Asunto: II.3

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You can read a more detailed breakdown of the Iowa-Backstreet series in my press release entitled "the Ultimate Rubber Match" Backstreet won that game and looks to be the favorite to win today as well.

Last season Iowa took the III.10 regular season title, while Backstreet finished second. However Backstreet edged Iowa in the League Finals.

Overall Backstreet has a 3-2 lead in the series, but Iowa has outscored them 19-15, mostly thanks to a 7-0 win while the backstreet manager was on vacation.

I look forward to another great game in this series.

JUST joined earlier this week......Wish it didn't take so long to get free agents. I see guys in the market every day that would immediately play in my top line that I could easily afford....But waiting out another week seems to be a bummer. Oh well, least I still have a half a season left and can still try and muster through a play off spot.....It will be much better once I can sign a few players though.

Welcome to the game!! You'll be able to get in some guys soon enough. This is good time to get a feel for fair prices and all. Just dont get suckered in to blowing your money on these "single stat monsters' as they've been getting called.

welcome to PPM! not to worry about the money. it may take a bit to figure out how to make it spread where you need it. i know i made LOTS of mistakes in the first few weeks. don't be afraid to ask for help, though. we won't give away all the secrets, but we can help you figure out some things. right guys?

Each person can build their team how they choose but here is the advice I would give anyone new based on my own mistakes:

1. First season don't worry about winning, just learn your roster. You are already at the lowest level you have nowhere to go but up.

2. I know its tempting to go out and but players. But spend your money wisely. I didn't purchase my first player till the end of my first season. And most of those guys were mistakes who are no longer with my team. Instead of buying players now, it is better to build up the big 4 facilities: Human Resources, Training, Regeneration, and Sports Academy. I would rank them in that order for reasons I'd be glad to explain if you are interested, but others would rank them differently. But, regardless they are the key areas when you first start out.

3. Don't worry about staff. I know you think you need a coach (everyone did) but with your levels where they are right now, staff will only make a minimal improvement. Save your money from the market and instead just sign the guys you get from HR. Another reason to improve HR, you will get more homegrown staff

4. Ask lots of questions, people will help. There are multiple Q&A threads, league forums, and other places you can ask. Also feel free to e-mail myself or others you trust. The guys with A and C over the American flag are part of the support team and are good people to ask as well.

I won!!!...(finally)...

lost 5 of my last 6 (not unexpected as the teams has gotten tougher) but if we don't pick it up soon we will quickly find ourselves outside the top 8

lost 4-2 yesterday to BlueJackets... mostly because I wasn't prepared and haven't done much with the team, just like how I screwed up earlier in the season, explains why I am having the crappiest season ever!

next season will be better (hopefully anyway)

Good! we've missed the competition you provide when you are on top of your game! totally know what it means to be drawn off by other things, too. i hope all is well!

argh! just lost 4-3 to the league leader. makes me feel better about the team, but...we lost...argh!

Is that a crappy loss or a good loss? I would be happy my team did so well, but it really sucks to fall just short like that.

I ask because some people say that those losses are ok but I've heard also that a loss is never good.

i've coached kids in rl hockey. there are good losses. BUT...losses still suck. this may actually have been a good one, though.

I typically look at 3 types of losses

1. Outshot and outscored: this typically means that the other team dominated you. Either their team strength or tactics or both were too much. This means you need to look at what went wrong (it may be as simple as they were just the better team)

2. Equal shots and outscored: by equal here i mean within 5. I look at this as a game that could've gone either way. Maybe their goalie was just too good or yours wasn't good enough. maybe some rolls of the dice just didn't go your way. This are hard losses, but don;t mean you necessarily need to make changes.

3. You outshoot them, they score more: these are the hardest and usually there was nothing you did wrong in this type of game. The dice rolls just went their way. Also good goalie/bad goalie days can cause these games. you just have to remember upsets happen with this type of game and hope you get one to go your way to even it up.

Me being a former goalie in soccer I look at losses in one way. I, however, don't include team performance in a loss. I guess I look at it differently. I just separate the two, I guess, because "a teams record doesn't indicate skill." To me a loss is a loss, and teams good or bad can play well on their day.