[USML Announce] USML 2006 - Kick-off memo

[JHWinick at aol.com]

Draft  Day:            Unavailable  on the 25th and 26th of March.
Draft Location:      No  strong feelings either way.
Web  Site:            Would  definitely prefer to stay with TQStats.  I'm in 
3 other leagues that  all use TQStats.  Its cheap, its reliable and really 
convenient for  me.
Draft Day Rules:   I don't see any reason to  change the rules from the last 
few years.  
New Rules:          I'm comfortable with the rules as is.  Why mess with a 
good  thing.  The anti-dumping rules seem to work fairly well.  I remain  
opposed to what I'm sure will be another try at allowing inter-league  traded 
players to continue to accrue stats.  Even though it would have  helped me the last 
couple of years, it turns the risk of inter-league trades on  its head by 
turning them from a risk you need to manage to a potential  opportunity you can 
seek to exploit.  
League  Size:        I'm game for 12 as  long as we agree that the next team 
is named The Democrats or at least the  Independents.
League Trophy:    I've got this one  covered.  Before our next draft, I 
intend to have a trophy ready for  engraving.
 
Jeff
 
In a message dated 1/29/2006 10:17:25 PM Central Standard Time,  
MBBlocker at aol.com writes:

Gang: 
USML 2006 is  now just weeks away!  This year will mark our 18th consecutive 
season of  play.  Because there has already been some discussion of league 
planning  before my annual kick-off e-mail, I will get right to the matters that 
need  attention. 
Draft  Day:  It appears from early returns that we have do not have a 
consensus  as to a draft day.  In fact, as in  past years, it already appears that 
accommodating everyone?s schedule will be  difficult.  Below is a grid with  the 
current unavailabilities that have been reported in e-mail thus far.  I would 
appreciate if all those who  have not weighed in would please do so and for 
all of those who have  commented, let me know if there are any other dates we 
need to avoid.  Once I hear from most people, I will  circulate a revised grid 
with some suggestions/inquiries.   
Draft location:  We have a decision to make here.  Sidley?s new conference 
center is very  nice and we could hold the draft there again (right across the 
street from our  old offices downtown).  However,  two league members have 
approached me about having the draft at a more  kid-friendly site so that children 
of league members could attend, but could  drift out of the draft room at 
their leisure.  I am interested in the views of the  league on this issue. 
There  are several additional topics we should also address promptly.  Here 
they are. 
1.  Web  site:  Unless I not hear any strong groundswell of support for 
changing  websites, we will stay with TQ Stats.   One drawback of TQ Stats in the 
past is that total team salaries are  not reported on a page that is readily 
available to the league.  I am not certain that alone warrants a  change, but I 
note the issue. 
2.  Draft Day  rules:  To avoid some debate, I propose that, in the event we 
end up  drafting pre-opening day again, we use the same draft day rules that 
we used  last year, i.e., rules dealing with slotting and rookie eligibility to 
account  for a pre-season draft.  I cannot recall if we had grated those 
rules  into our current constitution, but if we did not do so, we should.   
3.  New  rules:  If there are any amendments to our current in-season rules 
(in  other words, proposing to amend our constitution and not just a rule 
dealing  with pre-season drafting), please circulate those soon so we can debate 
them  and vote.  If you are among the minority that does not enjoy the rules  
debates, please just ignore the e-mail traffic relating to the new rule  topics. 
 I would prefer to see  proposed amendments circulated by mid-February, but 
there is probably no need  to set a hard deadline. 
4.  League  size:  We currently have 11 teams.  In the past there have been  
suggestions to increase the league size to 12.  I'd be interested in  hearing 
peoples' thoughts on this topic again, although I personally have  grown 
accustomed to 11.  Obviously, a willing new owner would be critical  if we decide 
to expand. 
5.  League trophy:  To show how self-less I am, I will  raise a topic that 
has no likely significance to me in the future: a traveling  league trophy 
awarded to the USML champion.  My recollection is that Jeff or Andy  was looking 
into this, and perhaps an update is in  order. 
That is it for  the moment.  Another update will follow shortly.   
-- Mark  B. 
Draft Day Grid  (unavailability) 
Mar. 17-19:  Red Hots (18th only),  Bombers (negotiable) 
Mar. 24-26:  Red Hots (?) 
Mar. 31-02:  Nukes (Dance). Red Hots  (31st only) 
Apr. 7-9:  Calamari (Vegas) 
Apr. 14-16:  ----


 
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