h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just noticed a slight problem, I was checking the Warpigs schedule and realised that due to having 10 teams and a 14 game season, this means that 5 of us get 2 (supposed) walk-overs against the 'Easy pickings' whilst the other 4 (Drawers, Plums, Brasilians and Mugwumps) only face them once!

I don't really see what we can do about this, but it does seem unfortunate - (The only idea I came up with was to edit the schedule to handicap last seasons top 4 teams but I don't see how that could be done).

Wildman

Oh well that's the way the schedule falls ... sometimes it's easy sometimes it's difficult. At least if I have 2 games against the "Easy Pickings" I should have a chance of successfully reaching a 2-12 season record.

BBS

Looking forward to BBS recording a 0-14 season then.

Can't the commish choose the draft order?
If thats the case,can't those four teams with the hardest schedules be placed 1234 on the board?
Just a thought.

Now that is a fair solution. Even if I weren't one of the four affected teams I would say that.

Actually, if you're holding a snaked draft, positions 1, 2, 10 and 9 (if there's 10 teams in the league) would be the best, as they would then get the 1st drafts of each round. Just a thought.

I do have the power to set draft order, if I so choose. I think there is a better way, though.

We can play out the season as scheduled. If, at the end of the season, there appears to be a controversy among playoff teams, where the harder schedule was a deciding factor, then we can just handicap the league ourselves. I think there are some controls on Yahoo where the commissioner can fiddle with results if I need to. If not, we'll just let Yahoo tabulate the scores, but the real playoff brackets will live here.

In the case of a controversy, I think the fair road to take would be to throw out all wins against Easy Pickings. Some teams would lose two wins, and some would lose just one. If that leaves us with a choice of an 8-4 team and an 8-5 team, then we can look at it one of two ways:

1) Choose the one with the greater win percentage.
2) Choose the one with the highest overall points.

We need a ruling on this before the season starts so everyone is in agreement. Option 1 may give an edge to a team that played an easier schedule... or not. Because it's a gray area, I will open this up to a league vote. Please register whether you prefer option 1 or 2.

The draft order is picked at random just before the actual draft time and it looks as if that can't be changed either - these are the problems of having a FREE league. Less money means less choices.

I vote 1

Well there was a simulpost.

It probably sounds like I'm just taking an easy cop-out, but I would honestly prefer to leave any decision on this to the "League Commissioner" if any decision is required, (hopefully it will resolve itself).

yeah, i'd say win percentage as well.

Well, judging by last years performance it ain't gonna affect me none, but I'd go for winning percentage as well.

Wildman: It would be great to leave the decision at the sole discretion of a fair and impartial league commissioner... but what if one of the teams involved in the controversy is mine? This is why I think we have to have a rule in place. If we have a league consensus that the rule turned out to be stupid and picked the wrong team, we can always adjust.

I'll go with option 1

BBS

I'm just here cause I like playing the game.

Lets just let nature run its course and see what happens first.
Just like the real thing sometimes what seems the easiest passage can be the path of most resistance.

Crikey did I really just say that!

Very philosophical.

Draft complete.

Laugher of the draft: Emmitt Smith in the first round!
Honorable mention: Olindo Mare... first kicker comes off the boards in the third!

Steals of the draft: Tory Holt is at the same tier as first-round selections Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, yet fell to me in the 4th round.

More impresively, though, Chad Pennington, top-flight quarterback, was taken by the Sharks all the way down in the 7th.

Taking a chance: The defending champion Penketh Patriots took receivers with their first two picks. Terrell Owens is a top talent and could pay off. But Deion Branch in the second? This team is dangerously thin at running back, and I don't like the chances for the champs to repeat.

Very strong drafts: The Pennsylvania X-Men came up with gold in each of their first six picks. This team may possibly struggle with depth later on, but it certainly has top talent. Taking top running backs in the first three rounds is likely to pay huge dividends. And he still surrounded them with solid players at the other skill positions.

Overall, though, my completely biased opinion is that my team came out best in the draft. I look at my roster and don't see any positions that need improving, starters or backups... though I wouldn't mind it terribly if I could move a WR for a 4th RB.

"More impresively, though, Chad Pennington, top-flight quarterback, was taken by the Sharks all the way down in the 7th."
I hate to mention it, but I got Steve McNair in the 10th round!

Unfortunately, I also got Shockey at TE, fine if he could stay healthy but I've got a Baaaad feeling!

You are correct... league co-MVP? A much better late-round pickup than Pennington.

Speaking of the tenth... three players picked up in that round are potentially huge difference makers, and it's clear the managers who took them really did their homework.

- Kevin Jones, rookie sensation RB for the Lions, by the Sharks
- Quentin Griffin, new starting RB for perennial rushing juggernaut Broncos, by the Budgies
- Chris Brown, heir to Eddie George in Tennessee, by the Mugwumps

You loking at a different league to me, Blathers. I don't have Pennington (though my back up is Trent Green, which I won't complain at), and I have J. Jones of Dallas, who I'm trying to trade for Rod Gardner...

My season rests on the shoulders of the Hawks offence, to be honest. Hass, D-Jack and K-Rob better deliver, though I am trying to get Warrick on the squad as I think he's due a season.