If # of Teams is not reached

MidasMike · Post by **MidasMike** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:30 am

Any chance of going to 12 team leagues if we dont reach 600? and will there be any ghost teams if there are spots left?

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:51 am

No, we're sticking with the 14-team format as we believe this format will be a tough competition for years to come. We'll set a solid foundation with the number of teams we attract this year and continue to build on that for years to come. As I've said many times, we are committed to the multi-city high-stakes format for multiple sports and we believe this is the way to go to attract as many potential players as possible. We've already attracted a good number of players who want to compete under this format and we'll round out the competition over the next four weeks. If it doesn't add up to 600 teams, we'll go with as many full leagues as we get. The market will prove what size is right.

No ghost teams. We'll refund the final signups before we do anything like that. We'll know when we have to cut off the 14 teams in each city to make the leagues work.

I hope we're not scaring off any newbies on this event. The buzz has been positive for two months and camps have just opened. There's plenty of time to fill out the competition and hopefully potential members will see the positive posts we've had and the large list of paid signups we've already attracted. Keep 'em coming and we'll fill out the leagues when the time is right.

mrbill40 · Post by **mrbill40** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 2:18 pm

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:
No, we're sticking with the 14-team format as we believe this format will be a tough competition for years to come. We'll set a solid foundation with the number of teams we attract this year and continue to build on that for years to come. As I've said many times, we are committed to the multi-city high-stakes format for multiple sports and we believe this is the way to go to attract as many potential players as possible. We've already attracted a good number of players who want to compete under this format and we'll round out the competition over the next four weeks. If it doesn't add up to 600 teams, we'll go with as many full leagues as we get. The market will prove what size is right.

No ghost teams. We'll refund the final signups before we do anything like that. We'll know when we have to cut off the 14 teams in each city to make the leagues work.

I hope we're not scaring off any newbies on this event. The buzz has been positive for two months and camps have just opened. There's plenty of time to fill out the competition and hopefully potential members will see the positive posts we've had and the large list of paid signups we've already attracted. Keep 'em coming and we'll fill out the leagues when the time is right. After recieving a refund from one of the big stakes leagues that didn't make it, you dont know how good it feels to hear you say that you will go forward with the NFFC no matter how many entries you recieve, it was nice to get the refund, but I already had purchased airfare for myself and the wife made hotel reservations on line that are nonrefundable, you can't get that money back.

Bill Ezzell

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:25 pm

I know Bill as we talked about that league's chances when you first called me about the NFFC. We're already paying for the meeting room space in each city, so it's just a matter of filling them up now for the type of party we had originally planned. We've had five NFFC signups today, so I hope everyone realizes that consumers have a right to check out all of the new high-stakes contests that are out there and take their time before making final decisions. I respect that, even though it's made my blood pressure go up.

Everyone just needs to realize that the best is yet to come for us and I've honestly given our two options if we don't reach our goal. That doesn't mean anything will change, but it could. Cancelling is DEFINITELY not an option, especially with all the signups we have already.

Keep spreading the word guys and let's see some football games on the tube! Nothing gets a guy fired up for fantasy football like seeing some action on the field. With the number of FULLY PAID signups we have already, I feel confident that a late push will get the NFFC a very strong field to go forward with, just like we did in baseball.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 4:39 pm

Just as an FYI, I want everyone to know that I responded to this question honestly and I stated what COULD happen if this event doesn't fill up. Legally, we have the two options I stated and we'll do the right thing while guaranteeing that this event will go off and with a solid prize structure no matter what happens. Unfortunately, some guy on the WCOFF boards has posted my quotes there to point out that the NFFC may not happen and that the reduction of prize money is almost a guarantee. It's ridiculous and even dangerous to insinuate that when we continue to get signups every day.

For the record, there is ABSOLUTELY no possibility that the NFFC will be cancelled. We guaranteed the $100,000 grand prize for the National Fantasy Baseball Championship when we had 165 signups based on the goal of 300 teams and in the end we finished with 195 teams. Do the math for the NFFC and you can see where our commitment would be based on our goal of 600 signups. So I think you can see that with the signups we have now, the absolute worst case scenario would be a six-figure grand prize and odds better than we currently are advertising for $200,000.

But signups come in every day and serious calls from potential customers are fielded by me each day. I announce every single FULLY PAID signup right here on these boards each day and you can see that the interest in our event is there. It would be great if 500 people were FULLY PAID right now. But you only get to 602 by getting to 100 first and then to 200 and then to 300 and on and on. The WCOFF did it step by step in 2002 and we did it the same way this spring in baseball. We're going forward and the speculation on those boards is disappointing to say the least because this industry is big enough for two successful contests that have different formats and even three or four or five if they are run well.

I just wanted to set the record straight and let people know that my original response here was an honest answer to a good question. To extrapolate from that when the main signup period lies ahead and when we've had nine new signups in the last 36 hours just isn't accurate at all. Not only that, it's misleading to people who are in the process of securing travel plans to our events and then have to read that B.S.

Now, let's add 100 signups tomorrow!!! Oh, and thanks Gordon Gekko for defending the NFFC on those boards and at least providing some accurate data.

JB · Post by JB » Thu Aug 05, 2004 5:06 pm

I missed that on the WCOFF boards (must have been deleted before I checked today), otherwise I would have defended you too!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 2:38 am

It's still on there under Ask the WCOFF A Question and a long thread called League Placement. There's another owner on there now who states the prize money will be $0 from our event. I have more respect for Lenny and Emil than to log onto their Message Boards and create a debate with these two guys, but I wish they would state the obvious: The NFFC has more FULLY PAID signups than any other high-stakes live draft out there other than the WCOFF. I've talked with Lenny several times this week and he knows this event is going forward and working toward our goal.

Our guys certainly didn't bash them when our $100,000 guarantee stayed in baseball and their baseball event went off with a $30,000 grand prize or compare our 195 paid entries (232 counting the Auction Leagues) and their 45. We both held solid baseball events and both contests are going well right now. We wish them all the best in baseball in the future.

The same can happen with football and all players can enjoy the contests they signed up for. Why WCOFF members would rather throw mud our way is beyond me, especially after the way we handled baseball. But I'm just trying to set the record straight here so that people understand the truth: We'll have live drafts on Sept. 3 and 4 in all three cities and we already have multiple full leagues in each city. Now the goal is to continue to add to those during the best signing period of the off-season.

And you'll find every new signup posted on another thread, so keep count if you'd like.

JB · Post by JB » Fri Aug 06, 2004 1:00 pm

Still don't see the thread. What date was it posted?

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 1:36 am

It was deleted around noon yesterday by Lenny.