Steve Sharik to Leave the WBRL
For the second time in seven years, Steve Sharik (Cover Zero) has announced his departure from the league. Here are his statements:
First email, shortly after submission of Protected Lists:
…You guys should start looking for someone to replace me as an owner.
In a separate email, two minutes after the first:
I have had zero time to look over my roster, and I won’t have time to prepare for the draft. I am not going to spend $260 for a league fee and several hundred more for a trip to do something I can’t do the right way.
And then finally, the next day:
First, this isn’t a money issue in and of itself. I can afford to take the trip, pay for hotel/food/entertainment, and I can afford the league.
It just isn’t a wise expenditure if a) the trip is going to last only one or two days, and b) one doesn’t have time to do the research necessary to be competitive.
I mean, why spend $260 for a league fee where you have next to no shot at winning (or even any return on the investment) except for blind luck? That money is best spent doing other things.
So you know, the reasons my time is coonsumed is a) my employer gave me a class I have to build myself, and b) I am going to be the full-time D coordinator next year, so I am building a defensive package. (Off topic: For all you business types, I should send you a copy of the job description for the head coach at Milford and let you (especially SD) analyze that description for the salary level it requires.)
As for participation, I think you guys should only invite someone if they really want to be a part of it. If you don’t find someone, I will participate this year. I don’t want to ruin a good thing.
At this point, the lack of other communication on the site suggests that we let Steve play out the season, and spend a good amount of time finding a suitable replacement.
All Protected Lists have been Submitted
All 10 protected lists have been submitted. Unfortunately, even with 11 reminders during the offseason, three teams were late in their submission:
Stanimals - 72 minutes late
Cover Zero - 10 hours late
Uncle Lester - 20 hours late
Voting Results!
All Ballots have been received. Thanks everyone for completing this in a timely fashion. Here are the results:
Draft Weekend: TBD
- March 21, 22, 23 - 40 points, 6 first-place votes
- March 28, 29, 30 - 35 points, 4 first-place votes
- March 14, 15, 16 - 8 points
Given that 9 league members put the 21st and 28th 1-2 or 2-1, and the 10th can still attend either, let’s have some discussion. Namely, anyone who CANNOT attend one of March 21/22/23 or March 28/29/30 please post to the list. Technically, all that is required is an 8-hour window to draft.
Draft Location: Miami area
- Miami Area - 23 points, 4 first-place votes
- Las Vegas - 15 points, 2 first-place votes
- Ann Arbor - 9 points, 1 first-place vote
- Phoenix - 8 points, 1 first-place vote
- “Florida” - 6 points, 1 first-place vote
- Scranton - 5 points, 1 first-place vote (Thanks, Drew!)
Other locations on multiple ballots:
- Tampa/St. Pete
- Washington, DC
Given general Florida locations appeared on all but two ballots, I’m recommending the Miami area as the draft location. Hopefully those that voted for “Florida”, Tampa/St. Pete, or Ft. Myers/Sanibel Island are okay with this.
MAX PROTECTIONS: Reduce from 15
By a vote of 7-3, the league has voted to reduce the maximum number of protections from 15 (starting in 2009). We’ll have some discussions on the ideal number, but most of the suggestions have been either 12 or 10. 10 might be a problem because . . .
MIN PROTECTIONS: Keep at 9
By a vote of 6-4, the league has voted to keep the minimum number of protections at 9. Three ballots sought to reduce the Maximum while keeping the minimum.
RESERVE ROSTER SPOTS (Minors): Keep it at 12
This ended in a tie (5-5). Since a majority is required to win a rule change vote, the motion fails to pass, and the status quo will remain.
Next Steps:
1. Post to the email alias either of the weekends that you cannot possibly draft.
2. Provide some suggestions for number of Maximum protections. Personally, given that we’re staying at a minimum of 9, a maximum of 12 might make the
most sense. However, given the results, perhaps those wanting to keep it at 9 might be willing to reduce to 7? Discuss.
New Ballot Posted for Draft Logistics, Rules Change
A new ballot has been posted to the WBRL.org site, and will help scope out some possible rules changes for 2008 and beyond, as well as logistics for the 2008 draft.
This ballot must be completed by Monday, January 7th. Click on the “Voting” link at the upper right to get started.
The 2007 Season is Over! Congrats, Goodfellas!
The 2007 WBRL season is finally over, including a game 163 that didn’t cause any shift in the standings. Congratulations to our four top finishers:
1st - Goodfellas - $1300 (50%)
2nd - Get Off Kong! - $650 (25%)
3rd - The Pi Train - $390 (15%)
4th - X-Men - $260 (10%)
The biggest move in the last week was made by Nygard, who jumped from 10th to 8th on the strength of his new youngsters.
The championship was Drew’s fourth in his 15 seasons of participation, but his first since 1996. Interestingly, the X-Men have finished 4th for three consecutive seasons. Also repeating their performance from last year is Uncle Lester, who finished in 9th two consecutive years, and Stanimals, who for the past two seasons have finished last (though he “improved” from 11th to 10th this year).