The case for a Fantasy Football sub-forum

Peyton Manning

With thankful permission from Blue Lagoon, this thread is simply to gauge what the interest from the American Football forum users would be for a Fantasy Football sub-forum.

As fans of the sport, most of us already know how - for lack of a better word - awesome Fantasy Football is. It seems to play a much bigger role than other sports' respective fantasy games, and I personally can admit that I wouldn't know anywhere near as much as I do about the sport if it weren't for active participation in FF leagues.

We have a strong community here, and petty squabbles and arguments that I'm sure none of us take personally aside, there is good banter between folks, and perhaps none more so than the Fantasy Football thread. There are almost 2,000 replies to that thread at the time of this post, and it is by far the most active thread on the forum. Suffice to say, we here in the AF forum love our fantasy football

So, the question is, would we benefit from a Fantasy Football sub-forum?

Personally, and this is just my opinion, I think we would. The way I would see it working would be something roughly along the lines of the following. Firstly, a charter would have to be drawn up for the rules. Most of it is basic FF stuff - all that would be decided on - but there would probably have to be some other bits to the charter for issues outside the control of league managers and general FF rules (i.e. we had an issue this year with a user who abused his position in the league). In an instance like that, perhaps people would have to agree to enter any Boards league in good faith and not to spoil anyone's fun, or else on-forum consequences (i.e. a ban or infraction from the AF forum).

Charter aside, it would be helpful to have seperate threads for general discussion of each league. Right now, we have four 16-team divisions in our own system, as well as some other leagues that were set up with a large amount of Boards members involved (i.e. LTTP, NFL Oireland, Paddy Patriots, DPT's Auction League, DPT's PPR League). Having a thread for each division would make things easier to follow I reckon, and maybe just one thread for miscellaneous leagues that aren't "official" Boards leagues. There could also be one stickied information thread, detailing each team name, their owner, who they initially drafted and a re-cap of the draft for each league. Just an idea. The biggest plus is that it would also allow us to create threads for rule discussions, with the added bonus of incorporating polls to gain a majority decision. We've had some heated debates on rules already, and it's quite hard to follow with the other discussions going on in our single thread at the moment.

In short, it would allow us to split discussions away from one confusing superthread, which imo would be much more ideal. Those that want to chat about fantasy football without stumbling into rule debates could do so, and vice versa. Just throwing the idea out there, so vote whatever you think is best in the poll.

Edit: I should also add that there is probably a third option of no sub-forum, but allowing multiple FF threads in the main forum. However, I didn't include this as I doubt those that use the forum but that are not into FF would want these threads clogging up the main forum, so that really isn't feasible imo.

Frisbee

No

tl;dr




All seriousness though I think it would be a good idea.

Black Swan

No

Stats:

• Fantasy Football 2010 thread from 15 April to 15 December = 8 months
• 43,233 views/8 months = 5,404 average views per month
• 1,971 replies/8 months = 246 average posts per month

Dodge

No

I voted yes. Mainly because I found the last superthread ridiculously ahrd to follow if you didn't check it every day.

Each league could have its own thread, and each week could havea general thread with queries about players.

Add in other general news, draft strategy, long term keeper leagues etc etc and there'll be enough to keep it busy (without boring the pants of fans ofthe NFL who don't play fantasy)

McG

No

I'm not a member of any FF league this year but hope to participate next year (as long as there is NFL football next year!) and a dedicated board would be much more usable than a big thread.

Xavi6

No

No brainer tbh. That other thread is horrible to sift through.

Dodge

No

McG wrote: »

I'm not a member of any FF league this year but hope to participate next year (as long as there is NFL football next year!) and a dedicated board would be much more usable than a big thread.

Very good point. If you weren't in at the start last year, I honestly don't know how you'd have got in at all.

Black Swan

No

If this thread receives many strong endorsements and justifications for creating an exclusive Fantasy Football sub-forum, from both current players, and those that would like to play someday, as well as high poll returns, we can then link this thread to the forum that discusses new forum creation.

Get the word out to the players you know, as well as those you think might want to play someday, and encourage them to post here.

bruschi

No

I'm not in a boards league, but in lots of others and think it would be good to be able to have a general discussion rather than the way it is at the moment being stuck only on one lump of a thread that is just really for the boards leagues

Mr. Guappa

No

A sub-forum would be very useful. The current thread gets very cluttered at times and is hard to follow if you don't check it every day.

Allowing multiple FF threads on the main forum will only result in mayhem.

The only downside I can see to a sub-forum is that it would be extremely quiet from February 'til around June when we start the mock drafts.

Dohnny Jepp

No

Great idea archie.

I don't tihnk one thred is enough for a 3 league fantasy football system like we have and lets be honest it could quite easily be 4 or more leagues next year. I also don't think it would be suitable to have numerous fantasy football leagues in the main AF forum because I think that it would take away from normal NFL discussion.

I support this idea wholeheartedly.

Great idea archie.

LightningBolt

No

I think we need a sub forum for Fantasy Football.

As it stands having one thread is making it pretty hard to keep track of the various discussions that are going on all the time as well as all the various leagues that are currently lumped into the thread. A sub forum would tackle this problem. It would only be active for seven to eight months of the year max (allowing a two month lead in to discuss draft dates, users declaring their interest to sign up or resign from the previous season). It's also needed so that we can have dedicated threads to discuss rules, unsporting behaviour, draft strategies and the likes.

With the one thread in the main forum right now it's been a bit of a headache this season trying to keep sense of it all.

I support Tom Brady's motion for a sub forum.

Prefab Sprouter

No

I have been a member of a Fantasy League over on wffl.com and we have our own dedicated Fantasy Forum. Now its a bit different in that it was set up deliberately for our league as opposed to a General Fantasy one set up on Boards, but it runs all year round and although it goes quiet after the Fantasy Playoffs people still post. I think it would be a good addition to the forum and so I am backing the request! Good idea!

Eire-Dearg

No

+1

A sub-forum would be a great addition, such is the massive interest that ties in with American Football and Fantasy Football.

Not only would it take away from one big, annoying superthread - it would open debate which otherwise doesn't exist, like draft strategy, best players, undiscovered players, as well as each respective league's thread, and polls on draft options, rules and other Fantasy issues.

It would obviously be very quiet during the off-season, but during the season would surely be a booming forum such is the interest of it, and might encourage Fantasy players to post more so then they do now.

Another bonus is, if people see a Fantasy forum exists they might be interested to get involved themselves and increase the numbers of players and posters in here.

Syferus

No

Same as the rest; the superthread has become a bit of a hinderance at this point - when I was trying to set up LTTP this year I knew I had to set up an independent thread to reach more people and because the superthread was moving at such a pace you might get lost in the noise. A sub-forum makes it easier for leagues to manage themselves as well as for us all to discuss rules or anything else fantasy-related.

kev_s88

No

as Syferus mentioned, the furthermore dubbed "superthread" really is more of a hinderance than a boost. theres wayyyy too much going on in that thread to make it readable.

i hereby support the motion for a Fantasy Football sub-forum

FreeOSCAR

No

Definitely a good idea.

I think it could open up for some very good discussion that would normally get lost in a Superthread.

It guaranteed to be active for at least 7 or 8 months of the year too.

Dodge

No

It should noted that most of the sports forums are seasonal and see downtimes. I wouldn't see this as a problem for this forum

Hazys

No

If by fantasy football you mean:



Then i'm all for it!

Hazys

No

Oh that Fantasy Football!

I never actually looked at the Fantasy Football Thread till now, it looks like there are a lot of arguments and banter I'm missing out on and after watching The League on FX, i regret not signing up, it looks well organised...defly going to do it next year tho.

eagle eye

Only problem with a sub-forum is that it might stunt the growth of fantasy football here.

Otherwise there are plenty of good reasons for it.

Peyton Manning

No

Any particular reason you're against the idea of a sub-forum Stev_o?

eagle eye

Tom_Brady wrote: »

Any particular reason you're against the idea of a sub-forum Stev_o?

Who's Stev-0?

Peyton Manning

No

eagle eye wrote: »

Who's Stev-0?

He voted no. If you click the 1 in blue beside the No vote, you'll see his name.

He's entitled to vote how he wants, I just want to know what the thinking is behind someone voting no and why they think it could be a problem.

Mr. Guappa

No

eagle eye wrote: »

Who's Stev-0?

The one poster who has voted against a fantasy sub-forum so far. He seems to post in the rugby forum a good bit but I don't recognise the name from AF.

eagle eye

It doesn't really matter does it? You often get people voting on things for no reason. I haven't voted because I don't know if its a good or bad thing.

Pros: We can have many threads relating to fantasy football.

Cons: Likely see less people being involved in fantasy football next year.

Thats how I see it. You'd be surprised how little traffic sub forums get.

Peyton Manning

No

eagle eye wrote: »

It doesn't really matter does it? You often get people voting on things for no reason. I haven't voted because I don't know if its a good or bad thing.

Pros: We can have many threads relating to fantasy football.

Cons: Likely see less people being involved in fantasy football next year.

Thats how I see it. You'd be surprised how little traffic sub forums get.

Well we have one thread sticked at the top of the page at the moment, so there's nothing stopping us from having another one stickied in it's place directing people to the subforum.

Then when we have a good few threads opened up in the sub-forum itself, any time there's a reply it will pop up on the homepage with Fantasy Football beside it, so I reckon that'll do it some good.

At any one time, the Fantasy Football thread will only appear on the home page a maximum of one time no matter how many replies. If we have a sub forum, when people log in to it they are more likely to reply to a few threads while they are logged in which will only increase the circulation of "Fantasy Football" appearing on the home page, so Im sure it wont be a problem.

eagle eye

Tom_Brady wrote: »

Well we have one thread sticked at the top of the page at the moment, so there's nothing stopping us from having another one stickied in it's place directing people to the subforum.

Then when we have a good few threads opened up in the sub-forum itself, any time there's a reply it will pop up on the homepage with Fantasy Football beside it, so I reckon that'll do it some good.

At any one time, the Fantasy Football thread will only appear on the home page a maximum of one time no matter how many replies. If we have a sub forum, when people log in to it they are more likely to reply to a few threads while they are logged in which will only increase the circulation of "Fantasy Football" appearing on the home page, so Im sure it wont be a problem.

I understand what you are saying here but things just tend to die a death in sub-forums.

We did it a couple of years ago in the poker forum. We put set up a section for live tournaments and the traffic there went way down. Same thing with another sub forum we set up there which was for poker theory and hand histories. Before they went to sub-forums you had over 100 replies in every single thread. After it happened it dropped down to anywhere between 2 replies and 20 for a real interesting thread.

Just look at the sub-forum set up for that Dutch team that people were following in the soccer forum. There were loads of people all on for it and then a sub-forum gets set up and the thing dies a death.

Dodge

No

It should be noted that less posts doesn't autmoatically mean a worse forum.

bobby wade

No

I'm all for it, have pretty much stayed away from the thread as it's too hard to follow

Stev_o

If your going to start splitting Fantasy Football up into a sub forum then sure enough you ll start getting a similar push that involves a sub forum for football video games unless of course you decide to put the two together. At the end of the day your looking at how sustainable a sub forum will be. What sort of threads will be made ? Is there a point making a sub forum for it only to have two threads? Will it collide with this forum here where posters will then discuss games because they have fantasy stakes in it rather in the designated threads here.

Peyton Manning

No

The Fantasy Football thread has 4 times as many posts and views as the Madden thread, to compare them is a bit wide of the mark. The Madden thread only caters for one small league, while the Fantasy Football thread has to cater for the 4 Division Boards system as well as a minimum of 5 other affiliated leagues.

Who said anything about only having two threads? There would be information threads, a thread for each division, threads for mock drafts, ranking threads, rules discussion, whatever people come up with which at the moment is stuck in one thread by itself and very hard to navigate.

People also have no problem separating their discussion of fantasy football and games they are watching. It happens every week here where the same people are able to post in the current gameweek thread as well as the FF thread so that wouldn't be a problem either.

ReacherCreature

No

Don't do FF but totally all for this. Anything that helps the forum.

eagle eye

Having just looked through the first two pages of the forum I really don't see any need for it. Its not like we are so busy in the forum that its needed.

If you go onto the second page there are threads where the last post made in them was at the beginning of the month. And even some of those threads could be in 'Weird and Wacky' thread.

Its not like its going to take over the main forum to such an extent that the good threads will not be on the main page.

kev_s88

No

The way i see it, all a sub-forum is going to really provide is a more tidy and easily accessible fantasy football section. it can get a bit disorganised with everything relating to fantasy football being in the one thread. as Tom has said theres the possibility for branching out into many different threads in the sub forum eg one for each division, one for talking about games as they occur (mostly done in weekly game thread but some does spill into FF), outside FF leagues, mock drafts, general FF discussion.

there probably isnt an overwhelming need for a specific FF sub-forum, but in the interest of tidyness and the ability to navigate through the threads, i really think a sub-forum could be a good idea. and even if we do end up getting less traffic is it such a bad thing? at least then we'll know who the people serious about fantasy football on Boards are.

Tristram

No

Yes. BUT I completely disagree that there should be the potential to receive infractions/bans in AF forum for FF happenings.

eagle eye

Tristram wrote: »

Yes. BUT I completely disagree that there should be the potential to receive infractions/bans in AF forum for FF happenings.

Huh?

Why on earth should abuse/trolling/baiting be allowed anywhere?

mikemac

No

I know zero about FF and realy, I've never read that thread at the top.

But I'll give it a go next year for sure and this sub forum will be easier to read and helpful for beginners like me

Xavi6

No

eagle eye wrote: »

Having just looked through the first two pages of the forum I really don't see any need for it. Its not like we are so busy in the forum that its needed.

If you go onto the second page there are threads where the last post made in them was at the beginning of the month. And even some of those threads could be in 'Weird and Wacky' thread.

Its not like its going to take over the main forum to such an extent that the good threads will not be on the main page.

If there is no subforum there are two options -

1) A single thread that is mind numbing to sift through.

and

2) Individual threads that are mixed in with all the standard forum threads which will be mind numbing to search for.

IMO you're just saying no to be difficult and argumentative as your reasons for opposing it are flimsy.

Tristram

No

eagle eye wrote: »

Huh?

Why on earth should abuse/trolling/baiting be allowed anywhere?

It shouldn't.

Users sign up for the terms and conditions of boards.ie. Only their actions on boards.ie should affect their usership of boards.ie.

eagle eye

Xavi6 wrote: »

If there is no subforum there are two options -

1) A single thread that is mind numbing to sift through.

and

2) Individual threads that are mixed in with all the standard forum threads which will be mind numbing to search for.

IMO you're just saying no to be difficult and argumentative as your reasons for opposing it are flimsy.

Well firstly I have 40 post per page so its not that hard to sift through a thread. There is also a search feature which allows you to find posts with certain words in it. Its not that hard.

Individual threads wouldn't be that bad either. There are not going to be that many. You can have one for each division of the boards league and then one for all other fantasy leagues. There will also be polls from time to time I'm sure but really there should not be anymore than 4 FF threads on the main page at anytime.

Looking at the main page as I type this there are six threads at the bottom of the first page which are pretty much dead. So I don't see the FF threads being a problem.

As for your suggestion that I'm only doing this to be awkward. Well I'm disappointed you have that opinion of me. I just want whats best for the forum as has always been the case.

And in all fairness you seen what happened with the Go Ahead Eagles thing when it was put in a sub-forum. It died a death. I just don't want that to happen to the FF here.