The good news, Tom Henning Øvrebø won't be refereeing this weekend in the Premier League.
The bad news, he's on the short list for the 2010 World Cup.
Something I thought about over the week because of some of the Premier League fantasy talk on Monday's post, was how to make the game good.
Back in 1995 I first started doing fantasy sports, starting with baseball and morphing into football, basketball and yes, even NHL hockey.
In those days I played with three high school friends in a four-man league. We chose our teams based off a salary list of players printed in the Sporting News. We had a salary cap. We did our own stats, or I'd do them with the weekly printed edition of USA Today.
I kept all the stats in a folder adorned with photos cut out of Sport magazine.
The point of all this, aside from name checking defunct publications? That's sort of where I feel we're at right now for Premier League fantasy or soccer fantasy games in general. The primitive stages.
Considering America is the forefront for fantasy sports, I feel it's our duty to come up with a system to tweak and perfect the current system.
As stated in some of the comments, winning the official Premier League game basically boiled down to finding a way to keep Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard on the same team under the salary cap. There's some fun in there and hell, I was loving the Amir Zaki ride while it lasted ... until October.
Yet everything else, the player pool, the salaries, even the stats themselves seem lacking. The only somewhat innovative idea seems to be the captain, and even that seems nothing more than a gimmick.
Why can't there be a format somewhere where we can draft a team of 15 in a league with say 10 teams and do it like NFL fantasy each weekend? Match the teams up head-to-head and either you get a win or a loss. There wouldn't be the same player on multiple teams.
I'd guess there enough stars to go around so everyone is on a near level playing field -- Ronaldo, Lampard, Gerrard, Torres, Anelka, Robinho, Barry, Agbonlahor, etc.
After paying attention the last couple years, I like the idea how Yahoo! does the game, charting things like crosses and fouls won, etc. My only beef there is that doesn't seem to be an universal chart for where they get their stats.
Bottom line here, we're about two decades into the fantasy sports boom and there's got to be a better way to do fantasy soccer than how it's currently constituted.
Your thoughts are always welcome. We can build on this!
Saturday
* Blackburn v. Portsmouth -- Win here for either team means a sigh of relief, though what's from stopping a little 'wink-wink' let's play for a draw scenario? ... Blackburn 2, Portsmouth 0
* Bolton v. Sunderland -- Remember when Bolton seems the preseason odds-on favorite to get the drop? Didn't happen, though the Trotters season was about as forgettable as they come. As for Sunderland, maybe we ought to credit Roy Keane for his foresight, even if it turns out to be cutting and running. His collection of misfit toys isn't working. Where is the leader that is going to pull Sunderland up by the scruff and keep them in the league? ... Bolton 1, Sunderland 1
* Everton v. Spurs -- (Live, FSC 10 a.m.) Everton could take it easy and rest guys for the FA Cup, but the club is only two points behind Aston Villa for fifth. That's something, at least. As for Tottenham, can they make the leap for at least challenge for the Top Four next season? There are puzzle pieces in place and you know Harry Redknapp is going to wheel and deal over the summer. The one problem I see with Spurs, they have oodles of "B+" players, but not a lot, if any, "A"s. ... Everton 1, Spurs 0
* Fulham v. Aston Villa -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) So if you're Fulham, look across the aisle at Aston Villa. Do you really want to get stuck in that second tier Europa/UEFA thing-a-ma-jig? Do you really want to take on more players to fill out your squad for an afterthought event? Then again, Villa might tank this match for the very same reason to avoid it next year. ... Fulham 1, Aston Villa 1
* Hull City v. Stoke City -- Hull were the early season darlings, but quietly Stoke stole the Tigers mojo and became a safe, steady team, albeit in the Wigan Athletic mode of general blah-ness. If Stoke spend a little money to sure up the defense and add a little more to the attack (let's be honest, Ricardo Fuller isn't getting the job done again) then maybe the Potters and Tony Pulis stick around for a couple seasons. ... Hull City 1, Stoke City 1
* West Brom v. Wigan Athletic -- It's really got to burn the Baggies asses that Wolves and Birmingham are coming up and they are going down. ... West Brom 0, Wigan 0
* West Ham v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) I say it every week, I can't figure out how West Ham is in seventh place. The Irons have won two games in a row three times. That's something, right? Liverpool, your mission if you chose to accept it. Win at Upton Park and put a little pressure on Manchester United. ... West Ham 1, Liverpool 2
Sunday
* Manchester United v. Manchester City -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) In the last couple years City have been a severe thorn in United's side. It would be classic City for them to somehow upset the apple cart right here, wouldn't it? If this game weren't at Old Trafford, the upset might be in the cards. Considering that City's imported mercenaries likely give less than two shits about this longstanding derby, they'll be more concerned with booking holiday vacations than stymieing the Red Devils on their way to their third straight title. I'll be getting up to watch either way. ... Manchester United 3, City 1
* Arsenal v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) If you've ever wanted to watch a match played between zombies, this one might come close. ... Arsenal 2, Chelsea 1
Monday
* Newcastle United v. Middlesbrough -- Just a thought, but perhaps it'll be a good idea to have some extra security on hand at St. James for this one. Fans ripping up tickets, throwing debris on the field, firecrackers ... you name it, anything seems possible. The one thing to factor here is that the Magpies will know their fate going into this game and if Hull City loses, they can jump out of the drop zone with three points. Maybe Obi Martins can take this match over or at least produce something spectacular. ... Newcastle United 1, Middlesbrough 0
Last week: 7-3
Season: 163-180
The bad news, he's on the short list for the 2010 World Cup.
Something I thought about over the week because of some of the Premier League fantasy talk on Monday's post, was how to make the game good.
Back in 1995 I first started doing fantasy sports, starting with baseball and morphing into football, basketball and yes, even NHL hockey.
In those days I played with three high school friends in a four-man league. We chose our teams based off a salary list of players printed in the Sporting News. We had a salary cap. We did our own stats, or I'd do them with the weekly printed edition of USA Today.
I kept all the stats in a folder adorned with photos cut out of Sport magazine.
The point of all this, aside from name checking defunct publications? That's sort of where I feel we're at right now for Premier League fantasy or soccer fantasy games in general. The primitive stages.
Considering America is the forefront for fantasy sports, I feel it's our duty to come up with a system to tweak and perfect the current system.
As stated in some of the comments, winning the official Premier League game basically boiled down to finding a way to keep Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard on the same team under the salary cap. There's some fun in there and hell, I was loving the Amir Zaki ride while it lasted ... until October.
Yet everything else, the player pool, the salaries, even the stats themselves seem lacking. The only somewhat innovative idea seems to be the captain, and even that seems nothing more than a gimmick.
Why can't there be a format somewhere where we can draft a team of 15 in a league with say 10 teams and do it like NFL fantasy each weekend? Match the teams up head-to-head and either you get a win or a loss. There wouldn't be the same player on multiple teams.
I'd guess there enough stars to go around so everyone is on a near level playing field -- Ronaldo, Lampard, Gerrard, Torres, Anelka, Robinho, Barry, Agbonlahor, etc.
After paying attention the last couple years, I like the idea how Yahoo! does the game, charting things like crosses and fouls won, etc. My only beef there is that doesn't seem to be an universal chart for where they get their stats.
Bottom line here, we're about two decades into the fantasy sports boom and there's got to be a better way to do fantasy soccer than how it's currently constituted.
Your thoughts are always welcome. We can build on this!
Saturday
* Blackburn v. Portsmouth -- Win here for either team means a sigh of relief, though what's from stopping a little 'wink-wink' let's play for a draw scenario? ... Blackburn 2, Portsmouth 0
* Bolton v. Sunderland -- Remember when Bolton seems the preseason odds-on favorite to get the drop? Didn't happen, though the Trotters season was about as forgettable as they come. As for Sunderland, maybe we ought to credit Roy Keane for his foresight, even if it turns out to be cutting and running. His collection of misfit toys isn't working. Where is the leader that is going to pull Sunderland up by the scruff and keep them in the league? ... Bolton 1, Sunderland 1
* Everton v. Spurs -- (Live, FSC 10 a.m.) Everton could take it easy and rest guys for the FA Cup, but the club is only two points behind Aston Villa for fifth. That's something, at least. As for Tottenham, can they make the leap for at least challenge for the Top Four next season? There are puzzle pieces in place and you know Harry Redknapp is going to wheel and deal over the summer. The one problem I see with Spurs, they have oodles of "B+" players, but not a lot, if any, "A"s. ... Everton 1, Spurs 0
* Fulham v. Aston Villa -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) So if you're Fulham, look across the aisle at Aston Villa. Do you really want to get stuck in that second tier Europa/UEFA thing-a-ma-jig? Do you really want to take on more players to fill out your squad for an afterthought event? Then again, Villa might tank this match for the very same reason to avoid it next year. ... Fulham 1, Aston Villa 1
* Hull City v. Stoke City -- Hull were the early season darlings, but quietly Stoke stole the Tigers mojo and became a safe, steady team, albeit in the Wigan Athletic mode of general blah-ness. If Stoke spend a little money to sure up the defense and add a little more to the attack (let's be honest, Ricardo Fuller isn't getting the job done again) then maybe the Potters and Tony Pulis stick around for a couple seasons. ... Hull City 1, Stoke City 1
* West Brom v. Wigan Athletic -- It's really got to burn the Baggies asses that Wolves and Birmingham are coming up and they are going down. ... West Brom 0, Wigan 0
* West Ham v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) I say it every week, I can't figure out how West Ham is in seventh place. The Irons have won two games in a row three times. That's something, right? Liverpool, your mission if you chose to accept it. Win at Upton Park and put a little pressure on Manchester United. ... West Ham 1, Liverpool 2
Sunday
* Manchester United v. Manchester City -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) In the last couple years City have been a severe thorn in United's side. It would be classic City for them to somehow upset the apple cart right here, wouldn't it? If this game weren't at Old Trafford, the upset might be in the cards. Considering that City's imported mercenaries likely give less than two shits about this longstanding derby, they'll be more concerned with booking holiday vacations than stymieing the Red Devils on their way to their third straight title. I'll be getting up to watch either way. ... Manchester United 3, City 1
* Arsenal v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) If you've ever wanted to watch a match played between zombies, this one might come close. ... Arsenal 2, Chelsea 1
Monday
* Newcastle United v. Middlesbrough -- Just a thought, but perhaps it'll be a good idea to have some extra security on hand at St. James for this one. Fans ripping up tickets, throwing debris on the field, firecrackers ... you name it, anything seems possible. The one thing to factor here is that the Magpies will know their fate going into this game and if Hull City loses, they can jump out of the drop zone with three points. Maybe Obi Martins can take this match over or at least produce something spectacular. ... Newcastle United 1, Middlesbrough 0
Last week: 7-3
Season: 163-180
Labels: Prem Picks, Premier League, Soccer
I understand your question but almost all fantasy sports I have played seem mostly about finding the cheap talent so you can keep all the predictably productive and expensive stars playing. I haven't played any super sophisticated leagues - so maybe my perspective is skewed.
I remember playing NBA fantasy a couple seasons back and the 'finds' were Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis (he was still on the Sonics and the Sonics still existed back then). They were slightly above average, but what made them special was that they were so cheap, you could afford Shaq. In the Premiere League it was Clint Dempsey last season or the year before when he was counted as midfielder and cost nothing but was playing striker and scoring as Fulham's only option. This year it was Zaki, Wheater or any Fulham defender that made CR7 an option.
I know some people who play fantasy on the ESPN site and they have a cool on-line auction draft feature that allows a league where only one team gets each player - and no one has to be in the same room to do it. Not sure if they have applied that to soccer, but that might be the future.
PS - I am a commenting machine today. My endeavor is high. I am the JS Park of commenting.
I think one big problem w/ a draft setup is that realistically beyond CRon, Lampard, and Gerrard, there is a huge dropoff. There are usually 2-5 players at most who are super dominant and also able to stay healthy enough to contribute almost every week. You don't get one of those, and you might as well forget it. I guess you could balance the stats better to try to limit that, by valuing defense more or something, but defenders are still going to be a lot more dependent on team performance than offensive stars are. One big problem with the Premier League game is that it makes elite forwards almost worthless. They get fewer points for a goal, but they're weirdly overpriced considering that. Ain't no way that someone like Drogba coming off a bad year should cost 5 units more than someone like Arteta.
The Premier League game is pretty much luck, with the transaction limits and the captaining being the main things that keep it interesting at all. The Yahoo game has the best balance of stats and pricing and such, but is terribly, terribly run and designed. Starting11 seemed promising as a bigger-better version of the Yahoo game, but there are just too damned many stats there, and I could never get an idea of how they really correspond to value or how to pick well or do research, so I gave up.
What we need is at least something like the Yahoo Euro '08 game which combined their scoring with a bench and captaining... only not run by Yahoo as an afterthought, and with better league options.
This site cracks me up...and, of course, the content continues to be damn good.
The fantasy stuff from EPL (or BPL) is just fine as it is, with a few minor tweaks. I love how every team CAN have whomever they choose and how every team is allowed a free transfer per week. It makes each team more involved (if the "owner" wants to be) in the league. (Play fantasy NFL, draft Tom Brady, lose Tom Brady to knee injury, your team is SOL.)
The league's fun for me and I've learned a great deal over the years about random players on random teams (e.g. Gamst Peterson breaking through a couple of years ago or my John Pantsil this season). Where it's more random luck is with the captaincy stuff. We all know this, of course.
My suggestions would be to increase (or decrease) the price values more quickly. By doing this, it would make picking up CRon or Lampard later in the season much more costly. Also, I'd consider giving just another point or two for goals, and maybe assists and shutouts. I say this because these three things directly affect the outcome of the damn game. Sure I want my aforementioned John Pantsil to play all 90 minutes, but is 90 minutes really worth (2 points) half a shutout (4 points)? Yeah, I see how that becomes 6 points in most instances. My point is to make a shutout, say, 5 points, which'll separate teams and players just a bit more. Same goes for goals, where forwards (to me at least) aren't worth anything near stocking my midfield with high-priced stars.
I like the open player format (i.e. anyone's available to any team) much more than the leagues I've played in the USA.
Kent
So it would be just like real life. If you can snatch up the big guns you're going to be on top. If not, you're going to be fighting for leftovers.