OK TL fans, given that waiting on a top-down decision from either the TL admin or godmin has been fruitless for 10 days now since the season ended, let's see what you think .. anyone may vote, but you may vote only once, and you may not change your vote

the poll will close on Friday at the time specified, only then will the vote tabulation be revealed .. of course, the results of this poll are entirely "unofficial" and outside TL5 rules and procedures

given that another exciting TL season has come to an absurd and unnecessarily frustrating conclusion, this will at least give those of us playing in TL5 and others who have an interest in TL an opportunity to express ourselves .. if you choose to elaborate in a reply, please put it behind a spoiler tag, unless it is an "Other" option as described in the poll

should zyxtcba or souptree announce an "official" decision on how to proceed this poll will of course be even more meaningless

regardless, IMHO, as a player, captain, and reporter of TL for the past two seasons i'd like to see what others think we should do now .. otherwise, Sherlock's old axiom is all we have


We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
-- Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventure of Bruce-Partington Plans" Sir Arthur Connan Doyle

could TL be anymore messed up? when i began asking souptree to allow zyxtcba to intervene as the post-season TD nearly two weeks ago, i didn't think it could be .. when about a week ago, since souptree apparently crawled under a rock in either shame or anger, i began strongly lobbying zyxtcba to assume the role of post-season czar, i still remained optimistic

well, it is more messed up .. since zyxtcba "took charge" he has issued contradictory TL emails, the last dated Mar-5, to the 6 teams he declared in the playoffs .. while i never received either of those TL emails my teammate roderick sent me a copy of his (see Unofficial Final Results)

on Monday, my teammates began playing their designated playoff matches with dorbel's teammates - dorbel and i have yet to play the decider .. but now it seems to not matter, as the most recent mysterious edict issued by shouts in the night by zyxtcba seems to indicate we are not in the playoffs - yet another contradiction and a bigger mess

now, souptree has locked zyxtcba out of TL email for daring to act in trying to resolve this mess, but one can only guess .. souptree's actions and continuing absence have been simply inexcuseable, at least zyx is trying

further, yes it gets more messy, zyxtcba's most recent ruling was based on the erroneous assumption that the unplayed matches were played and posted after the end of the season .. they were not even played .. they were silently posted by souptree (see factotum's post) .. yes, it gets even more bizarre, but i'm long ago bored by these theatrics and boredom does not improve when shared - does it?

zyxtcba, whom i repeatedly encouraged to take over as post-season TD, finally did send me his most recent announcement a 2-page Word document, single spaced .. i found it based on erroneous information and insisted he post it himself .. i want nothing to do with enabling yet another screwed up, arbitrary, unilateral decision

from the beginning i have encouraged zyx to post his official announcements here at FIBS Board to avoid the confusion that appears to be running rampant now, but zyxtcba and souptree are among the noisiest of the anti-FIBS Board contingent .. time after time, both have proudly shared they "do not read" and would never post anything here

zyx seemed to have relented as he fully endorsed the idea of using FIBS Board to effectively manage TL5 post-season announcements .. mysteriously, however, he can't seem to find these threads (despite countless url's and hyper-links), figure out how to make a post, or bother to even set up an account (sorry, more theatrics there, but i found those to be the absolute last straw)

i have flatly refused to enable zyxtcba's continued ignorance of the substantive, singular, and retrievable TL5 dialog here by posting his announcements for him, particularly when they contain blatant errors due to his apparent refusal to even read relevant messages here at FIBS Board .. so, dorbel, i very directly declined my role as "zyx's nominated spokesman" and will not assume that role now .. triangulated unread communication is not going to solve anything, imho ... i simply will not be part of making an already bad situation worse

ironically, the respondents to this poll seem to have thus far agreed with me .. while no single item is close to a clear plurality, of the 11 options i offered as a resolution only two have received no votes, "Other" and let zyxtcba take over .. democracy is a mess and no way to run a tournament, but it seems in this case it is the voice of wisdom .. i've tried my best to support souptree and zyxtcba at every turn during this TL5 season .. but as dorbel said elsewhere in a most dorbelian manner: "personally I am losing the will to live as far as TL is concerned"

if i could change my vote, i'd now vote "Other": get a rope and get her done

FIBS Team League Playoffs.


My motivation for not joining FIBSBoard is simple: FIBSBoard is administrated by webrunner.  Many years ago, webrunner told me that he felt abusive players like myself should not be allowed on FIBS and that he would like a find a way to remove me as well as others.  Should I have not taken that personally?  When someone directly threatens to terminate my "virtual" existence, I do not respond by then going over to their "virtual" house for tea.  GOT IT?  Simply by being here, I am subject to the whims of a person - webrunner - who has voiced his antipathy towards me.  I explained this to sixty_something but he was unable to grasp this.  Well, I might as well go meet don for donuts while I'm at it.

Yet my personal desire to finish everything I start ultimately overrode my instincts and, at 60's urging, I signed up.  This is the first posting I've ever made.  This is the first time I have ever moved freely around the site as opposed to simply cutting and pasting an address.  I did not save any of those links - they were used one time.  So it was not as easy as 60 suggested.  This sight was not intuitive when it comes to finding the necessary thread but ultimately I managed.  I am not as talented as 60 is.

60 easily inserted himself into the process when it became obvious that the webministration was becoming dysfunctional.  His assistance was eagerly welcomed by me.  But I notice that he has now detached himself even more easily when his assistance in making a single posting would have been even more welcomed.  That is his right.

I worked for approx. two hours on a two page TL Playoffs letter.  I based all my decisions on the evidence at hand - what else was I supposed to do?  Unable to easily find an appropriate thread (ya, I gave up pretty quickly - I had just spent two hours of my life dealing with TL already)  I asked 60 to post it for me and sent him the attachment by email.  He refused to post it.  That is his right.  Then he declared the league a shambles.  I find that disingenuous.

60 in his post says he cannot enable my unilateral decision.  60 tells me in private that he will support the rulings I make.  60 - thank you for your help but I no longer require help that takes this form.  Would you?  Plus, as a member of a team adversely affected by a ruling I made, I think you have some obvious conflict of interest issues.

Then a torrent of messages and tells starts to hit my account.  For example, I was informed by factotum that the jasonj v. scuba match was actually NOT played but rather was a forfeit granted by souptree in the dead of the night.  Now I read in 60s post that the other post-session match was also not played.  No one told me any of this at the time - which is kind of a problem since I am ostensibly a TD.  Of course, perhaps I was fired by souptree after indicating my desire weeks ago to resign at league's end and he simply forgot to tell me that as well.  That is his right.

So I see a poll has been started and no one has opted to see me continue as TD.  DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT THAT IS?  I could have walked away as souptree apparently has and stopped giving a crap.  But, like a fool, I waded back into it - although my resignation was on the table - to try to create closure.  You can read in 60's screed about obstacles put in my way - such as my inability to access the website - and yet I have persisted in trying to find a light at the end of my tunnel.

For this, I have gotten little thanks and many spanks.  And that is YOUR RIGHT, folks.

However, I have rights too.  And I will be using some now:

1.  I have the right to immediately put into effect my resignation from the administration of Team League.  I am doing so NOW.  By doing so, I am, according to 60, giving the people what they want.  Power to the people right now.

2.  Since I am now uninvolved with TL, I have the right to follow my own personal feelings about being here.  Therefore, this will be my first and last post and I will be deleting my account forthwith - assuming I can determine how to do that.  And webrunner can go intercourse himself - I still exist.

3.  I have the right to tell all of you who have bitten off your pounds of flesh these last two weeks, using me as your whipping boy when the person you need to direct you bile towards is soupy, to go suck the excrement out of a deceased canine's anus.  And so I am.

Furthermore, I will now sit back with a cold beer and watch how someone like 60 or his ilk steps forward, takes control of Team League and conducts the playoffs to a successful conclusion.  Hope you have all your facts before you begin.  Good luck.

When I finish that beer, I will get another and then watch kopmann or someone else write a new website so TL6 can begin immediately.  It all sounds so simple, doesn't it? 

I have no regrets about being the TD of this league for four seasons.  I did an excellent job with the pathetic tools I was given.  However, I am certain that I will be relegated to the dustbin of history compared to the brilliant job the next TDs will do.

I anxiously await the new website and the announcement for registration for TL6 - I can hardly wait.

zyx


P.S.  As 60 has ultimately decided he cannot support my playoff rulings after all, deeming them "screwed up and arbitrary,"  there really is no reason for me to post them here since they have already been panned by the critics.  So I won't bother.  This will free up the new TD who will be chosen from what will assuredly be a huge candidate pool to rule as he - or she, since I have heard suggestions that DeaDice be the new TD - sees fit.  But then, what do I know?  Absolutely nothing.

Just DON'T knock 60's team out of the playoffs with any rulings, DD.

Have fun y'all - I'm as SOOOOOOO out.

z

Aaaaaaah, so it was all sixty's fault! Mind you, that bloody dorbel had a lot to do with it and as for webrunner! Oh yes and soup, it was him too! And tryout. And ckopmann.
Good Bye Team League! Great concept, great opponent's, great team mates, shite administration. At least we now know who was to blame. Everybody except zyxtcba by the look of it.
Actually zyx, not that you are reading this of course, I am sure that you tried honestly throughout, but in the end it was your failure too. Please don't make it the fault of those, like 60 or myself, who tried to point out the ways in which TL was failing and how those failures could be remedied.
I won't sink to the revolting levels of your goodbye zyxtcba. Just take a look at yourself and listen to how you sound. Is it pretty? I think not.

This is what I read today, 14th of March 2008 at 11:20UTC on the FTL site, at the STANDINGS page :

Sorry for the delay. I have been in and out of town and had some computer problems. Playoffs will commence Sunday, 3/16. Active players in the playoffs will receive an email then. Non-active players can just check back here for more info.

 

Spielberg took the words right out of my keyboard - I suggest we all suck up to donz and get it integrated to the nacci site - automate it almost entirely to removes as much bickering as possible - keep it simple and then play and enjoy - how hard is that 

Well won SSS, by matches and democracy 

I have no enegy to read all these posts and really don't care. I think that Tomawaky FIBS League, FIBS Team League and FIBS-O-NACCi are best competitions with fine sites which run on FIBS. Sorry Sixty, I count here only competitions with longer matches.

So, please don't be stupid to lose such great competition. All you which help to run this league keep in mind that Team League is important for players on FIBS and for backgammon in general and players don't care about who run or who direct such competition. They just want to play, so keep your egos shut up and let that your works speak in your name.

I hope that I will be able to play in next FIBS Team League session together with all of you.