Buds Board Keepers League

We need more middle tier teams, at the moment there are only powerhouse teams and rebuilding teams. Which makes for far too many lopsided match ups.

Why would anyone strive to be a middle tier team?

Shoalzie wroteCOLONColor me surprised that Lee didn't beat me worse than 8-7-1 but I had a really solid week out of Erik Cole...5 points, +4, 14 hits. Handzus had a nice week as well. My window to win any weeks has probably come and gone but at least my trip to last place was delayed for now.

I have too many players that don't contribute anything other than GP.. I'm working on that.

As far as the win? Meaningless. I'm 23 points out of 3rd place.

Kezia wroteCOLONWhy would anyone strive to be a middle tier team?

Why would anyone strive to be a bottom tier team? That's the real question.

MSP4LYFE wroteCOLON

Kezia wroteCOLONWhy would anyone strive to be a middle tier team?

Why would anyone strive to be a bottom tier team? That's the real question.

I dunno.. I'm not striving to be a lower or middle tier team. I don't have a choice right now.

Kezia wroteCOLON

MSP4LYFE wroteCOLON

Kezia wroteCOLONWhy would anyone strive to be a middle tier team?

Why would anyone strive to be a bottom tier team? That's the real question.

I dunno.. I'm not striving to be a lower or middle tier team. I don't have a choice right now.

I'm not pointing a finger at you, as you have made a concerted effort, to not only improve, but improve in the present. My comment is moreso directed at those teams who were middle tier teams or higher, but sold anyways. IMO, it's the worst way to go about building a team, in real life it has it's merits, not so much here.

Kezia wroteCOLONWhy would anyone strive to be a middle tier team?

Middle tier to me are teams that make the playoffs but probably don't stand a chance a winning a round. I was in that boat last year. I snuck in the Western playoffs last year as the 8th seed but I was promptly steamrolled by the 1st seed (the Kings).

I think you work your way up in this league...you don't just arrive. If you're down and rebuilding, your next step is work towards competing to make the playoffs and then after that, you strive to contend for the league title. To me, there are 3 groups of teams...the elite/title-contenders (top tier), the lower level playoff teams/playoff-caliber teams (middle tier) and the bottom of the league who are either hopeless going forward or are in the beginning stages towards moving back up (bottom tier).

What surprises me is the team that look like they're a solid playoff team and then you see them pull up in the middle of the year and say they want to rebuild instead of try to add. Probably a month prior to the season, I had a fringe playoff team but with a lot of aging players that weren't going to help me for the long haul. I think it's really more about what you have than where you are in the standings.

I would've liked to been a playoff team again this year but it's about putting together a team that can sustain over time. The problem right now is all the top teams in our league also have the majority of the top young talent so breaking into the top tier is very difficult.

It's not like our top teams have all older players. The only thing that keeps these top teams from never dropping is the fact that those young players are eventually going to be high-priced commodities and with our cap, you can't horde the young talent forever. It's those teams that can backfill when they have to move young players and can stay on top are the true success stories. Nobody near the top of the standings are winning because one or two players...you build a complete roster because there are so many stats to consider.

Alot of managers view the middle tier of success as a negative or mediocre accomplishment, but it is one that is necessary to take the next step into contention. My team for instance was a 9th place team in the East, and middle of the pack league wide, this season the Washington Capitals are widely regarded in the top 3, if not higher. Every contender has to start somewhere before the next step is possible, some get there faster than others based largely on their ability to do one of three things very well: 1) intelligent trades, 2) salesmanship or 3) cheap asset accumulation.

The Boston Bruins fit the mould of option 1, Kyle doesn't make moves for the sake of making moves, nor does he make alot of moves, but when he makes a move it is for a player who improves the dynamics of his team, even at the expense of bigger names, and often in areas that are overlooked, it is for this reason that Kyle is consistently able to compete despite lesser player movement and focus on the draft. The Bruins are the pioneers of this league when it comes to exploiting overlooked stats, much like Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics. However that is not the only way to make intelligent trades, there are of course those who buy low, and sell high, such as Toronto.

The second option is best exemplified with the New Jersey Devils, looking at that teams history of transactions in BBKL, it becomes clear that they are where they are, not on the merit of scouting, or player projection, but rather salesmanship. The ability to convince others to deal greater value, or proven commodities in return for lesser value, and/or an unproven commodities. This method isn't one that can be replicated without the inherent skill of being able to manipulate others, and for that reason is of little use to the majority of general managers in this league, however the ability to identify those with this skill, and conversely to avoid them altogether is of great importance to succeed.

The third option requires accumulation of assets for cheap. This method involves picking up assets of any kind, on the cheap whenever possible. Such instances include the waiver wire, off season FA's, and the dispersal draft. It is also important to identify new general managers who naively overrate or underrate specific categories or player types, or teams who are auctioning off players for a reduced rate to meet cap demands, or roster limits. All assets are valuable, and the accumulation of them for cheap is beneficial when building the foundation of a strong team.

Most importantly however, I feel all good GM's share one trait in common, they identify a weakness in others and exploit it, the ways in which this is done vary from one general manager to another, but the exploitation itself appears to be a common theme.

lol I suck

well, i guess with Backstrom and Erat missing the whole week, 9 pts out of this matchup (NJ) were close to the max i could get.

Yay, still 23rd place ...

Heads up Kyle. I want that 2 spot in the BIG east


That means I need to stay ahead of Kareem... and for Shiv to SMASH Kyle. Nothing personal guys, you understand I'm sure.

MSP4LYFE wroteCOLON

Kezia wroteCOLON

MSP4LYFE wroteCOLON

Kezia wroteCOLONWhy would anyone strive to be a middle tier team?

Why would anyone strive to be a bottom tier team? That's the real question.

I dunno.. I'm not striving to be a lower or middle tier team. I don't have a choice right now.

I'm not pointing a finger at you, as you have made a concerted effort, to not only improve, but improve in the present. My comment is moreso directed at those teams who were middle tier teams or higher, but sold anyways. IMO, it's the worst way to go about building a team, in real life it has it's merits, not so much here.

I took the 7th spot in the west last season with a sub 500 record and now am a very competitive team. Middle tier is a needed step to become a contender. you dont go from 28th to 5th with one or two additions, it takes alot of moves. I don't understand the whole rebuilding thing either unless you took over a shit team, then there was no choice

facey wroteCOLONHeads up Kyle. I want that 2 spot in the BIG east


That means I need to stay ahead of Kareem... and for Shiv to SMASH Kyle. Nothing personal guys, you understand I'm sure.

I wont lie down that easy....If i had Getz and Callahan back with Bourque and a few others playing at peak performance I wouldn't worry about being 500 for the rest of the season. My boys seem to be a bit skitzo. This could be a good week though...We'll see

Tied Arian.

Time to blow up this team..

Got demolished by the sens. Seems like my entire team is underpreforming, big joe, backstrom, hudler, both goalies, and now holmstrom is injured too..

Better start wheeling and dealing Neel

bills09 wroteCOLONBetter start wheeling and dealing Neel

I know.
I've been busy for too long, should get more active soon. Seems like the only way to talk to people in this league is msn, and my old msn account got hacked so that was a pain. If anyone wants to talk on gchat - neels31 @ gmail

updated

Damn you Jay... being just good enough to give Kareem back the #3 seat, not dressing Hall cost me.