I just want to be clear from the onset that I don't really value your opinions. I just feel the need to ask for them so I don't have to listen to anyone whine about why they weren't consulted. And, since the success of this league depends largely on the hare-brained savoir-faire of all of you, I feel obligated to ask.
Truth be told, I guess it is better that I ask your opinions. If you break it, it ain't my fault.
With that said, I'd like to share a few ideas that were hatched during this last off-season. After you have a minute to read through them, please click on the button below to access the survey and give me your feedback.
Is It Time To Change Platforms?
We've been on EPSN's platform since the league started and it's worked well overall. But I know that several of you are in other leagues that may use different platforms. Maybe you've seen things you like better enough that we should consider.
One platform that has come up in discussion is Sleeper. When I originally looked into it last season, they still didn't have an auction draft option, snake and off-line were the only choices so it was an automatic no for me. Now that they offer the auction draft option, it's worth considering.
What's that? What do I think of Sleeper? I'm glad you asked.
Sleeper offers a number of league setting options that ESPN doesn't. For example, if we were on Sleeper, our playoffs could be 1 week per round with a 2 week Championship Game. This is something I've considered doing in the past but, with ESPN, it's all-or-nothing, 1 week or 2 for every playoff round, including the Championship.
Secondly, I've contacted Sleeper support with questions and someone actually responds! With ESPN, your question will be answered with a link to their FAQ page if it's not met with an immediate no.
Based on what I've seen & experienced, the folks over at Sleeper are actively interested in improving their platform. They have entire pages where comments and ideas can be shared with developers. There's nothing like that with ESPN. It seems like it's as good as it's going to get, though it's certainly not bad - just static.
Another positive aspect of Sleeper is that it was developed primarily for mobile platforms. From what little I've played with it, the mobile UI seems pretty well constructed. They also have a desktop version, but it's essentially just the mobile version on a larger screen.
I already have the SCL created on the Sleeper platform and I'm going to run a test season. Be on the lookout for an email invite to join the league. Again, the league on Sleeper is just for testing. There will be no draft. I'm going to manually assign players to each team after the actual draft so your team will begin on Sleeper with the exact same roster. You can choose to manage your team on Sleeper or not.
If you want to read a little more about Sleeper, you can view their article Why Would You Switch To Sleeper or visit their Fantasy Football Info Page.
Oh yeah, one last detail about Sleeper: they allow people to act as a league commissioner without having a team in the league.
Wait? Why is this a benefit? Allow me to explain.
Sagebrush Cactus Developmental League
If you think one Sagebrush Cactus League is great, imagine a second! The Brittlebush Cholla League is the working title for this concept at the moment. And I should clarify that this is very much still in the "idea" phase.
So why on Earth would we create a second league?
Through the years this league has gained in popularity and notoriety among family, friends, and coworkers. Each year we receive a number of requests to join this league, though I can't imagine why anyone would want to. And, since we voted against league expansion last season, creating a developmental league would be the only way to give others a chance to experience the authentic feeling of misery and failure that only the SCL can offer.
But it wouldn't be enough to have just another carbon-copy of the SCL. No. To make it interesting, we could bridge the two leagues in a way similar to the professional soccer leagues in England.
Just as teams can be promoted, or relegated, between the Premier League and the Champions League, teams would also be moved between the Sagebrush Cactus and the Brittlebush Cholla leagues.
If you thought finishing in last place in the SCL wasn't bad enough, wait until you find out that you've been relegated to the BCL. Conversely, maybe you've been trying to join this league for the past few years but there just hasn't been an opening. Playing a season in the BCL could be your ticket to the big show.
At a very high level, the BCL could be a cheaper entry fee with smaller prizes. It might be a 10-team league, or 12. There may be two divisions, the Brittlebush and the Cholla, with the winner of each moving up. Or maybe its an open format with the top 2 teams earning a promotion.
Lastly, if we were to create the BCL, those teams/owners would also be included in all of the side games thereby increasing the prizes.
There are plenty of questions to be addressed, but let's not get the cart out in front of the horse. The first question to answer is: What do you think?
Please take a moment to complete the survey and let us know. You can email me at commish@sagebrushcactus.com if you have any questions, comments, or ideas.
Good luck this season!
-- Commish
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