A Golden Disaster

Well, it's finally over the 2010/11 Golden Showers. The 20th JBL season was not what I had hoped it would be. In my head, it was supposed to be a celebration of the league and I had hoped I would be in the chase for another title. Our JBL posse gathered in Las Vegas for an epic draft and that afternoon I essentially destroyed any chance of my team winning the title.

Let's rewind to that fateful morning in Vegas when Benny and Trev returned with the Keg of Heineken and a 24 pack of beer. Sure, it was 10am, but maybe I should have held off just a bit. Oh well, what can you do. When the draft was over it was pretty apparent that I had not used all of my allotted $260 spending money. Instead, I had spent $221 while leaving $39 bucks on the table. Whoops.

My team, after week 1, had an astonishing 190 points(ish) and I was in rebuild mode for the rest of the season. Every Free Agent signing and trade was high risk in hopes of finding that hidden gem. Every trade was in hopes of finding someone who could right my sinking ship. By about the midway point of the season it became obvious I wasn't a title contended and began to stockpile cheap talent for next season in hopes of building a dominant group of players. I had Dorell Wright, Luis Scola, LA12, and then added Rudy Gay and Kevin Love. In the end, none of it mattered as I my team for the last few weeks has been playing with just 9 guys. I am destined for 12th and 1 keeper. His name is Kevin Love.

Look, I admit it and the facts don't lie - this Golden Showers team is the worst in the 20 year history of the league. I sucked balls. I drafted poorly. I mis-managed my free agent dollars. I made shitty trades. And I blew it across the board. I can admit it. I sucked. But you know what, I did everything I could to TRY and have the best possible keepers for next season. Whether you finish 5th or 12th - does it really matter? What are we trying to do here? I don't know about you - I'm trying to win. So, I'm proud of the my efforts for at least trying to improve during the season and then trying to get good keepers for next season. You can't fault me for that.

So with this disastrous season behind me (almost), I have already started planning for next year's JBL draft. I am more focused than ever. Philly Woo is about to win his 5th title and 3rd in a row. Has he become the new JBL king? There are plenty of arguments and reasons to crown him king. But I am hoping for a big year next season and I will do everything I can to make sure this 2010/11 season is forgotten.

So, let me put to bed this laughable season and cry just one last time....

Belgrade - 2011 Year in Review

Well, as you can imagine, this won't take long...

First of all though, before I begin, let me apologize for my absense. The last month at work has been crazy as I've been going through a management posting at work so there have been lots of interviews and such. That being said, there is an obvious correlation between my shittiness in Golden and the number of blog posts. But don't worry, I'll be busy in the next little while doing years in review on here while creating a much shorter article on the JBL site directing everyone to here to read the 2011 summaries.

So, let's begin. I will start at 13th and work my way to the top. It's Tuesday, April 12th and I'll try to have them finished by the end of the month. I think we know who's going to win and I think we know where the parade will start and end.

Belgrade. What's happened? Well, I can tell you what happened. Crisis all over the world happened. For those of you who don't know, I will attempt to explain Marko's job (hopefully I do it justice). Marko is in Intelligence gathering and monitoring. If there is a crisis in the world (Egypt, Libya, Japan) his job is monitor online traffic and social media to determine if there are security threats of items of interest that could be of concern. Well, unless you've been living in a cave, the world has been in crisis for the last few months - which means Marko is busy at work and not worried about his 13th place Belgrade squad.

Now, that being said, let's go back to the very beginning and look at what happened on October 23rd - JBL Draft day. After the draft Marko's roster included Bosh, Carmelo, and Monta. Not a bad big three. The supporting cast included Odom, DeRozan, and an injured Andrew Bynum. Again, not a horrible nucleus but he really missed on some of his other draftees.

Belgrade took a chance on Linas Kleiza for $15 - that one failed big time. If it's any consolation, I'm pretty sure I was the guy who bid $14. He also drafted Rip Hamilton, Udonis Haslem (who blew a knee a couple games in), Mehmet Okur (injured) and Josh Childress. He took some chances on guys and he swung and missed.

Now, after Chris Bosh got off to a horrible start - he sold him low for Devin Harris. This was the beginning of the fall for Belgrade. The age old no-no of trading big (Bosh) for small (Harris) really applied here. Despite his hair and what he did to the Raptors - you just can't trade Bosh for Harris one week into a fantasy season. Lesson learned.

Belgrade's highest spot in the standings was after week 1. He was in 5th with 767 points. From there - downhill all the way. By week 7, he was in 12th place with 388 points. By the halfway point (week 12) he was down to 290 points and still in 12th. Belgrade took over 13th for good in week 16 and has been there ever since. His low point total for the year was 283 (good for 4th worst all time in the JBL).

With his 13th place finish there will be no keepers in Belgrade next season. He'll be starting fresh. El fresco. Will the world find peace so Marko can focus on the JBL next season? Belgrade's first two seasons in the JBL have been 11th and 13th place finishes. Year three needs to be a good one for him to show the rest of those JBL non-believers that he gets the world of fantasy basketball. Remember when he joined the JBL? He was passionate. He posted more articles in his rookie season than the rest of the JBL combined. His 2nd year in the JBL began poorly with an average draft; quickly deteriorated with the bad trade of Chris Bosh; and then completely failed with the disasters in Egypt and every where else around the world.

In his rookie year Belgrade entered the JBL record books by shooting an all-time worst 32.1% from downtown. Well, in year two, it looks like he will get another all-time worst - in a couple of categories - Blocks and Rebounds. So, I don't think it's very good when you own 3 all-time worst category records (in a 7-cat league) when you've only been in the league for 2 seasons!

In other news, Marko will be in Vancouver from April 15th to 25th I believe and I plan on hooking up with him. I will keep everyone posted about what night and where in case you JBL-lovers want to join us.

So there really wasn't much 'good' news out of Belgrade this year. And I'm still urging for a name change by the way. But for all you JBL'ers who thought Marko didn't get enough for Kevin Love when he traded him to Golden - appears that was the straw that broken Golden's back. I was looking at 3 keepers for next season until I acquired Love. So, maybe Marko did have an impact on the JBL this season - he helped assure Golden of their worst finish in 20 years of fantasy basketball. Well done Belgrade. Well done.

For your efforts this season and your 13th place finish - I award you a song that will be very difficult to get out of your head. Chocolate Rain. Listen to it once, from start to finish, and it will be in your head for a very long time.

Status Update...

Well, week 23 is almost in the books. Seoul continues to lead Bangkok by around 70 points. The championship race has almost become anti-climatic with Seoul apparently unstoppable and un-catchable at this point in the season. However, there is time, as NBA teams will be undoubtedly shutting down some of the better players to rest for the playoffs. Seoul has some of those shut-down candidates in KG, Ray Allen, and others.

What will the 20th season in the JBL be remembered for?

I think the first thing everyone will think of will the draft in Vegas. It was awesome. We had almost everyone right there in that Mandalay hotel room. The banter, the beer, the pizza, the comraderie, it was almost perfect.

The season was dominated by Bangkok for the most part. His team led the way for about 75% of the season. He was in 1st place on every single night for about 4 months. He was chatty on the Live Scoreboard; he made good deals; he signed the best Free Agents - everything was going so well.

All along though, in the background, there was his arch-nemesis, lurking, watching, probably touching himself, just waiting to make his move. The Seoul Brothers were after the 3-peat and were in the hunt all the time. Seoul did everything right (again) and overtook Bangkok a few weeks ago and now seems to be on cruise control to his 3rd straight title and 5th overall.

Awhile back I posted an article about the 'greatest JBL team ever'. I listed off 5 potential teams that would be in the discussion. One of those teams was this season's Bangkok squad that was so dominant for so long. Well now, with Seoul at 1183 and almost assured of victory - I think I have to include this Brothers team in the discussion. He is 1st or 2nd in six of the seven categories. That's almost unheard of if you go back and look at the other championship teams. We'll see what happens over the next 2 weeks but I think we may be parading in one of the greatest teams of all time.

So, let's assume that Seoul does hold on and win his 5th JBL title and remind everyone that will be 4 titles in the last 6 seasons. Where does that put little Phil in the JBL history? I am the self proclaimed king of the JBL (I guess when the league is named after you I have some entitlement) with 7 JBL titles overall. However, it's pretty obvious that the most feared JBL opponent these days is the Seoul Brothers. I think most of the JBL owners would most like to beat Phil Woo than me. I could be wrong on that - but it seems the balance of JBL power is shifting. Phil and I are creating a Lakers vs. Celtics type rivalry. It's going to be fun over the next ??? years....

I know I will always remember the JBL's 20th season for how shitty my Golden squad turned out to be...here are some highlights - or I guess they are low-lights...

• crappy draft in Vegas when I only spent $221 dollars (nothing like leaving $39 bucks on the table)
• with a week 1 that included just 190 points - I over-reacted and dropped some good players too early
• I tried to force things and made some questionable trades
• I used up my FA money on crap talent and had no FA money left after the February deadline
• I focused too much on getting cheap keepers and forgot to focus on maintaining my top 8 position
• My team was gutted by injury
• My team was loaded with potential keepers but injuries and poor management will likely only allow me to protect 1 player
• And ultimately I think I will be remembering my WORST finish ever in the JBL. And remember, we've been doing this for 20 years! With this likely 12th place finish there is a silver lining for another JBL owner. You see, in 20 years, my fantasy squad has ALWAYS finished ahead of another 20 year JBL owner - Trevor. Well, for the 1st time ever, it appears that Mr. Arksey is going to be able to finally be able to say he beat me. I'm sure Trev would have liked to have a 1st place finish to go with it - but after 20 years - I'm sure he'll take whatever he can get. And like me, after 12 years of marriage, I too will take whatever I can get.

So, what am I watching over the last 10 days or so??? There are a few things of interest...

• the battle for 1st between Seoul and Bangkok
• the battle for 4th between Arctic, French, and Chilliwack
• the battle for those two coveted 7th and 8th positions (3 keepers)
• the battle for 9th and 10th (2 keepers)
• the battle between Maui and Golden
• and seeing if Belgrade can get out of the basement...

Well boys, that's all for now...good luck down the stretch.

Week 23 update...

Well, all is quiet in the JBL... I just got back from a 10 day holiday and not much changed in the JBL standings. Seoul and Bangkok are battling it out for 1st. Idaho is entrenched in 3rd. Arctic, French, and Chilliwack are battling for the final money spot. There is an interesting battle for 7th and 8th between 6 teams. Usually we don't make a big deal of this race - but since I'm in it and this is my Chronicles - I think I'll discuss it. 7th and 8th positions are important because it means 3 keepers. I would love to have 3 keepers as my team is loaded with cheap talent. Unfortunately, I don't have any healthy talent. I can't believe the number of injuries I've suffered in the 2nd half of this NBA season. I've lost man games to Eric Gordon, Luis Scola, Kevin Love, Andray Blatche, Tyson Chandler, Brandon Roy, Deron Williams, Samardo Samuels, Rudy Gay, Mickael Pietrus, and the list goes on... Maybe my 7 JBL titles have angered the JBL Gods and they are making me feel some pain. Or, this disastrous season could be summed up by a crummy draft, poor trades and shitty FA money management. One or the other. I can't decide. Currently, Golden is 11th but I am essentially playing with 9 guys due to injuries and not having any FA money. This long JBL season can't end soon enough for this injury-plagued Showers team. The only goal at this point is to protect Kevin Love for next season. If I can move up in the standings and protect some other players - that would be a bonus. My choices for additional keepers would come down to Rudy Gay, Dorell Wright, Eric Gordon, and Luis Scola. And if I don't make it and I have to throw all of those guys back - the other JBL teams will gobble them up next season. So, who is going to win the JBL title??? I think it's still up for grabs but I am certainly liking the looks of that Seoul team. He's opened up a pretty good lead but there is still time. I think Idaho is locked into 3rd place. He's not moving up - he's not going to be caught. He's going to pull off a 12th (last) to 3rd in consecutive years. Very impressive. Let's remember that Idaho wasn't able to protect any players from last season. So Tuna obviously prepared and drafted well and he will be playing for free next season as Golden will be paying his entry fee (lost the bet). Arctic looks like the favorite for 4th but French and Chilliwack are pressing him. This 4th place money spot will come down to the final night I think. For French, this is common place as he has finished 5th (just out of the money) several times. I look forward to seeing who claims the final money spot.

Last Week to Trade!!

Lots on my mind so I'm going with the old fashioned bullet points this evening...

• it seems like there is a real lull in the JBL these days. Only Seoul, Bangkok, Golden and a few others are ever seen on the chat board. Kinda depressing.
• The battle for top spot is awesome. Seoul was up to 1170 last night and now is back in 2nd place tonight. Very cool to watch (especially if you're Seoul or Bangkok)
• This is the last week to make trades (Sunday, March 20th at midnight PST). I put Tyson Chandler on the block and not a single offer for him. Not even a Sonny Weems offer!!?? That would never happen in November.
• Idaho appears entrenched in 3rd place. No more chat board taunts about "look out Asians" or "da Pimps iz rizing". Nothing. I guess he's content with 3rd place dough.
• I often wonder, why in the last week when teams can make trades, that more teams aren't pro-active in trying to get "keepers" from other teams. For example, French is battling hard for 4th place. I would imagine he would love to make a deal that would give him the upper hand for his 1st ever money spot (I think it would be his 1st)....so why isn't someone tempting him with an offer for Stephen Curry? The young Warrior is arguably the top keeper out there and we're going to just let French protect him? Wouldn't it be worth our while to at least tempt French with a Deron Williams, Monta Ellis, Derrick Rose, or whatever type of player(s) he needs to get into the money?? Would French have to consider moving Curry if it was a no-brainer deal? The strategy for us would be to get Curry back in the auction so French doesn't get a $50 dollar player for $20 bucks. The temptation for French would be the money spot...but maybe a 4th place finish isn't worth it.
• Same theory would apply for a Kevin Love in Golden. Should other JBL teams really want me protecting this guy?
• I was quickly scanning the potential keepers from each team this morning and Arctic sure looks to be stocked for next season. I love the potential of Ibaka, K-Mart, DeRozan, Beasley, Tyreke and even someone like Al Horford (mini-Pau). Arctic has his pick of top notch keepers in my books. And when the season is over and I post my 1st edition of the off-season rankings - you can bet that Arctic will be in the running for #1 overall.
• I hate to harp on the Seoul vs. Bangkok battle but it really is getting entertaining. All year we have watched and listened to Rick tell us how great his team is/was and now we are seeing a suddenly red hot Seoul team coming on strong. Seoul has been the team of the week 7 out of the last 10 weeks. Everything he's touched this season has turned to gold. He got Al Jefferson and the guy became a monster. He signed Thornton and he goes off. It's all golden in Seoul.
• And I have to say that Golden can be proud for some of Bangkok's success this season (whether he's 1st or 2nd when it's over). Why? Well, because a lot of Bangkok's success comes from Golden castoffs or shrewd business maneuvers by Bangkok. Let's see - there's Aldridge, Collison, Deng, Hickson, Blair, and Korver - all spent time in Golden this season and all are going to finish in the money. Rick, you're welcome.
• I am about to head on holidays for 10 days starting on Thursday. Off to LA for 2 days (and a Lakers game) and then off on a 7 day Mexican cruise where I will put to the test the theory of "all you can eat". While I'm chilling on the deck in the sunshine I will be in full strategy mode of planning for next season. I'm always thinking. Always planning. Always testing theories and scenarios. Golden is planning on building a team around Kevin Love and maybe a couple of other guys...
• The Belgrade vs. Maui battle that I was anticipating appears to be fizzling before it really gets going. Maui has pulled about 100 points ahead and appears to be getting stronger (rebounds and blocks) while the Belgrade team is fading away. Maybe the Zombies can make a late charge. However, if they don't, the first order of business (if I was running the show) would be a name change!!!
• A quick scan of the standings and the JBL record book reveals that quite a few records could be broken this year.
• For example, it looks like French or Seoul could break the record for best 3PT% in a season. The record is 38.9% and both French and Seoul are right there.
• The record for best ATO is 1.941 by Juan de Fuca back in 2007. Well, that record is surely to be broken by Arctic as he has been over 2.000 for most of the season. The worst ATO on record is 1.337 by Brussels in 2009 - well, Maui could take that honour as he currently sits at 1.339.
• The worst block total ever was 396 by Pearl in 2006. Well, Belgrade will have the new record low as he has just 298 blocks so far.
• The previous best in FG% was 48.5%. Seoul will shatter that record as he's currently at 49.8% and has been at that level for quite some time.
• There are a few other categories where records could be broken and I'm interested to see how many records will be set through the 2010 JBL season.
• And if Seoul wins it all - could this Brothers team be brought into the equation of "Best JBL team" ever? The point total could be there. The late season domination could be there. And the records would speak for themselves. So, no matter who wins the 2010/11 JBL title - Bangkok or Seoul - I think they will have a case to be one of the greatest JBL teams of all time.
• My apologies again to Chilliwack for not including Marcin Gortat in the 'best big man' poll on the JBL site. He clearly should have been included over the likes of Ekpe Udoh. What was I thinking? Gortat has been a monster in PHX and is likely keeper material for Benny. He would be very solid in the middle if he protects Noah and Gortat. Nice combo indeed.
• I think I'm going to post a poll on potential keepers for teams - who has the best stable of potential players for next season. I will split the poll into groups based on the numbers of potential keepers. So, the top 4 spots can keep 4 guys and I believe there are potentially 6 teams that could finish in the money spots (Bangkok, Seoul, Idaho, Arctic, French, and Chilliwack). So, my poll question would be who has the best stable of potentially 4 keepers from those teams? Then I can do 5th to 8th who would get 3 keepers and so on...I think it would be interesting to hear what the JBL masses have to say as to who is looking good for next season and I would use this in my calculations for off-season rankings.
• I reviewed my 2010/11 off season ranks and was pretty good. I predicted a big year for Bangkok and look what he did. OK, so I was waaaaaay off when I predicted big things from Brussels but who knew. And Idaho has earned some respect for his ability to start a JBL team from scratch, no keepers, and build a 3rd place team. Well done Tuna.

OK fellas, that's all for now. I wonder if there will be any JBL trades this weekend? The league seems quiet and dead at the moment. Not a lot of chatter or trash talk. Sad.

He Said What?

As I go back-to-back for the 1st time in a couple of weeks...I'd just like to point out that my Golden squad will likely be in 9th by the end of the night. They are fading fast. The boys are riddled with injuries. Eric Gordon is out again. Chandler is still out. Gay is a couple of weeks away. Perkins is still not close. Can the Showers even challenge for a top 8 might be the real question? That answer will depend on when everyone gets healthy.

I was reading a website recently and I saw a quote from Byron Scott about Samardo Samuels. You know Mr. Samuels? He's the guy who just became relevant this season after Antawn Jamison went down with injury. So the quote (paraphrased) was essentially that Samuels has more talent than Kevin Love and Love just has more experience. Say what?

So I immediately checked to see what kind of night Samuels had. I was thinking a 20 and 15 monster. Nope. 13 and 6 in 32 minutes. Hmmmm. I'm not seeing this comparison. Isn't Love the guy who is now at 51 consecutive double-doubles? Yet some guy named Samuels, who plays on a shitty Cavs team is a better player? If he was a decent player - wouldn't he have been playing all year? It's not like he's behind Gasol, Odom, and Bynum. It was only Jamison and Hickson. And if he was so good - why didn't he get in the rotation when Varejao went down with injury?? Why did it take Byron Scott 60+ games to find the next Kevin Love??

What's the next quote from Byron going to be? That he believes the Cavs could still make the playoffs? That Cleveland will be fine without Lebron? That he actually has the talent to win?
Come on Byron! It's guys like you who set these guys up for complete failure! I mean comparing Samuels to Kevin Love is like saying the ugliest chick in the bar is just the same as the hottest girl because they both have tits and a pagima. The expectations now on Samuels is huge! High expectations can destroy players. Look at Anthony Randolph! Just let the kid play.

I'm watching the Mavs vs. T-Wolves right now. Not a bad game actually. The Wolves are playing the Mavs tough too. And I have to say, Minnesota fans are the whitest crowd I have ever seen at a basketball game! Seriously, I'm scanning the crowd and there are no black people in attendance. I'm watching the Dirk v. Love matchup. A couple of great big men going at it. Love has a quiet game going and he sits at 21 and 15. He's very subtle at how he gets his boards. You don't think of him as being 'exciting' but he's a great rebounder that's for sure. I also like the way Luke Ridnour plays - the Golden squad misses him. And he was a favorite of mine when he was running the point for the Sonics too. Cool hand Luke.

With all the recent talk of the Phoenix Coyotes moving to Winnipeg and the Sac Kings moving to Anaheim - it got me thinking of which team I would love to see re-locate back to Seattle (assuming they ever get a team again). I'm not really considering a Vancouver relocation at this point because we didn't have the history. For me, growing up, it was all about the Sonics and their I-5 rivalry with the Blazers. I loved them. And for me, one of the greatest sports memories I have is watching the final Sonics game they played at the Key Arena. They played against the Mavericks and Durant (a rookie) hit the game winner. The Arena was rocking the "Save our Sonics" chant. GP was in the house! It was an amazing experience. And if the Sonics ever return to the NBA, I want to be there on opening night. So, which team would I want to see move there? Sacramento? New Orleans? Memphis? Charlotte? Those would probably be the 4 most obvious choices these days. I guess it would depend on the talent on the team at the time but I think Sacramento could be on their way to building something quite intriguing with the Tyreke/Cousins combo. I think Chris Paul will be gone from New Orleans by the time Seattle gets a team. Memphis has some potential but as long as Michael Heisley's in charge - they have no shot. And Charlotte? I guess they would be a long shot to move out west. Anyways, it would be very interesting to think about if Seattle can get a new arena built...

Bangkok vs. Seoul

Well, we're into March now and it really does appear to be a 2 team race. Those Bangkok Fighters, who have led since day one and the 2-time defending champs Seoul Brothers really appear to be the only 2 teams who can win the title.

No disrespect meant to Idaho, French, or Arctic but it just doesn't seem like they have the horses to get it down this season.

As I type this, Bangkok has the lead with 1114 points and Seoul is right behind him at 1104. What's so exciting about this title race is the number of areas that each of these teams can gain or lose points over the coming weeks.

3PT% - Seoul is battling French and Bangkok is holding of MBB and Maui. Seoul is maxed out currently in this category but could lose 13 points while Bangkok needs to keep hitting 3's as he has a couple of teams on his tail.

ATO - Bangkok and Brussels are duking it out while Seoul slowly reels in Juan de Fuca. Both teams have a chance to gain points in this category.

BLK - Bangkok is maxed out while he a bunch of other JBL teams are right on his heels. Maui is close but keeps running into injury problems while Seoul is just 4 blocks behind Maui and just 1 blocks behind Bangkok. This will be an interesting race!

FG% - Seoul is maxed out and will set a JBL record with his FG% total this season. Bangkok is chasing another 13 points as he is just 0.1% behind Idaho. Those 13 points would be huge for Bangkok.

PTS - Bangkok is 1st while Seoul and Idaho are battling it out for 2nd in scoring. This would be a monster 20 points for Seoul is he could pull ahead of Idaho. On paper, it looks like Idaho should be able to stay ahead of Seoul - but you just never know.

STL - Bangkok is again setting records in this category while Seoul appears to be comfortable in this category. Not much movement expected here.

REB - Seoul is in 1st place in this category while Bangkok is in 3rd. I guess there's a chance of Bangkok catching Arctic in rebounds but that would take some help from the JBL Gods I think.

So who is going to win the 20th JBL title? To be honest, I don't know yet. Lots can still happen. Guys will still suffer injuries. Certain players could be rested down the stretch. And some players will be shut down entirely as their seasons start to mean nothing. I know it's almost week 20 - but it's too soon to predict a winner.

As for my Golden squad - they stink.
I am barely hanging onto 8th place (and my dream of 3 keepers).
At the moment, it looks like my Gay Love combo could be all that I am able to bring back.
However, if I am able to hang onto 8th then it would become very interesting as who the other keeper I would bring back will be. The options again?

Dorell Wright - he has faded terribly over the last month and is starting to look less and less like a monster bargain.

Eric Gordon - despite my current frustration over his recent wrist injuries - he would still be a top 10 scorer for under $30 bucks.

Kendrick Perkins - although he hasn't played a game yet in OKC he appears to be the perfect fit for that franchise (should be the Sonics!). He's the big tough mean shot-blocking defender that they have been missing. For just $7 bucks he could be a 10/10/2 type of center. And, for 2 years in a row now, the Golden squad has REALLY struggled with the centre position.

Luis Scola - the under-appreciated big man is still averaging 18 and 8 but he does it soooo quietly I'm still not sure he would go for more than $30 bucks next season.

So, like trying to predict a JBL winner, I'm just not able to pick which one of those potential keepers would fill the 3rd spot if I had to decide right now. Tough call.

And after my dispersal draft idea was posted to the JBL site - do you know how many guys emailed me their feedback??? None. Not one. Zilch. Zip. Notta. Nobody. Not one guy had any input about this proposed wrinkle. Oh well. I guess we'll just carry on this offseason...

I have to admit I am excited about the 2011/12 JBL draft already. I have already started to put together some new tracking data sheets in attempt to try and improve my draft night. As you recall, I only spent $221 bucks this past year. Was it the beer? Was it Vegas? Was it a combination? Or was it poor management on my part?? Maybe a little of everything factored in. And I certainly don't want it to happen again. This 2010/11 season will be my worst in maybe 8 or 9 years and I want the Golden squad to get back on track next season. So, I am preparing already by looking at guys numbers and who would fit best with the potential keepers I could bring back.

Oh, and also, if the NBA doesn't reach an agreement and the players are locked out - you can bet your ass that we will still be hosting a JBL draft. The JBL will be drafting - and the NBA will know that they need to play because of the dedicated JBL'ers who want them to play. Oh yes, we will be drafting - regardless of what happens this summer.