ATD #10, Jim Robson Quarterfinals. California Golden Sea (5) vs Trail Smoke Eater (4)

[shawnmullin]

Well I kind of set myself up for this with all my talk about how this was a deeper draft than ever before and first round losers shouldn't be ashamed. I think California was a very good team... believe mine was better, but ultimately if that team was ranked 4th in the regular season with a group that should have been dominant in that part of the rankings, clearly it wasn't going to be a championship team. People just didn't buy into what I was cooking this time so c'est la vie. I haven't been knocked out in the first round since I was a rookie! It doesn't feel like this was my worst team yet.

I think there a guys that people just don't buy into even if they are in appropriate roles. If you want to win I think partially you have to play politics with who you pick and make sure that even if you aren't getting great value with your picks, you should pick guys that are generally well liked and won't be ripped. Tretiak, Selanne, they'll have their detractors no matter how far they fell.

*shrug* semi-finals to first round exit, back to the drawing board I guess! Perhaps I should consider a co-GM since I was a lot further off the mark this time than I thought I was... but I don't really have the time to go back and fourth in the detail I expect the top pairings do.

But congrats Cali, you had a strong team and I'm certainly not ashamed to lose to you.

EDIT: should've mentioned raleh that I really enjoyed your write ups, especially the spear to the kidney Although I got a sense from it you're not much of an Esposito fan, eh? Thanks though, they were very well done.

 

[Sturminator]

Nice series, and great write-ups, raleh. This was one of the hardest matchups for me to pick, and it's a shame that such a tough Trail team goes home in the 1st round. Now onto the 2nd round, where we will see the ATD's first Battle of the Bay, with the California Golden Seals (based in Oakland) taking on the San Francisco Spiders, and absolutely no hope of fitting the full team names in the thread title. Should be a good one.

 

[MXD]

Nice series, and great write-ups, raleh. This was one of the hardest matchups for me to pick, and it's a shame that such a tough Trail team goes home in the 1st round. Now onto the 2nd round, where we will see the ATD's first Battle of the Bay, with the California Golden Seals (based in Oakland) taking on the San Francisco Spiders, and absolutely no hope of fitting the full team names in the thread title. Should be a good one.

... And the division finals will be Bay vs. Island, no matter which team makes it.

 

[raleh]

Well I kind of set myself up for this with all my talk about how this was a deeper draft than ever before and first round losers shouldn't be ashamed. I think California was a very good team... believe mine was better, but ultimately if that team was ranked 4th in the regular season with a group that should have been dominant in that part of the rankings, clearly it wasn't going to be a championship team. People just didn't buy into what I was cooking this time so c'est la vie. I haven't been knocked out in the first round since I was a rookie! It doesn't feel like this was my worst team yet.

I think there a guys that people just don't buy into even if they are in appropriate roles. If you want to win I think partially you have to play politics with who you pick and make sure that even if you aren't getting great value with your picks, you should pick guys that are generally well liked and won't be ripped. Tretiak, Selanne, they'll have their detractors no matter how far they fell.

*shrug* semi-finals to first round exit, back to the drawing board I guess! Perhaps I should consider a co-GM since I was a lot further off the mark this time than I thought I was... but I don't really have the time to go back and fourth in the detail I expect the top pairings do.

But congrats Cali, you had a strong team and I'm certainly not ashamed to lose to you.

EDIT: should've mentioned raleh that I really enjoyed your write ups, especially the spear to the kidney Although I got a sense from it you're not much of an Esposito fan, eh? Thanks though, they were very well done.

I like Espo. Especially as a second pick. With the right linemates and dman like the ones you had, he would be an absolute force. I voted Trail in 6 for this one, because I thought Tretiak would be the difference maker. My leaving Espo out of most of the write ups just reflects the three stars voting. I was just as shocked as you to see him as far down the list as he was. Especially when I saw Forsberg ahead of him. Not sure how Espo would feel about being part of a 1A 1B first line dealie. But of all the former NHLers, he's probably the guy I'd want most to have a couple beers with.

 

[shawnmullin]

Well that's good on you raleh to follow the voting. I wonder why people didn't think highly of Espo in this situation.

 

[nik jr]

very tough loss. trail is probably the best team ever to lose in the 1st round.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

very tough loss. trail is probably the best team ever to lose in the 1st round.

I agree. To be honest, I though that I was going down in this series. Great team.
I'm sorry that I haven't voted in the last few days. I have been very busy, my apologies.
Good luck in the future.

 

[shawnmullin]

Well thanks for the kind words guys, takes a bit of the sting away

But I'll say this much, I'm never picking Esposito, Selanne, O'Connor or Tretiak again.

Good luck in the next round mon ami

 

[vancityluongo]

Well thanks for the kind words guys, takes a bit of the sting away

But I'll say this much, I'm never picking Esposito, Selanne, O'Connor or Tretiak again.

Good luck in the next round mon ami

If the value is there, I see absolutely no reason why you shouldn't pick them. I thought both Tretiak and Espo were absolute steals.

You had a great team mullin, I think I had you in the top-2 in your division. But California is a very good team too, so congrats to ADC and ES.

 

[nik jr]

Well I kind of set myself up for this with all my talk about how this was a deeper draft than ever before and first round losers shouldn't be ashamed. I think California was a very good team... believe mine was better, but ultimately if that team was ranked 4th in the regular season with a group that should have been dominant in that part of the rankings, clearly it wasn't going to be a championship team. People just didn't buy into what I was cooking this time so c'est la vie. I haven't been knocked out in the first round since I was a rookie! It doesn't feel like this was my worst team yet.

I think there a guys that people just don't buy into even if they are in appropriate roles. If you want to win I think partially you have to play politics with who you pick and make sure that even if you aren't getting great value with your picks, you should pick guys that are generally well liked and won't be ripped. Tretiak, Selanne, they'll have their detractors no matter how far they fell.

*shrug* semi-finals to first round exit, back to the drawing board I guess! Perhaps I should consider a co-GM since I was a lot further off the mark this time than I thought I was... but I don't really have the time to go back and fourth in the detail I expect the top pairings do.

But congrats Cali, you had a strong team and I'm certainly not ashamed to lose to you.

EDIT: should've mentioned raleh that I really enjoyed your write ups, especially the spear to the kidney Although I got a sense from it you're not much of an Esposito fan, eh? Thanks though, they were very well done.

agreed. that's the biggest problem with the draft.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

agreed. that's the biggest problem with the draft.

I also have to agree with that. Kind of takes away from it all when you are severely restricted in terms of your draft choices if you really want to win, be it because few GMs support them no matter the situation, or what era they played in, or whatever.