Who says there's no TFFL offseason?
With 10 proposals on the table, someone had to win and someone had to lose. Here's how those who wanted changes fared in the balloting:
The Commish: 2 wins, 0 losses
Winners:
Optional 17th, 18th Round Picks (7 yay, 2 nay)
In case you missed last year's draft (ahem, Wayne), a handful of owners just couldn't stand to be around their fellow TFFLers any longer, and one even left before the draft was over with. This year, all the sour pusses out there can forfeit their final one or two draft picks, provided they have selected their required two defenses before leaving. As a matter of fact, McGee, if you want to leave real early this year, we'll allow you to pick defenses with your first two picks and take off. Don't worry, Auto-Commish will guide the Jellypoppers the rest of the way.
Injured Reserve, Early Withdrawal (7 yay, 2 nay)
Sometimes, you just can't wait four weeks. This season, owners will be able to activate a player from Injured Reserve before his/her (in the case of Fraud Taylor) four-week freeze period is up. (Like you'd ever have reason to to activate Fragile Fred from IR!) One nasty side-effect, the move will cost you $1. Ballots revealed some owners felt that the penalty wasn't harsh enough, while one felt it was too stiff. (Don't go there.) At any rate, we can discuss the penalty before the draft and change it if owners think it necessary.
Tim 1-0
Winners
Divisional Play (6 yay, 3 nay)
The most hotly debated idea of the off-season. Basically, it boils down to this: The standings will be split into two divisions. Head-2-Head matchups won't change, since I've been using a division system for scheduling purposes for three seasons. Each week, instead of having one weekly winner, there will be two -- one from each division. Weekly division winners will only collect only from the other divisional foes. We'll still have one overall champion. The playoffs will pit divisional seeds 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3, and so on, so two teams from the same division can't meet in the Tech Bowl.
The following end-of-season payout structure has been approved: 35 percent to the overall champ, 15 percent for each division winner, 20 percent for the Tech Bowl winner and 5 percent each for the Tech Bowl loser and each division's runner-up. So, if you sweep the Tech Bowl and overall titles, you'll still be getting 70 percent, same as before.
McGee 2-3
Winners:
Reduce Field Goal Scoring (8 yay, 1 nay)
This one's a real kick in the pants for kickers. Field goals of 45 yards or less are now worth three points, and anything more than 46 yards is worth four points. Makes the days of taking John Kasay in the fourth round seem all the more distant, doesn't it?
New Playoff Tiebreaker System (8 yay, 1 abstention)
The news just keeps getting worse for kickers. Now there's no reason to keep a backup kicker on your roster for the playoffs. The new playoff tiebreaker system is as follows: total number of starter touchdowns as the primary; total starter yardage as the secondary.
Losers:
Cut Draft to 16 Rounds (2 yay, 7 nay)
It seems owners would rather have the freedom to use those final two picks if they so choose. Let's hear it for freedom!
Eliminate Two-Team Defensive Requirement (3 yay, 6 nay)
Sorry, Charlie, but you still have to have those two defenses on your roster at all times.
Reduce Playoff Qualifiers to Six (1 yay, 8 nay)
Breathe easy, future seventh and eighth place seeds. You will still have life come playoff time.
Kevin 0-2
Losers:
Keeper League (2 yay, 7 nay)
Auction Draft (1 yay, 8 nay)
I'll let the following ballot excerpts do all the talking here:
"Should we have a vote to kick Ring out if he proposes this next year?"
"NO NO A THOUSAND TIMES NO!!!!"
Well, there you have it. Another offseason of strife is behind us. By the way, if you noticed there are only nine votes for each suggestion, it's because Wayne neglected his civic duty. Not that it mattered, all the issues were decided. He's still planning to play next season.