What if Litter Box Cats can't pick?

[Cycle like Sedins]

Re-post from the e-mail:

I haven't heard anything from my buddy Whale4Ever at Litter Box Cats (aka the 27th pick). He's receiving this e-mail, too, BTW. So hopefully this will be another false alarm.

(I know he has some shizz to take care of, but we might need to move on.)

Here's what I'm thinking:

We'll give him until 1 pm CT to make a pick before we start rolling over picks on 'em.

If we get to 30, then we'll have a bit of a dilemma. In fact, I want your thoughts on if this happens. Here's our options:

1. I can steal his team/act as the pick "surrogate"

Pros: You get to make fun of my foolish picks

Cons: While I haven't stolen anyone's blueprints or anything, I have leisurely talked about the draft with people and would feel slightly weird about making picks under those circumstances. Even if they would be picks that I would make anyway.

2. Find another blogger

I don't know of any other Florida Panthers (non-MSM) bloggers, so it would probably have to be someone else.

Thoughts?

I won't be able to reply to your responses since I'll be at my Internet-unfriendly job, so I'll put this up on the message board too. This might all be a moot point if LBC drafts, anyway.

[Cycle like Sedins]

One other issue might be if LBC and Crash the Crease cannot pick. Here's the problem:

CtC let me know he might have some problems drafting today. Since couldn't post his picks until 5:30 CT, it would be unfair to make HIS pick lapse too.

So, we might just be in a holding pattern until 5:30 pm CT.

If that happens and LBC can log on before CtC (or me repping CtC) can post a pick, then we could still avoid the pick rolling over.

*groans*

[stormingthecrease]

I think this brings up two issues:

1. Unless prior warning is given, all picks should come with a time limit of, say, 4-6 hours, that would be agreed upon by all 30 owners. By prior warning, I mean an e-mail to James as your pick is approaching.

2. We should have a list of 10-20 players ready to go should you (a) not be available, as stated above or (b) don't pick under the time limit.

What does everybody think?

[habitants]

This is getting a little crazy... we're a week deep and not done one round.

There are 65 days until the season begins, with almost 700 selections to make, and I feel we need to do what is necessary to move this thing along.

[caniac26]

Jul 28, 2009 7:46:09 GMT -5 stormingthecrease said:

I think this brings up two issues:

1. Unless prior warning is given, all picks should come with a time limit of, say, 4-6 hours, that would be agreed upon by all 30 owners. By prior warning, I mean an e-mail to James as your pick is approaching.

2. We should have a list of 10-20 players ready to go should you (a) not be available, as stated above or (b) don't pick under the time limit.

What does everybody think?

I like this idea. It gives people the chance to give a non-automated pick if they want to. But it also stops one person going MIA from slowing down the entire process.

Although, I would request that the hours from 2am-6am not be included in the countdown. I don't think it would be fair that someone's pick was passed over because they were sleeping.

[vanekatthedisco]

I'll see if I can't get a hold of Whale4Ever on Facebook, if not.

Then yeah, we're going to need to see a little administrative leadership Jimbo. Fire out.

[jibblescribbits]

FORCE THE TRADE TO ME!

(Seriously though, he also has another writer at his site, you may want to post on his blog at litter-box cats and ask if his back-up can make a pick)

Personally I think everyone should make their first round-pick, and after that the lists should be used.

The problem with a list is that everyone on the list may be picked by the time it rolls around,. I mean my 3rd round pick is 59 picks after my second round pick, and I'm not going to make a 60-pick list.

(FYI: I close on a house Thursday and will not have much time next week to be around. I will have a backup guy do my pick if necessary. Of course the speed of this draft, and the distance between my picks, I may not even have a pick next week.)

[jibblescribbits]

Jul 28, 2009 8:23:19 GMT -5 caniac26 said:

Although, I would request that the hours from 2am-6am not be included in the countdown. I don't think it would be fair that someone's pick was passed over because they were sleeping.

I think this window should expand a little bit. 6am eastern is 4am here (and 3am on the west coast).. Maybe a block of Midnight eastern to 9am Eastern, with a 4-6 hour window to draft.

[iamjoe]

Jibble- When I emailed LBC last night about your trade and to let them know that they were on the clock, the email went to James, myself, Kontos, as well as Whale4Ever (The LBC blog said he would be out of town for a bit) and DolPhanDave, in case he wanted to pinch hit for Whale.

As for time limits on drafting - I think what we really ought to do after the first couple rounds is just "sim" the draft by throwing some lists to James. Say, at the end of the second round, everyone sends a list to James of the players ranked as they would like them. You should be able to gauge who/what you want on a round by round basis. James uses those lists, creates the entire round's draft and posts it up, and then we did it again for the next round. As for these earlier rounds, I'm pretty much down with what's been proposed here, with some allowance, as Jibble and Caniac suggested, for the overnights.

Further, everyone should be reminded that when we have these hold ups, you ought to be planning your draft, which allows us to make some quick progress. Like after we had to wait a little bit for #14 to pick, we quickly knocked out like 7 or 8 picks that day. Just be ready and check in frequently.

[jibblescribbits]

I think the picks at the end of rounds will go quicker than those in the middle.

Obviously, I'll probably make 2 picks at pretty much the same time. But HB Adven and crashthecrease will probably be checking pretty often right after they pick, with a pretty good idea of who they are going to take.

I assume that will also be the case for Calgary, Vancouver and Tampa bloggers as well.

[vanekatthedisco]

See here's my problem with the list situation.

I'll go out on a limb here and say that, if we all send in top 50 lists or whatever, somebody is going to end up with 2 LW, 3 C, and 7 RW, just by the fact that "best available" doesn't always equate to team need.

It puts undue pressure/work on James if we all pile 30 lists on to him, then if best available on your list then becomes your 12th defensemen, (yes exaggeration, but the point remains).

I think the list idea will also take away any semblance of trade opportunities, because frankly, you don't know who's available. Let's get serious, right now, if we were going by lists no one from 28 - 35 would be trying to trade up with LBC to grab Mr. Stanley Cup Runner Up (sorry Mr. Scribbits).

I still think that if you want to send James a list, by all means go ahead, but I'd prefer just checking once an hour from my desk, and every so often from my phone at home.

If there's a way to do a better notification system, we could always try that, a facebook group, twitter, have the guy in front of you email you when he's picked so you know its your turn? Obviously we need to speed this up, we just have to figure out how.

[jibblescribbits]

Jul 28, 2009 10:31:06 GMT -5 vanekatthedisco said:

I think the list idea will also take away any semblance of trade opportunities, because frankly, you don't know who's available. Let's get serious, right now, if we were going by lists no one from 28 - 35 would be trying to trade up with LBC to grab Mr. Stanley Cup Runner Up (sorry Mr. Scribbits).

Don't give away that I'm trying to take Osgood!

[chriskontos]

I don't want to be forced into doing a list. I'm a busy guy, but I had my pick up there within an hour of the email from James. I think if you don't hear from a GM within a specific, agreed upon amount of time (except of course if the GM emails you and says "I can't pick for the next few hours, etc) then James should just step in and make the best available pick.

OR

James should go all Bud Selig and be the commissioner and a team owner. Do it James!

[sensatlandsend]

I agree that the idea of making lists of 30 players is not the best way to go. However if going to a list system is really going to speed things up, then perhaps the lists could go in 5 pick blocks, if you see what I mean. Instead of everyone submitting a list of 30 players, the next 5 people to draft submit a list of 5 players, or something like that.

In terms of a window of time to pick, I'm glad someone mentioned the timezone issue -- I am on the west coast and it was about 4 hours before I saw James' email letting me know it was time for me to pick yesterday just because I didn't get on the computer until 9am my time. I'd hope that my pick wouldn't get passed over for that reason but I assume there could also be exceptions for people who let James know they might be slightly delayed in picking.

[paulhinrichsen]

this needs to get moving, lets skip him. were picking 18 players...people need to plan ahead if they are gonna miss there pick...say if you are 6 picks away and know youll miss your pick, just throw someone your top 7 choices in order...no need for 30 player lists...you cna send me the list or anyone else that isnt in front of you picking...i have an iphone and im sure some others have smart phones and can pick anytime anywhere.