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Just wondering which is more beneficial from a financial perspective, finishing 5th place or making the playoffs and not promoting? Not having to pay salaries (5th place) vs. better fan survey for next season (playoffs) for those unfamiliar.

I tanked for 5th last season, and as a result (I think) my attendance hasn't been great. My arena is around the soft-cap (again, I think), I'm currently 4th in my conference, final-4 in tournament play, have won all 3 TV games, and I'm making $35k less than average in attendance revenue. Combined with my merch revenue (over $40k less than average), these are big handicaps and bigger hurdles than I'm able to overcome. I plan to eventually drop down to D.II/D.III ranks because I could never progress in D.I.



Last edited by Stajan at 4/15/2012 1:21:33 PM

And this would definitely agree with what the BBs have said that after looking at everything, despite having to pay an extra week of salaries, it's better to finish 4th than 5th. It could be that some of this is achieved by having 4th place teams add more season ticket holders, which would obviously translate into higher overall attendance the following season. It's nice to have an actual data point to go along with what we've had to take on faith.

I think the best strategy for teams stuck somewhere in the middle (without a chance to promote and no risk to demote) would be to try to reach the playoffs, but blow up the team before trading deadline.

That way you can profit from higher transfer revenues, pay less salaries in the offseason and rebuild your team when transfer prices reach low levels.

It's my belief that 5th place is better than even 3rd place in many cases.

About the fan survey for next season... I'm highly skeptical of any long term benefit from coming in 4th & losing the playoff game in a blowout (remember it counts as a TV game), vs. tanking a non-TV game & finishing 5th.

But the fan survey in general is messed up. I remember when I won 20 games plus swept the playoffs. And got my lowest fan survey of the entire season (3 balls) after winning the championship! (Even lower than after getting blown out in a rivalry game!) & more recently... I got a 2 1/2 ball fan survey after winning the cup & making the playoffs too. That same season I actually had higher fan surveys after back to back losses than after back to back wins. It makes no sense...

Until the BB's pull out some hard facts that the game engine rewards teams that make the playoffs far more in attendence revencue to make up for the hundreds of thousands in extra salary the have to pay in the playoffs, I'm a firm believer that 5th place is far more financially rewarding than 3rd or 4th place and probably even 2nd place.

I finished in 4th place last season, made the league final and still have a low 'previous season' rating on my fan survey and struggled mightily to fill seats early this season.

Last edited by Beener not Beanerz at 4/16/2012 9:01:35 AM

I finished in 4th place last season, made the league final and still have a low 'previous season' rating on my fan survey and struggled mightily to fill seats early this season.

That's the problem in my opinion the fan survey needs to be reformed.

Interesting responses, mostly in line with my thinking. I guess ultimately you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't.

Part of my attendance problem must be due to me tanking so many road games anyways, I've done that 5 times this season right before one of my home games.

I'd have to definitely agree with the managers who claim 5th is much better than 4th (or probably third either other than by being in the POs a team might possibly have a chance to win). I don't think that there is any evidence whatsoever of higher attendance. My club has now made the playoffs for 16 straight seasons—with the last 13 in II—and my number of STHs is no higher today than it was in that first season in II. And my attendance has suffered dramatically as I try to figure out a way to stay out of bankruptcy.It has become very painfully obvious that the BB developers have gone completely overboard in removing money from the game—via paltry Cup proceeds, staff acquisition costs, free agents, lower attendance, the list goes on. The lack of balance between divisions in different countries comes into play also. There are high-division teams in certain small countries that have cash balances in excess of $20M while many good solid franchises are in severe financial straits.

Last edited by Pappy ODaniel at 4/17/2012 5:30:27 PM