My Mistakes

1) Well, from my XP post my "projected" XP usage clicks were a mess, thanks for pointing that out guys (more below on XPs).

2) I might as well have called Rob's team easy (like a certain #1 ranked team did last season) with the way Rob decided to throw a T-7 at us this week in the TMVL Cup.  Sheesh Rob, I think I was respectful enough pre-game to get at best a B- lineup from you.  Right?  

Coaches Poll

The poll is available for your selections and votes here: https://www.olmec.org/tmvl/coaches_poll.php?type=entry

XPs Followup

The XP post here has had a lot of comments and that's what I hoped:  https://www.olmec.org/tmvl/forum_topic.php?topic_id=86

This is kind of a cool part of the game and YES often we wait until the latter sessions to focus attention on building XPs (though some plan better than me and get those XPs tallied earlier in the season).  

For the Football/United guys, XPs are similar (but different) than how you use SBY/APP players.  The concept is you need to play them to grow them (and your roster).  But when you play them it can free up CPs to use on the Sophomore/Junior players as well.

Who is Streaking?

Dallas (Mr. Craig Bucknall) - 7 game winning streak.

Santa Clara (Mr. Martyn Hathaway) - 5 game winning streak (won 8 of 10)

Kentucky (Mr. Paul Cockaye) - 3 game winning streak

N'Orleans (Mr. Kevin Martin) - 3 game winning streak

Game Results At The Sellers House

Saturday was another fun day at the Sellers house of discussing results.  There's a little trashtalking on who is better and all that.  Some recruiting talk.  Basically Mrs. Sellers won't be happy until we update the Viewer faster/slower to put "slower" on the left and "faster" on the right.  It is a constant source of complaints by Mrs. Sellers (I'm not kidding).  

Who Needs A Video?

If you need a video for something this week, like recommendations on CP/XP focus type items, let me know.  I'll have some time Monday/Tuesday to do this.  I am happy to help! 

Current Team Rankings

I've had to google some things to get the right term/phrase here.  I think it is one of these:

1) "Talking out of both sides of your mouth"

or

2) "Equivocate" 

I found the latter to be represented as: 

A key part of equivocate is the root vocate, which comes from the Latin vocare or "voice." When you give your voice to two opposing views in order to mislead or keep your options open, you're equivocating. Think of the expression, to talk out of both sides of your mouth.

So here we come to a certain coach that the commish calls "CB".  And I wonder.  Is "CB" a different person than "Craig".  Sort of like how "Magic Johnson" and "Earvin Johnson" are different.  

BEFORE session 9, Mr. Bucknall noted this (after the commish pointed out the current Dallas 4-match winning streak): 

Oh, for the love of God!

Here he goes again!

Session 9 = L L L

Thanks in advance

There's only one Al 'Kiss of Death' Sellers

Just MINUTES after CB's Bulldogs jumped from a 4-game winning streak to a 7 (SEVEN) game winning streak, the right honorable Mr. Bucknall unleashes:

Whhhaaaattttt?!?!?! Win 3 from 3 and remain 10th?! Even the Rankings hate the Bulldogs!!  (editor's note: Bulldogs remain "12th")

So we shouldn't celebrate (and repeatedly mind you) point out Craig's winning streaks because that will only cause him to lose, but when it doesn't now he wants to take exception with his "lowly" #12 spot in the rankings?

Doing some back of the envelope math here, the now 13-12 Bulldogs were, let's see, not good at math myself, 6-12 just 3 sessions ago?

I'm guessing they probably weren't #12 then.

But I just don't know what to do here.  Do I keep saying (for the 11th time in this post) that Dallas is on a 7-match winning streak or is that a bad thing?

Speaking of rankings, Dallas plays the #1, #4, and #23 this week, so its likely that CB will be either mad at me or the rankings or both next Sunday when I talk about his 10-match winning streak.  Right?

Also, did anyone else spot the "dripping sarcasm" in Steve's "And once more..." post?  Because I did and I laughed!!  

New Quad Rankings

Kevin has developed a massive upgrade on rankings that I hope to implement for Season 6.  It is ingenious and awesome.  You'll still complain, because everyone complains about rankings, but it will closely resemble some approaches used here in the USA (like college basketball).  

Recruiting Rankings

I hope you like this new feature.  I've been hoping I could talk one you stat-heads into creating it (and maybe you will help me with improving the approach; email or post if you want to and have ideas on the 'points' element).  

Basically I give points to each team/recruit for their "Min RP Points" to be signed.

THEN, I add 25k if they are at a "max SL".  Another 25k if they are "Max + 1".  And ANOTHER 25k if they are "Max +2".

So a Max+2 player is 75 points higher than their MIN RP cost for example.  Go ahead, come up with a better system, I'm ready to code it.  

Competitions

We are wrapping up the season in the final 3 match sessions (10, 11, and 12).  There will also be session 13 for XPs and walkon recruiting only.

For the National Championship and Holyoke these are single elimination tournaments with NO HOME COURT ADVANTAGE.  Lose and you go home.  Win and you keep playing.  Brackets are here (you'll also see a link to them if you use the scores page).

https://www.olmec.org/tmvl/bracket-nc.php

https://www.olmec.org/tmvl/bracket-ho.php

These brackets were another "just in time" addition I made this week.

For the TMVL Cup and TMVL Shield I don't have brackets yet.  For these competitions you keep playing one match the rest of the season.  This is NOT a knockout.  Matches ARE all neutral court.  So in the final session (12) for each of these two you will be playing a match for one of these:

1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, or 15th place

This week you are either in the "Elite 8" (winners bracket) or "Consolation Quarterfinals" where you'll again keep playing through session 12.

Lastly, we ALL have one conference match in each of the final 3 sessions.

So EVERYONE gets 2 games a session in sessions 10-12.  If you stay in the the National Championship or Holyoke you'll get a 3rd match in those session. 

Consider that in your XP planning.  

Thank You

I hope you are all enjoying this season! Thank you for playing!  As always, email with questions or post on the site.  It is exciting that some of you are actually reading the rules too!