CB Draft Finals: Q&A, Video, and Trash Talk Thread!

[StartOrien]

I'm telling you, confirmed email address to start contest, mass PM's to all owners.

If we can get 30 owners to vote in every round that would be solid. Owners think we don't notice when they're not showing up, fading to the backround.

co-sign.

I was kidding about the sensationalism, personally, i'd take the low numbers over the ugly threads.

[Rondo2287]

I can honestly i didn't do as much this year because i was busier but also because i didn't want to get in trouble.  That said, i also didn't really get into it until the very end mainly because i didn't get a truly good debate until my match with IP.  There were several times where i would walk away from my computer and be like, "Im done with this, im not wasting any more time on this."  Then i would think of a good comeback and open my laptop back up.  but that wasnt until the very end

[nickagneta]

Regarding the kinder gentler draft thing, Roy is right. Controversy promotes attention and letting the emotions flow will hold the interest of those not participating in the draft. But Dons is right, some people who are participating don't like it and it rubs them the wrong way.

But as I said early in the draft, if you treat this like a game of pick up basketball with your friends then it shouldn't bother you. When you play pick up ball is it all "nice shot" and pats on the back or are there the occasional pushes and bumps and flares of emotion? If it's the latter, do you stop being friends with your buddies because they beat you or because a loose elbow connected with your nose or because someone was being a dink over a foul call?

Of course not. You shake hands, say "good game" and go grab a beer or something to eat together and do it all again another time.

Same thing here. Personally, I harbor no grudges against anyone here. I feel the same way about all the people associated with this draft as I did before hand. It was a game and sometimes emotions come out. If people can understand that and actually hold to that, what's the harm of allowing some of the emotion and controversy back in.

Now maybe some people can't do that. That's understandable.

[StartOrien]

I think there's a difference Nick, and a lot of times its your usual text-based issues where you can't distinguish tone/intent sometimes.

I'll also admit that there's certain phrases that can be used that immedidately get me to skip an argument like "Uh, newsflash."

[Fafnir]

Pickup basketball is a physical contest where you have a relationship outside of the game. This is a thought experiment and posters don't see each other in other settings, very different things nick. Getting beat in a game of basketball and being called a terrible decision maker or a dumb basketball strategist are different.

I think kinder gentler is still a better way to go both for getting votes and for the game. Last year we had cheating, bannings, and hard feelings that still come up today.

I think timing and a lack public voting contributed the most to the decline in participation.

[nickagneta]

Good points Faf and SO and I do agree, the setting is very different and the lack of tone and inflection can lead to mix ups. Very good points by both of you.

For me it's more a thing though whether you can take what is happening in front of you short term and not let it effect you long term. So whether it's a physical or mental contest, to me it's the ability to distinguish it's still a contest. Some people have thicker skins and can compartmentalize better than others and be able to do this. Some can't. And in both cases, that's okay. It's what makes people different and the world what it is.

I do agree though Faf, it was definitely the timing of the event and the lack of public voting that curtailed the vote total. But with the public vote comes some of the other stuff. Is the staff and the upper management of the site going to be okay with some of the other stuff? Can the other stuff be stopped before it starts? Can it be avoided?

All, good questions I think and it will be tough to answer them because what happens when someone sees their team jump out to a 10-0 deficit and suddenly hard feelings lead to desperate measures change further voting?

I think change the time not the privacy. If voter turnout is still low, the year after change to public voting.

Of course, maybe some unbiased front page advertising couldn't hurt.

[indeedproceed]

I think there's a difference Nick, and a lot of times its your usual text-based issues where you can't distinguish tone/intent sometimes.

I'll also admit that there's certain phrases that can be used that immedidately get me to skip an argument like "Uh, newsflash."

Or 'overrated'. Like, 'Dwight Howard's defense is overrated'.

[StartOrien]

I think there's a difference Nick, and a lot of times its your usual text-based issues where you can't distinguish tone/intent sometimes.

I'll also admit that there's certain phrases that can be used that immedidately get me to skip an argument like "Uh, newsflash."

Or 'overrated'. Like, 'Dwight Howard's defense is overrated'.

Using the term 'overrated' in an algebraic equation, as in "Lebron James = Overrated" is an effective way to get people to reflect on their own percieved reality, and if it falls in line with actuality.

[KCattheStripe]

I'll admit, Real life took over this past week or so and my mind was elsewhere. Sorry fellas.

[mgent]

Pickup basketball is a physical contest where you have a relationship outside of the game. This is a thought experiment and posters don't see each other in other settings, very different things nick. Getting beat in a game of basketball and being called a terrible decision maker or a dumb basketball strategist are different.

Still, a game is a game.  I would figure playing a game with people you don't have outside relationships with would make it easier to "leave it on the court."

[Donoghus]

Pickup basketball is a physical contest where you have a relationship outside of the game. This is a thought experiment and posters don't see each other in other settings, very different things nick. Getting beat in a game of basketball and being called a terrible decision maker or a dumb basketball strategist are different.

Still, a game is a game.  I would figure playing a game with people you don't have outside relationships with would make it easier to "leave it on the court."

Probably true although I've seen plenty of grudges on this blog that have been carried on for some time.  Some are pretty apparent while others not so much but they're there. 

[StartOrien]

Pickup basketball is a physical contest where you have a relationship outside of the game. This is a thought experiment and posters don't see each other in other settings, very different things nick. Getting beat in a game of basketball and being called a terrible decision maker or a dumb basketball strategist are different.

Still, a game is a game.  I would figure playing a game with people you don't have outside relationships with would make it easier to "leave it on the court."

I think this particular game is a lot more fun when played without nastiness. It's also A LOT easier to walk away when it's not fun. But the thread numbers support the opposite.

[nickagneta]

Pickup basketball is a physical contest where you have a relationship outside of the game. This is a thought experiment and posters don't see each other in other settings, very different things nick. Getting beat in a game of basketball and being called a terrible decision maker or a dumb basketball strategist are different.

Still, a game is a game.  I would figure playing a game with people you don't have outside relationships with would make it easier to "leave it on the court."

I think this particular game is a lot more fun when played without nastiness. It's also A LOT easier to walk away when it's not fun. But the thread numbers support the opposite.

Last year things were nasty. This year there was just some out in the open disagreements. I do not see the problem with the latter and do not condone the former.

The name calling, the purposeful tanking of teams in votes, the other stuff that happened last year, some of which I admit I did, regrettably, is not necessary.

But as Faf said, I don't think it was the lack of drama that drove people away so much as the timing and possibly the extra steps necessary to vote privately. Make those adjustment and do everything to keep the level of drama at this level or below and see what happens. If attendance at voting is still down, then new adjustments will probably be necessary.

[StartOrien]

I think we need to appeal more to the Gen x'rs. Maybe line green, ms chiller fonts?

[indeedproceed]

In an ESPN contest, a starting 5 of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pipper, Norm Van Lier, Dennis Rodman, and Artis GIlmore beat a starting 5 of Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Bill Russell.

I bet that Chicago's GM contended that there was no way Larry would be as effective with ball-handlers Cousy and Havlicek, and even though Larry Bird is the best small forward of all time Scottie Pippen is good enough to limit Larry while Havlicek never faced a player of Jordan's caliber. Plus since there are only 5 players on each team Russell doesn't have the depth to be a truly effective defender.

EDIT: I bet he used really cool stats like Usage, dMulti, winshares and pure point rating too.