The solitaire dilemma....

[RavennaAl]

OK, you have your 12 or 14 team season going and after a few weeks some good teams are undefeated and others have yet to win a game. That's when it hits you. Do you ever start feeling guilty for the winning teams or bad for the losing ones? You want all your teams to do well, yet you know that for each one to win means that another one is going to lose. You don't want one team to go undefeated, but you also don't want a season where everyone finishes 6-6 either. How do you handle the wins and losses for each team. Do you only care about your favorite? What do you do if you like all of your teams? For years the NFL has been pumping up the idea of parity, yet it never seems to happen. How do you achieve equalness between teams without showing favoritism? Do you ever wonder why some teams just seem to find a way to win, while others just can't get over the hump? What do you do???????

[RooMorgans]

I view my solitaire leagues this way. All I am is the Commissioner. I supplied the talent, the dice call the plays, it's up to the players to execute. I only feel bad if I make some sort of error in record keeping, reffing, etc., that negatively affects one team vs. the other.

It plays into how I base the linemen with their TTCs. I have a certain tweak technique I use on every base. Once that's done, I put the base on the board to make it sure it runs.

That's it.

I don't care how strong it is. In just finishing basing up 18 teams for my 2 leagues, I never tested the strength of a single base. That's what the games are for.

The point being: Some will be strong, some will be average, some will be weak. I'm OK with that. My main concern is making sure I treat the teams in my leagues that I don't like in real life (Broncos, Florida, Oklahoma, etc.) the same way I treat the teams I like in real life (Steelers, Virginia, Texas, etc.). I give every team the same treatment, it's up to them on gameday to figure out what happens. I **think** it's an anomaly that the first EPFA game between Pittsburgh and New England ended up so close and with the teams struggling so much offensively, especially in the running game. I seriously doubt every game will be like that, but if they are all 1-point nailbiters after 140 plays, then so be it.

I'll have an offseason system in place that will allow teams to improve via free agency and the draft, so I'm hoping that as I go through season after season, each team will at some point get to be a contender.

Such is sports, though. Not every team gets invited to the big dance each year.

Ed

[dogwood30]

Hey Al,

I don't know if you use tweaked bases or not or any kind of special bases for your great teams. What I used to do is at the beginning of each new season I would take all the bases off all of my players and put them in a big pile. Scramble them up a bit then select bases at random for each team. You would be surprised how much this changes the results from season to season.
I only have a handful of teams who have not won a Super Bowl. I'm big on the random stuff from the bases, to the tournament format and right down to some of the results. Last year for example I had a Bills team that was unstoppable all the way through the AFC bracket yet lost to the Vikings in the Super Bowl on a rare and random blocked field goal which was a chip shot as time ran out.

Mike

[the System]

I will be honest and admit that I am pulling for my favorites. In other games it will be even as possible, but I will play favorites. But this is Miniature Football and strange things happen. It seems that the players have a mind of their own and the better players take over games.

[Reginald Rutledge]

Al, I love the NFL!! Practically every team in the league, I know it's history from beginning to end. But I do have my favorite. When I see the Purple and White of the Vikings, I get so stoked, words can't explain it. When I see the silver and black of Oakland, I long for Lamonica, Wells, Stabler, Plunkett, and the rest. When I come around the Lone Star of the Cowboys, there is a feeling of superiority.

But in miniature football, at least on the solitaire level, we all try to put in things to lessen the chance of unfairness. For me, shaking the box and having my 100 plays to choose from, at least, tells me what play has to be ran.

Like RooMorgans said, he's just the commissioner handing out the assignments. That's really how you have to look at it. My time is very valuable so I try to make the most out of it. If I thought the outcome was rigged, there would be no need to play that game or play a season of solitaire.

I can tell you that last weekend, I did expect Philadelphia to be the "snot" out of the Jets. With the aid of the Box, poor passing, and Emerson Boozer, the Jets looked like the Giant-killers and the Eagles looked like a bird who's wings got snatch off. And I really thought the Eagles would dominate!

You just have to continue to put in devices to lessen the chance of cheating because at the end of the year, you want to go back and look at those records and say, "Things were done with ethics and fairness".

Reg

[allftbl]

Al you know as well as I do these teams take on a personality of their own.

Some are winners season after season but sometimes when a team isn't getting it done you have to evaluate the team from player to base.Sometimes benching a player or picking up a player and base in trade can help....and sad to say sometimes its the coaching staff Al,maybe they just are not connecting with the team anymore...the team needs a new offensive or defensive personality or scheme...sometimes changes have to be made...coaches need to be fired(they can always get hired for another team or an expansion team later!!!)I try to keep 3 coaches per team.Head coach is the personality like Mike Ditka or a Sean Payton,the leader but the off/def coordinators carry responsibility too.Each coach has his reputation,his stamp whether its a June Jones run n shoot offense to a 3-4 Dom Capers defense.If its a particular theme for losing(defense cant stop anyone or offense cant score)again maybe change is needed!

I too have a draft and also a waiver system where players that are not on a team anymore they can be picked up and maybe make an impact.The worst teams get the 1st picks just like the pros...it keeps things fair

.....the only other choice is if you like all your teams is to get some nfl teams or other coaches solitaire teams you dont like, incorporate them into your league(or into a rival league)then you wont feel bad for kicking their behinds(you hope ) week after week (I'm just teasing on that one Al)

In all honesty I agree with the others....we are the commissioners of our leagues......keeping it fair and fun is what its all about!The teams seem to take care of things on the field(good or not so good)!!!!!!