*Fixing the Fallout from Vegas

[RedCydranth]

Las Vegas gained popularity in the 50s for tourists who could enjoy gambling and watch mushroom clouds go off to the northwest of the city as the United States military tested their nuclear weapons in the desert. Another large bomb went off this week.

If you haven't heard by now, the majority of the Las Vegas Legion retired. Their reasons at this point are of no consequence. The fact is, they did it, and they left Ben and anyone else who is active (Beavers, I think. Unless he quit too and I missed that.) in quite a pit. This not only screws them over for a considerable future, but it actually destroys a lot of the league's future and credibility. The team is literally worse now than they were when they were granted expansion a few seasons ago. At least after the expansion draft they had some active guys.

I know we've had some really shitty things happen to teams in the past. Noble cheating and getting suspended for the Yeti has had some dire consequences for that team. But that was one guy who screwed up. It sucked for the team but they could rebound from it. This is literally a whole team saying "peace, Fuck y'all." and we can't let that sink this league. It gives zero incentive for Ben or anyone else to ever be on the Legion. I'm a free agent and I really don't think I'd want to go there and begin afresh unless I had a bunch of other people to come with me. Enough that it'd actually be a locker room. Not just Ben and I talking to ourselves in the mirror.

Here's my idea to rebuild Las Vegas up.

1. Give them a single season stipend to lure free agents in. This money could be used to front load contracts to get big name faces who are hitting the Free Agency market a reason to join their rebuilding effort. Mind you all of this stipend money MUST go to free agents, and not resigning current players or inactives on their roster to extensions. Also, this extra money MUST go into the first year of the contract and any contracts signed to multiple years, those extra years must count against the normal salary cap. At least 2 Million of each FA Contract must come out of the team's salary cap as well. So if they offer me 6M for 1 year, 4M comes from the stipend, 2M comes from their salary cap. if they offer me 6M for 2 years, it's same as above but then they're liable for the 6M next year, as $0 on that comes from this stipend.

2. Delay the first round of the draft a season. By this I mean give them this season's entire first round. Any traded picks that were acquired get shifted a season. So, say if the Yeti have the 3rd overall pick this year, they'd just get the 3rd overall next season. This gives them, hopefully, some fresh young guys with decent starting TPE to build with. On top of any Free Agents who wish to sign there, this should make them competitive in this league, which we all agree is a good thing. We don't want any team being a free gimme win.

Now, I understand this means giving up a lot. I expect people to outright reject this idea because it's unfair to the 7 teams who didn't have a cultist kool-aid party this off season. But that's the point. It's not about what's fair to us, but what is right by the Legion. It's not fair to Las Vegas, who is already in the biggest hole ever, to have to trade their future away to try to get enough team members to field a full team. Given their current state, it is very likely that most FAs won't want to join a team who won't sniff playoffs for 3 more seasons, and that is if they do everything right. I think there's one thing to be said of everyone who plays this game. We love the NSFL and we want it to be the best it can be. And it's time we stand up and do what is right, even if it means making some concessions to each of our team's plans this year. What's more important? The health and longevity of this league, or trying to benefit from the misfortunes of Las Vegas.

As an Otter (I know I'm a FA*, but until I sign that contract with another team, I bleed Orange) it only benefits us to let Las Vegas fester in the desert sun and die every season. It means we only have to worry about Arizona and San Jose. But I'm putting that aside to think about how we can make that team, and this league, competitive after that bomb went off in the Nuclear City. If you value this league and want this league to remain competitive, then you'll think on this and consider things from an objective point of view to try to make something work, because as it stands, the Legion will seemingly never get to where any of the current teams are, including the 1-13 Yeti.

*I do understand that this may look bad, coming from me as a Free Agent, to suggest an incentive to pay Free Agents more than usual. However, I can assure you that this is NOT from a personal gain point of view. I love this league, and I desperately want to see it get to the point where any given year we can have any of the 8 teams be the best. After what happened as St. Keyg_an played his little pipe and led the snakes out of Ireland, we need something to set this straight. I assure you that this does not come from a place of self interest or personal greed. I am definitely not that type of person.

What are your thoughts, opinions and possible alterations, additions or subtractions to make something like this work?

[1011 Words]

GRADED

[kckolbe]

They could be given the rights to all DSFL send-downs? Clearly those are players the NSFL teams don't need.

Separately, we could do a restock draft (basically an expansion draft).

Lastly, we COULD fold the team, and let Ben, JR95, and LeClair be picked up by other teams. Honestly, I think this is the best option.

[RedCydranth]

They could be given the rights to all DSFL send-downs?  Clearly those are players the NSFL teams don't need.

That might work, but that screws the DSFL up too. I'd like to not spread the sickness to that league. But if all the DSFL clubs agree, this idea is feasible.

Separately, we could do a restock draft (basically an expansion draft).

I'm not sure I fully support this one because it basically forces players on their roster without their consent. Like if every team had to send one player, they'd either basically end up with your fist option, guys who'd be DSFL send downs or actives who didn't want to leave their team. The FA idea still provides players who, despite a boatload of cash for a contract, the option of still signing where they want to. Nothing is worse than forcing someone to be where they don't want to be.

Lastly, we COULD fold the team, and let Ben, JR95, and LeClair be picked up by other teams.  Honestly, I think this is the best option.

I think JR95 joined in on the walk out.

I definitely do not like this idea, that basically makes the entire ASFC season pointless, since it'd leave 3 teams there and 6 teams make playoffs. Or if that division reverts to top 2 teams, that makes it super unfair to that 3rd team when 3 teams in the NSFC still get to advance to the playoffs and there's 1 wild card game.

I also think, if any of these ideas, your, mine or otherwise, that Ben and his newly assembled Legion team get the full capability of moving and renaming because it would really be a complete reboot and that deserves a fresh face, so it could feel like a new franchise, something to be proud of, not the wasted wreckage of a disaster gone awry.

[kckolbe]

I definitely do not like this idea, that basically makes the entire ASFC season pointless, since it'd leave 3 teams there and 6 teams make playoffs. Or if that division reverts to top 2 teams, that makes it super unfair to that 3rd team when 3 teams in the NSFC still get to advance to the playoffs and there's 1 wild card game.

Only 2 from each division currently make the playoffs, not 3. Also, forgive me, but has LVL in any way been a factor for playoffs in the past?

[bovovovo]

Lastly, we COULD fold the team, and let Ben, JR95, and LeClair be picked up by other teams.  Honestly, I think this is the best option.

Because of the sim there has to be two equal divisions, so you'd need to fold another team too, which there are a plethora of reasons not to imo

[HalfEatenOnionBagel]

Because of the sim there has to be two equal divisions, so you'd need to fold another team too, which there are a plethora of reasons not to imo

Yeah as easy as it would be to use that solution this is the unfortunate roadblock. I think our only real options would be to change the draft this season to give legion all the active dsfl players coming up, having a quasi expansion draft to reallocate some players to Las Vegas or letting them keep the retired players as inactives but that last option could set an odd precedent

[bovovovo]

Yeah as easy as it would be to use that solution this is the unfortunate roadblock. I think our only real options would be to change the draft this season to give legion all the active dsfl players coming up, having a quasi expansion draft to reallocate some players to Las Vegas or letting them keep the retired players as inactives but that last option could set an odd precedent

Yeah HO and the GMs talked it over... honestly not sure what the solution would be. The discussion kinda broke down... lots of disagreement amongst the GMs lol

I was personally in favor of just making a one time exception and letting them keep the players as inactives... the problem though is that they did actually want to retire. I believe Legion may still have them all for next season though? Because they retired after the trade deadline? Could be wrong.

The hard part is finding something that helps Legion but doesn't take away from the other teams too much. Some people think Legion shouldn't even be helped. Moments like these make me glad I'm not HO lol

[Raven]

Yeah HO and the GMs talked it over... honestly not sure what the solution would be. The discussion kinda broke down... lots of disagreement amongst the GMs lol

I was personally in favor of just making a one time exception and letting them keep the players as inactives... the problem though is that they did actually want to retire. I believe Legion may still have them all for next season though? Because they retired after the trade deadline? Could be wrong.

The hard part is finding something that helps Legion but doesn't take away from the other teams too much. Some people think Legion shouldn't even be helped. Moments like these make me glad I'm not HO lol

D. Retirement
- If a player retires after the off-season has begun (after the Championship has been awarded), that player will play one final season and the user can recreate, thus having two players in the league for the retired players final season

Alas, they retired before the offseason which will be later toady. So all their players are gone.

[kckolbe]

Because of the sim there has to be two equal divisions, so you'd need to fold another team too, which there are a plethora of reasons not to imo

Not really. It could exist as a bot team, basically a free win.

[jaskins811]

I think we should let the three active players become FA's immediately and essentially "fold" the team. I know that is not possible with the limitations of the sim, but what you could do is make the current Legion a team of 0 TPE bots, and make every other teams 2 games against them this season essentially a bye week, as it would be two free wins. Since everyone plays them twice, it works out. Then next season, we do a sort of dispersal draft where we every NSFL team has to send one active above like 250 TPE to Las Vegas on a 2 year contract, and one inactive 100+ TPE player on a 1 year deal. This way it restocks Las Vegas, gives Las Vegas the time to recover and hopefully put a good group of leadership into the organization to prepare for season 6.