Epic Collapse

[RICHARDMILTER]

What's wrong with new Tori hunter?

[The Biomechanical Man]

2-20. Pretty epic. :(

[askaufman]

I've lost six out of nine at the end to miss the playoffs but that's ugly. Did you have some major injuries or close losses?

[FRANKZAHN]

I had a team lose 14 in a row the last week of the season. Prior to the collapse it had like a 10 game lead in the division. Ending up barely holding on to win the division then promptly got beat in the first round.

You are not alone.

[Urishade]

Old Tori Hunter if you want someone to comiserate with check out the details from the Epic Comback 22-1 over last 23 thread in which I was on the losing end of an atrocious set of circumstances. In fact I have grown so tired of all these late season comebacks by teams that I am giving up the game.

It happens every season in just about every division. One team is playing well and leading by a comfortable margin and then boom one of the teams that is on the outside looking in gets hot and I mean hot. Reeling off wins while the first place team who has proved their worth over the first 140 games suddenly goes cold. Most times the hot team jsut gives the deserving first place team a scare and things work out ok in the end but lately the hot streaks have been turning into upsets.

I have always believed (and this should get the purists all lathered up) that TSN tweaks the game play down the stretch a bit to bring back in those teams that have been mired in mediocrity most of the season. Give them a little hot streak and put them into a playoff race. In the end they don't have to reward them with a playoff berth as just the idea of making a run is enough to encourage repeat business.

If things played out the way most leagues standings look at around the 130 game mark half the teams would be seemingly hopelessly out of it and less inclined to buy another game after a subpar to dismal season. But a late run generates renewed interest and even if the hot team misses the postseason they still walk feeling that they nearly made it and are anxious to buy more opportunities to try again.

Obviously I have no proof but I have read a few comments about this idea in the past that were predictably dismissed as conspiracy theory stuff. But think about it TSN is running a business and it needs customers to survive. The very best players will always play their set of leagues but they will also win more credits due to their acumen. So there is a constant need to draw in new blood and keep the newbies interested in playing especially after they undoubtedly fall flat on their faces due to inexperience.

Understandably I will be shouted down on this idea and quite possibly be called a few names that would make a respectable person blush but I want all of you to watch the way the game play unfolds at the end of each of your seasons going forward and let me know if you see what I am talking about. Each season eight teams walk away disappointed that they failed to make the playoffs so that is a lot of unhappy customers that need a little poke to pony up their next $25.