NFL (since 2016)

[crystal falace]

"Free agency started last night and was pretty crazy some huge money being spent. Osweiler getting £18m a year for the Texans, leaving the Broncos without a QB, Giants have spent a fortune on good but not great players, Oliver Vernon has more guaranteed money than JJ Watt. lots more deals but cant be bothered to list them all."

[The Mercernary]

"Just checked and everyone plays each team once until the final regular season game of week 14, which is an exact re-run of week one. So Deportivo Hammers are the only team that'll get to play the AI team twice, but will have an advantage. Maybe one to have a think about. Trade in some decent players for that final game perhaps? Or only worry about it if it's a play off critical match up."

[The Mercernary]

"Fair enough - I've used the edit pre draft rankings to pick 16 players who go zero points last year and are projected to get zero this year too. The only position I can't use this for is defense, so I've set my last pick to auto choose a defense, and hopefully everyone else will be sorted by then. I can always log in after the draft and trade away anyone that's got the slightest hint of getting any points. One last question though - will everyone get to play the AI team? There may be an unfair advantage if one or more teams don't."

[crystal falace]

Yeah its not that big of a deal just wouldnt want someone missing out on a player they were really targeting to an autodraft bot team

[zebthecat]

"ironsofcanada 12:10 Wed Aug 16 First year I did this league I was away at a party and did the auto-draft. I had also done the predraft rankings. You can prepopulate your wish list of players and it will automatiicly pick the highest player on your list who is still available. I did but only ended up 3 of of my picks (Leveon Bell, Tyreek Hill and Drew Brees) and then it picks the best player it thinks are left. It ia bit of a lottery but worked for me. Mark Andrews (autopicked) had a great season."

[The Mercernary]

"Thanks Crystal - I've registered as All American Helmets. I was wondering if I could use the pre draft rankings to determine who to auto pick, so only select players with a zero points projection maybe? Is it not more entertaining to try and beat a standard auto pick team though?"

[El Scorchio]

"Sounds like the practice between the Jets and the Bucs ahead of this weekend was, umm.... eventful. Lots of fighting, coach taken to hospital, second practice cancelled."

[ironsofcanada]

"Our draft is right in the middle of my nephew's wedding, so I hope I can convince the auto-draft not to do me dirty."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Watched the first episode of Quarterback. It's OK, if a bit ""Whoa! Go 'Merica!"" Far too much shouting and high-fiving for my liking. I know the game has a lot of that on the sidelines, of course. But cut as much of that shit from a docuseries as possible. If they cut the whooping alone they'd probably save themselves three episodes. First ep was basically Mahomes (who is utterly brilliant as a QB) whooping and high-fiving his wife, while various cakes he didn't eat were paraded around with his haircut iced onto them. The bits where they focused on game day and each QBs prep and tactical responses to games etc was very good, though. Cousins comes across as a thoroughly decent man, if a bit dull. But I do find his life reassuring normal for somebody earning superstar wages. His wife admitting she still buys his shirts in Target, and not giving one, was superb. Mahomes is an incredible athlete and quick-thinker somehow stuck inside a high school frat party. Mariota has featured much yet, but seems like a decent fella struggling with the relentlessness of the NFL, as many QBs do. I'll watch the rest. Whoop!"

[crystal falace]

Ive set the draft for sunday 27th at 20:00 Merc - if you could get access to 2 devices at this time i just had a thought you could just draft all the worst players in the league for the dunmy team so it doesnt steal any players that some people might be chasing

[crystal falace]

Merc I've whomailed you the deets for the league Yeah i have authority to veto any trades haha. Dont think we had a single trade last season though

[El Scorchio]

"The Johnny football film was really interesting on a few levels. As you say, it's outrageous and plain wrong the NCAA and the colleges can make hundreds of millions off these kids names and talent while the kids can't have a penny, and get in trouble if they do. Especially considering most of them won;t even have a pro career and this could be the most they could ever earn. He's a great player but a fucking (somehow likeable) knucklehead who was probably always going to implode somehow sooner or later. Couldn't even not get wasted before the most important day(s) of his life. Classic case of too much too young like all these basically kids who just find themselves with millions without the maturity to handle it. As well as sorting out fair compensation in college (then he wouldn't have been doing all that shady shit) they need that money managed for them professionally. Yet again like with so many people, the bloodthirsty press/media essentially destroyed him. following him round hassling him, reporting on his every move. The kid was so unprepared for it as the doc shows. ABsolute victim of his own success and talents. Quite sad all in all, but he's lucky he got drafted and signed a pro deal so at least he lives a very cushy life drinking with his bros. So many others like that aren't so lucky, and end up with absolutely nothing but problems. Very good, candid and eye opening film."

[Hermit Road]

"Thanks Crystal. Watched the Johnny Football documentary. He came across bad. Entitled, waste of talent and looking to blame everyone but himself. I think the College players should be able to monetise their image rights but if the colleges had to pay them then that's a lot of poorer students who are no longer getting scholarships, a lot of facilities not being built, and a lot of potential athletes not being given their shot, ironically he might have been one of the ones left on the shelf. Watching the first episode of Hard Knocks. Glad they picked the Jets. Interesting seeing Rodger's who isn't nearly as miserable as I thought. Also good seeing the impact he had on the locker room and the reaction of the staff and players to him."

[Mr. Burns]

"""just looked at their schedule""ù Are they playing the 49ers then?"

[Nutsin]

"Get your sleeper picks in. I'm picking Atlanta.....They're gonna surprise a few this year... Bookies have them as a 500 team, just looked at their schedule, they're definitely worth a bet to win more than 8.5 games."

[The Mercernary]

"Crystal! As if I would""¶ We can set trades to be vetoed anyway, can't we?"

[Norflundon]

Mahomes is very Me Me Me but fuck me he's a machine when you see all the extra work he puts in and the injuries he plays through he's unbelievable

[El Scorchio]

"Mahomes is great but his wife is an insufferable obnoxious cսnt. Kirk Cousins is the real star of the show though. What a lovely guy,"

[southbankbornnbred]

"Norf, That's next on my list, fella! It's getting decent reviews, isn't it? Definitely keen to see Mahomes on there. It all sounds worthwhile."

[Norflundon]

Southbank Have you watched Quarterback yet? Thought it was a really good watch obviously proper over the top American cringe but if you can get past that great insight into what they have to go through

[southbankbornnbred]

"Watched the Netflix doc Johnny Football last night - well worth a watch for NFL fans. Doesn't tell you a huge amount that's new, but there are some revelations in there - like Manziel and his mate (and former business manager) admitting to breaching many more rules and drug tests than previously. Manziel always struck me as a complete jock who was a brilliant, albeit flawed, college player but way out of his depth in the ultra professional NFL. That view hasn't changed. But the doc is startlingly clear on the issue of how much money everybody made out of Manziel when ""Johnny Football"" mania kicked in - and exactly why Manziel felt he should have had a slice of the pie. Texas A&M, made an estimated $750m off the back of Manziel - including 40 million shirts sold (unheard of for a college player). They completely rebuilt their stadium, and significantly enhanced the wider reputation of their university off the back of Manziel (attracting better professors etc). Even their bang average football coach got a $5m contract because of their QBs performances in the tough SEC. Yet Manziel never saw a dime of it, as a college player - and that's what pissed him off so much. Until he started his illegal signing sessions etc. It's a good watch on that particular point. He was never going to be a good NFL player, but you get the impression he knew that and carried on partying anyway. He only wanted to be drafted in the first round to land a big contract that would see him right for the rest of his life - and then effectively stopped working hard (he'd never really worked hard!)."

[crystal falace]

Yeah can do man. Thi k i can set the dummy team to draft last too. Sure you wouldnt trade all their best players to yourself though would you?

[The Mercernary]

"Crystal, I've got a 2nd email address we can use if you want to do an AI 14th team. We could set it to auto pick and just leave it for the season. Bound to finish top üòÇ"

[southbankbornnbred]

Oops! Wrong thread - sorry!

[southbankbornnbred]

"Got to say, I'm with Griff on this one: the problem ""seems"" to be that, even after winning the ECL last season, Sullivan hasn't fully committed to Moyesball long-term - other than its cheapness. Winning the trophy before selling Declan was a tipping point for the club. We either had to swallow it, back Moyes completely and go full Moyesball with the cash and players he wanted to bring in...or say ""thanks, but go out on a high..."" and move him on, back a new manager fully with the cash/players etc. But, whichever choice was made, we had to commit to it as our immediate future. Instead, in classic indecisive, incompetent tin-pot West Ham fashion, we've appointed a ""technical director"" (we probably didn't need) who quite clearly is in conflict with the manager - very different views about how to spend money - and it has led to this complete inertia and incompetence. Not replacing your England international club captain, who brought in a record fee, before the season starts would be an epic failure. We're a week away from that."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Falace/Hermit, All done! The expanded franchise is the New York Spack Exchange. Tagline: ""Let's get ready to stumble..."""