2011 DRAFT TIME FOR MONDAY 5/16 DRAFT

[Goodell]

So the draft date poll is pretty much neck-and-neck between starting Thursday night or Monday. Thursday was ahead slightly for most of the time since posted, but Monday currently with a 1 vote edge.

http://www.fangm.com/sportstalk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=533

In any event, opinion is pretty split between those two popular choices. Looking at the number of teams who have started using the draft tools and loading players into their queue rankings, though, seems that starting on Thursday would result in a great number of teams not ready yet. As I type this, only 6 of 32 teams have loaded a player into their draft queue in the AFFL, only 3 in the CFFL, and 7 in the DFFL.

So I think Monday will be safer for participation and let some teams get ready over the weekend. It'll also allow us to do any last minute GM replacements if it's obvious that a team has been without their GM for a while and they haven't showed up for the draft.

So let's go with Monday 5/16 as our college draft start day. The preferred format was what we've done before with one round per day.

Monday 5/16 (1st), Tues (2nd), Wed (3rd), Thur (4th) Fri (5th), Sat (6th), Sun (7th)

We had been doing 10am to 10pm each day in the past for the draft to be running, with your team's draft given a time window ahead of time you'd know you'd be on the clock.

If we ran all day for 32 to 40 picks (lower rounds have compensatory selections), that's roughly a 20 minute window between picks.

If we stuck to just doing one round each night, that's more like 5-10 minute windows.

Could be entertaining having more people online at once concentrated during the evening, but could also be very hectic for players with teams in multiple leagues.

The other thing to note for the new players, even if our draft has stopped running (outside the designated times each day), if you are the next team to pick you can make that selection any time before your pick deadline. So it's possible we could get through much of a round even during the day if people jumped on to voluntarily pick before the picks due later that night if we went to an evening schedule.

[sportznut]

While I personally think it would be best to start the draft on the weekend to get the most participation, I'm of the opinion that if we're going to start on Monday, and 10-10 wins the vote, then I'm not a fan of only one round per day at all.

If we're going to draft for 12 hours, I'd much rather see us go through 2 rounds a day, then one. 10 minutes (or even 15 for that matter) is plenty. 20 minutes per pick is an eternity, and running the draft for a full week is going to make it tough for a guy like me who refuses to get the net on his phone, and has no access while at work.

If the vote is for a later start in the evening, then I can understand only fitting in a round per day.

[sportznut]

Another option would be to have a box you can check if you know for sure you won't be around for the draft. Instead of running out all the time, it would immediately pick the next player in your queue.

To go a step further, if you let the time expire twice in a row, it would automatically check the box.

These ideas would be a way to keep the activity moving along, and interest at an all time high for those GMs that are able to make the draft live.

As always, you'd keep your time slots, so if you're planning on being here for your pick, you won't get skipped unless you checked your box to "pick automatically."

Just a few thoughts.

[Ben C.]

I'd rather have the draft spread out over the course of the day. I don't want to have to sit around all day anxiously awaiting the next round to begin. Besides, if we scrunch each round into the evenings I'm sure my wife will not appreciate me sitting at the computer every evening all evening all week long. In my opinion it is much, much better to have the draft from 10am-10pm because most people can arrange to be at the computer around their designated draft time.

Furthermore, the essence of this league is that we have rules in place to allow people to be able to manage their teams without having to worry about being available for long periods of time. The league is structured so the average GM can sign on, change a few things around, and have the computer follow his wishes. I think the draft queue achieves the purpose more than adequately.

I am also in favor of completing two rounds per day.

[Shagg]

I agree with Nut we should have more than one round to be honest.

[jacobsaces]

No this is beautiful a full week full days for each round I love it... In a perfect world we could all get together and do it all in a few hours we would all have our own draft teirs and list we created not rearanged from the website.. But I would guess that most people are quite busy and we dont get paid to do this so to be given the time to do the draft without being hurried is a blessing... I happen to be closing on a house this weekend and I work mon-thurs.. Everyone has a different schedule but with the draft so long it should give everyone the best opportunity to have the most impact on their own draft and not have to pass or rely upon a given list.. Of course with 32 teams still not everyone will be happy.. But seems to me the more time we take the more owners will have a chance to be involved with the draft... Loving it in Seattle

[skidlee]

well I ump during the week so I might not be on some nights next week. I will get a proxy ready.

[sportznut]

Troy, any chance this gets set up early for some weekend picks for those who are around? You had mentioned that as a possibility before IIRC.

Thanks.

[Goodell]

Troy, any chance this gets set up early for some weekend picks for those who are around? You had mentioned that as a possibility before IIRC.

Thanks.

Yeah, it's possible it could be turned on tomorrow later but there were a couple of situations to give a last look at before turning things on.

[sportznut]

Troy, any chance this gets set up early for some weekend picks for those who are around? You had mentioned that as a possibility before IIRC.

Thanks.

Yeah, it's possible it could be turned on tomorrow later but there were a couple of situations to give a last look at before turning things on.

Okay, thanks.

Just a suggestion though. For those people who already know they won't be here on Monday, it might make sense to let them know where they slot sooner than later if at all possible for you to pull off.

That way they can plan accordingly if they can somehow manage to make themselves available for their respective draft windows.

Not at all trying to rush you, but with this starting on Monday, there are still a lot of unknowns here, and for the lesser experienced GMs, I think that would be helpful. There was a guy on chat last night asking a bunch of questions that I was trying to help out with.