Barleyman Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Hi all, I am polling for possible desire for an alternative fantasy football platform to the current offerings out there. I am a unique individual that I am a fantasy player and a software developer for internet startups. My opinion is the current state of options to choose from, ESPN, Sportsline, Yahoo, Fanball, etc all are pretty archaic when it comes to websites today. Too cluttered with unnecessary junk, and sometimes hard to get the information you are looking for. In addition, they tend to become slow under massive load, something that is easily avoided with the right technology. My problem, I don't want to spend an entire offseason working on this, if it is only me who feels this way about current options. My questions for all of you...... Do you feel the same way? Would you be willing to provide feedback/input for a new site? and would you consider switching your leagues for the right offering? Please respond honestly, good or bad. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 MFL sincerely, a unique individual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpholmes Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Hi all, I am polling for possible desire for an alternative fantasy football platform to the current offerings out there. I am a unique individual that I am a fantasy player and a software developer for internet startups. My opinion is the current state of options to choose from, ESPN, Sportsline, Yahoo, Fanball, etc all are pretty archaic when it comes to websites today. Too cluttered with unnecessary junk, and sometimes hard to get the information you are looking for. In addition, they tend to become slow under massive load, something that is easily avoided with the right technology. My problem, I don't want to spend an entire offseason working on this, if it is only me who feels this way about current options. My questions for all of you...... Do you feel the same way? Would you be willing to provide feedback/input for a new site? and would you consider switching your leagues for the right offering? Please respond honestly, good or bad. Thanks in advance! myfantasyleague.com already beat you to this bud, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barleyman Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 I appreciate the feedback. And I hope this doesn't start a flame war, but MFL is the ugliest site I have seen in this space. Its design is about 5 years behind most modern websites. We played around with for our league and MFL was a resounding "no way". What is it that you like so much about MFL? Customization I assume. What additional items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpholmes Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Most serious fantasy football players aren't looking for a "flashy" or "pretty" site. People use Yahoo, ESPN, NFL and CBS because they are typically casual fantasy football players that jump on board with one of the big companies - these companies don't have to tailor to some of the more outlandish fantasy football league customizations, so they dress up their sites with what they consider "features" and what most of us consider crap. MFL gives us what we want - complete customization. Dynasty leagues, keeper leagues, 32 team leagues, any kind of weekly match ups, any kind of scoring, any kind of draft, etc... In addition to being able to completely customize the appearance with a little CSS know-how that's easily picked up through spending a few hours at their forums. Not to mention they have the best customer support in the business. Based on the description of what it is you're trying to do - I don't think you'd garner too much support from this crowd. And it isn't because we don't support people trying to improve the fantasy football experience, it's simply because we're more than content with what MFL has to offer - and if they don't offer it currently, you typically send them an e-mail and they have a solution for you within several hours. It sounds like you're looking to break into the Yahoo, ESPN, NFL, and CBS markets, and there aren't too many of those customers on these forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barleyman Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) Most serious fantasy football players aren't looking for a "flashy" or "pretty" site. People use Yahoo, ESPN, NFL and CBS because they are typically casual fantasy football players that jump on board with one of the big companies - these companies don't have to tailor to some of the more outlandish fantasy football league customizations, so they dress up their sites with what they consider "features" and what most of us consider crap. MFL gives us what we want - complete customization. Dynasty leagues, keeper leagues, 32 team leagues, any kind of weekly match ups, any kind of scoring, any kind of draft, etc... In addition to being able to completely customize the appearance with a little CSS know-how that's easily picked up through spending a few hours at their forums. Not to mention they have the best customer support in the business. Based on the description of what it is you're trying to do - I don't think you'd garner too much support from this crowd. And it isn't because we don't support people trying to improve the fantasy football experience, it's simply because we're more than content with what MFL has to offer - and if they don't offer it currently, you typically send them an e-mail and they have a solution for you within several hours. It sounds like you're looking to break into the Yahoo, ESPN, NFL, and CBS markets, and there aren't too many of those customers on these forums. Thanks a lot for that response. That is a valid point and I believe you are right on the money. People who hang out here are not the "casual" ff player and probably not my target audience. I appreciate your honesty and insight, and would still be interested in picking your brains if we do go ahead with our site. edit: I should add I also don't like a "flashy" site, but a more visually appealing minimalistic site similar to something like this => http://jogjadesign.net/demo/adminique/dashboard.html Edited February 9, 2011 by Barleyman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 and would still be interested in picking your brains if we do go ahead with our site. Make sure you use the Official Al Davis Brain Scraper. It kinda looks like a cat box scooper but painted silver and black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
half_hennessy Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I would be willing to look at something for sure whilst I like MFL and run 3 leagues on it currently there are certainly areas which it could be improved aswell. I know from a dynasty standpoint it would be nice to have something could actually subtract there contract years for you from year to year and I am sure anyone running a salary league would love to have salaries clculated for them each season aswell. I also agree that for the most part the MFL site is butt ugly but the customisation of it just makes it so much better to run a league there right now than anywhere else. If a site was available to run a league with the same flexibility with a better look and some other improvements maybe there would be alot of interest in it. Price ofcourse is another issue MFL is cheap enough really and that is another reason why everyone likes using it here. Best of luck if you decide to go ahead with it I am happy to give suggestions as I am sure others will to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) I know from a dynasty standpoint it would be nice to have something could actually subtract there contract years for you from year to year and I am sure anyone running a salary league would love to have salaries clculated for them each season aswell. MFL can do the first. Not sure of the second. Edited February 9, 2011 by tazinib1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I want the same things you do in a FF site. But it seems like people that use other options besides MFL like all the graphics and pics. I don't understand it myself. I think that MFL gives you what you need but many folks do actually want the glitz and glamour that sites have that also slow them down. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I appreciate the feedback. And I hope this doesn't start a flame war, but MFL is the ugliest site I have seen in this space. Its design is about 5 years behind most modern websites. We played around with for our league and MFL was a resounding "no way". What is it that you like so much about MFL? Customization I assume. What additional items? The thing with MFL is that it's customizable from a visual perspective as well. http://forums.myfantasyleague.com/forums/i...?showtopic=6330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 The thing with MFL is that it's customizable from a visual perspective as well. http://forums.myfantasyleague.com/forums/i...?showtopic=6330 But they still look like a HS kid made them in 1997. I think this guy is on to something because this topic has come up before. The hardcores don't care what it looks like, they just want to be able to make it handle any myriad scoring options and such. But many of us are in leagues with guys who are used to the flashy sites. I remember when I switched my local over to MFL, guys were bitching about it endlessly. However, I think they complain far more about the lack of editorial content then the fact that it looks like crap. And that's a sort of hard part to include if you're not attached to CBS or ESPN or the like. Ultimately, would I prefer a version of MFL that was nicer on the eyes and maybe more intuitively designed? Absolutely. Then again, I'm already on board with using a site that doesn't have a ton of articles and such posted. That, I think, is the thing that keeps most people using the big boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 edit: I should add I also don't like a "flashy" site, but a more visually appealing minimalistic site similar to something like this => http://jogjadesign.net/demo/adminique/dashboard.html Uh, that link sucks. Are you just a somewhat cleverly disguised spammer? So it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I'd like a site that can accurately predict the outcome of the games each week, but in a clean and modern setting. TIA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Uh, that link sucks. Are you just a somewhat cleverly disguised spammer? So it seems. Bingo. I reserved judgment due to his join date, but alas, he's a spammer in spammer clothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 But they still look like a HS kid made them in 1997. I think this guy is on to something because this topic has come up before. The hardcores don't care what it looks like, they just want to be able to make it handle any myriad scoring options and such. But many of us are in leagues with guys who are used to the flashy sites. I remember when I switched my local over to MFL, guys were bitching about it endlessly. However, I think they complain far more about the lack of editorial content then the fact that it looks like crap. And that's a sort of hard part to include if you're not attached to CBS or ESPN or the like. Ultimately, would I prefer a version of MFL that was nicer on the eyes and maybe more intuitively designed? Absolutely. Then again, I'm already on board with using a site that doesn't have a ton of articles and such posted. That, I think, is the thing that keeps most people using the big boys. I have seen a lot of MFL sites that look good. They all have similar elements, true...but then the elements they have are what I want when I go to a FF site: pertinent information about the league. Have you seen any of the work TOS did on MFL sites? They look nice IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Uh, that link sucks. Are you just a somewhat cleverly disguised spammer? So it seems. Possibly, and while they are very few, he does have posts (all in the advice forum) going back to 2006, so if it is a spammer, it's eaither a set this up for 5 years spammer or a hacked account. I'm going to lean towards this being a legit inquiry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Possibly, and while they are very few, he does have posts (all in the advice forum) going back to 2006, so if it is a spammer, it's eaither a set this up for 5 years spammer or a hacked account. I'm going to lean towards this being a legit inquiry. Homo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barleyman Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Bingo. I reserved judgment due to his join date, but alas, he's a spammer in spammer clothing. I am most certainly not a spammer. I build websites for a living for sites you have surely heard of and happen to be a fantasy football player as well. I am always disgusted at the options available in fantasy football. As some astute readers pointed out, read my history here. I did not register years ago, to one day come here and post "spam". That theme link I posted was merely an example to give you some idea of a more "clean" template. I have absolutely nothing to do with that site (and if you looked there, it is simply a demo site) I came here, because I know you guys live and breath fantasy football, and wanted to test the waters for people who might have similar complaints that my league has. I have the ability to create a site that doesn't crush under load, has mobile applications, and looks more like facebook than myspace. If you agree or disagree with my thinking please let me know. Honesty is more important than trying to make fun of me or give me false hope. So thanks in advance for you thoughts and advice. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I am most certainly not a spammer. I build websites for a living for sites you have surely heard of and happen to be a fantasy football player as well. I am always disgusted at the options available in fantasy football. As some astute readers pointed out, read my history here. I did not register years ago, to one day come here and post "spam". That theme link I posted was merely an example to give you some idea of a more "clean" template. I have absolutely nothing to do with that site (and if you looked there, it is simply a demo site) I came here, because I know you guys live and breath fantasy football, and wanted to test the waters for people who might have similar complaints that my league has. I have the ability to create a site that doesn't crush under load, has mobile applications, and looks more like facebook than myspace. If you agree or disagree with my thinking please let me know. Honesty is more important than trying to make fun of me or give me false hope. So thanks in advance for you thoughts and advice. John John... many people will be somewhat loyal to MFL because of the way they have treated their customers over the years. They give the best functionality and a very good price. If you come up with a better option, especially one at an attractive price, then you are sure to gain users. Around these parts there are contract dynasty leagues, salary cap leagues, auction salary cap leagues, leagues with blind bidding waiver requirements, etc., etc. All of these things are possible on MFL, and are the things that drove many of us to MFL in the first place. That and the cost comparison to CBS and other sites. It's hard to find conceptual interest. There isn't really a void for what's considered to be a fine FF management site. This is one of those cases where people would need to be introduced to what you have that's better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Honesty is more important than trying to make fun of me or give me false hope. Sorry pal, I'm gonna have to stick to making fun of you, it requires less thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) This is one of those cases where people would need to be introduced to what you have that's better. In general, Nick is quite the dumbass, but this point is very valid. If you ask what people would like to see, I think you'll get a lot of very diverse and possibly contradictory requests, with most probaly not even knowing what they want. You need to put something out there and see what the reaction is, that will probably be the only way to gauge your results. Edited February 9, 2011 by Hugh 0ne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Look, we get A TON of rookie posters linking us to this kind of stuff. If you're not a spammer, fine. But you have to realize linking us to a "demo" site that has a hit counter on it sends up red flags. Enough about that. "Flashy" sites with all the upgraded gadgets, or up-to-date as you refer to it, are nice and all. But to the hard core FF player, its meaningless. I could care less to be honest with you. I want a site that enables the league to customize with the ever increasing league options that the majority of us here at the Huddle play. And just to give you an example of a "flashy" site, Fanball folded its doors this year. Why? They did not listen to there customers when repeatedly asked to customize. I don't want huge graphic engines running on my FF site. In the age of cell phone access, its not viable. There was a group of ex-fanballers that engineered a massive exodus and created there own site, own software and all the jazz you are suggesting. It was a horrible program. Probably the worst I have seen and now they are in trouble as well. Don't fix whats not broken. I suggest you revisit MFL, go to the customize forums and see how good they really are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) I used to think the huddle was pretty. Then they added staff pictures....Yeesh Edited February 9, 2011 by whomper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 build it with a live auction app and you might have something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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