looks better. To me, it feels like I'm getting something I paid for taken away.
I love the content here, but this is an annoying way to find out you can't read your favorite article.
I love the content here, but this is an annoying way to find out you can't read your favorite article.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
I'll ask John to drop into this thread when he can. For now, know that it was not John's intention to miss either the W12 or W13 writing schedule. There are circumstances that have made it difficult to meet his usual writing schedule. Those of you that know John and have followed his writings through his years at Fantasy Insights and Red Eye and now FBG well know that John takes great pride in meeting the high expectations both he and you have for EOTG and FBG.
We're certainly sensitive to the concerns posted here and I'm not able to say how soon the EOTG will return, but all of us at FBG and the IDP crew in particular are appreciative of your patience. Thanks.
We're certainly sensitive to the concerns posted here and I'm not able to say how soon the EOTG will return, but all of us at FBG and the IDP crew in particular are appreciative of your patience. Thanks.
While I want to apologize for not getting the EOTG up for you the past two weeks, I can assure you that its not a matter of simply choosing not to do the work. In the fifteen years of this article I have never missed more than one week in any season and it bothers me greatly that I have been unable to do it. I realize that many of you count on this article and for some its even the main reason that you subscribe. It bothers me particularly that that I have let you down at this critical point in the season.
From those who have been with me since the Fantasy Insights days to those who have become readers in recent years, I want you all to know that you are appreciated. As such I believe you deserve some explanation. Without getting into details I will say that I am dealing with a serious health issue and have been physically unable to keep up with all my responsibilities for the past few weeks. I sincerely hope the article will return in week 14 and beyond and will make every effort to that end but am unable to make any promise at this point. Your patience and understanding would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
John
From those who have been with me since the Fantasy Insights days to those who have become readers in recent years, I want you all to know that you are appreciated. As such I believe you deserve some explanation. Without getting into details I will say that I am dealing with a serious health issue and have been physically unable to keep up with all my responsibilities for the past few weeks. I sincerely hope the article will return in week 14 and beyond and will make every effort to that end but am unable to make any promise at this point. Your patience and understanding would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
John
bonscott
Footballguy
I actually just came to the forum to see what's up myself.
John, hope you feel and are getting better. There are some things in life more important then fantasy football. Take whatever time you need.
While the Guru articles are my top IDP reason to subscribe, this has also given me the opportunity to dig into more closely the other great IDP articles that FBG has. Check them out everyone, good stuff in them as well.
John, hope you feel and are getting better. There are some things in life more important then fantasy football. Take whatever time you need.
While the Guru articles are my top IDP reason to subscribe, this has also given me the opportunity to dig into more closely the other great IDP articles that FBG has. Check them out everyone, good stuff in them as well.
philly2gain
Footballguy
I thought John explained this potential to miss a few weeks earlier in the season? (I maybe mistaken) Anyways, I've been in the championship 4 times in my only fantasy football league over the last 5 years because Footballguys website and no explanation was necessary -- if something couldn't get done then I suppose it was for a good reason. I honestly appreciate all the material. Thanks to all the writers at Footballguys.
Jedi Knight
Footballguy
Some things are far more important than this game we play. Health and family are the top two I can think of. While I love to read your articles, one of the benefits of them is we can think for ourselves and see thing happening before the general crowd. John, I hope things are geetting better for you on the health front, and please, take whatever time you need. I know I appreciate everything you've been able to do. Don't worry about us.
dirtyhalos
capital letter hater!
Faust
MVP
Jestefarean
Footballguy
Get well soon John. Know your missed and that we are all out here cheering for you.
smashingsilver
Footballguy
I really hate to be the sour grape of the bunch, especially because I personally understand the havoc that a serious health issue can wreak on one's life. I echo everyone who wishes John the best of health. From a personal standpoint, absolutely, health takes priority over fantasy football.
Unfortunately, this is also a business. As such, there are responsibilties in business that require illness or other uncontrollable circumstances to be worked around. This is not a criticism of John, who definitely has the right to take whatever time he needs to get through his situation. However, FBG, as his employer, is responsible to ensure that their customers receive the services that they have paid for. While there are other IDP articles available of some value, they are not substitutes for the quality that is EotG. Furthermore, it's poor business etiquette to not inform your customers that a key portion of the paid content will be missing for a period of time. While we can all understand that uncontrollable circumstances will throw a wrench into any operation, we shouldn't have to come to the forum and bug Jene and John regarding why our favourite feature is not available.
Again, John, this is not a criticism of you specifically, but rather the randomness that frequently seems to be FBG's M.O. In this specific case, nobody knew why EotG was missing; and since other features also tend to go missing or are not updated from time to time, it's easy to see why customers were upset. This is not a request for FBG staff to provide details about their personal situations, but simply a request for improved communication and substitution for the customer base. A notice that a particular feature will be unavailable for a period of time would be a good start. An extended effort by FBG to find ways to make up for the missing features would be better. In a standard workplace, if a colleague is on sick leave or disability, everyone else has to work harder to help make up for it. No company would stand for critical work to be neglected, especially if they have customers depending on it. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a similar effort from FBG.
I hope that the above was not offensive; that was certainly not my intent. As a paying customer, I feel that I am justified in expressing my desires for the type of customer service I am expecting. It is certainly FBG's right to handle their business in whatever way they feel is appropriate; however, the response to situations like these will go a long way to determining whether I will resubscribe.
Unfortunately, this is also a business. As such, there are responsibilties in business that require illness or other uncontrollable circumstances to be worked around. This is not a criticism of John, who definitely has the right to take whatever time he needs to get through his situation. However, FBG, as his employer, is responsible to ensure that their customers receive the services that they have paid for. While there are other IDP articles available of some value, they are not substitutes for the quality that is EotG. Furthermore, it's poor business etiquette to not inform your customers that a key portion of the paid content will be missing for a period of time. While we can all understand that uncontrollable circumstances will throw a wrench into any operation, we shouldn't have to come to the forum and bug Jene and John regarding why our favourite feature is not available.
Again, John, this is not a criticism of you specifically, but rather the randomness that frequently seems to be FBG's M.O. In this specific case, nobody knew why EotG was missing; and since other features also tend to go missing or are not updated from time to time, it's easy to see why customers were upset. This is not a request for FBG staff to provide details about their personal situations, but simply a request for improved communication and substitution for the customer base. A notice that a particular feature will be unavailable for a period of time would be a good start. An extended effort by FBG to find ways to make up for the missing features would be better. In a standard workplace, if a colleague is on sick leave or disability, everyone else has to work harder to help make up for it. No company would stand for critical work to be neglected, especially if they have customers depending on it. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a similar effort from FBG.
I hope that the above was not offensive; that was certainly not my intent. As a paying customer, I feel that I am justified in expressing my desires for the type of customer service I am expecting. It is certainly FBG's right to handle their business in whatever way they feel is appropriate; however, the response to situations like these will go a long way to determining whether I will resubscribe.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
I don't think you're out of line here at all.I'll try not to speak for John too much, but I wanted to add a couple of thoughts in case he's unable to address this issue as quickly as he'd like. I'm pretty sure John will have more details and I think he's planning to address these issues in today's column.
In this particular situation, John expected to write columns in each week after producing the full sets of projections earlier in the week but was unable to do so as the week progressed. There unfortunately wasn't time at that point for one of us to pinch hit for him as we've done for each other in the past.
While John did make note at the end of the Week 4 EOTG that a missed column (or two) could be likely, we'll certainly try and do a better job of informing everyone when an IDP article/column might be missed or unable to be picked up by another of our staffers.
Thanks again for everyone's patience and understanding.
smashingsilver
Footballguy
Thanks, Jene; I appreciate the feedback, and the updated perspective.
philly2gain
Footballguy
At the very least you should have read my prior post.
While your post appears thoughtful and is well written, it comes across like you're looking for a reason to complain when you pump up the value of an article then openly display you didn't even read said "key" article on week #4. Since you are able to freely offer advice on how to run a business let me offer you some advise on life -- having been personally on the wrong end of a lot of complainers I suggest a better approach -- empathy and kind-heartedness -- don't always focus on yourself.In my opinion, FBG is a labor intensive and unique service and it is NOT easily replaced. How many people in the nation write an article like Johns? How many people could even replicate it on short notice? Seriously, with the projections, daily news updates, numerous other articles and message community why are there any complaints? An occasional missed article when it WAS discussed earlier in week 4 seems fine to me. For a little more then 20 dollars per year, for 3 years, my 62 dollars has returned me over $1800. Now that is good business.Thanks again.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
From this week's EOTG:
I will agree that communications on these kinds of issues could be better but am unsure what we could do that would make it so. Most companies do have contingency plans to cover when an employee misses time. FBG however, is not an assembly line nor is it like a normal business in many ways. Our writers are already stretched thin in an effort to bring you all the weekly content we publish. It's not as if I could just jump in and write Jene's column on a moments notice even if there were somehow time after I did my own. In the event that it is known in advance that a feature will be missed, it is the responsibility of the writer to inform his readers. That is a common practice among staff writers and I did so in week 4. If a feature is missed, the vast majority of the time it is an emergency or at the last minute we realize we are not going to make it. The Thursday games, and particularly the Thanksgiving slate of games, cuts us short on time to get our features out and wreaks havoc on all of us trying to stay on schedule. I understand your statement but believe that everyone absolutely gets their money's worth with their FBG subsctiption. I whole hartedly believe we are the best in the business hands down. Perhaps you should check out the competition next year. I believe that might give you a different perspective on just how good you have it here. Best of luck to you.
The Man With No Name
Footballguy
John, Jene, and the rest of the IDP staff,
. You're the best, keep it comin'.
. You're the best, keep it comin'.
cr8f
Footballguy
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smashingsilver
Footballguy
Again, I meant no disrespect. John, I appreciate the hard work you put in every week and was not trying to criticize you personally in any way. I can understand that you all bring unique talents to your respective jobs, and that it isn't easy to fill in on somebody else's work on short notice. As for your personal situation, I wish only the best for your health in the future.
Apparently some people were not pleased with my criticism, and I can certainly respect their opinions. If you're happy with the service you currently receive, then certainly you have the right to keep your loyalty with FBG. However, for those of us who may not feel optimally satisfied, we certainly feel we have the right to express our concerns in a respectful manner. I'm definitely not the first person to express criticism for undelivered services from FBG. While there is definitely solid value to be gained from an FBG subscription, that doesn't mean that it couldn't get better. And if customers do not express their suggestions to the supplier, how will the supplier know where and how to improve? The worst thing that could happen is that Footballguys becomes complacent by assuming dominance over the industry. That's a surefire way to let the competition catch up.
Again, each person has to decide for themselves whether they are receiving full value for their purchase. From a personal standpoint, the responses from Jene and John in this topic have gone a long way to reassuring me. I am grateful that they have responded personally and honestly regarding this situation.
Thank you.
Apparently some people were not pleased with my criticism, and I can certainly respect their opinions. If you're happy with the service you currently receive, then certainly you have the right to keep your loyalty with FBG. However, for those of us who may not feel optimally satisfied, we certainly feel we have the right to express our concerns in a respectful manner. I'm definitely not the first person to express criticism for undelivered services from FBG. While there is definitely solid value to be gained from an FBG subscription, that doesn't mean that it couldn't get better. And if customers do not express their suggestions to the supplier, how will the supplier know where and how to improve? The worst thing that could happen is that Footballguys becomes complacent by assuming dominance over the industry. That's a surefire way to let the competition catch up.
Again, each person has to decide for themselves whether they are receiving full value for their purchase. From a personal standpoint, the responses from Jene and John in this topic have gone a long way to reassuring me. I am grateful that they have responded personally and honestly regarding this situation.
Thank you.
So, what is the status of the Ear to the ground and IDP sleepers articles that were listed for this week?
I have to agree that its has been frustrating at times this year when articles are not availble on a weekly basis. Why list an article at the beginning of the week on the schedule, then remove it off the schedule later in the week, with out an explanation? its like taking crack away from a junky!
week 14 - Is the first week of the the playoffs and one of the last opportunities to use the waiver wire in many of my leagues. it would have been nice to have these articles.
I have to agree that its has been frustrating at times this year when articles are not availble on a weekly basis. Why list an article at the beginning of the week on the schedule, then remove it off the schedule later in the week, with out an explanation? its like taking crack away from a junky!
week 14 - Is the first week of the the playoffs and one of the last opportunities to use the waiver wire in many of my leagues. it would have been nice to have these articles.
Anthony Borbely
Footballguy
IDP Sleepers is my responsibility and unfortunately I had to deal with a death in the family and was unable to do it. I did not know about this until Wednesday evening and that is why they were not removed from the schedule earlier in the week.
Anthony Borbely
Footballguy
I want to echo what John said. The above (especially the bolded part) is a real problem and I'm not sure there is a solution. If there is I'd sure like to hear it.I failed to submit my IDP Sleepers article this week and it was due to a death in my family. I did not know this until Wednesday evening. There was absolutely nothing I could have done about this. While it would be nice if we could cover for each other when issues like this arise, it really is not possible. Like John said, the high majority of the time we miss something, it usually is a last minute-type thing. To my recollection, I have never missed an article prior to this year and I have missed 2 of the last 3 and in both cases the circumstances were serious and without advance notice, like the death in my family a couple of days ago. While I am sorry I could not complete my article, there was really nothing I could do about it. I take a lot of pride in what I do, but unfortunately, life issues arise as they do for everyone. I wish we could just give our work to someone else, but like John said, we are all stretched really thin trying to finish our own stuff in a relatively small window of time.
FBGs is a very unique business. The high majority of us are part timers. We have a very small window of time to complete our articles and trust me, nobody feels as bad as we do when something arises in our lives that prevent us from doing our work. But everyone has issues arise that cause them to miss work and we are no different. Unfortunately, when we miss, there is little that can be done to replace our articles in that given week and it is because of our own time restraints. Trust me when I say that I would not do this if I didn't love to do it. I'm sure the other staffers feel the same way. With that in mind, you know how bad we feel when something prevents us from doing our articles and know we do everything in our power to complete them.
I agree that we need to communicate this better. I got an email suggesting that, in the event we miss an article, we post the link to our article and instead of the article there would be a short explanation of why the article was not there. While it does not replace having the actual article, at least our subscribers would know about it instead of just having it not be there. I personally think this is a good idea but that's just my opinion.
At the end of the year, there is a thread in the Shark Pool in which we ask for suggestions on improving FBGs. We take this stuff seriously and always welcome and listen to suggestions.
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Musesboy
Footballguy
John,
I'm very sorry to hear about your health issue. I hope that you caught it early enough to enjoy a complete recovery.
The article is probably the thing I look forward to most each week from the regular content. It's great having someone with an experienced eye looking at every game.
I hope you'll be doing this for a very long time.
Steve
I'm very sorry to hear about your health issue. I hope that you caught it early enough to enjoy a complete recovery.
The article is probably the thing I look forward to most each week from the regular content. It's great having someone with an experienced eye looking at every game.
I hope you'll be doing this for a very long time.
Steve
