TSO - How are we doing?

All he has to do is use the password reset...I tested it, it works.

Just saw a post where a guy said that their league is still alive but that they never post in the forums and use groupme instead because it is just more convenient.......

I think we should make a plan to capture that content somehow. Maybe a TSO group chat app for iphone/android..... Maybe just an option for posts that you are tagged in to forward to you via text or send the whole message via email instead of just "you were tagged"

I don't know because I am not a tech wizard, but I do know that the more users online and activity we have on our boards the more revenue we can generate through ads, so we should be trying to capture as much of that stuff as we can

1) How are we doing so far? How would you rate your experience here?

I'm glad I waited to do this because If you'd have asked me before I would have said my experience was a 6. I was pretty tired of certain members and the way I saw members treating each other on the chatbox. However, things have been better. I'd bump it to an 8 out of ten at this point.

Besides that issue the site really is great. I'm on the damn site everyday and I've met some really good people from the site in person. It really is the best collection of SIM sports gamers on the planet.

2) What would you change about the site?

It's tough to really come up with something to be honest. I'd like to see more new blood around. I feel like I'm talking to the same group of old farts in the chat box and around the site. Perhaps recruitment and promoting the site could be improved.

3) What do you like most about TSO?

The best thing about this site is the quality of sports gamers we have. The competition is tough and SIM for the most part. After playing games here, it's next to impossible to try to play a random lobby game against someone.

I also like the site's message board structure. I personally feel the board is very easy to navigate around and get to where you need to go. If you're looking for an old post the search feature is intuitive and works well.

4) What new features or amenities would you like to see us add in the future?

I think some sort of trophy system for premier league titles would be neat. Something that could be found on your profile. Kind of like in yahoo fantasy football and your trophy cabinet where you can see all your FF league trophies.

Drifterbub Shaun Mason

Edited.

Thanks Marty. I'm reaching out to you separately.

TSO

So, I filled one of these out a while back, but I now have a completely different feel for where this site stands so I'm doing it again. Quite frankly, a lot of this needs to be said but many of you are so far in the trees that you can't see the forest.

1) How are we doing so far? How would you rate your experience here?
When I first joined this site, it was exploding. NCAA was towards the peak of it's fun, and there were a large number of leagues to choose from. Every other game had it's own little niche as well, but it was a great experience. I come in here now and see a site that is a shell of it's former self, despite the same people being in charge. Now yes, some of this can be credited to NCAA's repeated collapses and now it's run ending. But, as you will see me describe below, this site has made decisions as well that have alienated a number of members and put them at odds with management. This is making me more and more reticent to want to be apart of this once great site.

Where is the leadership on this site? Shaun has his leagues and the chatbox. Drifter hasn't made a post on the forums outside of the Dugout in quite a while. It might even be since he made this topic. Is Ryno even a staff member any more? I honestly do not even know who does what here. Do the other "staff" members even do anything, or are they just being recognized for kissing ass? I don't feel like there is any sort of short-term or long-term goals for this site, and I don't give leadership a vote of confidence going forward in the current climate.

2) What would you change about the site?
Aesthetically and functionally, Xenforo is phenomenal. But when you only have a few leagues running, and when the site continually crashes, there is an issue that needs to be resolved somewhere down the line. Now, to be fair, it has not been crashing on me as much as of late, but that's in large part because I am seldom here anymore.

3) What do you like most about TSO?
This is the part that is hardest for me. The lifeblood of TSO was always the people here. And I have made some great friends here. But looking around this point, TSO reminds me of high school with all the cliques and the drama here. Maybe that's why most of my friends are elsewhere. Hell, it almost seems like the chatbox has become a place for fun discussion to being Shaun Mason 's clubhouse. Why would anyone want to go premier and get that amenity when if they aren't a part of his group they will be ostracized and eschewed out of favor with others? Why would people want to join a site that sees some of the sites most recognizable leagues (Clubs and TMFL specifically) riddled with infighting? What's the fun in that. This use to be a place where one could come to escape the drama from the real world and simply have a good time with people while playing a game. Now, there's more whining, bitching, and complaining than there is actual gaming.

When did TSO stop being a community? A person should not have to come in here and kiss Shaun's feet in order to be viewed with any positive favor. People should not be exiled and made to feel poorly when they disagree. Things used to be handled civilly, but now chaos runs amok here consistently. How is that fun?

There shouldn't be a dividing line between those who are "good" and those who aren't. That's not what TSO was built on. This is supposed to be a place where anyone, regardless of skill level, is able to come in and have fun. I never saw any "elite players only" leagues on TSO - but this garbage that was on here regarding FIFA clubs was disgusting.

It looks like Shaun did at least make an effort to build a few new members up, but that used to be a primary focus here. Build the new guys up to create sustainable long-term members who are going to contribute to the site both with their content and in many cases with their wallet by going premier. It seems like over time this site has gone from being welcoming to everyone to having a dividing line between the long-term members and the new guys. To the guys who did run "newbie leagues" - I commend you for doing your best at bridging the gap. But, there were too few of you and less support for you guys, which is why many were destined to fail.

4) What new features or amenities would you like to see us add in the future?
Again, structurally and aesthetically, TSO is fine. But there are bigger problems here that must be addressed if TSO is going to survive.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So take that as how you want. Maybe I'm a visionary, or maybe I'm acting like I'm an old guy caught in the wonders of yesteryear. This site has lost its luster for me and many others. Are the above the only reasons? Hell no, but it's just the few that are most noticeable for me.

I know that many of you are going to shit on this post. I really don't care. It's your right. But you're part of the problem, and you're the ones who need to take a look in the mirror. If you really like this site and want it to be somewhere that doesn't push good leagues (THL, Baseline, etc) into their own corner of the universe and eventually off the site, things need to change. People need to change. And it starts at the top.

Che-yeeeeeeeeeeeeese

Interesting choice using the all of TSO tag.

Cheez,

I first want to say that I appreciate the feedback. A couple comments.

1) I understand your feelings about the community and I agree with a lot of them. Hence the creation of this thread in the first place. There are some gaps that I felt like we needed to close. We are identfying them and putting a plan together. A lot of that attributed to the feedback user provided.

2) Totally agree with the leadership comment. It fell off ever since Frisky left. Hack lost interest. David went MIA a long time ago. Ryno had several life issues come up and stepped away. Shaun went through a divorce, courtship and is now pregnant. My career as a young engineer has taken hold of my life and limited my time to support everything here. No excuses, I'll shoulder the blame there. NCAA had a lot to do with this as the time I do have allotted for TSO was split between trying to feed your guys feedback into the development team at EA. That time turned out to be for nothing, which sucks.

3) NCAA dying obviously has a huge affect on the community. We can't make people play the game. We can't make people use the forums instead of skype. I can only encourage commissioners to manage their leagues the best they can and continue to support the onboarding of new members who fit TSO standards. The Baseline was not pushed off the site, so I don't understand the perception there. They were actually featured on the front page of the site in 2012. None of the leadership for that league brought anything to me. *shrugs*

On that note, content on the whole sucks. We recognize that and have a plan to move forward.

4) The Clubs debacle is a misunderstanding of a few who blew it out into something it didn't have to be. They marched their own spin campaign to rally against people actually putting effort into the organization. If you believe that people are trying to segregate play or isolate elite players, then you misunderstood the intention of it all. Everyone still plays together several nights a week. Activity has not dipped and people are still having a blast (both good players and those who need development).

5) I can understand why you felt like you need to make the comments about Shaun. However, there has to be some accountability on the member as well. If you are alluding to the recent bans, that situation could not have been helped. I intervened as a third party several times in an attempt to settle the situation. It was continuously escalated by the member. I can't control other's actions.

I do not feel like anyone here has to "kiss Shaun's feet." We have rules here. Shaun's tact and approach may need some work in some situations, but anyone here knows that they can come to me with issues and I do my best to resolve them. There are dozens of people here that can attest to that.

I can't let a few consistent problems with a small group of members speak for the majority of the users here. I don't share the same perception of you. There are clearly defined rules here (that need to exist) and your membership here is contingent upon those rules being met. It's fairly simple.

6) Completely agree about new members. We have a lot of ideas to help improve that process.


We can continue this discussion via PM if you would like. I talk to hundreds of members on this site every day and I want to believe that your perception is shared or perhaps even skewed by those you interact with regularly here. I want to understand that more and hopefully offer help. I'll need further discussion between you and I to get there, however.

Appreciate the feedback Cheez. It would have been nice to know how you felt PRIOR to this post, but it is what it is at this point. I'm not saying I'm without fault, but heavy is the head that wears the crown. Honestly, I'm not sure what clique you are even part of, but I assume it's one that has a very unfavorable opinion of me.

You know, I'm happy in my life outside TSO. I've got a new little family, a baby on the way, I don't need my soul crushed here anymore. It's gotten to the point where it isn't fun to be here for me, it isn't work, it's just a waste of time. Time that's probably better spent elsewhere. I have poured more time, effort, and love into this site than many of you realize and all I get in return is heartbreak from people I care about.

I labored for a long time on this site knowing I was doing it for YOU guys, my friends. I don't feel like that anymore. I hope you guys who are so active behind the scenes undermining this site take a step out of the spotlight and become the leadership, because it's going to need some of you to step up.

TSO, you can have your clubhouse back, I'm done here, that's obviously what's best for everyone involved.

I wouldn't say we were pushed off the site either. All of us in the Baseline are pretty hardcore basketball fans so we would talk about it in the chatbox. Well the first person to mention something basketball related would get bombarded with "who cares" and "basketball sucks". So naturally we went to Skype where we could shoot the shit about basketball and not have to deal with the bullshit. As time went on we just naturally started using skype more and the site less. Could we have continued to use our forums? Of course, but we were chatting so much in Skype every day that it was just easier to schedule and talk about the league in there.

I can tell you that JFace, Dru, JR, Blaza and myself have been discussing something that could be pretty cool for this site. The conversation really just got started this morning but if we can pull it together it will be enjoyed by people that love basketball like we do.

I'm not in any of these cliques, and personally, very confused. Yay Chompions League!

Hit me up. I've been putting a plan to move foward for the last month or so. I want to be apart of the discussions. Perhaps we already have some stuff planned that you guys do.

I wouldn't say I'm an avid guy around here. I stick to my leagues and shit and that's good enough for me. To be quite honest, the bullshit around the site is what keeps me there. When i first came here with the migration of Legendary Veterans from Operation Sports (IIRC it was so long ago), this place was very open. I think many people who have talked to me or have been in a league with me know i'm a bit of a hot head but i mean well and try to do my best in leagues i'm in. NCAA's drop off has been killer and it is slowly eroding any desire to be here. I love the people i've been in leagues with and those who have left the site. The likes of people like JC and MNoffke and Oshio to name a few felt like good buddies who i would get a time together to play a video game with and shoot shit on the forum. And people i'm still in leagues with like Jello, Mas, Dakota, and so on are real fun. But i feel like as Cheez said, the site is falling apart in a lot of aspects. I remember when i could come here and look through leagues with intrigue. Now, a majority of the leagues are dead. The E is one of the remaining standing NCAA leagues, I just saw TMFL falling apart, and NextFL is losing it's commish. This site has been a threshold and a place where i could play games with people and to see it slowly fading into a few good guys but a lot of competitive bitching and petty high school bullshit is ridiculous. The whole SnB fiasco really made me think long and hard about things outside of my leagues. Even in leagues it's starting to be a chore. Masler how many people do game summaries anymore aside from Jello and yourself? Hey, I'm to blame too. I understand life is a thing, but the fact that people don't do that mandatory thing for the league and don't even go above and beyond is just sad. Back when LV was big, people would go ape shit just to do anything. Oshio was doing graphic design shit for it making logos and banners. People WANTED to put out power rankings and do their game summaries. People didn't bitch about "So and so did X Y and Z and should be punished" or "So and so is a bitch and is whining and so on". All i see now is people bitching about person A pissing off person B or i don't like him or i'm ignoring joe smoe. There is no community aspect here at the moment. There isn't anything driving people to do things. I feel no need to reach out of my niche in the E. It's sad to think like that but it's true, and even that is slowly dying. But i've rambled enough for an opener.

1) How are we doing so far? How would you rate your experience here?
When i first came here, i put this site are a top priority. I would tell my friends, family, and even girlfriend at the time that i had a game with someone and they would have to wait. That's how important being committed here was. It has now become a chore and i put off my games. There was a time where i'd be the annoying guy pushing for advances so i could play my next game and be pressing to add content. Now I feel no desire to do anything other than play my game and put up a game summary for user games i win. So if i had to rate it, id say that before it was a solid 10 outta 10. Now, probably a 3/10

2) What would you change about the site?
Like Cheez said, the site looks awesome. This site functions well aside from minor mess ups but those are to be expected. As for the content, there needs to be some. There needs to be things that draw people in. If people feel this site gets clique-y and high school bullshit time, then make it so everyone fits into the community. I've hardly felt any desire to do anything other than my league as of late. Maybe that's being addressed with Drifter, I don't know. But as of right now, i don't see it.

3) What do you like most about TSO?
I like what it was and what it has the potential to be. This site can be an awesome place where people who play sports video games or even any games, can gather and shoot the shit together. Right now, it's a place where people can ask when to play an opponent and where drama flows. I finished high school 4 years ago. I was pretty much done with it then, so the drama is definitely been over for me.

4) What new features or amenities would you like to see us add in the future?
It's pretty functional as i said before, but more content for people to partake in. Things that draw the users out of hiding and make this a place people WANT to be not a place they HAVE to be.

Really all my complaints are with people and the community aspect. Don't know how much of that can be changed, but i thought i'd throw my two cents in. I think Shaun does the best he can considering. I really can't fault management 100% but it does fall on their shoulders a bit. Shaun does have his moments but i don't think anyone should say he doesn't go out of his way to make this site not fun. If anything, he's doing what's best for everyone involved. People may not like him, but who the hell likes everyone they meet? Shaun does his best and that's all that matters to me. If you go Shaun, thanks for what you have built up here and good luck with your life goals and all the trials that may come in your way. I hope maybe one day, you will come back and this place will be better. Until next time.

1) I first came to this site midway through my Freshman year of college. I was super excited to finally play video games with people that shared my value of playing he game the way the game is played on the field and not manipulating the game the way it could be. I was excited to find a place where online franchises and Dynastys lasted longer than a couple of weeks and even made it through the whole cycle of a game. I joined NCAA leagues after the college football season ended and enjoyed them the remainder of the release. I had to step away from the site early in the next release cycle of NCAA and Madden to focus on school and work. When I returned to this site I found it in a different state. Some leagues were dieing out long before seasons end, league summaries were disappearing and overall things seemed worse. I found a home at Second to None and was pleasantly reinfatuated with this site playing in a Dynasty for an entire release cycle. Only to see it fizzle out a little more than a month in NCAA 14. After being accepted into TMFL I figured my problems with leagues falling apart was over but after a month of content and exciting games I watched user after user drop from the league and have seen more bickering and complaining than I'd ever seen before.


With all that said, I love coming to this site still and the people I've met. Heck I've even considered buying an Xbox 1 just to play with some of the guys despite having no interest in an Xbox 1 at all. I look forward to new releases and new info and can't wait to join more leagues and become more involved. This site is the first thing I open up when my browser starts up. I like this site and still look at it as a lighthouse off in the distance amid a stormy night (helluva metaphor am I right?). This place has many of the great features and people to save sports gaming for those of us that want it. And if there is any way I can step up and do more to help that cause please let me know.

2) Cleaning up the clutter. When some of the leagues have disappeared for the season and there is no life left in them, I think it would be nice to not look around and see all of the leagues that still arent around.


3) The people, the content and the leagues, far and away.


4) EDIT: DC said it below, but I think this site could definitely benefit from more leadership on the Sony side of things. I often feel like a red headed step child on the Sony side of things.

IMO, There is not enough leadership. OR should I say ACTIVE leadership. Maybe the site is to big for just 2-3 of you guys to really handle. When i first joined, Granted it was alot smaller then, but you guys were all over the place then. The moderators you have in place do some, but I think you could get someone to a manager type.

Maybe allocate some guys who are more active on here to take over the EVERYDAY stuff. And for god sakes, put someone in charge of the Sony side of the site lol.




THIS IS NOT A KNOCK ON THE LEADERSHIP. I KNOW THAT THE ORIGINAL LEADERS LIVES HAVE GOTTEN HECTIC OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

This sucks.

You hit the nail on the head for me Shaun. When I stepped away from the TMFL, my life improved. More time for things I care about, less time dedicated to things that stress me out. Its cliche to say but its the truth, life is short. I've spent a lot of the past year self-reflecting and becoming more and more interested in Eastern Philosphy and just things that speak to my soul. Video games do not speak to my soul. The relationships and laughter and camaraderie that this site has brought me speaks to my soul. Does that make sense?

Basically, I can sympathize. As a person I grow, I change, my life changes around me and I have to look in the mirror at the end of the day and be content with where I am. If I am not, it is my responsibility to make changes and be happy in my very short time here on this pale blue dot in the enormity of the universe. Maybe you're realizing that you've reached your breaking point here but that is a true loss for me personally and in my opinion the entire community.

This may come off as sappy or as SMDR or whatever term you want but I know you understand me well enough to know that I am sincere when I say that I am thankful for the countless hours you've spent toiling away at a keyboard to make this place as good of a place as you can. The time I have spent here, with you specifically as well as a few others, has been good for my soul. Really and truly, thank you for that. Best of luck in the next chapter of your life, whatever and wherever that is.

You sure you don't want to stay?

I don't think it should be xbox vs ps. But the reality is that a moderator with a xbox with tend to stay in those forums.

There are plenty of leaders....do they have the time? Although those guys would be great, Every guy you named there is pretty busy. Would they have the time? Or would they dwindle off with their presence in the forums? I think a moderator needs to make his presence known in a lot of forums. Just to let guys know he is around. Maybe just by commenting in a thread. ...I'd vote you bob.


As far as people underneath. It is always the negative people who are the loudest. When we are content we do not want to shout for change or start an argument. In the grand scheme of the site....I think there is only a small fraction of bad seeds.

My humble opinion

Reading the thoughts, opinion and suggestion of the TSO members and its staff has really opened my eyes to "workings" of the site. Shaun Mason, if your words are true, and you are departing from the site, it is a sad day (for the site). I am happy to hear that you are enjoying your life outside of the site and I hope the relationship you have created with your spouse continues to grow -- positive vibes!

I know I have already shared my thoughts.... Due to the reveal of what other members think, I have decided to add depth to my portion of the survey and shed insight into current site concerns.

First, content, we need more content! When developers begin to spin the news reel, TSO, unfortunately, is not my go to source for news. That can be changed -- granted we are not N'western journalist graduates and we have some funny, intelligent and articulate people on this site that could contribute to a TSO news cycle. Whether it be a "This Week in Sports" "Whats Happening in Gaming" or "The stupid shit I saw on Saturday"... we need material that gets people to view the site. You do not need to be a premier member nor basic member to read the forums. The site is also always pushing for people to click on advertisements...more content :: more views :: more views increases the chance for advertisement clicks.
I did not create a user name at Operation sports for a league, I did it after several views of their gaming information and one day I was compelled to reply. If we read a really good article or piece of info what do we do? We go to the chat box with a link so other people can read the article...what do you think goes on in other gaming communities?

Second growth and stability. Since I joined this site it has grown...a lot and I am sure that members who were here before me have noticed it even more. With growth comes challenge and I believe leadership needs to spread the responsibilities around. How often have we seen a coach go into a pro program and say "I am the head coach, OC, GM and head of all personal" and succeed at their job? It is not too often. The first thing I learned from coaching/teaching is to spread the responsibility. When someone thinks they have too much on their plate, it means that they typically cannot meet the demands of anything on their plate. There are people who can help orchestrate league creation, new member development, site content etc. They just need the chance and trust.
To have a successful organization we must clearly layout responsibilities and requirements. Does leadership ever approach people to assume control of something or do they wait for someone to speak up? About 2 months ago I was asked to run media/scouting data for the schools basketball program, I love it! I would have never taken on that responsibility if Coach McCarty did not approach me. So, my suggestion is: If you notice that there is a pressing issue or a position that needs to be filled/created, ask people to sign-up if they are interested AND approach people who you think are best fit for the job.

Are there issues? Yes. Is everyone happy? No. With that said, what other community sites are posting threads asking "How are YOU doing?" Not many. The fact that leadership wants to know what it is members are thinking/feeling AND are looking to make adjustments based off of those thoughts tells me something. I have only met one person on this site, its my brother and I have to tell you that I formed great friendships with faces I have never seen before. 13' was a really shitty year for me, stress from school, hated my job (love my new one) and the girl I though I was going to be with for life, left me after 5 years --This site, this community and the bonds that I have formed from the site helped me get through that period. Sounds crazy, I know but what does that say about the strength of our niche community.

1) How are we doing so far? How would you rate your experience here?

I've been here since 2009, (IIRC I actually joined the site when it was Tradition Football) and TSO has been a godsend. I love that there is a large community of gamers that are as comitted to sim gaming as I am. That said I didn't become a paying member until just before NCAA's release last year. So I never had a home dynasty like many of the guys who came in around the same time. I did make some great friends here Kasper, fuzzy, BPHusker, oshio, coachredd, philstyle.

My experience here has been a positive one. I don't recall any run-in's I've had with other coaches. Part of that is due to me actively staying out of the squabbling. I've tried to get more into some of the other games on the site. I did FIFA Clubs last year, but my inexperience with soccer futbol held me back and I think I frustrated my teammates more than I helped. I looked at joining one of the 2K leagues last season, but I didn't enjoy that release so I kept playing 2K12 (still do.) I joined the TSO clan on GTA5, but even when other TSO guys were on I didn't get to play with them much and I still ended up doing missions or power leveling with randoms, which kind of defeated the purpose IMO.

As far as a rating on an actual scale...a 7 or an 8. Honestly it depends on what day you ask me.

2) What would you change about the site?
The cliques are aggravating, but anywhere you go on the internet (reddit, rivals, tso, ign, os etc.) is a high school atmosphere. People tend to congregate in groups that enjoy the same things and castigate or ostracize those on the outside.

While I am a little irritated that I'm not a "member" of any clique, I'm as much to blame for it as anyone else. I didn't reach out to a lot of other people, and consequently they didn't reach out to me either. I stayed on the non-pay side for a long time, I took a release and a half away to get my career path set, and I have generally stayed inside the NCAA on 360 area.

I say I'm a little irritated that I'm not a "member" of any clique, but I am happy that I'm not either. It keeps me insulated from the drama, I don't have any one that has a negative enough opinion of me to keep me out of a league. Nor do I have a negative opinion of anyone else.

3) What do you like most about TSO?
The gamers. I still play random quick matches and lobby games on XBL, and they do help me spot and counter the cheese. And while we do have a few people here and there who are a little more to the cheesy side than the sim side they are very few and very far between and I appreciate that.

The competition here is excellent and, as dorky as it sounds, it has made me a better gamer. When I joined The OC everyone smoked me. I went 2 or 3 seasons without winning a user game. I finally got over the hump (I can't remember if it was -Cougars-, or Bphusker) and I had a sense of accomplishment I hadn't felt in a video game since I actually completed a full 50 year dynasty on NCAA. In my defense I was a simmer. I did recruiting, played rivalry games, and BCS title games, but the rest of the season got simmed. In all honesty TSO helped me get through college too. I was a Computer Science minor and TSO helped me practice my HTML before we got the rich text editor. So thanks TSO!

Last release cycle I became a commissioner for the first time. I took over a new member OD called Ten Yard Fight from danthraxxx, but as it turned out the vast majority of our coaches were seasonal guys. and I ended up playing out the cycle off TSO because there was only one other coach left. Being a commish was one of the more enjoyable experiences I’ve had on TSO, and this season I have been the commish of The Flashback. We have a terrific group of guys: Austin1990, matthew34brown, BPHusker, qclassic 22, SunofGod5 and (sigh) –balla-. They are all active and engaged, and outside of a quick spat between 2 guys everyone gets along. In all honesty it’s the most fun I’ve had in an OD since The OC.

4) What new features or amenities would you like to see us add in the future?

I'd like to see the trophies brought back. It was pretty cool to see the badges and honors for some of the long time posters.


Personal Notes:

One thing I would ask some of the Foundation members, and Staff, and Admin's...When is the last time any of you stepped outside your sphere of influence and joined a new member league?

I know Shaun made a comment in the Commisioner forums about some members not knowing who he is/was. Do you think some of those coaches don't know who the leadership is because y'all aren't visible? I see you in the chatbox, and bouncing around in some of the Madden forums or your NCAA league and I know the comfortability is tough to leave. But out of the 22 different coaches I've played NCAA with in the last year or so I can count on one hand the coaches who have hung around. 2 different commissioners I've had have left the site completely. I could be speaking out of turn here but IMO the commissioners should be the Foundation guys, the Admin's, the Staff, the premier level coaches. In some cases they are, but their talent's are being wasted on Premier level managment. Honest to God some of the premier level leagues could run themselves. 12 guys who love content, and play their games? My dog could run that league.

Just looking at some of the commissioners on the NCAA side this year there are some guys I played with that I would never in a million years want as a commish. I did double takes several times looking at the leagues and who was in charge of them. And to me that's part of the problem. (I'm not naming names or dropping tags because I don't know who is still active here if you would like details PM me.)


In some leagues we have the blind leading the blind and we all act surprised when they run into the wall. I don't want to toot my own horn here, but in this cycle The Flashback has had 3 restarts, a week long hiatus because of a file issue, and as few as 4 members. But due to a solid core we've been able to endure and thrive. We are (if I am looking correctly) the only non-premier 360 OD that has been able to survive all NCAA hiccups and the exodus of coaches.

We all talk about building a cohesive atmosphere, and wanting to incorporate the new guys into the machinations here, but there doesn't seem to be a ton of effort going into it. I think one thing that would help integrate new members would be to do away with "New Member Leagues."

In NCAA you've got one person in charge of 11 new guys who don't know why we do game summaries, or track recruiting, or want games scheduled on the site. In Madden you've got (in some leagues) one person in charge of as many as 31 newbies who don't understand the value of summaries, content, scheduling, and just generally bullshitting on the forums. That's too much for one person to police. Guys like Shaun, Ryno, and WymReaver could (for lack of a better term and I apologize for the pun) help coach some of those guys up. I would put Kasper here but we all know he's dipping out in a few weeks. Sometimes seeing the examples and being left out of the camraderie goes farther than threatening scholarship reductions, or cap penalties (whatever y'all do in Madden that's a similar punishment.)

The new member leagues should be a mixture of the old guard and newbies. That way they have an example to follow and not someone legislating from a mountaintop with 10 commandments scrawled on tablets.

One last thing, and I'm done.

I saw a comment about infighting on the forums. When I first got here that didn't happen. If 2 coaches got into it in the forums the posts got deleted and a PM between the 2 coaches and the commish started. It was like sending two 4th graders to the principal's office together. They go in worst enemies and come out best friends. That's how that should be handled.

Some of this may be out of date, and could be fixed already. And may be moot with NCAA dying. If it is disregard and LBD. In general the leadership here is top notch, but there are some places where it's lacking. That's not a knock on any of you. If leading was easy anyone could do it, and I have a great respect for the guys who have stepped into administrative roles. But I love this site and don't want to see it in a bad place.

End rant.