>>> A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT <<<

It’s an exciting time for the FSWA. We have several pokers in the fire, and our executive committee and board of directors are as active and motivated as any other May I can remember.

Hall of Fame off and running

Finally … the FSWA Hall of Fame is moving forward. At present we are collecting application forms from eligible candidates. It’s taken the FSWA a handful of years to get this back up and going but we’re pleased to finally be where we are, and I’m grateful to a few folks for helping to make it happen: first, the chair of our Hall of Fame Committee, Robert Burghardt, and the rest of the 20-member committee for agreeing to participate and for remaining patient. Second, to our board of directors for offering input on the process. And my thanks to FSWA Vice President Emil Kadlec, who helped to build the online form we’re using to collect data.

A few things to know about the Hall …

• To be eligible, candidates need a minimum of 10 years service in the fantasy sports editorial field.

• Eligible applicants can fill out the form themselves or have someone do it for them. A few people have expressed concern over the self-nominating process, but here is why it’s important: no one knows one’s history better than that person. The goal is to educate our committee members so that they can fill out their ballots. That said, for those uncomfortable filling in the info themselves, it is perfectly OK to have a friend/supporter do it for you.

• The process will work like this: Once we have a full list of applicants, the committee will review every applicant and submit a ballot. The top vote getters (to be determined by the total number of applicants) will become semifinalists; at this point, the committee will submit a second ballot. Inductees will need to appear on a set percentage of ballots.

• We will release the names of all applicants, semifinalists and inductees to our membership when available.

Let me add this: The No. 1 priority of this process is to do things the right way. As was the case with our writing awards, I expect we’ll learn a few things this first year and use those lessons to grow in future years.

Member pages to get a facelift

Another bit of news … the FSWA is in the process of rebuilding the member pages on our site. This is the first step in a multi-step plan for our online presence. The new member pages will sort more efficiently, with each member able to add links to stories and bio information on his/her individual page. Stay tuned for more details.

- Mike Beacom, president & chairman


>>> SURVEY – YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! <<<

Two years ago, the FSWA membership participated in a survey of journalism ethics. Results of that study and a more recent one are included in the inaugural issue of the International Journal of Sport and Society (www.sportandsocietyjournal.com). I'm a fan of your work and the field of fantasy sports journalism, and my goal in research is to promote best practices and to promote its journalistic growth.

Would you consider participating in another 10-minute survey? I would appreciate it sincerely and would be happy to discuss the results of this survey and other research at your convenience.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FSWA

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration!
Mead Loop
Associate Professor, Journalism
Ithaca College


>>> RETRO CHALLENGE <<<

The FSWA served as a test pool for YesterYear Fantasy Sports’ new game, allowing fantasy owners to compete using NFL stars from years past. Midway through the league, players were invited to a feedback session with NFL great (and YesterYear spokesman) Tony Dorsett.
The winner of the Fantasy Writers Retro Challenge will take home an autographed football signed by more than 25 MEMBERS of the NFL HALL OF FAME.

Said FSWA President Mike Beacom, “It was a good opportunity for FSWA members, and it gave the football-only guys of this industry something to do in the ‘dead’ months of the year.”

For YesterYear’s Jim Pennington, the relationship provided valuable feedback. “We are in the final stages of live audience testing for our new fantasy football game platform and were very proud to have the FWSA as one of our primary test groups. We welcomed hearing the good and the bad about our product, and plan to work with the FSWA to constantly improve the game from the perspective of the people who make their living writing about the game.”


>>> FSWA PROFILE: SEAN ALLEN <<<

If hockey is king in Canada, then it would figure that fantasy hockey would be the king of fantasy sports in the country with the superior national anthem. Following that logic, two-time FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year Sean Allen would be fantasy king of Canada. Logic is neat, eh?

The 2008 and 2009 award winner knows that hockey pools still dominate the “fantasy” landscape in Canada, but stateside fantasy hockey has a devoted following who pepper Allen with questions. He had been nominated for the award in 2006 and 2007, but he was able to burst through as a winner in the following two seasons. Allen said, “Not many folks get into the fantasy industry to make a living, we do it because we are passionate about it and enjoy sharing our opinions. To put in the hours and effort you do as a fantasy writer and to be highlighted for your work is just incredible. It keeps you going. To win again in 2009 was just more of the same great feeling.”

Allen got his start in 2004 when he sent in a sample article to the TalentedMrRoto.com after noticing their lack of fantasy hockey content. His writing career was put on hold because of the lockout the following year, but he said, “I put in my hours over the next year on TMR’s very active message boards and built up a bit of a profile on the site. When the NHL was set to return from the lockout I got back in touch with the TMR folks and they gave me a chance to write for them.” From there, he made himself indispensible by writing about a variety of topics (including baseball, basketball, and football) as well as being a presence in podcasts. He noted, “By the time TMR made the move over to ESPN, I was lucky enough to be among those to move with him.”

Among the things that make Allen special is that he is unafraid to take risky picks. He relishes speculating on rookies even though minor league statistics are somewhat unreliable when translating to the NHL. He also likes to guess who is going to have the hot hand between the pipes. Allen said, “Goaltenders are easily the toughest aspect of hockey to predict and there is no formula that can be applied to their statistics to come up with anything useful from year to year.”

One needs to look no further than Allen’s self-described complicated relationship with Bruin net minder Tim Thomas. Like many goalies, Thomas has been inconsistent, which is often causes headaches for fantasy writers. Allen said that Thomas’ unconventional flopping (similar to Dominik Hasek) had caused him to think the Bruin goalie was somewhat of a fluke. He said, “With much trepidation I endorsed him as a top-10 goalie (in 2008-09) and he came through in spades as the best fantasy netminder hands down. I dropped my guard and decided to fully invest in Tim Thomas as a first-round asset this season. Boy, oh, boy, was that a bad idea.”

Allen was more proud of his prediction about Ducks’ center Ryan Getzlaf for the 2007-08 season. Getzlaf had shown promise in his first two seasons as an Anaheim skater, but Allen went all-in with him prior to his third campaign. Allen noted “I committed to him as a top-10 player and potential first-round investment. I caught some flack for suggesting a 58-point player should go before a laundry list of proven commodities, but I was vindicated when he produced 82 points, a plus-32, 94 PIMS and an incredible 36 power-play points. Easy top-five value for someone everyone else pegged as a third or fourth rounder.”

While that prediction and many others came through for Allen, his advice to writers new to the fantasy realm is to “check your pride at the door.” In any venture in which you speculate on an unknown future, you will be wrong … a lot. Allen said it is not a fantasy writer’s job to be right all of the time. They should “offer an opinion, entertain and keep people informed.” If you are right once in a while, so much the better. He also noted the flooded market in which “For every fantasy writer there are 10 people who are willing to actually do your job. You have to be willing to put in your pro bono hours before you get anywhere. Do the work, do it well and be willing to do it for free. Those who are willing to dedicate the time for nothing will get noticed and will get somewhere. It just takes time.”


>>> JOIN US ON FACEBOOK <<<

The FSWA is building a Web community on Facebook. To find us, simply search for ‘FSWA’ and request to join.


>>> JOB POSTINGS <<<

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>>>>>

As usual, if you have any suggestions, comments or complaints, send them my way.
Mike Beacom
President & Chairman
Fantasy Sports Writers Association
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715/340-0681