5th4x4

Nah.... no booting out. Once you're in, you're in. It's only fair. So now we all play with the cards that have been dealt, and we compete to unseat the annoying Checko ; )

So wait.... now I'm counting 15 teams? And a scheduled BYE week in week 1 ?? BLASPHEMY!!!! What happened to the lock on the already too high 14 teams? This latest development is enough to make someone want to create a new alternate league with the emphasis on meaningful competition instead of just masses of teams and unbalanced schedules. (that said, I'll still kick all of your azzes. I'm XBONES... and that's what we do!) So anyway, if anyone is interested in a Points based (High Score) league with 8-10 teams (max), PM me. I've been a fantasy football commissioner since the days of calculating the stats from the box scores in the newspaper. So I'd be happy to put together a new alternate league here as well. We can also try to keep the cost down, since we're all already paying for this league, and not everybody is interested in being a multi-league player in money-leagues. If there is enough interest, I'll start a new thread.

Thanks C'mish. Sounds great!

It sounds like you have a bit of a grudge against big-business. Fair enough, they aren't warm and fuzzy. But the NRA is not your enemy simply because it can't turn the anti-gun legislature of NJ into a bastion of 2A utopia. I have ONE state legislator in my county that is NOT a Democrat; Garret. That's it. ONE. How about you down in Central Jersey. Got ANY at all?? And the NRA is expected to fix that??

I did actually say "ticked off" at one point. But that was in reference to the lost revenue of half-priced memberships, and not the campaign itself - which is my major gripe. I truly believe that there is no reason to discount a quality product. So that's what worries me. But I apologize for beating the point into the ground.

No. I never said I was "pissed off". "Rubbed the wrong way", "Disappointed". But no, I'm not pissed off. And yeah, there is probably an element of being a "purist" in my thinking. Maybe that is a residual of my military background. You earn what you earn, no shortcuts. I'll cop to that. But I'm a huge NRA supporter. I've easily paid for multiples of Life Memberships (the legit kind) since I became a member. And I advocate for the NRA all of the time. Including here in this thread. I'd probably be happier if they created a new system - or revert to no system - than to 'discount' memberships. Because seriously, that's what desperate organizations succumb to. All said, my NRA cred can never be called into question. I care enough about this organization to worry about it. And this worries me for some reason. That's been my position from the beginning here.

I don't understand why everyone thinks that a Life Membership is some sort of a right. There is also such a thing as a Regular Membership, and it still makes you a member. Plus, absolutely NOTHING is stopping ANYONE from contributing the the NRA... even non-members. I may be alone in my thinking on this, but I believe in my position, so ok, whatever. It is what it is.

Sounds like a Democrat solution to fixing the failing education system. Just throw more money at it, as opposed to fixing the broken institution. If they are holding your family hostage, you should alert the authorities. Otherwise.... maybe exercise some free-will and.... leave the gun clubs that don't represent your beliefs?? Just a thought.

The NRA can't work miracles. NJ is HOPELESS. (that said, Christie fears the 2A crowd, so that's got to be worth something to you) What the NRA does well, is keep other states from slipping into the same abyss. You're anger/frustration is directed at the wrong entity. NJ is 100% at fault for NJ's problems.

No. Not at all. I'm referring to your backhanded insult. (I knew that I should have typed that even slower for you) Anyway, regardless of the alleged premise, I still disagree with it. I offered my own (detailed) reasons as to why. (btw, I don't think that "lament" is used properly in your sentence )

Actually..... NO. To become a Life Member, it costs $1,000 period. Whether that $1,000 is paid in one lump sum, or on a payment plan, it's still only MAXES-OUT at $1,000 FOR LIFE!!!! After that.... No more payments. No more renewals. That's it. $1,000. Period. For life. It's not $1,000 annually. Payments/dues END. Therefore... A 50% discount on a Life Membership reduces revenue on those memberships by 50%. And aside from that lost revenue (which ticks me off), the "WTF" lightbulb goes on inside of the heads of the actual Life Members who did actually pay $1,000 for their Life Membership. (that light says, "SUCKER!!!!") But ok... so lets say that now the NRA has all of these Life Members (some actual, some discounted). What exactly compels any of them to continue financially supporting the NRA after they now have their Life Membership? The answer to that is.... NOTHING. And I would argue (although I don't want to argue about any of this. I adore the NRA. I'm just disappointed with their misguided 'discount' campaign) that those who actually need an incentive to support the NRA (via discounted memberships) are less likely than full-price Life Members to continue supporting the NRA. So..... How many of those members - the actual full-price members - will now feel that they've overpaid for their memberships... and then perhaps decide to not provide the same level of ancillary financial support (via the NRA store, the raffles, the outreach emails) that they may have contributed to in the past? After all, if it takes a 50% discount to even get members, then it also stands to reason that some of the 'real' Life Members will feel like they are financially carrying the 'discount' members... and then perhaps adopt an "ok, so let these 'discount babies' pay their dues for a while" (so to speak). I don't know. I just think that this is no way for a donor-centric organization to treat it's most up-front committed members. Plus, I don't believe in moving the goal-posts in the middle of the game, and therefore losing revenue. I'm just not ok with it. I feel that it's misguided and it will produce a smaller revenue stream over the long term, while potentially alienating it's most dedicated donors. Last thing (an analogy): Lets say a hospital needs to expand. So it sends out appeals to the hospital's big-time donors. They tell those donors, "For $X we will build a wing in the hospital, and we'll let you name it". Years later, another appeal goes out for another new wing. This time they'll offer the naming of the wing at a discounted price. Both donors have their heart in the right place, but guess which donor feels taken advantage of? THAT is how a hospital commits donor-centric FAIL. And the NRA is practicing that right now. Not good. And it also feels desperate - which worries me on an entirely different level.

The incongruity of your first sentence aside, I'll further explain "wtf I'm talking about", and I'll type a lot slower this time so that maybe you can follow along ; ) The NRA has established different membership levels, and they did so for reasons that many people probably understand, although I'll add a bit of detail for those that may not. However, first lets take you (RUTGERS95) as an example. You say that you wouldn't join for $1k, but you'd join for $500. Well... that option has ALWAYS been available to you, as there are multiple levels (many of them dirt-cheap) that you could choose from. Therefore if you are a supporter... support! So... just pick the level that you can afford, and get your money working for the cause. That not only increases the membership numbers, but it gets the money into the system to do what we need it to do for us. Waiting for "sales" on memberships isn't exactly a noble means of supporting what you believe in. (I say that 'respectfully', of course) Anyway... The NRA itself established all of these different membership levels - and each of these levels have (or had) a certain 'standing' that was associated with it. And the Life Member level that they established carried a $1k commitment that was required to obtain that level. And as we all know (although maybe some don't), there is a segment of the donor population that is willing to give more if there is a certain prestige that goes along with a particular level of giving. (those who have worked for Foundations and/or not-for-profits already know this). That is why there are names on Medical buildings, hospital wings, etc. In the case of the NRA, it was a sticker and a patch. "LIFE MEMBER" Big woop, right? Exactly. (mine are in a drawer somewhere). But for some, it matters. A lot! And for those people, donating $1k carried a certain prestige for them. So now lets fast-forward to the 50% off discount rate of Life Member memberships: Ok, so now where does the NRA go for adding a level of prestige (and benefit) for their high-end membership levels? Do they create a new Super-Duper Luster level for targeting the newest high-end donors? But what about the previous high-end level donors? The NRA did a bait and switch on them. They were promised LIFE MEMBER prestige in exchange for $1k. Now it can be had for half that price. "But hey," says the $1k Life Member donor, "You told me....." And the NRA says, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's how we got your $1k. It's different now. So why don't you go buy yourself an NRA hat at the NRA store. It'll make you feel better". Is that any way to treat your donors?? So now what? A Life Membership is worth half of what it once did; in cost and in value (to a certain segment of donors - specifically high-end donors). The NRA has essentially taken a shiny object (Life Member) and tarnished it's prestige and value. So where is the next $1k donor coming from? The bottom-line is that the NRA has cheapened the Life Member title, AND left $500 on the table as a result of doing so. "Oh, but we'll sell more of them!" Uh.... maybe. But supporters support what they believe in, so why weren't they already members? Ok, I once worked for a Foundation, so maybe I see this much differently than many (or most) of you do. But for a donor-centric organization like the NRA, this is ultimately a very short-sighted campaign. IMO, of course. If others disagree, that's fine. I'm not looking for an argument. I'm just adding my 2 cents about the donor/donor-centric organization relationship. And I think that they've done more damage than good to that relationship with this campaign. (then again, maybe they do this all the time. But it's the first time I've become aware of it, and it just rubs me the wrong way) Carry on. (btw, I love some of the shirts that they have at the NRA store. I buy 'em 2 at a time, every time!. But just avoid that chocolate lab colored all-weather NRA hat. It's tiny!)

The NRA is giving out participation trophies? Maybe they have always done this - since as a Life Member I never really pay attention to requests to upgrade my Membership - but is it the goal of the NRA: a) to raise money for the cause or b) to simply add more members - and cheapen the status (and donation dollars) of the 'levels' that they themselves established. Seems like they are leaving $500(+) on the table just to add people at the "Life Member" level. Sends a bad message. So they must not really need the additional money that they always come begging me for (and which I occasionally provide because I believe in the cause). I don't know why this rubs me the wrong way, but it does. But I'm still grateful for the existence of the NRA, so I'll just have to get over it. Btw, I also hear that the Marine Corps is giving away Expert Rifle badges and Sergeant stripes to the first 200 people who sign up for boot camp. Limited-time offer. Quantities limited. Join today! : /

Btw, the only thing worse than having divisions... is having uneven divisions. And if we switch from "head to head" standings to "total points" standings, the uneven schedule will also be avoided. (once again, just sayin)

I say Wed or Thurs, and roll the dice on last minute injuries. My own preference is Wed, but I'll go along to get along if others prefer Thurs.

Dude, you need to ease your jaws open and let go of my ankles, because you're really becoming a nuisance. First of all, I never based my opinion about anything other than my opinion. "The entire facts of the story" has no bearing on the fact that he killed himself - and that was the only basis for my opinion on this subject. So why you have now chosen to concoct this preposterous straw man argument about not knowing all of the facts before stating my own opinion is what is really ticking me off. Robin Williams killed himself. That is a fact. So I don't consider him a victim of his death, because he caused his own death. But just to give you something to do other than nip at my ankles all day, why don't you look up the links between drug addiction (especially cocaine addiction) and Parkinson's disease. You really need to back off dude. I stated my opinion, and now your acting like a freakin troll. As for Robin Williams entertainment of the troops, yeah, that's commendable, and I was well aware of that for many years. I never questioned the man's heart (I actually extolled it in my original post). And as a former Marine I admire all entertainers who travel to war zones in order to provide entertainment to the troops. But Robin Williams wasn't the first to do that, and he isn't the last to do that. Thankfully there are many who do the same. However... Robin Williams won't be doing that anymore.... because he killed himself. The number of people who are tripping all over themselves to shower admiration on this guy because he is dead need to understand that he's dead because he killed himself. He is not a victim. Period.

A) I wasn't aware that Robin Williams was on trial. I stated a personal opinion only. B) Whether I did or didn't acknowledge his accomplishments (I did), is completely besides the point. C) Who appointed you to be the moral arbiter here? Do all views need to pass through you before they can be posted? Na-Nu Na-Nu

Just wondering why Michael J Fox hasn't committed suicide yet. He suffers from Parkinson's.... and yet he sets a positive example for others and advocates for Parkinson's research/cure. So he obviously has a lot of explaining to do for why he hasn't killed himself yet, doesn't he? And for that matter, so does Muhammed Ali. Anyway... what was your point again??? (FYI: the above comment was made while quarterbacking my arm-chair) And just for the record, I really don't share all of this obsession about Robin Williams. I didn't obsess about him before he killed himself, so I'm not about to obsess about him after he killed himself. I've stated my personal opinion about this situation, and it hasn't changed. So if anyone wants to start painting me with the "you big meanie" label, you can go Mork yourself. I can't be bothered with this nonsense any more.

"What Do You Want To Pass On To Your Children?"... The understanding that if they never relinquish their 2nd Amendment rights, they will never have to sacrifice any of their other rights. (at least not without a fight) Plus... learn to change your own damn flat tires.

Very funny guy (for the most part). Saw him in the mid-80's at a small club in San Diego as he was working on material for an HBO special. I even exchanged a few words with him at the back-bar there. Sweet guy. You could actually feel the man's heart. He was a genuine soul. But bottom-line.... His addictions and marriages were of his own making. Therefore he is not a victim. He is a product of his own choices.... including his own demise. His wife and children however had no vote in his ultimate decision. Robin Williams was a funny guy, a sweet guy, and a tortured soul.... but he is not a victim or an innocent bystander to his own death. He was a coward, and he left behind the real victims of his privileged life by selfishly taking his own. Funny doesn't = saint. Perspective. Always keep these things in perspective. Would you forgive/understand a loved one who abandoned you in this way?

Then get the bag. There is no wrong answer. Do you want/need permission from the members here? If so, post a poll. I'll vote "Case". (not for myself, but for you, since it seems that you require a nudge in the direction of your own particular desire) Life it short. Enjoy it.

Expensive gun case: NEED or DESIRE Ammo: NEED or DESIRE Decision: Feed your guns required/essential ammo or Feed your desires with an (unnecessarily?) expensive gun case The priorities are your's to decide. Therefore there is no wrong answer for you. Enjoy whatever choice you make.

Rosters filled with scrubs on the bench, and unbalanced/unequal schedules. Not to mention an exceptionally long draft.

Just confirming... Is the Draft on Thursday, August 28 at 4:30pm? The countdown clock on the league website doesn't jive with the draft time that Yahoo planted on my calendar. Also.... For what it's worth, I'm all for keeping it at the current 12 teams. Even 14 team leagues are a rare aberration, and are usually played just for fun, not money. Just sayin'

I'm in. (3rd place XBONES). Same PayPal info Nick??