თემა: II.1

I have definitely taken a much slower approach with handball and basketball. It's painful at times, but hopefully will help in the long run.

I started in tier III on day 1 but wasn't blessed with a team strong enough to promote right away so I figured this was my best option.

Well when I was watching my game today against [handball_team=19769], it played like a damn shooting gallery. It seemed like there were several times when my goalies allowed consecutive goals on consecutive shots.

Honestly, the final score was WAY closer than the game felt (it seemed like his team was just taking shot after shot after shot)...

In looking at the match report, I realized that he played me on VH though...

Thank god for that... because if we'd played on the same intensity, i'd be seriously disheartened. My team allowing 15 fast break opportunities and 39 SOG from inside 9m is definitely not something I'd like to see happen in a Normal vs. Normal intensity matchup.

Congrats to Mordeth on the well earned win.

And how about the battle for the top 4 positions this season? It's been absolutely awesome to watch. Even now, the battle for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th will come down to the final game of the season... and likely, down to the goal differential tiebreaker.

I don't remember a time, since I've been in this division, where 3 of the 4 "home court advantage" playoff slots came down to the wire like this.

Hell, even the battle for 5th and 8th place were up in the air until today's games solidified them. 1st and 7th were really the only positions "locked in." What an awesome end to the season.

As a team in that position until my last game, it always terrifies me.

... why? you control your own destiny in a way.

I mean I'll never complain about being in first place in the division, but there is something liberating about being able to manipulate your position in the standings, and through that, your 1st round matchup.

I guess, in your case it's a bit different, because your matchup is locked in, you're just fighting over home court advantage. That's much more stressful i suppose... as there's more to lose and not much to be gained.

Exactly. I had a huge lead on 5th 3/4 through the season and lost all of it.

huh... Atlanta Handballas quit? That's a shame. They had one of the highest team strengths in the division (and in the US as a whole).

I definitely didn't see that coming... I mean hell, he just finished running a training camp like a week ago.

I was rather dreading my 1st round matchup against them, but I can help but feel somewhat bittersweet about them quitting.

Another good manager lost. A level 14 Sports Academy lost. Losing him and Psychos in one season is rough for US Handball. *sigh*

Losing out on the last playoff spot sucks. Losing out on the last playoff spot only to have the team that made it die as the playoffs start feels like a slap in the face.

oh yeah. that annoys me quite a bit too.

I get super frustrated with managers that don't "plan their quit." And I really appreciate and respect the ones who do.

You should always quit between seasons (after the playoffs are over) if you're gonna do it. That's the fairest way to do it.

If you do it during the season, you have to time it VERY WELL and do it at exactly the 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 mark. Otherwise, it's not really fair either. If you don't time it perfectly, then some teams will get to play a much worse version of your team more than others (ie. some teams are given an advantage).

When WasUpNerd quit, got kicked out, or disappeared last season I was pretty damn annoyed too. Not only did he take a playoff spot, ensuring that he would be in division 1 for another season... but he also placed in the National Cup last year. So this ENTIRE season, we've had his dead team representing the USA in the cup winners cup.

In my opinion, not making a slightly more graceful exit is just plain inconsiderate.

In general, I agree with you. In my mind, a 3 week grace period is enough that even if something happens in real life that forces you to give it up, you should be able to at least log in and figure out the best time to fold your team.

His team didn't just fold out of inactivity. He had a camp and changed his tactics within the last 21 days, so clearly he's logged in. He still has teams in 2 other sports. He must've deliberately revoked his handball team.

I mean I guess I can understand the thought process of not wanting to have negative impact on anyone in the playoffs (imagine if he upset teams in the 1st or 2nd round and THEN quit... that'd be arguably worse). But I guess I just can't help but be surprised by the quickness of his decision and action.

I mean he literally went from running a camp, and playing on VH intensity (seemingly to lock up a playoff spot and get ready to do well in the playoffs), to just scrapping his team altogether. In the span of basically 10 days.

That's true. I didn't even think of that. I'm sure there's a reason, I just wish I knew what it was.

That is par for the course with that guy no doubt he has a czek team going.

He also has a team in my basketball league so I'm wondering if that one is going to go belly up for no apparent reason sometime soon as well.

It looks like the Cactus HC upset the Rub and Tuggers (only 3 playoff teams in I.1 have a better team strength as of the time I checked among I.1 teams and division II playoff teams).