How many of you out there when you first saw FACEBOOK said, "that's silly, why would kids do that"? Be honest. When FACEBOOK started it was for kids on college campuses only and that was my first reaction. Why communicate on the computer when you can just walk across the proverbial Quad? Well, like 350 million + people I am thrilled that FB 'opened' up to allow anyone in. It has allowed me to connect, reconnect and express myself in ways that were impossible just 3-4 years ago.
It seems like as each new technology is released in the Social Media spectrum there is an initial resistance and then a fairly quick acceptance and adoption. Clearly this is what happened to TWITTER. Basically a concept that was developed at SXSW (South By SouthWest Music Festival in Austin, TX) as a way to let people know what concerts and clubs were hot up and down 6th Street, is now being used as a bona fide business and marketing application. It truly can be THE great equalizer for small retailers when trying to battle the 'big guys'. If you are in business and aren't finding relevant applications for a TWITTER feed then you just aren't trying. Personal case study - lots of big companies are now using employees and technology to track twitter feeds when their name comes up. Good, bad or indifferent a smart company can react to positive or negative feedback in a timely way. In sales there is an old axiom that says when you make a mistake and take ownership for it, fix it and make it better you have actually done more good than had there never been a problem in the first place. Three weeks ago I was sitting on a MISERABLE flight from LaGuardia to Atlanta. The weather was getting dicey, the flight was packed and I was already ornery. I noticed the Flight Attendants basically had the same sentiment as I. I even heard them cursing under their breath about dumb passengers and them wishing the flight would get cancelled. I thought, let's see if DELTA is paying attention, so I tweeted that I was receiving horrible customer service on DELTA flight # XYZ. I thought, someone is monitoring this and will at least Direct Message me an apology. Nothing. I was PISSED. I am an Platinum member at Delta. I have my own # to call when I want something. I am freaking George Clooney (if only at 30,000 feet) but I got nothing! I know had it been JetBlue or Airtran or SouthWest someone would have been in touch with me. You wonder why the big airlines are getting their asses kicked?
The 'newest kid on this block' is GEO TAGGING. Geo tagging is using smart phone technologies like GPS and phone apps to allow you to tell anyone in your network where you are at any given time. Like the technologies above my first initial thought was "why the F would I want everyone know where I was all the time" and seriously I still feel that way, but what I know now is that sometimes it is to MY advantage for folks to know where I am and even more so, it is amazing what a savvy marketer/promoter can do with that information. So I started using FOUR SQUARE ( as my geo tagging site. I have not been 'great' at doing it very often but I have tried and there are certainly times I don't want everyone to know where I am but as I do it more often I see the possibilities. Two weeks ago I was at a Social Media event so I thought, what a better place than here to 'TAG' myself, so I did. Within 3 minutes I had two people, who had done the same thing, find me and 'friend' me and then we had a REAL conversation, face to face about business (WOW!) and then I got a text from the BAR asking me if I wanted a complimentary cocktail...you bet your ASS I did!! There in lies the power. Its as simple as the Jergens (I think that was it) shampoo commercial from the 80's, "if you tell two people, and they tell two people...". I could have gone on my FB page to my 655 friends and said, "come down to ABC Bar in the next 30 minutes and tag that you are here your first drink is on the house" how quickly would that have spread? The applications are limitless and I am really excited to bring these ideas to three of our clients in the next couple of weeks.
Like all the other early adopters I am taking some heat when I post where I am and for the most part I laugh about it, knowing that in 6 months these same people will probably me right there with me :-)
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Art
Art - by definition:
1. The products of human creativity
2. The creation of beautiful things
3. A superior skill that you can learn by practice or skill
Three definitive definitions of the same word. All come to a conclusion for a very broad term and they all explain the word in a very broad way. The concept of what is art and what is not is one that is always hotly contested when it comes to certain 'fringe' types of 'performance' or material. For me, I have always been fascinated with certain aspects of art while completely uninspired by others. Over the years my mind has been opened up to new experiences and new understanding through the Arts that I could never had access to without 'its' assistance. As I look back at these three definitions I am actually inspired to poke holes in them, and thus through written word, create 'art', but then again, "art is in the eye of the beholder" (I guess that is a thought and not a definition)...
Definition #1 seems pretty cut and dry; the product of human creativity. Simple, clean, easy, yet in today's technological age is it correct? The spectacular web of a spider, the song of the humpback whale as she searches for a mate...are these not 'art' as well? But those things are created for 'survival' and not for pleasure (or out of pain), but yet the definition of art did not mention either of those things.
The second definition, the creation of beautiful things, is one I have a real problem with. Who judges what is beautiful? It is an age old question and one that hit me last night as I went to see 'Next to Normal' on Broadway. It is a difficult musical to discuss without giving away the plot or some key themes that you should really experience 'without prejudice', but let me just say that in it's pure power and rawness I found art. I found it to be disturbing, sad, touching and very real. Yet as I sat there I realized that I was responding to the art based on my own experiences. I have heard of people being moved through art in this way before, but for me it was a first. I physically and emotionally felt the pain of each of the six characters. I saw their hopes and fears and related in a way I never have before. But, I am guessing it isn't for everyone and many won't find much 'beauty' in this work of art.
What I realize more and more is that we each truly have a story and no two stories are alike, and as we weave through each others lives those stories get intertwined and interconnected and sometimes they get completely severed. This morning I was crammed on the #2 train out of 72nd and Broadway. It was 31 degrees above and a mix of rain and sleet were coming down so the train was unusually crowded. As I packed in, four more people tried to get on, three with success and one left behind. At first I was annoyed that we had taken more on, but I realized they are now a part of 'my story'. What of that fourth person that didn't make it? Is she 'lost' forever to me? What if she had something to say that could have changed my life? I will never know, nor was I meant to. Last night, I was meant to see that play. In reality, if not for my cousins being in town, it would not have been on my radar. I would have read the synopsis and said "not for me thanks", but through a series of events, there I was, center stage, 5th row and I felt all alone with the actors. I could look them in the eye and I felt like they looked right back and they knew 'my story'. They knew I needed this and that by being present they had helped mold my story. The show had so many lines, and nuggets of insight that I know my mind processed yet I can't remember the exact phrases. I do know I need to go back and feel it again.
Up until last night the real genres of art that have touched me have been music and film. I now include theater in that mix even though I have been going for years. Living in New York I realize I have the chance to explore all sorts of genres of art that are kept hidden from most. I no longer want to just go to the 'hit' play because of the name in it, I want to go deeper, see more, feel more.
Last night inspired me to write more, be more and do more with the time I have left. I am 41, I am at the peak, my personal summit. The days and years behind me, for better and for worse have led me here, and despite the challenges, there really is no other 'place' I would rather be. In the last two months life has thrown more challenges than I thought were fair; I will not shrink from them. I will take them in, ingest them as input and make sure the output they create is used for good.
Fortunately for us we are our own story tellers and the final line is really never written. One of my favorite lines from a movie is "what we do in life echos in eternity". Well, that eternity is our children, our friends and those we interact with.
My story continues to be told, but after last night I am determined to be its author and not just a character in it.
1. The products of human creativity
2. The creation of beautiful things
3. A superior skill that you can learn by practice or skill
Three definitive definitions of the same word. All come to a conclusion for a very broad term and they all explain the word in a very broad way. The concept of what is art and what is not is one that is always hotly contested when it comes to certain 'fringe' types of 'performance' or material. For me, I have always been fascinated with certain aspects of art while completely uninspired by others. Over the years my mind has been opened up to new experiences and new understanding through the Arts that I could never had access to without 'its' assistance. As I look back at these three definitions I am actually inspired to poke holes in them, and thus through written word, create 'art', but then again, "art is in the eye of the beholder" (I guess that is a thought and not a definition)...
Definition #1 seems pretty cut and dry; the product of human creativity. Simple, clean, easy, yet in today's technological age is it correct? The spectacular web of a spider, the song of the humpback whale as she searches for a mate...are these not 'art' as well? But those things are created for 'survival' and not for pleasure (or out of pain), but yet the definition of art did not mention either of those things.
The second definition, the creation of beautiful things, is one I have a real problem with. Who judges what is beautiful? It is an age old question and one that hit me last night as I went to see 'Next to Normal' on Broadway. It is a difficult musical to discuss without giving away the plot or some key themes that you should really experience 'without prejudice', but let me just say that in it's pure power and rawness I found art. I found it to be disturbing, sad, touching and very real. Yet as I sat there I realized that I was responding to the art based on my own experiences. I have heard of people being moved through art in this way before, but for me it was a first. I physically and emotionally felt the pain of each of the six characters. I saw their hopes and fears and related in a way I never have before. But, I am guessing it isn't for everyone and many won't find much 'beauty' in this work of art.
What I realize more and more is that we each truly have a story and no two stories are alike, and as we weave through each others lives those stories get intertwined and interconnected and sometimes they get completely severed. This morning I was crammed on the #2 train out of 72nd and Broadway. It was 31 degrees above and a mix of rain and sleet were coming down so the train was unusually crowded. As I packed in, four more people tried to get on, three with success and one left behind. At first I was annoyed that we had taken more on, but I realized they are now a part of 'my story'. What of that fourth person that didn't make it? Is she 'lost' forever to me? What if she had something to say that could have changed my life? I will never know, nor was I meant to. Last night, I was meant to see that play. In reality, if not for my cousins being in town, it would not have been on my radar. I would have read the synopsis and said "not for me thanks", but through a series of events, there I was, center stage, 5th row and I felt all alone with the actors. I could look them in the eye and I felt like they looked right back and they knew 'my story'. They knew I needed this and that by being present they had helped mold my story. The show had so many lines, and nuggets of insight that I know my mind processed yet I can't remember the exact phrases. I do know I need to go back and feel it again.
Up until last night the real genres of art that have touched me have been music and film. I now include theater in that mix even though I have been going for years. Living in New York I realize I have the chance to explore all sorts of genres of art that are kept hidden from most. I no longer want to just go to the 'hit' play because of the name in it, I want to go deeper, see more, feel more.
Last night inspired me to write more, be more and do more with the time I have left. I am 41, I am at the peak, my personal summit. The days and years behind me, for better and for worse have led me here, and despite the challenges, there really is no other 'place' I would rather be. In the last two months life has thrown more challenges than I thought were fair; I will not shrink from them. I will take them in, ingest them as input and make sure the output they create is used for good.
Fortunately for us we are our own story tellers and the final line is really never written. One of my favorite lines from a movie is "what we do in life echos in eternity". Well, that eternity is our children, our friends and those we interact with.
My story continues to be told, but after last night I am determined to be its author and not just a character in it.
Friday, February 5, 2010
To 'split' or not to 'split' that is the question
For the record I am staying put, you couldn't drag me away with 1,000 horses (is that how the saying even goes?).
What I am talking about is my blog, too which more than one of you might say, "do you even write enough any longer for it to matter?"...to you Craig, I say "ha ha".
The other night I attended a panel which was part of Social Media Week here in New York. The panel was about Sports Blogging, which is something I do fairly regularly. What I realized is that more than one panelist had multiple blogs, each devoted to different themes. In fact, one blogger, Dan Shanoff, has an entire blog dedicated to one player (Tim Tebow, if you don't have Tebow-fatigue you can find it here, http://www.timteblog.com/).
I realize I talk about a diverse amount of topics and I don't necessarily blog for a given audience, but by maybe splitting up into a couple different blogs, I could drive traffic based on content. The flip side would be my need to really focus on my writing and be more diligent about putting my thoughts down in a coherent pattern. I think I like the idea of the 'pay off'.
The next question is how 'diverse' do I get? Yes, it seems a sports related blog makes sense. I don't think I need just a 'Gator' focused blog, or a Fantasy Football one, well maybe one there, or a Philly related one...maybe baby steps, split once and go from there. Outside of sports I could see wrapping the rest up and staying here at 'Where Do We Go From Here' but who knows. I still like the title of this site because I am constantly still asking that question...
I guess my next step is to come up with a new name for a new blog and then I'm off...
What I am talking about is my blog, too which more than one of you might say, "do you even write enough any longer for it to matter?"...to you Craig, I say "ha ha".
The other night I attended a panel which was part of Social Media Week here in New York. The panel was about Sports Blogging, which is something I do fairly regularly. What I realized is that more than one panelist had multiple blogs, each devoted to different themes. In fact, one blogger, Dan Shanoff, has an entire blog dedicated to one player (Tim Tebow, if you don't have Tebow-fatigue you can find it here, http://www.timteblog.com/).
I realize I talk about a diverse amount of topics and I don't necessarily blog for a given audience, but by maybe splitting up into a couple different blogs, I could drive traffic based on content. The flip side would be my need to really focus on my writing and be more diligent about putting my thoughts down in a coherent pattern. I think I like the idea of the 'pay off'.
The next question is how 'diverse' do I get? Yes, it seems a sports related blog makes sense. I don't think I need just a 'Gator' focused blog, or a Fantasy Football one, well maybe one there, or a Philly related one...maybe baby steps, split once and go from there. Outside of sports I could see wrapping the rest up and staying here at 'Where Do We Go From Here' but who knows. I still like the title of this site because I am constantly still asking that question...
I guess my next step is to come up with a new name for a new blog and then I'm off...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
I'm excited about the iPad but I'm not quite sure why
So, I am a 'gadget' guy. Mind you I'm not the geeky gadget that actually knows the internal guts of a device and why it works but I am the gadget guy that needs to have the latest toy to play with.
Yesterday, I saw on my company's internal 'twitter like too' called Yammer that the Apple version if the 'Kindle' was being launched. Now, of all the cool gadgety items out there I have held off on the Kindle; partly because I love books and I am resistant to give up the tangible feeling of turning a page, partly because I keep thinking there might be something better (Apple - cough cough) and partly because I was hoping someone would actually buy one for me (apparently I have SUCKER written on my forehead - LOL).
So, out comes the iPad, Apple's version of the eBook and I have to tell you, 24 hours later I am pretty torn. First, the name is just absolutely horrific. I mean, if MadTV is going to spoof you 4 years ago with the name of a product and then you actually use that name...really...someone should be fired. By the way, see the spoof here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjU0K8QPhs&feature=youtube_gdata. Secondly, I'm not exactly sure what this thing really is and is it trying to be too much. Granted, I like the idea of 'more' but essentially do I need more? I have a MacBook (the laptop), I have two iPods that rarely get used, because I also have an iPhone...the iPad seems to be the iTouch on steroids with the added bonus of being an eBook as well. While I think that is great I don't know if the end justifies the means. From a fiscal standpoint, in year ONE you will be in for roughly $1,000 and that is before you even buy a single book or app.
At the end of the day, I'll probably find a way to justify that I 'need' one, whether it be because of my travel schedule dictates that I have to have it or my iTouch miraculously gets 'lost' :-)
In the meantime I do hope Apple looks at some tweaks besides the naming function. Moat specifically their decision to not incorporate FLASH into the development. I know they don't love it but FLASH is the industry standard for video delivery and any mobile that device that can not incorporate it will always be lacking.
Just my two cents
PS - I am happy to be back blogging again and I am actually looking forward to using this 'forum' to discuss new and cutting edge work we are doing at Definition 6 (www.definition6.com)
Yesterday, I saw on my company's internal 'twitter like too' called Yammer that the Apple version if the 'Kindle' was being launched. Now, of all the cool gadgety items out there I have held off on the Kindle; partly because I love books and I am resistant to give up the tangible feeling of turning a page, partly because I keep thinking there might be something better (Apple - cough cough) and partly because I was hoping someone would actually buy one for me (apparently I have SUCKER written on my forehead - LOL).
So, out comes the iPad, Apple's version of the eBook and I have to tell you, 24 hours later I am pretty torn. First, the name is just absolutely horrific. I mean, if MadTV is going to spoof you 4 years ago with the name of a product and then you actually use that name...really...someone should be fired. By the way, see the spoof here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjU0K8QPhs&feature=youtube_gdata. Secondly, I'm not exactly sure what this thing really is and is it trying to be too much. Granted, I like the idea of 'more' but essentially do I need more? I have a MacBook (the laptop), I have two iPods that rarely get used, because I also have an iPhone...the iPad seems to be the iTouch on steroids with the added bonus of being an eBook as well. While I think that is great I don't know if the end justifies the means. From a fiscal standpoint, in year ONE you will be in for roughly $1,000 and that is before you even buy a single book or app.
At the end of the day, I'll probably find a way to justify that I 'need' one, whether it be because of my travel schedule dictates that I have to have it or my iTouch miraculously gets 'lost' :-)
In the meantime I do hope Apple looks at some tweaks besides the naming function. Moat specifically their decision to not incorporate FLASH into the development. I know they don't love it but FLASH is the industry standard for video delivery and any mobile that device that can not incorporate it will always be lacking.
Just my two cents
PS - I am happy to be back blogging again and I am actually looking forward to using this 'forum' to discuss new and cutting edge work we are doing at Definition 6 (www.definition6.com)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Giving Thanks
It is pretty easy in today's world to be pretty down. The economy sucks, the weather is generally turning to cold and here in Atlanta it has been downright dreary! The days get longer, work piles up, the kids are either ignoring you or being obnoxious and at times it feels very lonely. Through all of this it is often easy to overlook all the good; all the reasons to smile, lift up you head, breathe in some fresh air and get some positive perspective. It can't happen all the time, and I know there will be dark days ahead but my focus on this season of thanks, into the holidays and then onto a new decade (can you believe that? Already!!!) I am going to continue to try and see the glass is more than half full and allow change happen but not allow it to control me.
So what am I thankful for this year? here is my 'short' list, from the extremely important to the silly and sublime (Why not, it's my list!):
Family - from the girls, to my parents, siblings and extended family who have been so supportive through a very turbulent year.
Work - funny, most people are not very thankful of work and their peers but maybe in a tough economy that will change. In the past couple of weeks I have returned to the 'space' and industry I love and am passionate about. I embark on a whole new challenge that began on the 9th but really takes of on the 30th when I 'relocate' my work life to New York City. While I certainly have mixed emotions about the process, I am sticking to the positives here - New York City --- I really believe that if I can make it there I can make it anywhere. So much to experience and do. The company I work for (www.definition6.com) is dynamic and fun. The technology and thought leadership is on the front line of changing how we continue to communicate as brands and companies with our clients, vendors and partners. I could not be more excited about the world of opportunities that are laid at my feet.
The Gators - yep, I know it...a lot of you will be like "WTF? his University? the sports?, really Gil!!!" and I say YES! really! Whether we are winning or losing, and for a long time now it has been winning, I really do feel pride and joy and a connection to my present as well as my past through the Florida Gators. Partly its the sports but more it is the personal connection, that stirring inside, whether I am at the game or sitting by myself on the couch. For 3+ hours each Saturday this Fall I have found the ability to get away from the issues of everyday life and enjoy kids coming together for one common goal. Seeing them overcome adversity and lofty expectations has motivated me at a very core level.
My body - I am thankful that it is still in tact! I am lighter (though the last 6 weeks have been bad) than I have been in a long time. I am enjoying running, spinning/biking and working out again. Two weeks ago I walked about 13 miles in Manhattan in 2 days and it felt great! After two major knee reconstructions, countless broken bones and sprains over the years this is a pretty nice feat for me :-)
Last on this short list, but never least, are you, my friends - I don't need to name you by name for you to know how you have touched my life, not just this year but every year. You have pushed me to go farther, be stronger, be better and enjoy more than ever before. Whether it is 60 minutes next to me on a spin bike, across from me at lunch during the week, sharing emails and texts throughout the day, letting me in your home and hearts during trips, it is YOU my friends that make my life more full than the average person deserves to have. Time, distance and circumstance have never been obstacles for me when it comes to my friends. I love you all and the time we have been able to spend together. The life lessons you have taught me I share with the girls and a piece of each of you is carried in my heart.
YOU are my inner strength, my peace after a long day. I close my eyes and see my future and embrace all of life's possibilities.
So what am I thankful for this year? here is my 'short' list, from the extremely important to the silly and sublime (Why not, it's my list!):
Family - from the girls, to my parents, siblings and extended family who have been so supportive through a very turbulent year.
Work - funny, most people are not very thankful of work and their peers but maybe in a tough economy that will change. In the past couple of weeks I have returned to the 'space' and industry I love and am passionate about. I embark on a whole new challenge that began on the 9th but really takes of on the 30th when I 'relocate' my work life to New York City. While I certainly have mixed emotions about the process, I am sticking to the positives here - New York City --- I really believe that if I can make it there I can make it anywhere. So much to experience and do. The company I work for (www.definition6.com) is dynamic and fun. The technology and thought leadership is on the front line of changing how we continue to communicate as brands and companies with our clients, vendors and partners. I could not be more excited about the world of opportunities that are laid at my feet.
The Gators - yep, I know it...a lot of you will be like "WTF? his University? the sports?, really Gil!!!" and I say YES! really! Whether we are winning or losing, and for a long time now it has been winning, I really do feel pride and joy and a connection to my present as well as my past through the Florida Gators. Partly its the sports but more it is the personal connection, that stirring inside, whether I am at the game or sitting by myself on the couch. For 3+ hours each Saturday this Fall I have found the ability to get away from the issues of everyday life and enjoy kids coming together for one common goal. Seeing them overcome adversity and lofty expectations has motivated me at a very core level.
My body - I am thankful that it is still in tact! I am lighter (though the last 6 weeks have been bad) than I have been in a long time. I am enjoying running, spinning/biking and working out again. Two weeks ago I walked about 13 miles in Manhattan in 2 days and it felt great! After two major knee reconstructions, countless broken bones and sprains over the years this is a pretty nice feat for me :-)
Last on this short list, but never least, are you, my friends - I don't need to name you by name for you to know how you have touched my life, not just this year but every year. You have pushed me to go farther, be stronger, be better and enjoy more than ever before. Whether it is 60 minutes next to me on a spin bike, across from me at lunch during the week, sharing emails and texts throughout the day, letting me in your home and hearts during trips, it is YOU my friends that make my life more full than the average person deserves to have. Time, distance and circumstance have never been obstacles for me when it comes to my friends. I love you all and the time we have been able to spend together. The life lessons you have taught me I share with the girls and a piece of each of you is carried in my heart.
YOU are my inner strength, my peace after a long day. I close my eyes and see my future and embrace all of life's possibilities.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Devices Devices everywhere and no one to talk to!
I have been thinking about the devices and technologies we use more and more these days. I keep meaning to write about the topic but my mind wanders in so many directions when it comes to the subject.
Yesterday I was sitting at a light and a minivan pulled up next to me and I realized it was time to talk about it. What did I see next to me? I saw what is probably today's typical middle to upper middle class family going about their daily life and it made me sad. Picture this, Dad driving (well waiting at the light) whips out his Blackberry and starts typing; Mom in the passenger seat already on her phone, alternating between texting and talking on it. Two kids in the back seat with headsets on, clearly engrossed in a DVD on the entertainment unit. Now, I realize TWO things; one, those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and we all know I love my iPhone and all the gadgets and I have played this scene out myself and two, I may be 'thin slicing' and this might not be a normal occurrence at all. However, the more I look around the more I see it, and I am just as guilty! Whether it is hustling through the airport with headphones on or 12 people in a meeting sitting around with laptops open, communication has forever been altered by technology and while it is great at times, at other times it SUCKS.
I have ranted before about email and its inability to convey feelings properly so I won't go there, but what bothers me more is we have literally stopped TALKING to each other. Whether it is out of convenience, fear, lack of time or combinations of those and others, we as a society no longer talk. We 'chat', we Facebook, we tweet, we text, we email, we Skype, we IM, we do it all except look each other in the eyes and have a DIALOGUE, a conversation, a meaningful interchange where I share how I feel, how something has impacted me, how much I care about you or a topic and then you share back. You process what was said, get the words, the emotions and the gestures and you in kind respond. I love that!!!! I love looking in your eyes and reading your expression. I love how my words and passion can move a room.
I for one never want to lose that and in fact am going to consciously bring it back. How am I going to do that? Resolution #1, when it is not work hours and I am with another human being I will 'detach' myself from my iPhone. Will I still have it? You bet but it won't sit on the table between us waiting to ring. I won't constantly be hitting refresh on my email to make sure I have gotten the latest right then and there. I think that's a great start. I am still looking forward to using technology to facilitate the important things but I will no longer let it be a crutch to honest to goodness dialogue, or so I hope!!!
Text me next week to see how I am doing :-)
Yesterday I was sitting at a light and a minivan pulled up next to me and I realized it was time to talk about it. What did I see next to me? I saw what is probably today's typical middle to upper middle class family going about their daily life and it made me sad. Picture this, Dad driving (well waiting at the light) whips out his Blackberry and starts typing; Mom in the passenger seat already on her phone, alternating between texting and talking on it. Two kids in the back seat with headsets on, clearly engrossed in a DVD on the entertainment unit. Now, I realize TWO things; one, those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and we all know I love my iPhone and all the gadgets and I have played this scene out myself and two, I may be 'thin slicing' and this might not be a normal occurrence at all. However, the more I look around the more I see it, and I am just as guilty! Whether it is hustling through the airport with headphones on or 12 people in a meeting sitting around with laptops open, communication has forever been altered by technology and while it is great at times, at other times it SUCKS.
I have ranted before about email and its inability to convey feelings properly so I won't go there, but what bothers me more is we have literally stopped TALKING to each other. Whether it is out of convenience, fear, lack of time or combinations of those and others, we as a society no longer talk. We 'chat', we Facebook, we tweet, we text, we email, we Skype, we IM, we do it all except look each other in the eyes and have a DIALOGUE, a conversation, a meaningful interchange where I share how I feel, how something has impacted me, how much I care about you or a topic and then you share back. You process what was said, get the words, the emotions and the gestures and you in kind respond. I love that!!!! I love looking in your eyes and reading your expression. I love how my words and passion can move a room.
I for one never want to lose that and in fact am going to consciously bring it back. How am I going to do that? Resolution #1, when it is not work hours and I am with another human being I will 'detach' myself from my iPhone. Will I still have it? You bet but it won't sit on the table between us waiting to ring. I won't constantly be hitting refresh on my email to make sure I have gotten the latest right then and there. I think that's a great start. I am still looking forward to using technology to facilitate the important things but I will no longer let it be a crutch to honest to goodness dialogue, or so I hope!!!
Text me next week to see how I am doing :-)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Biting off more than I can chew?
I think I may have done it this time, I really do.
I have been taking spin classes at the gym for about 4 months now and I have really gotten into it. As I have done it more and more I have had a friend in my ear telling me I need to start doing triathlons. His logic, you can already run the distance (10K) and you can figure out the swim. As far as the bike goes, I figure that riding in the gym has to be like running on the treadmill.
So, in preparation, I decided to sign up for a fundraising bike ride. It makes total sense, get a great ride in the fall, raise money for a great cause (Camp Twin Lakes) and also get comfortable on a bike. Today I got my bike (3 weeks before the event) and I also received my first rude awakening. Riding a high end 10 speed is not like it was when I was in High School and it certainly isn't anything like the nice relaxing rides at the beach with the girls. My first few 'laps' around the parking lot were shaky at best and then I put on my cycling shoes and 'clipped' in. The over under on parking lot falls was two! Fortunately I was able to smoothly clip in and take off and I was able to navigate stopping and unclipping without falling down. This only means I will probably eat it at least three times the first time I hit the road on a training ride. The fear of falling, while huge and potentially embarrassing is not my biggest fear. My biggest fear is the 47 miles I will be riding!! Ummm - what was I thinking? Even at 15 mph I will be in the saddle a little more than three hours --- YIKES!!! If I were not on a plane first thing tomorrow morning I would be finding a nice, flat, long and car less place to ride and hopefully get some of my fears out and I have LEGITIMATE fears. The last time I was on a 10 speed I went head over heels when a branch got caught in a spoke and my left hand got crushed between the bike's 'forks' and its frame. That was over 20 years ago!!! If you know me, then you know my memory and recall, so its very easy for that image to come to the forefront. As I ride in the weeks to come I hope that image gets replaced by the smile on my face and the sheer joy of accomplishing a goal and raising money for a great cause.
To learn more about the camp, go to www.camptwinlakes.org and if you care to make a donation you can go to
http://camptwinlakes.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=312622&lis=1&kntae312622=B6A8E44A31EE4D06B2F08B5FD53C9948.
If you click the Donation button and then search for me, Gil Wolchock, I will get 'credit' for the donation.
I have been taking spin classes at the gym for about 4 months now and I have really gotten into it. As I have done it more and more I have had a friend in my ear telling me I need to start doing triathlons. His logic, you can already run the distance (10K) and you can figure out the swim. As far as the bike goes, I figure that riding in the gym has to be like running on the treadmill.
So, in preparation, I decided to sign up for a fundraising bike ride. It makes total sense, get a great ride in the fall, raise money for a great cause (Camp Twin Lakes) and also get comfortable on a bike. Today I got my bike (3 weeks before the event) and I also received my first rude awakening. Riding a high end 10 speed is not like it was when I was in High School and it certainly isn't anything like the nice relaxing rides at the beach with the girls. My first few 'laps' around the parking lot were shaky at best and then I put on my cycling shoes and 'clipped' in. The over under on parking lot falls was two! Fortunately I was able to smoothly clip in and take off and I was able to navigate stopping and unclipping without falling down. This only means I will probably eat it at least three times the first time I hit the road on a training ride. The fear of falling, while huge and potentially embarrassing is not my biggest fear. My biggest fear is the 47 miles I will be riding!! Ummm - what was I thinking? Even at 15 mph I will be in the saddle a little more than three hours --- YIKES!!! If I were not on a plane first thing tomorrow morning I would be finding a nice, flat, long and car less place to ride and hopefully get some of my fears out and I have LEGITIMATE fears. The last time I was on a 10 speed I went head over heels when a branch got caught in a spoke and my left hand got crushed between the bike's 'forks' and its frame. That was over 20 years ago!!! If you know me, then you know my memory and recall, so its very easy for that image to come to the forefront. As I ride in the weeks to come I hope that image gets replaced by the smile on my face and the sheer joy of accomplishing a goal and raising money for a great cause.
To learn more about the camp, go to www.camptwinlakes.org and if you care to make a donation you can go to
http://camptwinlakes.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=312622&lis=1&kntae312622=B6A8E44A31EE4D06B2F08B5FD53C9948.
If you click the Donation button and then search for me, Gil Wolchock, I will get 'credit' for the donation.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Blogging at 35,000 feet --- because I can
It's not my first time using the new Wi-Fi service in the air but I am still pretty enamored with it; aAll except the cost aspect, but I imagine that too will come down over time.
It seems like a 'no brainer' to be online in the clouds when the world of computing is all about the 'cloud' these days.
My favorite part - except for the lack of ability to 'text' my life can go on as usual up here. I am on Facebook, working on an expense report and getting ready to write my weekly article for the FFL Guru (I know you are reading here but do you watch me at www.thefflguru.com as well) all from the comfort of 2A somewhere between San Antonio, TX and Atlanta, GA.
As much as I get frustrated by technology it really is an incredible time we are living in and how much we take it for granted. Just now, it struck me that I forgot to TiVO a show tonight. Do you know what I did? I logged into my Direct TV account here, up in the sky, typed in a few key strokes and voila! when I get home The Biggest Loser will be waiting for me (please no jokes...).
I finished reading the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol, last week and it was fairly entertaining but one part that struck me is the concept is 'Man as the CREATOR' as opposed to 'Man being created'. When I think about technology and advances in Science that really is true. We as a species are the only living things that 'create' beyond some basic type structures. For the most part this is good, however, sometimes we create for the bad (even if its not intended that way). No deep philosophical discussion about it now, just an interesting thought.
Those are my thoughts for now, going to turn back to the 'Sports Gil' and go 'create' an article.
Talk to you next on 'terra firma'
It seems like a 'no brainer' to be online in the clouds when the world of computing is all about the 'cloud' these days.
My favorite part - except for the lack of ability to 'text' my life can go on as usual up here. I am on Facebook, working on an expense report and getting ready to write my weekly article for the FFL Guru (I know you are reading here but do you watch me at www.thefflguru.com as well) all from the comfort of 2A somewhere between San Antonio, TX and Atlanta, GA.
As much as I get frustrated by technology it really is an incredible time we are living in and how much we take it for granted. Just now, it struck me that I forgot to TiVO a show tonight. Do you know what I did? I logged into my Direct TV account here, up in the sky, typed in a few key strokes and voila! when I get home The Biggest Loser will be waiting for me (please no jokes...).
I finished reading the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol, last week and it was fairly entertaining but one part that struck me is the concept is 'Man as the CREATOR' as opposed to 'Man being created'. When I think about technology and advances in Science that really is true. We as a species are the only living things that 'create' beyond some basic type structures. For the most part this is good, however, sometimes we create for the bad (even if its not intended that way). No deep philosophical discussion about it now, just an interesting thought.
Those are my thoughts for now, going to turn back to the 'Sports Gil' and go 'create' an article.
Talk to you next on 'terra firma'
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Fantasy
Google the word - you get 246,000,000 hits in .15 seconds. Wow, either my MAC is screaming or a lot of people like things with the word 'fantasy' in them. Interestingly enough the first hit I got was for the Wikipedia definition of fantasy. I checked it out. Guess what? It ONLY referred to 'fantasy' in terms of magic and that genre. This really surprised me. From there I went to Webster's online and get the OFFICIAL definition. Low and behold there is more!
Main Entry: 1fan·ta·sy
Variant(s): also phan·ta·sy \ˈfan-tÉ™-sÄ“, -zÄ“\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural fan·ta·sies
Etymology: Middle English fantasie — more at fancy
Date: 14th century
1 obsolete : hallucination
2 : fancy; especially : the free play of creative imagination
3 : a creation of the imaginative faculty whether expressed or merely conceived: as a : a fanciful design or invention b : a chimerical or fantastic notion c : fantasia 1 d : imaginative fiction featuring especially strange settings and grotesque characters —called also fantasy fiction
4 : caprice
5 : the power or process of creating especially unrealistic or improbable mental images in response to psychological need; also : a mental image or a series of mental images (as a daydream) so created
6 : a coin usually not intended for circulation as currency and often issued by a dubious authority (as a government-in-exile)
For the purposes of this post I am definitions 3 and 5, though I am intrigued by #6. As I read the definitions, in particular #5 I get the feeling that the word 'fantasy' is a negative term, or at the least one that has very little reality attached to it. Again, I was surprised.
Lately, when I think about fantasy it is usually in relation to NFL Football and my side pursuit of Fantasy Football. What I love about Fantasy Football is that it allows the 'average man' to be in control of a sports 'franchise'. As a guy and a sports lover this is one of our fundamental desires. Many of us grow up playing the games we love and dream about playing at higher and higher levels. Eventually reality comes crashing down on us. Conversely, as we watch sports and follow our favorite teams we know in our hearts we could do a better job in managing the franchise. Of course, economically, the likelihood of us actually owning a Major sports franchise is far less likely than actually playing for one, so once again our dreams get crushed. In steps Fantasy Sports which may be created in a 'fictional world' clearly exists in REALITY. We use real players and real games. We just manipulate that reality to our own rules.
Personally, this pursuit of my own sports fantasy is leading me further into a pursuit of a dream. Ever since I was a young kid I fell in love with sports. Not only did I love playing sports but I also loved talking about sports. Some of my earliest memories are of debating the Philadelphia sports teams of my youth. I had always thought I would make a pretty good Sports Broadcaster long before I knew what that was. Remember, I was a kid growing up before ESPN. Besides the local games on TV, my view of a Sports Broadcaster was the guy in the tie on the nightly news who got 3-4 minutes to give scores and local updates. As many of you know, this dormant dream has become more and more real over the last 3 years. Three years ago I was part of creating a concept for a Fantasy Football show that would be online and be no longer than 15 minutes long. At the time, even the big guys of Sports Broadcasting were not creating video content specifically for the web and we saw a niche in this growing market. Today, Fantasy Sports is a 3-4 BILLION DOLLAR Industry. We are now in our third year of The Fantasy Football Guru (www.thefflguru.com). With each season we have grown and become more comfortable with our content. We have also grown our audience and distribution channel. We now stand on the precipice of the 'tipping point' I believe. We now are integrated into Atlanta's #1 Sports Radio Station, 790 the Zone, www.790thezone.com. Our production team, The Raw Report (www.rawreport.com) are top notch and they are taking us into new markets as well. More recently, we have signed a deal with Yahoo! Our content is now available as a WIDGET on new Internet Ready TV's as well as a mobile app. What started with about 100 viewers is now available to 3.5 MILLION households. Where we go next I do not know, but what I do know is that something that started as pure FANTASY has become part of my REALITY. I am not just passionate about sports or my fantasy team, I am passionate about the process and the business. I see and feel opportunity around every corner.
So there is one story where fantasy is not the improbable that the definition seems to imply. The more I think about it, the more I hate that definition. Why is a fantasy nearly unattainable? Last week I witnessed TWO things I thought were improbable , nearly impossible but they happened. They happened because of hard work, determination and passion. The first is just a video I saw on YouTube. It like many videos on that site is of a 15 year old scoring a touchdown in their High School football game. What was improbable is that the kid has Downs Syndrome! I watched and I cried. I cried for joy and I cried for the human spirit, but mostly I cried as the Uncle of a 9 year old who has Downs. The second story I heard was that of a Make a Wish child. One of my friends has a grown child who was a Make a Wish recipient and now the family gives back through their own Foundation. Last week my friend put together a very personal, last minute Make a Wish for a local child. Within 4 hours of the 'Wish' being fulfilled the young child passed away. I once again found myself crying. At first I wept for the loss of a young child and then for the sadness my friend felt. Within a few minutes though my tears turned to joyful ones. What I realized was that in this child's final hours they were able to smile and feel special. For the briefest of moments there was no illness, no tubes, no fear, just love and happiness. For however short the life was, it went out the right way, with a full heart. Neither of these stories have anything to do with my fantasies or fantasy sports yet they are once again examples of turning a fantasy into reality.
Economically things are bleak, not just locally but globally. We seem to be divided more by politics and race more and more every day. Turn on any of the 'news' channels and you will find pundits trying to push their REALITY on us and stifle our creative energies to turn our fantasies into reality. This week, as a Jew, I am celebrating a New Year as well as paying respect to the year gone by and asking G-d and my family and friends to forgive me for the wrongs that I have done this year. I hope that I will not just be forgiven but also continue to be given the freedom to dream and fight for turning fantasy into reality. We might not always hit the mark but you can't ever get there if you don't try. It's very cliche but the journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step.
Here are my first steps in this New Year:
- lose the last 17 pounds to get me to 200 lbs. (I started at 247 in July of 2008 after knee reconstruction)
- complete an Olympic length Triathlon with my friends the 'Tri-Nuts'
- continue to grow my career and current company
- let The FFL Guru take me where it may
- re-engage with the Non Profits that I serve
- continue to be an engaged and active father to two of the most beautiful and precious young ladies I know
- be a better friend, sibling, son and partner to those that need me
- smile everyday and stop to be thankful for all that I am blessed with
- spend more time with YOU, my 'audience' if you will. Those of you that post, send me private emails or just spend time on my page are an inspiration.
Sorry for the long and rambling post, it's late and its been a while since I have blogged :)
Main Entry: 1fan·ta·sy
Variant(s): also phan·ta·sy \ˈfan-tÉ™-sÄ“, -zÄ“\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural fan·ta·sies
Etymology: Middle English fantasie — more at fancy
Date: 14th century
1 obsolete : hallucination
2 : fancy; especially : the free play of creative imagination
3 : a creation of the imaginative faculty whether expressed or merely conceived: as a : a fanciful design or invention b : a chimerical or fantastic notion c : fantasia 1 d : imaginative fiction featuring especially strange settings and grotesque characters —called also fantasy fiction
4 : caprice
5 : the power or process of creating especially unrealistic or improbable mental images in response to psychological need
6 : a coin usually not intended for circulation as currency and often issued by a dubious authority (as a government-in-exile)
For the purposes of this post I am definitions 3 and 5, though I am intrigued by #6. As I read the definitions, in particular #5 I get the feeling that the word 'fantasy' is a negative term, or at the least one that has very little reality attached to it. Again, I was surprised.
Lately, when I think about fantasy it is usually in relation to NFL Football and my side pursuit of Fantasy Football. What I love about Fantasy Football is that it allows the 'average man' to be in control of a sports 'franchise'. As a guy and a sports lover this is one of our fundamental desires. Many of us grow up playing the games we love and dream about playing at higher and higher levels. Eventually reality comes crashing down on us. Conversely, as we watch sports and follow our favorite teams we know in our hearts we could do a better job in managing the franchise. Of course, economically, the likelihood of us actually owning a Major sports franchise is far less likely than actually playing for one, so once again our dreams get crushed. In steps Fantasy Sports which may be created in a 'fictional world' clearly exists in REALITY. We use real players and real games. We just manipulate that reality to our own rules.
Personally, this pursuit of my own sports fantasy is leading me further into a pursuit of a dream. Ever since I was a young kid I fell in love with sports. Not only did I love playing sports but I also loved talking about sports. Some of my earliest memories are of debating the Philadelphia sports teams of my youth. I had always thought I would make a pretty good Sports Broadcaster long before I knew what that was. Remember, I was a kid growing up before ESPN. Besides the local games on TV, my view of a Sports Broadcaster was the guy in the tie on the nightly news who got 3-4 minutes to give scores and local updates. As many of you know, this dormant dream has become more and more real over the last 3 years. Three years ago I was part of creating a concept for a Fantasy Football show that would be online and be no longer than 15 minutes long. At the time, even the big guys of Sports Broadcasting were not creating video content specifically for the web and we saw a niche in this growing market. Today, Fantasy Sports is a 3-4 BILLION DOLLAR Industry. We are now in our third year of The Fantasy Football Guru (www.thefflguru.com). With each season we have grown and become more comfortable with our content. We have also grown our audience and distribution channel. We now stand on the precipice of the 'tipping point' I believe. We now are integrated into Atlanta's #1 Sports Radio Station, 790 the Zone, www.790thezone.com. Our production team, The Raw Report (www.rawreport.com) are top notch and they are taking us into new markets as well. More recently, we have signed a deal with Yahoo! Our content is now available as a WIDGET on new Internet Ready TV's as well as a mobile app. What started with about 100 viewers is now available to 3.5 MILLION households. Where we go next I do not know, but what I do know is that something that started as pure FANTASY has become part of my REALITY. I am not just passionate about sports or my fantasy team, I am passionate about the process and the business. I see and feel opportunity around every corner.
So there is one story where fantasy is not the improbable that the definition seems to imply. The more I think about it, the more I hate that definition. Why is a fantasy nearly unattainable? Last week I witnessed TWO things I thought were improbable , nearly impossible but they happened. They happened because of hard work, determination and passion. The first is just a video I saw on YouTube. It like many videos on that site is of a 15 year old scoring a touchdown in their High School football game. What was improbable is that the kid has Downs Syndrome! I watched and I cried. I cried for joy and I cried for the human spirit, but mostly I cried as the Uncle of a 9 year old who has Downs. The second story I heard was that of a Make a Wish child. One of my friends has a grown child who was a Make a Wish recipient and now the family gives back through their own Foundation. Last week my friend put together a very personal, last minute Make a Wish for a local child. Within 4 hours of the 'Wish' being fulfilled the young child passed away. I once again found myself crying. At first I wept for the loss of a young child and then for the sadness my friend felt. Within a few minutes though my tears turned to joyful ones. What I realized was that in this child's final hours they were able to smile and feel special. For the briefest of moments there was no illness, no tubes, no fear, just love and happiness. For however short the life was, it went out the right way, with a full heart. Neither of these stories have anything to do with my fantasies or fantasy sports yet they are once again examples of turning a fantasy into reality.
Economically things are bleak, not just locally but globally. We seem to be divided more by politics and race more and more every day. Turn on any of the 'news' channels and you will find pundits trying to push their REALITY on us and stifle our creative energies to turn our fantasies into reality. This week, as a Jew, I am celebrating a New Year as well as paying respect to the year gone by and asking G-d and my family and friends to forgive me for the wrongs that I have done this year. I hope that I will not just be forgiven but also continue to be given the freedom to dream and fight for turning fantasy into reality. We might not always hit the mark but you can't ever get there if you don't try. It's very cliche but the journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step.
Here are my first steps in this New Year:
- lose the last 17 pounds to get me to 200 lbs. (I started at 247 in July of 2008 after knee reconstruction)
- complete an Olympic length Triathlon with my friends the 'Tri-Nuts'
- continue to grow my career and current company
- let The FFL Guru take me where it may
- re-engage with the Non Profits that I serve
- continue to be an engaged and active father to two of the most beautiful and precious young ladies I know
- be a better friend, sibling, son and partner to those that need me
- smile everyday and stop to be thankful for all that I am blessed with
- spend more time with YOU, my 'audience' if you will. Those of you that post, send me private emails or just spend time on my page are an inspiration.
Sorry for the long and rambling post, it's late and its been a while since I have blogged :)
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The FFL Guru is OFFICIALLY back
Yes -- i have been waiting and holding this exciting news, but as football season kicks off so does another season the The FFL Guru. This year our role with our Radio Partner, 790 The Zone (www.790thezone.com) has expanded and our website will now be housed there as well (www.790thezone.com/fflguru). Additionally, we welcome a new Production Partner, The Raw Report (www.rawreport.com). Our first production was on Tuesday of this week and should be live on the site by Friday (9/4) morning! We are very excited about the new elements the gang brings to the FFL Guru!!!
Also, Jordan and I are finalizing contracts with Yahoo! that will air our show on their new Internet TV Property called Yahoo! Connected (http://connectedtv.yahoo.com/).
Lastly, we will be blogging on our site at least twice a week, so if you are into Fantasy Football make sure you are checking out the site, www.790thezone.com/ffluguru often. As a sample, here is my first blog that went up the other day:
Draft Preparation and Cheat Sheets
Posted 9/2/2009 4:00:00 PM
Go ahead and call this my Fantasy Football Manifesto, my Jerry Maguire moment. if you will.
From this moment forth, I will not purchase another Fantasy Football Magazine!
What purpose do they serve other than taking up space in my bathroom, where two months from now I will peruse them and laugh about their inaccuracies and dart board projections. Look, I understand, Fantasy Sports is a BILLION DOLLAR industry and that magazines were an essential element in the early growth of Fantasy Sports. And from a pure entertainment and basic information standpoint, the content in those magazines is ok. But the thing that kills me in them is the ‘Cheat Sheet’ they all insist on providing. Actually, let me retract that previous statement, what really PISSES ME OFF are the Cheat Sheets, which pretend as if they are supposed to help you in any league regardless of the league’s scoring system.
The fact is magazine Cheat Sheets don’t help you because they can’t help you. How could anything written in May, i.e. pre-Memorial Day, possibly help you pick players at the end of August or beginning of September? Today’s NFL is a fluid, ever changing league where a team or player may be highly thought of in May, but considered a bum in August. Those Cheat Sheets are worse than putting up Christmas lights in July or wearing white in October!
So, why the rant? Clearly I’m not shilling my own online site that sells information. And I’m not a tree hugger frustrated with the number of trees being cut down for these magazines. No, I’m ranting because I’m just another frustrated Owner with three drafts in five days with three different scoring systems and three completely different sets of rules.
It is impossible for a magazine or any static mechanisms completely help you prepare you for YOUR draft. If you rely on nothing but projections, cheat sheets and someone else’s rankings you are doomed to fail.
Remember back in College and High School? How did we get by when studying was too difficult or reading took time away from a party? We bought Cliff Notes and other study aids that assisted you in bypassing the actual learning involved in studying. In fact, with minimal effort, many a drunken and lazy Undergrad was able to make it through.
But did the Cliff Notes’ users excel? Were they top of the class? Of course not.. Doing the minimum might be fine for college. Heck, it might be fine at your job. But in Fantasy Football if you do the minimum, i.e. printing out cheats sheets and rankings, you can expect the same average result in every league you play in-- a 5th-7th place finish, notable for it lack of glory and embarrassment.
Sound like fun in the FFL world? Not to me. I’d rather go for it, on my own, with some knowledge in hand and my own system and notes relied on. Sink or swim, it will have been my choices and I won’t spend the offseason blaming some stupid magazine or online site for my playoff-less finish
Ok, so what’s important in crafting your own personalized pre-draft strategy ? (FWIW – make sure you utilize available websites for updated player information and comparisons of players based on your particular league’s scoring system and number of teams)
1. Draft order – duh, right? Well, in one of my leagues we don’t use a snake system. We actually draft randomly through the entire draft in an order that was picked ONE week prior to the draft. Mock if you want, and many do, but it is fun and unique and eventually things even themselves out over the years and it is actually pretty rewarding finishing ‘in the money’ when saddled with a poor draft position. The point here is where you pick is not the only important thing. Where you pick relative to those around you is just as important in analyzing your draft order, which leads me to strategy #2.
2. Know thy Competition – the longer you play with the same people the easier it will be for you to pick up their tendencies and behaviors. In poker we call this a ‘tell’. In Fantasy Football you should be aware if an owner likes to draft QB’s early or another owner has to have a player from a certain NFL team. Be sure to gather as much of this subtle information as you can. It will help you determine where to grab certain players and when to pass on certain players that you can be believe you’ll be able to get later in the draft.
3. Have a Flexible Plan – in general I know I want to come out of Round 3 with a stud RB and 2 top flight WR’s or flip flop that. What I can’t predict is who they may be OR what ‘reach’ another Owner may make that could throw my strategy out of whack. For instance, my plan is to wait on drafting a QB (like many others do). But if there is a top-tier QB (think round 1 or round 2 quality) available when it’s my turn to select in round 3, then I need to be mentally prepared to shift gears. Don’t get stuck on certain positions in the top rounds just because of the 27 mock drafts you created. Odds are they are all wrong!
4. Let the ‘run’ on a position happen without your involvement -- Drafts are moving, living organisms. Invariably human nature takes over and panic steps in. Often it happens around Tight Ends (no jokes please). There are very few high quality TE’s (again, I am open for humor or a nice picture of Jessica Alba), so when one goes it often starts a run on the remaining TEs in the top tier. But if all of the players you consider to be top tier in a position are gone, then pass on participating in the draft run, especially in the early rounds when there is still a ton of value on the board. On the flip side, if you pay attention to knowing your competition and being flexible (as discussed above), then you very well could create one of these runs and take advantage of some undervalued talent in the very next round.
I hope these four ideas are helpful as you prepare this week. Good luck in your drafts and I would love to hear your thoughts, feel free to send them (or Jessica Alba photos) to gwolchock@gmail.com.
Don’t forget to catch us on the air every Friday Morning and Sunday before kickoff on 790 on the AM dial in Atlanta or streamed live on www.790thezone.com.
Gilly Gator
Also, Jordan and I are finalizing contracts with Yahoo! that will air our show on their new Internet TV Property called Yahoo! Connected (http://connectedtv.yahoo.com/).
Lastly, we will be blogging on our site at least twice a week, so if you are into Fantasy Football make sure you are checking out the site, www.790thezone.com/ffluguru often. As a sample, here is my first blog that went up the other day:
Draft Preparation and Cheat Sheets
Posted 9/2/2009 4:00:00 PM
Go ahead and call this my Fantasy Football Manifesto, my Jerry Maguire moment. if you will.
From this moment forth, I will not purchase another Fantasy Football Magazine!
What purpose do they serve other than taking up space in my bathroom, where two months from now I will peruse them and laugh about their inaccuracies and dart board projections. Look, I understand, Fantasy Sports is a BILLION DOLLAR industry and that magazines were an essential element in the early growth of Fantasy Sports. And from a pure entertainment and basic information standpoint, the content in those magazines is ok. But the thing that kills me in them is the ‘Cheat Sheet’ they all insist on providing. Actually, let me retract that previous statement, what really PISSES ME OFF are the Cheat Sheets, which pretend as if they are supposed to help you in any league regardless of the league’s scoring system.
The fact is magazine Cheat Sheets don’t help you because they can’t help you. How could anything written in May, i.e. pre-Memorial Day, possibly help you pick players at the end of August or beginning of September? Today’s NFL is a fluid, ever changing league where a team or player may be highly thought of in May, but considered a bum in August. Those Cheat Sheets are worse than putting up Christmas lights in July or wearing white in October!
So, why the rant? Clearly I’m not shilling my own online site that sells information. And I’m not a tree hugger frustrated with the number of trees being cut down for these magazines. No, I’m ranting because I’m just another frustrated Owner with three drafts in five days with three different scoring systems and three completely different sets of rules.
It is impossible for a magazine or any static mechanisms completely help you prepare you for YOUR draft. If you rely on nothing but projections, cheat sheets and someone else’s rankings you are doomed to fail.
Remember back in College and High School? How did we get by when studying was too difficult or reading took time away from a party? We bought Cliff Notes and other study aids that assisted you in bypassing the actual learning involved in studying. In fact, with minimal effort, many a drunken and lazy Undergrad was able to make it through.
But did the Cliff Notes’ users excel? Were they top of the class? Of course not.. Doing the minimum might be fine for college. Heck, it might be fine at your job. But in Fantasy Football if you do the minimum, i.e. printing out cheats sheets and rankings, you can expect the same average result in every league you play in-- a 5th-7th place finish, notable for it lack of glory and embarrassment.
Sound like fun in the FFL world? Not to me. I’d rather go for it, on my own, with some knowledge in hand and my own system and notes relied on. Sink or swim, it will have been my choices and I won’t spend the offseason blaming some stupid magazine or online site for my playoff-less finish
Ok, so what’s important in crafting your own personalized pre-draft strategy ? (FWIW – make sure you utilize available websites for updated player information and comparisons of players based on your particular league’s scoring system and number of teams)
1. Draft order – duh, right? Well, in one of my leagues we don’t use a snake system. We actually draft randomly through the entire draft in an order that was picked ONE week prior to the draft. Mock if you want, and many do, but it is fun and unique and eventually things even themselves out over the years and it is actually pretty rewarding finishing ‘in the money’ when saddled with a poor draft position. The point here is where you pick is not the only important thing. Where you pick relative to those around you is just as important in analyzing your draft order, which leads me to strategy #2.
2. Know thy Competition – the longer you play with the same people the easier it will be for you to pick up their tendencies and behaviors. In poker we call this a ‘tell’. In Fantasy Football you should be aware if an owner likes to draft QB’s early or another owner has to have a player from a certain NFL team. Be sure to gather as much of this subtle information as you can. It will help you determine where to grab certain players and when to pass on certain players that you can be believe you’ll be able to get later in the draft.
3. Have a Flexible Plan – in general I know I want to come out of Round 3 with a stud RB and 2 top flight WR’s or flip flop that. What I can’t predict is who they may be OR what ‘reach’ another Owner may make that could throw my strategy out of whack. For instance, my plan is to wait on drafting a QB (like many others do). But if there is a top-tier QB (think round 1 or round 2 quality) available when it’s my turn to select in round 3, then I need to be mentally prepared to shift gears. Don’t get stuck on certain positions in the top rounds just because of the 27 mock drafts you created. Odds are they are all wrong!
4. Let the ‘run’ on a position happen without your involvement -- Drafts are moving, living organisms. Invariably human nature takes over and panic steps in. Often it happens around Tight Ends (no jokes please). There are very few high quality TE’s (again, I am open for humor or a nice picture of Jessica Alba), so when one goes it often starts a run on the remaining TEs in the top tier. But if all of the players you consider to be top tier in a position are gone, then pass on participating in the draft run, especially in the early rounds when there is still a ton of value on the board. On the flip side, if you pay attention to knowing your competition and being flexible (as discussed above), then you very well could create one of these runs and take advantage of some undervalued talent in the very next round.
I hope these four ideas are helpful as you prepare this week. Good luck in your drafts and I would love to hear your thoughts, feel free to send them (or Jessica Alba photos) to gwolchock@gmail.com.
Don’t forget to catch us on the air every Friday Morning and Sunday before kickoff on 790 on the AM dial in Atlanta or streamed live on www.790thezone.com.
Gilly Gator
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