S68 SoTU / Check-In

[garbageman]

With Season 67 in the books, I'm about ready to move on to season 68. However, before we get the new season started, I'd like to address the state of the league. Due to recent retirements, we have two open teams (Nuggets and Timberwolves), and a couple other GMs have expressed that they might be reaching that point as well. Thus, before I get to the season schedule and switching over the season, I'd like to give folks perhaps a day or two to catch their breaths, share their opinions, check in with their own statuses, and recruit folks to fill any empty teams before the season starts. If you have anyone you think would be interested in joining, now's the time to hit them up and earn the pretty significant amount of points you get for referring someone new to the league.

As for league operations, I think we need to start formalizing what jobs are necessary and what jobs are luxury. Here are the ones I think are necessary for the league to operate on minimum (read as the Commissioner has to do them if there's no help):

1. Volunteer Coordinator (5 points)
We don't have one of these right now, but in the past, the volunteer coordinator would post threads in Volunteer Central every season to fill the open positions. If there are multiple volunteers for one position, the VC can post a poll to elect who gets the job (or the volunteers can work it out on their own). I think this is necessary because right now, people just kind of take legacy jobs and they stop whenever they please without notice, all the while, new folks who probably have the energy and knowhow at this point to do one of the jobs don't really know how to get hired. The VC (along with Commissioner) should also be in charge of payroll...actually giving out the points once the season is complete to the people who do the roles. In the past, I've definitely seen people claiming full points for jobs that were never finished or fully completed.

2. RFA/Tax Coordinator (10 points)
This is really two jobs in one, and I've been doing them for a while and could stand to get one or both off my plate. They can both be done without node access (the only thing node makes a little easier is tracking down which players are ready for RFA as the draft history page in node is a little more organized than the draft thread on the forums...however, I didn't even find out about this until a couple seasons ago). I do most of this in excel, and it does require knowledge of how to make a table in BBForum code (it's pretty easy, especially in the advanced editor). I'd be happy to give this job to a person (or two people who wanted to split it up). The league would not be able to continue as is without these jobs and they are more work than any of the non-essential jobs.

3. Media Coordinator (5-10 points)
I've been giving greeple 10 points for this since it's a pretty involved job and he's been doing it for so long WHILE trying to find someone to take it over to no avail. It includes timely distribution and tracking of media points (for articles/podcasts/memes), which includes reading all the articles (to make sure it's not nonsense or determine if work beyond word count should be considered). I do think that Media Coordination can be combined with something like Town Hall for this to be a 10 point job for someone new and fresh,

4. Inputting/Node Help (0 points)
This is mainly the commissioner's responsibility. Right now, MexicanMamba, IamQuailman, and I are the only ones with access to main node, and I pretty much cover everything I can (Player Training, Depth Charts, Releases, Options, Free Agent Signings, Training Camp, Running all aspects of Free Agency, Running Each Sim, Updating and Archiving the website, etc)...Mamba fills in when I am unavailable, and Quailman has legacy access and is the best point of contact for WigNosy when node stuff breaks down. I'm more than willing to give node access to another GM who'd be interested in helping out with inputting and potentially interested in being the main commissioner at some point. However, since it's a little more technical, gives you access to backend stuff in TV, and could result in losing a lot of data if you mess something up, it'd require:
* Attention to detail
* Some technical proficiency in terms of updating websites
* Reliability and communication (someone with a proven track record of actually doing the work they commit to)
* Trust of the league (I think I'd want league vote for anyone who wanted main node access)



Other than that, we have these jobs that aren't necessary for the league's operation, but add fun to the league.

1. Awards Coordinator (5 points)
Pick year end awards that GMs can vote on during the playoffs. Run the nominations threads, put out the ballots, tally the votes, and announce the winners (and how many points everyone gets for awards voting and awards). Awards and rewards are at the coordinator's discretion with commissioner approval. I'd like this to always be wrapped up before the end of the playoffs.

2. Sim Vegas Coordinator (5 points)
Run season-long or per sim side games like Pick 'Em during the season. Games, wagers, and points payments are at coordinator's discretion with commissioner approval.

3. Town Hall Coordinator (5 points)
Ask a question each sim and assign points to those who answer the question. I'm 50/50 on this since it's new and it's basically like free points, but I do like the engagement it drives, so I'm not ready to kibosh it...I'd just rather combine it with Media Coordinator and would like to see necessary jobs filled first (same can be said about the two above jobs).



If you're interested in any of these jobs let me know and we can discuss further. And if you have any ideas to make the league more fun or easier to participate in (in a way that doesn't add more work for me or Roberto), feel free to share them here or, preferably, on the Suggestion Box board.

Finally, if you're down to keep going, please check in here so I know you're locked in and ready to go for S68. If you're on the fence, feel free to check in here, too, or message me.

[AngryBanana]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mike Lowry]

I'm ready

[logpmess]

Not quitting after 4 DC submissions.

I'm in for next season.

[Jedihero]

I have a lot to learn, but I guess I’m ready to geaux.

#SuckmyNuggies


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Xist2Inspire]

I'm not dead yet.

[drkavarga]

I'm still here

[LazyTitanSmash]

After my 8th losing season you know I'm in! Round 9 here we go!

[78#]

Rockets are in

[greepleairport]

dubs in

[NickMalone77]

Magic are in for whatever works best.

[MexicanMamba]

Can't wait to blow the 1st seed again (and again)

Sent from my SM-F711U using Tapatalk

[RPF]

Nets

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[Black Superman]

Suns are in. I'd like to keep my town hall role but I also understand if someone assumes it as new media overlord.

[PaulyP]

Pacers ready to roll for Season 68

[RPF]

Who is the longest tenured GM here?

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[Eazy P]

Who is the longest tenured GM here?

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[jlmarines]

Cavs just finished a historical season and crushed AB and K100 feelings...

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G (2022) using Tapatalk

[K-100]

[RPF]

What's the schedule?

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[Mike Lowry]

What's the schedule?

[SuperDog]

Still here!!

Sent from my SM-G988U1 using Tapatalk

[garbageman]

Regarding the timing of next season's schedule and the Playoff Auto-Pilot poll thread here: viewtopic.php?f=37&t=13354

I've spent a lot of time thinking about the proposal, the way the rules have been enacted and enforced, and how they've affected the playoffs overall. I've talked to a handful of people whose opinions I highly value about the rule, its history, and the backlash that ensued from applicable decisions over the last couple seasons.

I feel that while it was within the written rules, I do regret simming game 7 of my own series against the Timberwolves while they were on auto-pilot simply because it was my own team. If it was any other team, I would've made the same decision to sim as soon as the rules afforded, and if I could do it again, I'd play it differently. It wasn't my intention to do this for any competitive edge--but I understand if that has shaken anyone's faith in my fairness or decision-making skills as commissioner, and I consider any justifications I have for simming largely irrelevant.

As for the S66 instance where this happened, I stand wholeheartedly by Roberto's early sim of the Pelicans/Rockets game 7 and think it was the right thing to do. The difference in circumstances there were that there were multiple game 7s, leaving a much larger window of time for a team that had not submitted a depth chart since sim 10 of the regular season (2 weeks real time) against a team where there was no conflict of interest. Everything was done in accordance to the rules, and the rules were outlined and explained in clear terms in places where all participating GMs can read them.

It takes such a minimal amount of effort that any active GM who is trying to win in a simulation can stay off auto-pilot and guarantee themselves a full window to submit an actual DC for the next sim should they choose to do so. You just have to comment "in" on the proper thread. Even messaging someone on the input team "same" on PM or any messaging service would keep the GM off auto-pilot. (Though messaging changes off the forums would make inputting a nightmare if multiple people did it.)

Getting off auto-pilot if you're on it just takes a message, too. I don't think that's a big ask either.

Still, moving forward, I think it would be best for the league to abolish auto-pilot with a set of better thought out rules to ensure that:
1. Commissioner flexibility is preserved: there are numerous instances where auto-pilot allowed me to sim earlier without incident on days where an earlier sim was much more convenient for my evening plans and saved either a really late sim or finding a backup who could do it (at this point, the number of people willing to play backup is a solid 1)
2. It doesn't slow down the playoffs too much. There are plenty of changes in the league that helped speed things up, but before my original stint as commissioner, I remember the conference finals and finals taking as long as any other round, and that was a more active time when half of the playoff teams weren't on auto-pilot (in round 1 this season, 5/12 teams were on auto-pilot...most, if not all, extending back early into the regular season)

That's my suggestion and not my official action because I'm second guessing not only my ability to make good, clear-headed decisions as I could have handled things differently with the Bulls/T-Wolves game 7 sim, I'm also examining my willingness to continue putting work into this league both as a commissioner and a GM. I'm trying to push myself to keep moving forward, but seasons and seasons long of increasing complaints and expectations paired with decreasing help and participation have me questioning whether I want to keep spending so much time running the league or even handling a team. At this point, I can't say when (or if) I'll have the motivation to put up a schedule, but I'll try to have something up this weekend. If I can, I'll aim for season turnover on Monday and a draft starting Tuesday, but it's only fair to say that it's not the way I'm leaning right now.

[digiskunk]

Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy babies