Author |
Topic: What's been brewin'!!!!! (Read 1587 times) |
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
  
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
 |
What's been brewin'!!!!!
« on: Mar 25th, 2006, 10:08pm » |
 Quote  Modify
|
Well, this is the "long-awaited" post regarding an IMPORTANT project that has been in the works here for well over a year now that I had prefaced (with some loose financial details) on the "Site Donors" thread (here: http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=58;a ction=display;num=1068780634;start=25). It is a project that can take (the) FantasyFootballer.com (community) and "the Gridiron" (family) to "a whole nother" level. Most of our writers and other staffers who work closely with me have known about this project I am now going to disclose, at least in part, to all of you. In fact, last year on "the Sidelines" (on this thread: http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=58;a ction=display;num=1108526138) I requested assistance with this project. Those who chipped in also know what's been up. I once again want to thank those who helped at that time.
Without further ado, what's been up??? For the dual purpose of getting the good word about FantasyFootballer.com out and (much needed) revenue generation, I've been planning a print publication, a FantasyFootballer.com publication, a season preview magazine. I have consulted with two close friends in relevant career areas. One is in magazine publication (of the specific kind I'm envisioning) and is a GBRFLer and fellow Gridironer who (currently) goes by the handle Drew Rosenhous. The other is in advertising (for the television network ABC) and is a former GBRFLer (who left on good terms). With their well-informed guidance and the utmost of confidence that we can produce a top-of-the-line product, I have a "business plan" that's pretty darn full-proof. But, as I explained in that aforementioned prefacing post on the "Site Donors" thread (http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=58;a ction=display;num=1068780634;start=25) and as many of you know from just having come to know me, I'm not "working" with any kind of capital. That said, costs of getting this magazine off the ground year one are not very high (less than $2,000). Mind you, year one is not the big profit year. It is the year we dip our toes into the water, learn the trade, work out the kinks, and, most importantly, develop a prototype (to pitch in year two). We are looking at a modest distribution of somewhere between 1 and 2 thousand.
But, enough of these details for now... Where are we with this??? The "bottom line", so to speak, the financing, is the hang up. What people helped me with last year was developing a list of potential sponsors. We put together a list of 125, but not (nearly) in time for me to make the contacts last year, deferring the project to this year when I'm thinking we'd be ahead of the game with the list all prepped. This assumption, as it has turned out, is moot. But, over the last year I came up with something that might (have to) save the day. Cold-contacting businesses for money is difficult enough, but without a bankroll, let's face it, it's a "desperate" uphill battle (mind you, a hill I'm willing to die on).
Again, because this isn't going to be very costly, and considering that you guys might want to be part of this and in the process make things easier on me so that I can focus on the "substantive" aspects of the project, what came to mind was the "yearbook" model (think of how high school yearbooks are funded... with individuals/families taking out personal ads in the back). Given a couple discussions, I came up with ways for you all to be able to pitch in so that, furthermore, you all can put me on better footing when it comes to "dealing with" potential business sponsors. It is better to approach them already having some "investors" (you guys) and with even just a few hundred bucks worth of working capital rather than just empty-handed, with pockets turned inside-out shaking a tin cup in their faces, desperate for that first ante.
So, how can you help??? These are the three ways I'm proposing:
Options 1 & 2) You would be able to for $50 purchase approximately 1/8th to 1/12th of a page for a "classified" type spot, which you can use to:
a) pay tribute to your league's champion (with your league logo if you want) on what would be our "FF League Champions" page(s).
OR
b) trash-talk your fellow league mates on what would be our "FF Trash-Talkin'" page(s) (which, by the way, hearkens back to the roots of "the Gridiron"; for what I mean, go here: http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=53;a ction=display;num=1030609988).
I'm thinkin' you guys should be lovin' those two options!!!
Option 3) I will dedicate the inside back cover to a "gold, silver, bronze" type "thank you to our sponsors" page. The (hopeful) breakdowns would probably be something along these lines:
Platinum Club - $500+
Gold Club - $250 - $499
Silver Club - $100 - $249
Bronze Club - $50 - $99
Copper Club - $20 - $49
Sound pretty reasonable, no??? I hope so because we may not have any other choice. As per my earlier intimation, my personal circumstances have turned out to be such that this has gone from an idea just to help get the project off the ground by putting me on better footing with potential business sponsors to, perhaps, the only thing that will make it happen. You guys have probably noticed my rather conspicuous absence this offseason. Days even (a couple weeks) have gone by without my visiting my beloved forum here. Hell, I'm just now, at the end of March during the first day of spring "break" (during which I have a paper due, mind you), getting around to this. And, of course, this was all made much worse by the "'06 St. Patty's Day Disaster" (info on that here: http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=58;a ction=display;num=1142896219). Before I continue, I want to preface that I understand that we all live busy lives. I respect that. But, with respect to this place and the "cutting of the ribbon on the FantasyFootballer.com offices" someday, which not just I anticipate, and making some "dream jobs" realities, my "business" (funny how that nominative form of "busy" gets spelled, huh?) is your business, so to speak. Moving right along, the deal, guys,... in the 6 and a half years of my post-secondary education, my five years as an undergrad at DU and then the year and a half since returning to school in the fall of '04 as a grad student, the two semesters at CUA and last semester here at UH, I have NEVER run into a semester like this and one class in particular. It is, far and away, the worst semester, one of the worst periods of life (aside from really bad stuff like family tragedies and deaths), I've ever had to "endure" (I cannot even believe I am even speaking in such terms about "school", moreover, schooling that I want to put myself through). They have a required Symbolic Logic class here (like most graduate programs in philosophy do). Having just aced the ("reason-able" required) one just last year at CUA, despite the warnings, I thought that it couldn't be "that" bad. WRONG!!! It is the most time-consuming(-wasting, depending on your perspective) mind f--- of a class I've ever had to "endure". Case in point, one week I spent 25 HOURS on TWO exercises (out of six) for one of THREE assignments for the week. In VERY short, it's a 17-week I.Q. test of ever-increasing (conceptual) difficulty and, mind you, it's only an upper-division undergraduate class, not even a grad course. They call it a "hazing ritual" and a "weed out" class... It's a joke! Furthermore, exacerbating matters, I'm taking Japanese 102, which is the class where they (again) weed out the (tuition-paying) students (who they accepted into the school) who are not serious from the ones who are and will be permitted to continue on to second-year coursework. Furthermore, for the one (thank God) graduate-level seminar I'm taking, I'm taking the professor notorious for assigning WAY TOO MUCH reading, 125 to 200 pages per week (as if...) and TWO 15-page papers BOTH to be re-written (I will end up writing 50 pages for this guy when it's all said and done). Again, I thought nothing of the logic class,... worse case scenario that is. So, finally, I'm taking a class in inductive logic. Mind you, it's not that rough. But, it's like I added insult to injury given the other logic class (I mean... I like this stuff, but enough's enough), and as a logic class, it is another week-in-week-out homework-intensive situation. Yikes! Mind yous, somehow my grades are not suffering, BUT I don't have the slightest bit of wiggle room. Actually, with this symbolic logic class, it's like I'm stuck in a straight-jacket, unable to do anything "else" with my life. Yikes! Case in point, this semester I had to leave a dream part-time job I had, which only adds to the financial strain (I'm just hoping I can get it back in the summer since everything was left on very good terms).
So, where does that leave the magazine??? Well, getting around to cold-calling 125 potential company sponsors has about a snowball's chance in hell of getting done (in time, i.e. six months prior to our mid-August distribution date). I can maybe do some during this spring "break", which is already late, mind you, and maybe I'll get really lucky with a few in the beginning of the summer. BUT, as you can see, that "in-house" idea is now really the key. Bottom, bottom line, mustering up enough funds "from within" in the ways I'm proposing is the only way to guarantee rolling this project off the line this year! Otherwise, it could be another year down the drain. Again, I'm a patient man, as you all well know. But, being this close is whetting my appetite. That's not to mention that I want to jump on this idea before someone else does (not that they'll do it as well as we can).
So, what am I looking for on this thread??? Again, as always, I want to keep the discussion targeted. MUCH thought and effort has gone into this and there is A LOT that cannot be divulged at this stage. I'm not looking for (any more) "new" unrelated, fickle, off-the-cuff "ideas". Within the parameters I've described, I'm open ears... Sure... However, we've got 4-pages worth (I'm typing this thing single-spaced in Word) of good ones right here... So, let's make it priority to deal with them. Obvious questions... Are you willing to help fund the magazine, make it happen, by any of the THREE options specified above??? What kind of pledge do you think you could make??? I mean... of my own money, at this point, I guess I would find some way to come up with $500 if we got that close. But, just to do that is going to require a significant amount of pledges/purchases of "classified" space on you all's part, and further complicating matters, I have to consider the fact that, as most of you know, all of my BIG overhead bills start rolling around soon (info on that: http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=58;a ction=display;num=1083529145). Mind yous also, I have to consider that, frankly speaking, I have yet to realize this kind of support, both in terms of amounts and timeliness, with respect to donations to the site. On the other hand, these are targeted pledges/purchases. As opposed to just donating to the site to assist me with covering the costs of running the place, these pledges would go toward this specific project. If the project doesn't fly, no donations need to be made. You all are off the hook. However, the pledges either to donate or purchase space cannot be BS. They have to be sincere since I will be relying on them. So, what do you think you can do to make a difference, perhaps the difference???
RESPOND (thoughtfully) PLEASE!!!
|
|
 Logged |
|
|
|
vavictus
Tackling Dummy
# 518
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 2
Back to top
|
 |
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: Mar 26th, 2006, 12:15am » |
Quote Modify
|
Well, I can certainly attest to what good Steg is saying. I go to school with Steg and we are in the most nightmarish class imaginable.
Goodness, where does one begin in describing the most poisonous, life-wasting disease of a class that one has ever taken... I feel like I can either explain it in a word or in ten pages... But no one wants to read a ten page rant on our hellish class. It would only make the readers sick to their stomachs.
So, allow me to use a single word to describe it: Sickness, Sickness, Sickness.
And that's just the Logic class. A mere sliver of the total load undertaken by each student. With a lot of pain Steg and the others in our class will break through this nonsense and into freedom... we just need another 6-7 weeks...
-Vav
|
| « Last Edit: Mar 26th, 2006, 12:16am by vavictus » |
Logged |
|
|
|
Alexsan
Tackling Dummy
# 500
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 6
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: Mar 26th, 2006, 12:35am » |
Quote Modify
|
Wow Steve I never knew your classes were that hectic... As for japanese 102, that class requires a ton of time for studying. With our daily vocab and kanji quizzes, each having roughly 3 kanji and about 7-10 vocab words, and on top of that learning new sentence structures everyday, I am barely able to get by. Depending on if you plan to actually learn the material or just remember it long enough to get an average grade on the test, I would say that you need to spend a decent amount of time practicing. Steve, despite all your other classes you seem to do very well in japanese class, I might say that you are perhaps more informed than that girl who seems to speak fluent japanese...haha. O well, good luck steve!
|
|
Logged |
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
 |
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: Mar 26th, 2006, 2:10am » |
Quote Modify
|
Thank you to those who have already responded! Ray and Gene for the pledges and Eric and Alex for corroborating what I said about this nightmare of a semester and substantiating the "urgency" of the matter! In fact, Ray has pledged a solid three-digit figure!  Just 10 to 15 more like his and we'd be good to go. It's all about pooling resources. How many times must I play this fiddle? A group of "little guys" can accomplish "BIG" things. But, everybody's got to step up. You can rely on my (extensive) efforts and energy, but if we're counting on my wallet to get us to the promised land, it's going to be a looooong time before we get there.
...
Also, the following question was posed to me by way of private message. I felt it was a question the answer to which everybody would want to know...
QUESTION: Is there any way of guaranteeing that "sponsors" get a copy of the magazine?
ANSWER: Good news,... as always!!! They will be FREE!!! EVERY member on "the Gridiron" who requests one (by way of a thread I start or an "order" form I create) will receive one (you will have had to join the site to get one). This is actually the main method of distribution.
|
|
Logged |
|
|
|
GM
# 426
"The Dark Side is Within You"
Posts: 397
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: Mar 27th, 2006, 11:47am » |
Quote Modify
|
I'm very excited to see that we may be able to kick this off this year. I have been talking about this to a couple of my friends for the last few months now.
I hope that I will be able to provide monetary assistance very soon. unfortunately, my situation does not allow me to right now.
I do have one question though. If I were to get some business sponsors, what will they receive in return? I have a best friend who is a program director for a local clear channel radio station that I might be able to get a "wet list" from, or even receive a sponsorship directly. He has asked me a couple of times when or if I will be published so to speak, because he wants me to do a weekly fantasy football rant on the station. So I know he has interest.
Like I said, maybe I can't help with monies right now, but hopefully I could get some business sponsors for this. Please let me know.
This is going to be awsome!!
O4L
|
|
Logged |
QB Mcnabb, Warner
RB- LT2, F. Gore, S. Young, K. Keith
RC- Ocho Cinco, G. Jennings, K. Curtis, J. Jerevicous
TE Gonzo, V. Davis
D- Redskins/ ST Bears
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
 |
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: Mar 27th, 2006, 2:10pm » |
Quote Modify
|
The prospectus (yet another thing I've got to do...  ) still has to be finalized. It's actually something I (upon writing the message above) forgot needs to be done before I cold-call company sponsors (which further limits the chances of my getting on calling them during this spring "break"). Frankly speaking, I haven't picked it up since dropping this last year (again, never fathoming I would run into this kind of semester). I'm about a 1/2 page into a document that will end up being 2 to 3 pages (single-spaced). When it's finished, I will send it to Mark (Drew Rosenhous) for review. After his suggestions and stamp of approval, off to the phones I will go.  But, again, none of this looks like it is going to happen before the summer when it will already be TOO late. Just thought I'd paint that picture again in response to O4l's post. Just to be absolutely clear here, as of right now, this thing ain't even close to happening (again) this year. Changing that reality is really up to you all.  I can only do so much. 
Now, in specific response to your question, O4l... We'd be looking for about $150 for a quarter-page spot, $250 for a half-page spot, and $400 for a full-page ad. That spot would be in a 5-1/2" by 8" (probably,... a full-size 8" X 11-1/2" is possible, but would reduce our distribution by a lot), full-color, roughly 16- to 32-page (depending on how many sponsor dollars/ad purchases we get) magazine of which 1,000 to 2,000 (again, depending on money) will be distributed, many by mail to members and "friends" of "the Gridiron", some to select newsstands around the nation where we have people located. That's the deal, roughly. Some details may be slipping my mind at this very moment. HOWEVER, I do want it to be know that I do not want to spend too much of my time teasing this stuff out until it looks like we have hope. Bottom, bottom line, again, we need about $1,500 to $2,000 to be in business, and it looks like I'm not going to be getting on company sponsors until mid-May, at best, when it's already way TOO late. 
|
|
Logged |
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: Mar 27th, 2006, 2:32pm » |
Quote Modify
|
A quick addendum to that immediately prior post of mine... FULL sponsorship from any one company (or person) is, OF COURSE, welcomed. If a company, e.g., wants to become an exclusive sponsor of this project and is willing to foot the whole $1,500 to $2,000 to put us in business, I would make it well worth it for them. Just throwing it out there... 
|
|
Logged |
|
|
|
GM
GBRFLer
Champ - '93, '03, '07, '12, '18, '22
# 54
Posts: 491
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #11 on: Mar 31st, 2006, 1:04am » |
Quote Modify
|
Steg,
Just wanted to let you know I back your efforts on your publication and I am offering free layout/design work on the magazine - maybe even cough up some cache so I can let everyone know what a sorry team you have and how much I enjoy having your 1st rd. picks for the next 10 years.
For those of you who may not know, I have had several chances to speak with Steg specifically about this project. Working for a publishing company, I have some knowledge of what goes into a magazine of this kind and the many challenges in launching a new book. However, the effort and quality that can be seen on this site details the dedication and editorial knowledge needed to make a magazine idea like this successful.
Fantasyfootballer.com is one of the best FF resources around. If there was a magazine out there that captured the quality of this site, I would pick it up every time. I have no doubt that if Steg can generate the necessary funds for the magazine, he will do for it what he has done for this site. Just my very humble opinion.
|
| « Last Edit: Mar 31st, 2006, 1:05am by Drew Rosenhaus » |
Logged |
She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
I got better. Burn her anyway!
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
 |
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #15 on: Apr 6th, 2006, 12:57am » |
Quote Modify
|
I want to, again, thank everybody who has posted for the supportive commentary,... my fellow Rainbow Warriors for your empathetic and corroborative posts regarding this HELL this semester, and, moreover, those of you, Jamie, Markie and Rick, who (since my last post) have offered assistance, both financial and with the work. 
Also,...
on Apr 4th, 2006, 9:57pm, rickgpin wrote:help out where needed.
 |
|
I want to remind my writers here of something and make it clear with everyone... As I (should have) told each of you, who write fantasy-specific team reports for the site, over the phone, the main content of the magazine will be team-by-team fantasy-specific reports with each team being respectively covered by the dude who covers the team here on the site. Since we still only have 20 teams covered, some of us will be asked to write for an extra team for the magazine. What I am getting at,... the writers doing the work here will be featured in the magazine. This will not just be a "Stegazine",  so to speak.  A bunch of you stand to have your work and mug-shots  in this thing!
SO, let's make this sucker HAPPEN!!! 
|
| « Last Edit: Apr 8th, 2006, 6:14pm by Stegfucius » |
Logged |
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #18 on: Apr 8th, 2006, 3:55pm » |
Quote Modify
|
All,
Okay... I'm going to reign this in here real fast. I'll say off the top that this is going to be a bit harsh (in that it treats of reality ), so those of you with "weak stomachs" or "fragile egos", I suggest you turn away.
Above, I (in my mind somewhat reluctantly for just the reason that's prompted this post) thanked dudes for the assistance they were offering with respect to the "labor",  both of whom, mind yous, also offered financial assistance, and one of whom the offer to help out (with writing) was quite evidently just an afterthought (thank you for that). Frankly speaking, the writing of the team reports (for the magazine) is the "treat" end of it. Everybody wants to do that, get your name, work, picture in print (and, mind you, I want to make that happen for each of you)... You don't really need to "offer" to do that stuff. As I stated in my last post, you all will be "expected" to do that,... which, by the way, is a function of my getting it with respect to "cooperative" effort... I know that you guys want to do those team reports, but I also know that, that aside, your, in fact, doing them for me here hugely helps the site, and I appreciate that. On the other hand, you know you want to do those team reports, but you also know that you want someone to just give you a chance and that I am that guy providing you with a (cool) place to do your thing, and you appreciate that. That's an example of cooperative effort.
At any rate, truth be said, the content of the magazine would NOT even come close to needing 14 writers (the current number of our writers). Beyond the consultation I did with Mark (a.k.a. Drew Rosenhaus) and Matt (the two fellas mentioned in my initial post above who are professionals in related areas of the industry), the whole job for that matter, including layout and design, dealing with the printer, getting the mailing list in order, etc., etc., for this first year at least, could rather readily be done by one person or two people, namely my wife and I. She, by the way, also VERY skilled with computers has offered her assistance, more Stegeman family resources being tapped (frankly speaking, Mark, and I think I mentioned this to you, I was planning on my wife doing the layout and design with my input right here together, so I can see how things are unfolding, and then when we were done, send it to you, like I would the prospectus if that path ends up being the one having to be taken some year, for your recommendations, setting up a "circular editorial" type process (spiraling inward  , i.e. honing); remember I too worked in the publication industry, TOEIC Magazine, the book project I headed, Master the TOEIC, and the Yong & Son Media TOEIC Preparation Course book, so I'm not a total schmoe here).
Anyway, the last two posts were written in a way that makes it seem like this magazine project is full-steam for '06, and that this thread is a call for volunteers. It wasn't AT ALL as you can see if you read the initial post of mine, but I kind of opened the door to its being taken as such when I thanked rick and D.R. the "way I did". GUYS, if this isn't abundantly lucid, AS THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW, THIS IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO HAPPENING, so there is nothing to "volunteer" for. If this thread and its stated objectives die, then so does the project... for this year at least. Things just are what they are... ... 
Furthermore,... just a heads up (on the personal side of things),... on how deaf of a pair of ears do you all think any of this talk of being tight or broke is falling? Guys, while there may be dudes as tight as I am (I don't know, so I'm not going to deny it), there is NO ONE here tighter and yet spending and expending more on this place than I am (with that italicized clause, I believe you guys can grant that I can say that across the board)... This has been the story of my whole life... Working part-time jobs since age 15, 10 if you include the paper route I had, not for pocket money or savings for myself, mind you, but "to help with the rent"! I just gave my paychecks to my parents, eventually my mother (remember my father died when I was 16). I never asked too many questions. That's not to say that I didn't bitch, but at the end of the day, especially after my dad passed, I knew the need was there. Getting through college, one particular 17-credit semester I was working a work-study job at the field house 10 hours a week, as a technical support representative with a satellite television company TVN 15 to 20 hours a week, and, to top it off, at f'n McDonald's another 10 to 12 hours a week. Why did 1-3 years in Korea turn into SEVEN? I was pulling my mom out of a financial crevass (my father was a great guy, but did not take care of the "details" of living like life insurance and such). Why do you think a Steggie  is NOWHERE on the horizon? And, again, as per that post of mine on the "Site Donors" thread, why do you think I have to take the "slow and steady" approach here? Besides what I state on that thread, when looking for site donations I, as yous know all too well, harp not just on bottom-line expenses but on my time and effort because, the paradox, the (financially) poorer (I'll never admit to being "really" poor, because I believe true "wealth" comes in "real life" and experiencing it "richly" and "deeply", which I do) you are, the less you can do, so the more you must do... on your own. ... Personal friends of mine here could attest to all this (and would be welcome to (my life has been an open book heretofore on "the Gridiron"), but many of them (who could) never even darken outside the GBRFL board, something else that is a bit disappointing).
Bottom, bottom line, 25 guys (and we DO have at least 25 active "enough" guys) pledging, not even "giving" at this point, JUST $20 each could make a difference,... the difference (along with the $500 I'd pull from out of my ass). RIGHT NOW, this is a ship that ain't lookin' like its leaving port in '06. It's not sinking, mind you, but...  Announcement: volunteers getting aboard, we aren't going anywhere! I need help shoving the boat away from the dock first... In other words, I need people "responding" to what is stated in the initial post...
- Steg
|
| « Last Edit: Apr 8th, 2006, 10:08pm by Stegfucius » |
Logged |
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
 |
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #19 on: Jun 1st, 2006, 5:31pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Well,... first off,... Ray, Gene, Jamie, Rick, I want to thank each of you again for your "no-strings-attached" pledges. But,... in the end,... I cannot express how disappointed I am to have found this thread laying forgotten on page 2 of "the Sidelines". No one proved me wrong. It just dropped like a lead sinker as I predicted. At this point, though not absolutely impossible, it would take nothing short of a miracle to make this happen this year (because a) we are obviously VERY late in the ballgame and b) we are kind of caught, financially, between a rock and a hard place, which will be borne out...).
What I mainly want to get out on the table at this rather hopeless point for '06 is that if the only way this gets done is because I either have or have made enough time during February, March, April to contact and deal with 125 potential sponsors, incurring all the costs that go therewith, not even a guaranteed way to get this done, mind you, that is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT context than if 50 or so of you guys, and we do have at least 50 active "enough" members, stepped up with (just) $20 to $40 each to help make this happen. Point being,... these are contexts which "affect" things. ... The latter "cooperative" effort leads to warm feelings of (a) family(-run business), sharing the load... AND the accomplishment; the former is "business as usual", cold-hard capitalism, dog-eat-dog, everyone for himself. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that these make for different feelings and commitments. It is what it is! Mind you, another VERY different context, though it doesn't seem to be anywhere on the horizon, is if it just comes to a time where I can just afford to finance this myself. Again, the feelings and commitment would be VERY different than if we pool our resources and I am spared of that time-consuming uphill battle of cold-calling (and the battering my phone bill is sure to take).
Anyway, I am just trying to be proactive about this. I am just trying to paint the "bigger picture" here regarding the possible paths before US and so that there are no surprises if  someday as the situation is not quite as "glorious" as I wanted it to be and it could have been. On the other hand, maybe you guys will surprise me...
Along those lines,... here's the funny thing to me about the lack of receptiveness here. All I'm suggesting is for us to "pull together" and make something rather inexpensive happen that we, at least the little boys in each of us, all DREAM of doing. This is a GOLDEN opportunity to, as men, make a (boyhood) DREAM (and EVERYTHING GREAT it could lead to here at FantasyFootballer.com) come true for what amounts to a night out with the family... at McDonald's. And, hell, yous don't even need to come up with the modest numbers I mention above. As I've stated before, I'm willing to dip into my empty pockets and somehow come up with $500 or so myself to get this over the hump. I mean... it's a bit astounding to me... Anyway... I guess there aren't as many dreamers out there as I thought. ... Whatever,... I guarantee that it'll happen someday, and I guess I can take solace in that the more it's just me making it happen, the more it stays in my control. That ain't really what I relish, though...
In any event, besides being almost too late in the going, we are... I am now at a point in the year where the production of the magazine faces further obstacles, namely the "underlying" bottom line of the site, which many of you who stay in tune with the "rhythm of things" around here know, and which, in any event, you will be reminded of on another thread here very shortly...
|
| « Last Edit: Jun 1st, 2006, 8:19pm by Stegfucius » |
Logged |
|
|
|
GM
GBRFLer
Champ - '93, '03, '07, '12, '18, '22
# 54
Posts: 491
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #20 on: Jun 2nd, 2006, 2:07am » |
Quote Modify
|
Steg,
I know we have been trying to get in touch w/ each other (mostly by your persistence) and I apologize for being gone so much. At work, we are heading into a very new frontier for the company and it has been a lot of work.
ANYWAY, no excuse. We will talk very soon. As for the post from April, I really dropped the ball (now that you mentioned it, I do remember the Steggies all being called to help with layout) but of course I will do what you ask in terms of once you guys have what you want put together.
In the meantime, hopefully I can start a trend with a small donation to you. I will make it a priority to get a hold of you soon.
|
|
Logged |
She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
I got better. Burn her anyway!
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #21 on: Jun 2nd, 2006, 3:12am » |
Quote Modify
|
on Jun 2nd, 2006, 2:07am, Drew Rosenhaus wrote:| In the meantime, hopefully I can start a trend with a small donation to you. I will make it a priority to get a hold of you soon. |
|
Guys,... Markie,... do remember that supporting the magazine project ONLY REQUIRES pledges (frankly speaking, this is why the (rather miserable) failure of this astonishes me). At this point, any donations received will be considered as going towards overhead (as per http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=58;a ction=display;num=1083529145) unless I suddenly receive such a deluge of contributions that I feel I have enough to divert back toward the magazine project. Anyway,... I just wanted everybody (who is considering contributing) to be clear on this...
|
|
Logged |
|
|
|
Philosopher King
of Fantasy Football
Site Administrator
GBRFLer
Champ - '94, '99, '02, '04
I love ''the Gridiron''!
Posts: 19699
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #23 on: Jun 8th, 2006, 12:22am » |
Quote Modify
|
Well,... sd,... first of all, I thank you for not letting this thread completely drop (like it seems most would). To answer your question, there is A LOT MORE to it than is being presented on this thread, the structure of the publication, its quality (which will mirror the high and unique quality with which things are done here), how it will be distributed, how it will generate revenue, the latter two of which are really the groundbreaking ideas behind it, etc., etc., none of which I feel at all comfortable divulging in public (because I don't want someone else stealing the ideas). That's why I have to be evasive (your post points out to me how in yet another way I am stuck between a rock and a hard place). On the other hand, ALL of the people who would be a substantive part of the project of the magazine, from writers to people who would help me with design to those who stepped up two years ago to help me get the list of potential sponsors together and on and on, are ALL "in the know" about the things you ask to some degree (contingent on to what degree their involvement would be or just how long I had to speak with them on the phone). Frankly speaking, most of them know ALL about it. There is A LOT that goes on behind the scenes here, sd. In fact, with something like this, it's virtually ALL been behind the scenes. The only reason I brought it out from behind the scenes is because yet again this year I wasn't going to have the time to do the HUGE job of trying to get sponsorship for it, and in light of a few conversations I had with dudes by phone, came up with this idea of seeing if we couldn't get it done, i.e. finance it, "in-house" (as, again, given the ENORMITY of the task of cold-calling companies, who knows what year I'll be able to get around to that, and, mind you, NO ONE is volunteering to help with that; as a matter of fact, though, I don't even know if that is a job I can delegate - it unfortunately really is something I need to do... if that ultimately is the only option I have of making this happen). That's about the clearest picture I can give you, sd.
|
|
Logged |
|
|
|
Fantasy Field General
GBRFLer
Champ - '95, '98, '08, '09, '10, '13, '15, '17, '19
# 22
9X Ultimate Supreme Champion
Posts: 807
Back to top
|
|
Re: What's been brewin'!!!!!
« Reply #24 on: Jun 11th, 2006, 9:39pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Seems like shit or get off the pot time.  If you can get this thing rolling at this point, you can count on my pledge of a "C spot".
Maybe this can get the some pledges into action. $10, $20 ... whatever. Now is the time everyone. 
|
|
Logged |
|
|
|
|
Home
Help
Search
Members
Games
Login
Register
Reply
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print
Remove