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Getting to Know Your NT Staff

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From: OSU

This Post:
00
183104.32 in reply to 183104.31
Date: 6/7/2011 4:36:04 PM
Overall Posts Rated:
11
Will see UTEP and tell Rudolf Its him vs Kenny pass first vs shoot first

From: SpF

To: OSU
This Post:
00
183104.33 in reply to 183104.32
Date: 6/19/2011 11:01:30 PM
Overall Posts Rated:
210210
NT Domestic Scout TheChamp

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Tom, I'm 26 and from Minnesota. I'm a newly-minted doctor, so my obsession with BB will have to be pulled back a bit (but not too much) once my residency starts...

2) Tell us a little bit about your team and history here at BB?
My team is the Midway Mules and this is my second season playing BB. I happened to sign up right after the first game of season 15, and since then I have promoted to D.IV.

3) How did you get involved with the NT?
During my first season, I joined the off-site forum and got a lot of help from experienced manager. Once I started posting a bit on the boards, and asked jfarb if I could help, and he assigned me as a domestic scout for 19 year-olds.

4) How important is Domestic Scouting?
It's the backbone of the U21 and National Teams. It really is amazing how many great prospects get wasted in this game, largely because some of the managers who draft the best players do not necessarily know how to train them best. That's where we come in.

5) Biggest Buzzerbeater Pet Peeve?
When managers give a play-by-play of their game in the USA Chat during Tuesday or Saturday games.

6) Favorite NT & U21 Players from this season/last?
Being a PG in high school who was yelled at by his coach, I have a soft spot for Joe Bronson. On the U21 team, definitely Jimmie Brown. Two words: man crush.

7) Who is your favorite player from your own team?
Before I really knew what I was doing, I bought an 18 y/o USA PF named Jeff Anderson. After a season of training, he has a very outside chance at the U21 team.

8) Biggest Buzzerbeater Rival?
Tough to say yet, having never been in a league for more than one season. I got beat pretty bad by yfoogaces in my opener this season and we are tied for 1st place, so I'll say them.

9) What are your thoughts on Coach Jfarb with the NT?
He's the man. He definitely listens to opinions on the off-site forum, and makes informed decisions regarding tactics and personnel. If he runs for NT Coach again, I'll definitely vote for him.

10) The main objective of the Midway Mules in season 16 is?
(Fingers crossed) Promote this season. It will be tough, but we have a shot. Of course, then I'll get destroyed in D.III.

11) Favorite NBA Team?
Sadly, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not much to cheer for, but plenty of open seats at home games!

12) Favorite movie?
Too tough of a question if it's not split up by genre. For drama, I'll say Shawshank Redemption. For comedy, Tommy Boy.

13) Favorite song?
Geez, I don't know. I really dig 60s and 70s rock (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd etc).

14) Favorite pizza topping?
The more meat, the better.

15) Finish the sentence... If I could have one wish I would wish for..
World peace? Nah. A Season 16 World Championship for the USA National Team.

From: SpF

To: SpF
This Post:
11
183104.34 in reply to 183104.33
Date: 6/19/2011 11:40:24 PM
Overall Posts Rated:
210210
Former U21 Head Coach Coco!

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I turn 32 in 10 days. I am a college professor: I am originally from Italy, but left the country for grad school and I now live in Chicago. I did my PhD at Berkeley where I picked up my sports allegiances. I used to be rabid soccer fan and player: but I nearly quit the first habit because my team (Juventus) has been too sucky for too long and vastly curbed the second because I wrecked my knee in Fall of 2008.

2) Tell us a little bit about your team and history here at Buzzerbeater?
We started in season 3 in D.IV. By the beginning of season 7 we were in the NBBA. We made the playoffs every season since, but we were kinda hopeless at the beginning. Closing the gap on the early leaders was extremely hard: but we eventually made the finals in season 13, and won NBBA title and cup in season 14.

3) Favorite and least favorite duty as the U21 Coach?
Favorite: it's a game-in-the-game. I loved drafting up a strategy to exploit the opponent's weaknesses.
Least Favorite: dealing with unresponsive coaches.

4) What was your favorite memory as coach of the U21 squad?
Making the worlds in an OT repechage classic with Germany
(8465)

And subsequently, beating a better equipped Chile that had totally misread our tactics.
(9232)

5) Have any regrets you wish to reflect on?
I made a costly mistake in season 10. The season 11ers were an amazing team and incredibly unlucky in various respects: in particular, they drew a worlds schedule that seemed designed to punish the fact that they had just played in the repechage.

But playing in the repechage wouldn't have been necessary if in season 10 I had paid more attention to the fact that the groups for the second round of the Americas weren't random

6) Biggest Buzzerbeater pet peeve?
Too many... but I guess it's well-known that I hate to be CT'd in the cup by teams who have no hope of winning it and should rather focus on their league.

7) Biggest Buzzerbeater rival?
Among the teams I admire, it's the Chicago Bulls. There is also an army of teams I despise.

8) Who was your favorite player from your U21 teams and your favorite player from this seasons U21 team?
My favorite player was Joe Bronson. He was just astonishing.

Of the current crop: Munoz.

9) Finish the sentence... Without me, The U21 team would be...
It may be hard to believe this was ever an issue, but I campaigned hard for single-position training (I even wrote a post in the offsite explaining how to get 48 minutes on 3 players! good times!). People objected that we (NT) managers were just thinking of our NT's interests and not of the teams' interest. Nothing could be farther than the truth, in this case, but I'm just glad that "history" proved us right.

10) What do you think of the job your successors Jelme and Rambo have done with the team?
I think Jelme made one sketchy decision in his first term (CT-ing Italy). It was only one misstep, but costed us relevance in the competition. But he was perfect in his second term.

As for Rambo it's too early to know.

11) The main goal of the Lake Merritt Arrows in season 16 is?
Winning the cup (but there's a couple of scary teams out there, and I am in a kind of "rebuilding mode" right now).

12) Favorite quote?
"Death shall not find me with money in the bank or unused sabbatical leave"

13) Favorite NBA team?
Golden State Warriors, but since I live in Chicago's West Loop, a few blocks from the United Center, I'll also mention the Bulls.

14) Favorite TV show?
Mad Men.

15) Finish the sentence... If I could have one wish, I would wish for...
World domination.

From: SpF

To: SpF
This Post:
22
183104.35 in reply to 183104.34
Date: 6/27/2011 12:10:08 AM
Overall Posts Rated:
210210
Former U21 Head Coach Brian!


1) Tell us a little bit about yourself?

So I'm Brian and live in Chicago, 34, married and have an awesome 2.5yo daughter Josie. Work as a net admin at a high school near the loop. Love all sports, but Bulls, Chicago Fire and US National Team are my favs. I simply can't play sports without days of aches and pains...that's okay..i'm cool with being (feeling?) old!

2) Tell us a little bit about your team and history here at Buzzerbeater?

Been a BB addict since starting waaay back early in season 1. Charles actually recruited a few of us of a soccer forum that had a thread dedicated to Hattrick. Lots of similarites between the games, so I've taken my HT knowledge and early start and run with it. Started a team overhaul a couple seasons ago and getting a little itchy with the long term plan, but ill stick with it.

3) Favorite and least favorite duty as the U21 Coach?

Loved all the scouting and game planning, but wasn't very good or interested in communicating all the details with the community that the position deserves.

4) What was your favorite memory as coach of the U21 squad?

Didn't get to the worlds (I blame Juice for taking all the good young U-21's for the NT!), but we did get the finals of the non-worlds loser tournament (whatever that's called) and earned HCA for the U-21's in Season 8.

5) Have any regrets you wish to reflect on?

Failing to win the season 1 II.2 SF: http://www.buzzerbeater.com/match/547079/boxscore.aspx

I made the jump the next season, but the first few seasons there was tons of money to be made by being successful in the NBBA (somewhat offsetting very very slow training those initial seasons). I still wonder if I'd have been able to do better in the B3 if not for that loss.

6) Biggest Buzzerbeater pet peeve?

This could be a whole seperate interview, but the existence of the enthusiasm system stands out.

7) Biggest Buzzerbeater rival?

Domestically: Heathens, he crushed me in the semifinal of his NBBA winning season. Internatinally: Torooo, was always a step behind, day late-dollar short against him from the day we started.

8) Who was your favorite player from your U21 teams and your favorite player from this seasons U21 team?

Marcos Valle, seem to remember him coming out of nowhere. Nemesio Xermade...i think his day will come :)

9) Finish the sentence... Without me, The U21 team would be...

Not having HCA in season 8 (best i could come up with..)

10) What do you think of the job your successors Jelme, Rambo, and Coco have done with the team?

They've all been much more in tune with the community they I was, so they've done a great job. For the most part, I haven't been too in touch with the U21's or NT since my term.

11) The main goal of the King Drive Ballers in season 16 is?

Try not to fall asleep at the wheel and forget to set a lineup...zzzzz

12) Favorite quote?

Dont really have one, prob some song lyric

13) Favorite NBA team?

Bulls!

14) Favorite song?

Prob could pick between 20-30+ diff songs depending on the mood, but for this moment ill go with "Road to Joy" by Bright Eyes

15) Finish the sentence... If I could have one wish, I would wish for...

LulzSec's hacking skills and resources...im not sure that money could buy that