BuzzerBeater Forums

BB USA > FML Radio: Inflation (Calum)

FML Radio: Inflation (Calum)

Set priority
Show messages by
This Post:
66
278425.1
Date: 4/18/2016 1:05:19 AM
Overall Posts Rated:
926926
Hello again from all the folks here at FML Radio. Working an average pace to bring you a semi-quality product!

The transfer market is crazy. This we know. Here to talk about his experience with a nuts economy is the Manager of Funky Town Fire, and former three time NBBA champion - Calum!

(http://i.imgur.com/tCp90.gif)

-----
Chek: Welcome to the show! Tell us a bit about yourself!

Cal: Hi Chekreyes! I'm a 31 yo Scot living in Southern California (they let me in cos I have an engineering Masters, suckers!) - recently married a lovely mexican-american lady and probably moving to NYC soon - I miss the cold.

Chek: You’ve played the game for an extraordinarily long amount of time, but recently you just came back from a semi-inactive period. What brought you back?

Cal: It's hazy, I was looking for a distraction at work, browsing the offsite and came across a thread about Cliff Duncan. I was intrigued by the prospect at training a once-in-a-generation player. As soon as I had him I was hooked again. I'm still surprised I came back, I received that '1 week to deactivation' email a couple of times during my inactive years but somehow clung on. Must've been the nostalgia.

Chek: How much money had you accumulated after all that free fall?

Cal: I think I had ~ 20mil, was nothing insane. When I sold my (still young) treble winning team I only received ~5m so had about $7m at the start of my inactivity.

Chek: How has BB changed from the start of your tanking/absence to now?

Cal: Less users but I think more dedicated ones. The cream has finally risen to the top (when I played before the NBBA was all the guys who'd been here the longest).

Transfer market of high-end players is night/day - 10x the price of when I left (I sold a 30yo Paul Owens for $300k). More regular players about 2x higher however a lot of that growth was in the season or 2 when I first returned (terrible timing!).

Another big challenge has been the requirement for manual training projection, match-up scouting, etc. - I miss the offsite tools more than anything else!!!

Chek: You changed your teams name in Season 13. What inspired the change and does it have anything to do with your forum avatar?

Cal: I decided that Burntisland (the town I'm from in Scotland) Fire was kinda boring, so wanted to change it to 'Funky Town Monkey Pimps' - you know, as you do....I had a cool logo in mind and everything.

It was going to be staged over a couple of seasons (to maintain my identity of course) but by then FTF had a bit of brand recognition and I decided to keep it! :D

Nothing to do with the avatar, i saw that on some forum somewhere and realized that's exactly how I read most posts around here (especially the classic Wolph-battles). I am entertained by others taking things too seriously. MJ is funky, it just worked.

Chek: Your biggest project since returning seems to be your trainees. Tell us about them, specifically, did they cost more than they would have ten seasons ago?

Cal: I luckily 'overpaid' $4m for Duncan just at the start of this TL inflation (I'm certain he would bring me $9m+ if I sold now). He was a 62TSP+ HOF draftee (low RB) and was I picked him up early in 19th year. I say 'overpaid' because my experience said he wasn't worth over $3m, and he'd gone for $3.3m the season before. I remember when brian picked up Nemesio for $7m though - so can't complain.

He's now 21 and at 99TSP after getting over a couple of bad injuries. You can check out his training diary here:
http://s3.zetaboards.com/BuzzerBeater_USA_NT/topic/775670...

With the addition of 2 more HOF USA trainees (Horn and Cameron) I've now set ambitious goal of training 3 NT players simultaneously. Otto Cameron I picked up after watching him go for $1.3, $2.7, and then $2.9 (me) million in consecutive seasons. Horn was $2m.

...

Last edited by Chekreyes at 4/18/2016 9:46:31 AM

This Post:
22
278425.2 in reply to 278425.1
Date: 4/18/2016 1:08:53 AM
Overall Posts Rated:
926926
Cal (continued): I essentially spent $9 mil of my $20m on trainees, so down to $11m, in Div 4, inflating TL and no players, I had work cut out to get to NBBA again. I decided to spend a decent amount on salary-efficient players who I could (hopefully) sell for similar prices when I grow out of them. i.e. promote as sustainably as possible. I also committed to buying US only (but that's gone out of the window recently). It's going ok, but have ~$6m, will likely promote into Div II this season, and the who knows?

My original goal was to save up enough to win NBBA and compete in BBB (brian told me it was the only way a USA team would have a chance), but because of the TL, it doesn't look like that will be possible. If I can do it, I'll settle for having 3+ NT players and being competitive in NBBA.

Chek: Do you think prices will ever go back to what they once were?

Cal: They will never drop to where they were 5 seasons ago, the user trends suggest that there will be greater demand than supply. I wouldn't be surprised if they stabilized a bit though, it's just unsustainable.

Chek: Which BB user do you think secretly has the funkiest dance moves?

Cal: GM-Jason - but funky in like an embarrassing dad way. Looks cool to himself, but kids are mortified. (y)

Chek: Where is Waldo really?

Cal: I call him Wally, and I imagine he's in therapy.
(https://drawception.com/pub/panels/2012/5-6/bfdwCtdMnj-14....)

Chek: If you could change one thing about BuzzerBeater what would it be?

Cal: I think it's great the way it is, but I do appreciate any moves the BBs make to make it more engaging for newcomers, and any way to make it easier for younger teams to compete (more seasons = more money) would be fantastic. I do think this format of gaming is dying out in this new age of apps and action - but the longer we can stay around the better.

I would support any drastic changes BBs feel is necessary to secure longer term future. Well, other than 'freemium'!

Chek: Wow. Literally exactly what my answer to that quetion would be. Funky minds think alike it seems. Thanks for coming out Calum!
-----

Big thanks to Calum! If you liked his thoughts on Inflation show him some love. Remember that you can nominate managers for future episodes! I know I have fun doing these. Until next time, thanks for tuning in to Flash Masher Life Radio

Last edited by Chekreyes at 4/18/2016 9:47:17 AM

From: Jason

This Post:
11
278425.3 in reply to 278425.2
Date: 4/18/2016 1:35:21 AM
Arizona Desert Storm
III.3
Overall Posts Rated:
11181118
Chek: Which BB user do you think secretly has the funkiest dance moves?

Cal: GM-Jason - but funky in like an embarrassing dad way. Looks cool to himself, but kids are mortified.


Calum, I'm ready for a "dance-off" anytime you are, just tell me when and where ;)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7NHEmh7oCk)

From: Bobbanana

This Post:
00
278425.4 in reply to 278425.3
Date: 4/18/2016 1:54:44 AM
Florida Champs
IV.33
Overall Posts Rated:
252252
Second Team:
Great Lakes Spartans
Another good read. Great work once again, love the threads. Keep it up!

From: Calum

This Post:
22
278425.5 in reply to 278425.3
Date: 4/18/2016 9:39:38 AM
From: Chekreyes

This Post:
11
278425.6 in reply to 278425.5
Date: 4/18/2016 9:48:14 AM
Overall Posts Rated:
926926
Nice. Opened that gif in my Chem class to the dismay of those sitting next to me.

PS: Added in another last minute response via my last edit.

This Post:
00
278425.7 in reply to 278425.2
Date: 4/18/2016 4:15:48 PM
Milwaukee Lethargy
III.8
Overall Posts Rated:
849849
Second Team:
MiƂwaukee Lethargy
Remember that you can nominate managers for future episodes!

I nominate Mr. Glass

Track him down & make it happen!




This Post:
00
278425.8 in reply to 278425.7
Date: 4/18/2016 4:22:03 PM
Overall Posts Rated:
32293229
Remember that you can nominate managers for future episodes!

I nominate Mr. Glass

Track him down & make it happen!





I think his stunt double Yuck is still polluting these parts.

This Post:
11
278425.9 in reply to 278425.8
Date: 4/18/2016 5:28:33 PM
Overall Posts Rated:
370370
What ever happened to CoachWard. I bet that would be an amazing interview.

Message deleted
This Post:
00
278425.11 in reply to 278425.9
Date: 4/18/2016 7:26:39 PM
Overall Posts Rated:
9999
Toccoa Panthers (buckeye?), Rip, Jason, Lambini, OG Godbear,