standardization in our hobby...

Originally Posted by TheTweakFreak

Again, I understand that not many, if any minds are going to change on this discussion. And that's ok with me. But the man asked our opinions on standards and if they (in our opinions) are necessary for growth, not playing styles and the price of tea. If he asks us what brand of eggs we prefer are we next going to show him a milk carton, followed by an explanation of why that that type of milk is so important to us? And what of the grocery bag we toted the milk home in... paper or plastic? Not relevant. Just my opinion. But I could be wrong.

-Mike Pratt

Mr. Pratt,

I have to respectfully disagree with you on your egg analogy. Milk preference may very well be important information when declaring our egg preference as it relates to the proper preparation of scrambled eggs. While I prefer Grade A White Eggs for fried, hard boild, and poached eggs, Brown Eggs with just the right amount of Marva Maid Vitamin D Whole Milk are best for producing light and fluffy scrambled eggs. Accept no substitutions!

Respectfully,

Rich Parks
Virginia Beach, VA

But you forgot to include the commercial farm the chicken that produced the egg came from and you didn't make mention of the cow, nor it's name, that your favorite milk came from. What was that chicken fed a steady diet of? The cow? Who collected the egg? Where they wearing gloves? What type and brand of gloves? What was the guy's/gal's name that milked the cow? Or was it milked mechanically? If so, what brand of machine. Frequency of service to breakdown ratio?

-Mike Pratt

. . . . the Brown Eggs in question were produced by free range chickens that live on a chicken ranch in Rome, GA. The eggs are collected by unnamed "migrant" farm workers that are covered from head to toe in the latest in surgical grade latex body armour. Self contained breathing apperatous assures the eggs remain unspoiled by human contact. These particular chickens are fed a steady diet of corn, hand-cracked by a local boy named Jimmy, and all are examined weekly by the local vet to insure they are in peak health. As for the cows, there are far to many to name, let alone trace the milk contained in any one carton back to any specific one, as the milk of the entire herd is carefully blended together during the pasturization process for unmatched flavor. The cows are also free range, and like the chickens examined weekly by the vet. These cows are fed nothing but organicly grown alph-alpha grass, and are miled by hand in a soothing environment enhanced by the playing of Pachel Bells "Cannon" during the milking process. I hope this clears things up for you.

[Anthony D Burgess]

Around and around we go, looking at this from the inside out. May be we should look at this from the out side in.

For the one's who don't have faith in this should not even respond, the hobby doesn't need that type of negativity. Look back at this hobby and learn from the past. Why did we stop playing, and "No", it was not because of the video games.

The cold hard truth was that there was no real standard way of playing that reflected real football. And being a member of this league and that league will not make this grow.

Truth, and honesty should be apart of everything in this hobby. It is not about what WE want and think, but what the public wants to see.

Yea, we think our style is the best way to play, and there is nothing wrong with that, but what one thinks, and fact don't go hand and hand.

I want to ask ever coach who reads this post to do something, and you MUST BE HONEST WHEN YOU DO IT, Without pushing your league, your style, ask people who currently don't play,1 do thay remember this hobby? 2 ask them what they think of it ? " allow them to express themself without defending your style of play ", Then ask them what would they change about the game?

I have done this many times, and what I'm being told is, " Passing was an issue ", " It doesn't play like real football ". This is the main issues that I hear.

We must remove our opion from the subject, and seek after what the public wants to see and offer them that. We must think out side of the box.

Now if we can not all get on the same page, on one accord, then how can there be growth? It is also like this, if we can't get along down hear, then how can we get along in Heaven?

I say that there should be standard styles that new coaches can select from. A style, B style, C style !

If we can't agree on this one little thing right hear, then what does that say about our hobby? And Why would anyone want to be apart of something that fights with in it self ? Remember, it is not about us, but this hobby and it's future.

[Anthony D Burgess]

I have a question,....The NHFL, How can this be national ? Was there a vote by coaches from all 50 states to make it national ? And wouldn't too many cooks spoil the soup ( Rules ) ? Every one putting in somthing thay like doesn't sound good, or fair. It sounds like your trying to please every one. I'm asking because I want to know and I'm not clear on that. And please, Please don't take it the wrong way, I want to understan.

Originally Posted by WEIRDWOLF

Here again is where a coaches association would come into play.
Start a membership for whatever amount. Let's say $50.00 just to put a number on it.
Once that menbership reaches 50 people hold an election of board members. 1 from each region of the us with the US divided into 5 or 7 regions.
These 5 or 7 individuals would be in charge of creating the rules set.
The rules would have to reflect on what the majority of the EF community plays by.
Now you get the major manufacturers to sign on with their support.
Each region could then play a season under those rules. At the end set up 1 tourney and invite all the members to it. This would be recognized as the Coaches Association Tourney and would be considered the National Champion of EF. Make sure that the prize is kicking like a Superbowl Ring!!

The next year each region would then send their delegate to the rules meeting and things would again be hashed out without messing too much with the fabric of the original set of rules.

Now you have a National Set of rules, a coaches association determining the outcome and a tourney. People can sign on if they want to or not. It's not a Miggle champion or a Buzzball champion or a FF.com champion all though all of these can take place as well. Simple isn't it

OR
you can join the NHFL
which has already done all this.

Once on the boat you can then put your two cents into the rules and make it grow and change. The NHFL is more then a league...it can be the catalist to achieving the National recognition and growth that the game of EF deserves!! SIGN ON....I really don't know what the holdup is. You can still play EF the way you want to anytime of the year but just for one 8-10 game season you will have to conform to NHFL rules. Rules BY The Coaches, FOR the Coaches and OF the Coaches....4 score and 7 years ago our forefathers set up on the gridiron to ......you know where I'm going with this.....

[Coach Rip]

Tweakfreak and Eightball,

if the chicken stops producing eggs, and cow stops producing milk, .............can we eat them?

Hello my friend, I hope all is well. Let me say this on the subject. My statements and beliefs are mine alone. I'm not speaking for any other individual or organization.

Your questions have merit, but even if you got answers to them; What would it change? Would the answers convince you to join? Would they help you to see the direction of the NHFL? I'm asking you these questions as a friend. A friend who has seen others (including NHFL members) ask you questions concerning the MPFL when their main purpose was to bait you and then attack your responses with some oh-so-clever passive/aggressive verbage.

I speak from experience... We tried to answer any and all questions concerning the Seawall Brawl. I found it ironic that those who seemingly had the most questions or pushing for information weren't in attendance, but the people who hardly asked or didn't ask anything... showed up to play.

Remember our old buddy Mr. Touchdown??? He wanted answers to his questions, even though his statements read as an attack on me and others. Someone in our community used Mr. TD as a psuedo screen name because they didn't have the guts to get in front of their comments. It's hard to take that type of bashing seriously, when you know that person probably has an inferiority complex and anonymously cowering from the shadows is what they do best.

I'm not implying that your questions are some type of veiled attack, and yes... I know you sign your name to your comments just like I do. I'm just asking... will the answers you seek, bring about some type of peace?

Personally I feel that anything national has to be supported by the majority. If it isn't, then all we have is symantics. When I say majority I'm not talking about all 50 states, I'm strictly talking about numbers. For example... Say we had only 200 people in this community if something came along and 101 people supported it; we have a majority. It doesn't matter if most of those people came from the same state; it's still a majority.

The NHFL is one of the few organizations out there trying to get something supported by the members of this community. They have to be commended for that. It's not like there's a lot of choices out there. Weirdwolf's comments are basically saying either people should step up and make the organization being talked about, or join one that's already in existence and help it grow. (Lynn if I'm wrong please feel free to correct me; because I'm not speaking for you, I'm just trying to interpret what you wrote)

I can't remember if Raiderman wrote this but... someone said that not everything is set in stone. Things can be voted on and changed but not to accommodate the few. This shows me that there's some flexability for change.

I'm no recruiter for the NHFL. My loyalties as a member of this community go:

Hobby, Electric football is the reason we are all here.
Brothers, those I consider to be like family.
TBA, I'll support my back yard league before any other.
MFU. Footballers across the country unified through fellowship.

Anthony... I would hope that anyone who decides to respond to your post will see it in the spirit that was intended, and give you the answers that you're looking for.

Peace,

Don Smith

[Anthony D Burgess]

Thanks Don, I just want to get a clear understanding of things because I'm trily not clear on it. I like to get the understanding of something. I understand the intent. But I do not want to do be like Mr Touchdown. I just want to know the reason behind a thing.

[Kansas Bill]

Originally Posted by Anthony D Burgess

I have a question,....The NHFL, How can this be national ? Was there a vote by coaches from all 50 states to make it national ? And wouldn't too many cooks spoil the soup ( Rules ) ? Every one putting in somthing thay like doesn't sound good, or fair. It sounds like your trying to please every one. I'm asking because I want to know and I'm not clear on that. And please, Please don't take it the wrong way, I want to understan.

OK.. I'll try to answer.. but once again, like others, I can only speak for my opinion.. I am a member of the NHFL but I was not there in the beginning, nor had any input on the rules.. While I am an EF "vet", that was simply solitaire..

I think the NHFL rules were put into place by a small group of EF vets with experience in many different playing styles, who tried to come up with a set of rules with certain parameters. Those parameters have included using a lot of tried and true rules, figures, bases, and game boards. And while it was a lot of work getting a team together to play NHFL, it was not a "huge" leap nor a change of everything I have ever done.

Psst.. psst.. NO.. The rules don't please everyone.. LOL But again, that goes with anything.. The fact of the matter is this.. Even if our Tornado Alley EFL/Great Plains Region (and we get along and do have a true fellowship amongst us, they are all my friends) tried to hammer out a set of rules WE wanted.. There would still have to be give and take along the way.

The aspirations of the NHFL is to be 'national' and go from coast to coast.. The more the merrier.. So.. As it is now.. It's from New Jersey to Kansas.
So in the terms of "national", it's as national as it gets in the world of EF.

Shoot, the multi-billion dollar NFL is run (basically) by 32 individuals.

While there are some VERY good points made within these replies, I do not agree with a few. I'm not going to take or make issue with them on a personal level. But I will try to inject a philosophy and back it up with the facts. The facts will not change but opinions about the facts can vary. Plus I would like everyone who doesn't know to understand and those that do know be reminded.... I really DO have a life outside of EF. I am not in the EF business (licensed manufacturer). I am not on the payroll of any licensed manufacturer. I.E., I have no monetary agenda to pimp for personal gain. Additionally, I have a lot more pressing things in my life that far outrank.

I am involved because I want to see this hobby grow in a positive direction. I have been doing so in public, behind the scenes, and in the dirtiest trenches for years. I'm here because I believe in this hobby and I am no quitter.

As for the NHFL, I am only one wheel in the machine. I see no need to publicly push it down anyone's throat nor publicly defend it. But I will try to address AB's question a bit and Don's posted thoughts.

1) What makes it National in a simple explanation is it is open to ANYONE age 8 and up in the nation who wishes to participate, can field a legal team and follow the rules. This also includes conduct. It is not a political campaign organization to convince and hard sell participants. It is an effort to give those who want an OPPORTUNITY to play under one set of rules, by the coaches, for the coaches. It is an opportunity to have fun first and foremost. There is more too it than that, obviously. But if any of the explanation so far turns anyone off then they don't need deeper thought on it.

2) Numbers do not define national. If it were so then why are we so willing to call Corey "Mr. National" when he is but one. I say he DESERVES the title and he should wear it proudly. Numbers for support or number of participants isn't necessary to define national.

Look at the NFL. They have more money than whomever invested, they have billions in televised contracts, labor unions, etc. and are only represented by 32 teams and not by all 50 states. Yet the NHFL is solely comprised by minimal monetary means of its members and has a sponsorship in place so members can equal or almost equal what they spent to foot the bills back in league qualified product. Hardly the operation of THE NFL. Yet it averages 28 to 30 coaches and is only in its 3rd year...... Nearly as many teams fielded as the NFL. I, for one, can live with that.

20 or 200,000 strong, doesn't matter. What matters is the quality of membership and their commitment level. It's there for those who can agree to get along and have fun. No having to walk the plank, no hazing or secret society handshakes required. It's a simple matter of choice for membership. I can live with that and I'll pray for those that can't.

Is the light bulb national. It's that and then some...global. Did Edison take a vote? Better yet, did he wait until the light bulb was accepted nationally to put it out there? No. He put it out there as an invention or vision to him and an opportunity to the entire world. the NHFL or any other EF organization is hardly as big and certainly not as important. It is an opportunity. No mater what is said by membership or those outside of it, I see the NHFL, the MFU and like organizations as a national effort on behalf of the hobby and an opportunity. Nothing more and certainly nothing less.

****ADDED**** I wanted to add for clarity to Anthony that I didn't take your question or line of questioning the wrong way, so to speak. It was a legitimate question - one that was asked before dropping a single foundational stone to erect the NHFL. Points within your question were and are paramount to address before construction began.

-Mike Pratt