CFCL Draft Day 2008

[Demreb]

Gentlemen -

Thank you to all of you for making our 25th draft a great day! It was great seeing you all again, if only for a brief time. As I've mentioned to many of you over the years, Draft Day is like Christmas in March or April and it's great being able to see everyone again. But with all the work we have ahead of us on Draft Day (picking hundreds of players) the time to actually chat is limited.

Here's a specific "Way To Go" to our new owners: Tim, Mike and Mike. You guys were awesome. Joining a league like the CFCL and having to meet nine gruesome owners can't be easy. But you all handled it amazingly. Thank you for your preparation and alertness when making bids, bringing up players and drafting your reserve list. It was a pleasure meeting all of you and I hope this is the first of many drafts for each of you.

Thanks to everyone who stayed behind to help clean up and reset the room. Matt (my cousin) usually knock it out pretty easily, but we really appreciated the extra hands this year that got the job done even faster.

I know David mentioned this yesterday, but I (and I think the whole league) really appreciates Nick, Kenn and Dave coming in from out of state to compete. I know professional and personal schedules don't always make such travel easy, but you three are integral parts of the CFCL and we really appreciate your dedication to the league and your fellow owners.

Eric, it was wonderful seeing you again and we really appreciate the fact your were willing to sit amongst us for eight hours logging our bids.

And finally a HUGE THANK YOU to David for all the work he's done for the league (not just yesterday, but also for 25 years). All the paperwork he provides as well as going home after the draft and entering everything on Sportsline in the wee hours last night/this morning. We are really fortunate to have a Commissioner as dedicated to the league and its owners as David is.

Good luck to all and I look forward to seeing you at the Awards Banquet!

Rich

[stones]

Rich (and all),

Sorry that Michael and I didn't stay around to help you and Matt clean up. I really feel bad about that! In years past when I have offered you both have said you'd rather not have the help as you have it down to a system and know how everything goes back together. So instead of offering this year, I told Michael that you would appreciate us getting out of there as fast as possible so you could get on to cleaning and get home as soon as possible.

So, thinking we were actually helping, we scrambled out of the way as fast as possible.

Know that I would have stayed had I known you would have accepted offers for help this year! I really feel like a schmuck for not offering, so please accept my sincere apologies. Oh well, maybe you just didn't want MY help, but either way, I should have at least offered! Sorry, Sorry, Sorry!


But on to the larger point, I echo all of Rich's comments. It was a great day, and as usual Rich provided the perfect setting for the draft. Thanks to both him and Matt for getting it ready. Thanks again to David for pulling the league stuff together, so the draft goes without a hitch. If I didn't know better, I'd have to guess that the three of them have been doing this for awhile! Never a hitch, never a glitch! Outstanding work fellas, as always!

Lastly, Eric is the MAN! I was shocked to see him there. When I mentioned I already missed him and Matt pointed him out in the Daddy seat in the middle of the room, my day got a little better! In fact, in retrospect, that was the bright spot of my day (as I hadn't over-paid for a single player at that point)! Thanks Eric. You're the best.

I will still miss you as a one of my fellow "owners" and table mate at the auction! If you ever want to co-manage a team, you have a standing offer from the Stones! No kidding!

Any way, It was a little too quiet at my corner of the room yesterday!

Good luck all. Thanks for a fun Auction Day! Go Brewers and the below average Stones!

[Demreb]

Steve -

No need to apologize! You're right in that you always offer help in breaking down the room. And you're right that the best thing is for owners to clear out of the room quickly so we can start moving tables.

I have no doubt that each owner (not chasing a departing plane) would have been more than willing to help in moving the tables and chairs around. But then we run into the law of diminishing returns (or maybe it's too many chefs in the kitchen). If there are twelve of us in the room, we would be bumping in to each other, so those owners that cleared out actually were providing help.

And on a side note - I didn't technically accept the help from the other owners. They just jumped in and started moving things. That is greatly appreciated, but I want to point that out simply because it wasn't as if I was denying Steve a chance to help in years past, but this year I jumped at the chance for Bob, Kenn et al to help.

No problems, no worries. Enjoy the season and hopefully the Cubs and Brewers can face off today between the raindrops.

[stones]

[kenndoza (archived)]

I should say that you're kind to point out that I helped. I think I moved one table and one chair. Everyone else looked much more busy.

As for coming in for the draft, you're very welcome. I figured out long ago that it costs me more to be in this league than I could possibly win financially, but in all honestly, it's worth every penny and every minute I spend to be in a competitive league with a great bunch of people. I love the old traditions and new ones (I'll forever link Coulter with Corey Patterson, just like I can't see Alejandro De Aza's name without thinking of Teddy...or Yoda).

Thanks to Rich and Dave and everyone else for making it possible, and good luck to all.

[MGrage]

kenndoza said:

I should say that you're kind to point out that I helped. I think I moved one table and one chair. Everyone else looked much more busy.

As for coming in for the draft, you're very welcome. I figured out long ago that it costs me more to be in this league than I could possibly win financially, but in all honestly, it's worth every penny and every minute I spend to be in a competitive league with a great bunch of people. I love the old traditions and new ones (I'll forever link Coulter with Corey Patterson, just like I can't see Alejandro De Aza's name without thinking of Teddy...or Yoda).

Thanks to Rich and Dave and everyone else for making it possible, and good luck to all.

And here I thought it was the lure of having a Matt Murton autographed card that was the real allure of the CFCL ....