PS3 Premier Dynasty Cream of the Crop Review

What Makes the Crop Tick?

Let’s face it, we all found our way to TSO due to a healthy, or as some may say unhealthy, obsession with playing video sports games. For most of us this began as kids while playing Madden or some version of NBA Live, or for the real old-timers, Super Tecmo Bowl. I vividly remember playing Madden 92 for SEGA with buddies in middle school. There was nothing better than marching down the field late in a 21-17 type game in the 4th quarter against one of your boys, who was just as competitive as you, with a couple of friends talking noise in the background. This is the same friendly, competitive nature that brought us first to TF, now TSO. I have played in a good number of leagues on the PS3 side on the site, and even was fortunate enough to have founded one of them. In my time I have met great guys and have enjoyed an awesome, SIM experience. The Crop, however, is different. If you have visited the Cream of the Crop forum, you know that the Crop has a reputation for its blistering pace of play (as I type this we are in season 15). The league is so much more than guys playing their games, though. Content wise the Crop is very strong. It features an Insider League Blog, as well as Bits’ Blog, the Sexy Six, a Seasonal Sportsbook, and the newly added Rainman Recruiting Central. Bottom line: the Crop is an assemblage of twelve of the most fanatically active and die-hard NCAA players on TSO, or anywhere else. So what makes the Crop tick? Here are a few of the elements which have made our league very successful:

1st: CONTINUITY: The Crop has been around for over 2 years now and a good portion of its original members have remained intact. This group has put in upwards of 40 seasons of NCAA in the Crop. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the Crop has hit a good stride as of late. With only having 3 coaching changes on this year’s game, the Crop coaching fraternity is stronger than ever and participation is at an all-time high. Seasonal gaming is a bad word around the Crop, as everyone in the league plays for the love of the game and camaraderie, not just for the love of college football season.

2nd: PACE OF PLAY: The Crop operates on a 24 hour maximum advance schedule, INCLUDING user games. When I come home from work, I know that there will be a Crop game waiting for me. No need to check out my other leagues, or say hello to my wife and kids, its Crop time! I am kidding of course. This might seem unreasonable, but we plan ahead in the Crop. Games are scheduled weeks (days) in advance so that when the week(s) have advanced, we are ready to play. If I know that I am going to have a busy night and can’t play, or that I will be out of town, I have someone step in and play my game. For us, nothing is more important than moving the league forward. Furthermore, guys are happy to step in for a fellow Cropper if the need arises. While it might sound crazy, the league members really pull through to help each other out. Another aspect that is great about the pace is the fact that you get to build a program and see players pass through in a shorter amount of time. Going at such a fast pace allows some coaches to settle in with a team and build a true dynasty out of their program. Other coaches have dabbled around with the Coaching carousel and have changed teams from time to time, but it doesn’t take long for any coach to move into a position and give their team a new identity that is their own. We see highly touted players come in and succeed and win awards as well as great recruiting classes come together to win titles.

3rd: EXCLUSIVITY: If your league is expected to advance every day, it doesn’t leave time for you to participate in other leagues. For us, it doesn’t matter if it is another NCAA league, a Madden league, NBA, FIFA, or your local slow-pitch beer softball league, the Crop will be your only league. This might seem a bit harsh, fanatical, even perhaps cult-like or militant, but we don’t care. It takes a certain level of maturity to be a part of something like this. The guys in the Crop are mature and manage their lives appropriately. Most guys have families to balance into the picture, but the Crop is there and the games get played. Want to produce a great league? Make that league a priority of all your members.

4th: LEADERSHIP: As a Premier League, the Crop is composed of many members who are bonafide TSO veterans, some of whom have experience running their own leagues in the past. The CoC Board is responsible for addressing issues that may arise, but most of this falls on the shoulders of our commissioner, David. David (PSN: G-Unit5281) is a great commish who keeps the trains moving on time. He is the “straw that is stirring the drink”.

5th : COMMUNICATION: This has always been an integral component of running a successful league. It starts with scheduling games and talking on the boards, but Crop takes it to a whole new level. As members, to help schedule games we use text messages. Finally, all of the members of the Crop use a chat app. Basically we talk on the app all day and night and have full league participation. Daily discussion topics range anywhere from sports, pop-culture, politics, and oh yeah…the league. This addition to the Crop has served to strengthen the activity level throughout an already hyperactive league. It has also added to the camaraderie and brotherhood of the league.

6th: COMMITMENT: As Brogowicz, a recent addition to the Crop, said in our chat the other day “the commitment level here is incredible.” He is right. The league members in the Crop are all in on this league. On a personal note, when you have one league to which you are solely committed, each game becomes that much more important. I know my roster backwards and forwards. I can tell you the names of most guys on my recruiting board without looking at my console. You know you have built a great league when guys can say something like that.

These are some of the features which make The Cream of the Crop the high-powered engine it is. The Crop is unique in its success, but leagues like it can exist if the key ingredients are put into place. The group and its success didn’t happen overnight and something of this magnitude and quality takes time to build. At the end of the day, it’s all about building a great experience for our members and enjoying this hobby which we love. My experience in CoC has been a great one. I hope that this article can provide a platform from which other leagues can prosper.