Thanks Las Vegas!!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:40 am

I also need to give kudos to everyone who came to Las Vegas for the NFBC this week as EVERYONE was just great. The Flamingo worked out great, but the convention center here is just a maze of ballrooms and we were spread out between Friday and Sunday. But everyone got to the auctions/drafts on time and we all had a GREAT time together.

When everyone sat down on Saturday at 9:55 a.m. and we did a head count with all 144 teams there, I was just flabbergasted and elated. That doesn't always happen. What a great, great time. And of course the Ultimate Leagues on Sunday were smooth and a blast.

Thanks again to everyone, along with all the workers here. You make my job easier by being so prepared. And it allows me to have a few Corona's when I see everyone having so much fun.

Good luck everyone.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:44 am

One more note from Las Vegas: Last night after the Ultimate Leagues were finished several of us went to the Excalibur to bet on anything with 2-4 legs. The drinks were free and the comraderie was great. I won all of my NBA bets and Rick Thomas and I even brought Eric Peden into the sportsbook for the first time and teamed up for his first ever winning NBA bet.

But Shawn Childs stole the show. He teamed up with Rick, Claire Gustafson and Jan Gustafson on the horses and Shawn quickly turned a 35:1 horse into a $550 winner for the group. Then he picked the Superfecta and the four of them split $3,200. He was on fire and we had the whole sportsbook jumping. Man, you can't pay for excitement like that (well, I guess you can as the house usually wins!

).

What a great time and great stuff Shawn. I'm jumping into his "corporation" tonight as we're going back to do it again. What a great bunch of friends we've assembled in the NFBC and stories like this one will last a lifetime.

bjoak · Post by **bjoak** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:37 pm

My two cents: the Flamingo was excellent. It was right in the central part of the strip, a great place to stay and the draft space was large. I agree that it was maze-like to find the room the first time, coming up on the wrong escalator, but the escalator next to our draft room led right down to the casino and the door to the strip was about 150 feet away.

Nevadaman · Post by **Nevadaman** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:48 pm

Is next year's Draft going to be in the Flamingo?

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:07 pm

Nice to see that SHAWN CHILDS put some of last years Breeders Cup education to work. He must have had an excellent teacher!

sportsbettingman · Post by **sportsbettingman** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:43 pm

Ahhhh...10 hours of driving and a flat tire later...I can rest!

Thanks a ton to all in Las Vegas!

Thanks to Mother Nature for a taste of Summer in March!!!

Thanks to the Golden State Warriors for hooking me up with a moneyline dog "one point win" 99-98...thank goodness I wasn't watching. That single bet made my whole trip!

Thanks to UNLV moneyline!

VERY NICE to meet such great folks as Greg himself...Dan Kenyon (DOUGHBOYS), Shawn Childs, Eddie Gillis (Way bigger in person!), John Zaleski (UFS), seeing King Rob Benetti and sweet wife, Big Todd Zola, and a quick wave hello to Jules...but she bailed before I made a beeline to Rob once I got back from a run to the restroom!

Great people...both running and playing in this event...that must give a comforting feeling to both the owners and players of such an event...pretty much ensuring it's future!

Thanks again!

~Lance

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:29 am

So Lance....... how did Treasure Island with the wife and kids work out?

Our group came across the Canseco Brothers at the Bellagio buffet - the girls with those two were simply 10+.

Good luck this season.

sportsbettingman · Post by **sportsbettingman** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:51 am

Originally posted by Sack:

So Lance....... how did Treasure Island with the wife and kids work out?

Our group came across the Canseco Brothers at the Bellagio buffet - the girls with those two were simply 10+.

Good luck this season. The Canseco Bros. know how to enjoy life!!!

As far as Treasure Island...it was a better place to be young and single...that's for sure. My wife felt like a piece of meat in a dog kennel at the pool. My two boys loved it...but it's definitely targeted for a more Palms/Hard Rock type crowd. The beds were awesome...the strip view was better than a postcard. I didn't play anything but sports (college and pro basketball)...and even that was only a few games.

The boys loved the Pirates vs. Sirens show (So did my wife and I...ha!). Maybe Circus Circus next time...even though I hear the crowd is a bit rough...or back to Excaliber? (I like Vegas better with da' boys for football)...but had a great time with the family. Wife at the fashion mall...me and the boys checking out the shark pool and tigers and volcanos etc. Not much of a pirate theme to the place AT ALL...other than outside. Bought a couple wooden pirate guns and they were happy. The buffet wasn't bad either. Best Rum Runners in Vegas by the pool (on the rocks).

My wife swears she saw Daniel Negraneu hanging out getting some sun poolside.

Good Luck to you too, Sack!

~Lance

[ March 20, 2007, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: sportsbettingman ]

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:04 pm

Sounds like it all worked out. Bringing my family West for the football season. Fly into Vegas - make the trek to Califonia for a few Disney days and hopefully an Angels game or two.

Please cross Circus Circus forever off the list. It is a flea bag, and I'm being nice. Flamingo rates are fair, but I to plan to check out Excalibur while the kids are still young enough to enjoy. Cya on the leaderboard! Oops, I stole that line.

Ted's Cracked Head · Post by **Ted's Cracked Head** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:15 am

I was just a visitor to the event and Vegas because I wanted to meet a few of the hardcore players and put some more faces with names along with a nice little vacation but ended up coming away committed to ending my 6 year layoff from baseball.

Greg and his entire team are amazing. They truly make it look easy while working tirelessly to make it seem as such for the participants.

The drafts in vegas were a blast to watch and the comaraderie afterwards is amazing. It is like a family that seems to be growing every year. It is a different feel than the football events.

Thanks to all I met for sharing their baseball passion with me this past weekend. It looks like I will repay you next year by donating to the overall prize pool. Thanks to Perry, Jules, Shawn, KJ, Lance, UFS and the many others that I spoke with this weekend.

Having said that, you baseball folks are flat out crazy about your game.

This trip has also left me thinking that I should go to Vegas for the NFFC instead of staying home in Chitown.

Lance, I echo your wifes view of the pool as I too felt like a piece of meat amongst all of those young and toned bodies.

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:40 am

Originally posted by Ted's Cracked Head:

but ended up coming away committed to ending my 6 year layoff from baseball.I'm glad to hear this Rob -- you seemed a little down during the March 8th satellite. For the hardcore stat crackheads (and Cracked Heads, too) out there, baseball is the best.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:10 am

Originally posted by Nevadaman:

Is next year's Draft going to be in the Flamingo? That was the plan for 2008 baseball, but unfortunately they told us on Saturday that the main ballroom has already been sold for March 21st. We were disappointed, but we have a good alternative option with another Harrah's property right now. We're trying to get that done ASAP and will let you know if we can get that space soon. So the bottom line is that we won't be back at the Flamingo in 2008, but we hope to have a better option soon.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:14 am

Originally posted by Ted's Cracked Head:

I was just a visitor to the event and Vegas because I wanted to meet a few of the hardcore players and put some more faces with names along with a nice little vacation but ended up coming away committed to ending my 6 year layoff from baseball.

Greg and his entire team are amazing. They truly make it look easy while working tirelessly to make it seem as such for the participants.

The drafts in vegas were a blast to watch and the comaraderie afterwards is amazing. It is like a family that seems to be growing every year. It is a different feel than the football events.

Thanks to all I met for sharing their baseball passion with me this past weekend. It looks like I will repay you next year by donating to the overall prize pool. Thanks to Perry, Jules, Shawn, KJ, Lance, UFS and the many others that I spoke with this weekend.

Having said that, you baseball folks are flat out crazy about your game.

This trip has also left me thinking that I should go to Vegas for the NFFC instead of staying home in Chitown.

Lance, I echo your wifes view of the pool as I too felt like a piece of meat amongst all of those young and toned bodies.

I love it Rob!!! Even if you join the NFBC next year just for the comraderie and March Madness togetherness, you'll more than get your money back in entertainment. As you saw, the Las Vegas crew is pretty tight and it's been four years of getting to know each other and you are correct that we have become a close family that just gets bigger and bigger each year.

And thanks for the compliment to our crew. You weren't the only person who wondered how just three of us pull that off in Las Vegas. We have a lot of "friends" that join us to make this seamless, but there are three staffers who eventually are responsible for all of the registrations, participants, facilitators, draft boards, floor layout, etc., in each of Las Vegas, New York and Chicago and we do a pretty good job of pulling it off each time.

Welcome to the NFBC family and we'll see ya next March in Las Vegas. And, as it sounds, maybe this September in Las Vegas as well. You know that's where I'll be!!!

eddiejag · Post by **eddiejag** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:24 am

I too have to give it up to the whole Vegas group.Greg as always is the best, making sure you have a corana or a coke in your hands at all time.I was also able to sit in the Fantasy Trade Conference for the last day, it's amazing how big fantasy is getting.Greg was telling me how Mattew Berry was always at the shows in the earlier years , always raising his hand asking questions.Well mattew berry just signed with ESPN for about a million.Rotoworld was just baught by NBC FOR EVEN MORE money.This is great news for everybody in Fantasy.Also meeting new people every year , MANKIND and his buddy SEABASS, lANCE THE SPORTS BETTING MAN came by to say hello, finally got to meet Jessie Herron and his clan, olso GOT TO MEET kimo, and im playing in his home league.WALLA WALLA and Rick THOMAS WAS A FUN DAY ,and of course David DiDonato the 100.000. dollar man, and of course Brady and the girls.Brady just makes the auctions fun, espcially with a few drinks in him and he starts calling us bitches and other names. LOL.

GREG really has made Vegas an event, one i have to come to every year, and most important how everybody treated my son DOM, HE REALLY enjoyed himself.His favorite player is CAPT HOOK , just loves those HOOK shirts and the HOOK way.He also collected about 700 cards on the strip to bring back to his friends, he thought that was so cool.

ANYWAYS thank you Greg and eveybody for a great time. EDDIE G and his sidekick DOM.

Jackstraw · Post by **Jackstraw** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:32 am

Eddie,

You should listen to Dominique about the laptop. He is dead on. And, having someone there to handle it while you draft makes life a ton easier. I know, I know... I couldn't prove it by the way the auction went on Friday night!

To everyone else in Vegas, it was another great experience! Great meeting everyone new and talking to everyone I'd met before

Tho' I hate him, and he is in my Brave's division, CARLOS BELTRAN FOR MVP!!!

JohnZ · Post by **JohnZ** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:08 pm

Originally posted by Ted's Cracked Head:

I was just a visitor to the event and Vegas because I wanted to meet a few of the hardcore players and put some more faces with names along with a nice little vacation but ended up coming away committed to ending my 6 year layoff from baseball.

Greg and his entire team are amazing. They truly make it look easy while working tirelessly to make it seem as such for the participants.

The drafts in vegas were a blast to watch and the comaraderie afterwards is amazing. It is like a family that seems to be growing every year. It is a different feel than the football events.

Thanks to all I met for sharing their baseball passion with me this past weekend. It looks like I will repay you next year by donating to the overall prize pool. Thanks to Perry, Jules, Shawn, KJ, Lance, UFS and the many others that I spoke with this weekend.

Having said that, you baseball folks are flat out crazy about your game.

This trip has also left me thinking that I should go to Vegas for the NFFC instead of staying home in Chitown.

Lance, I echo your wifes view of the pool as I too felt like a piece of meat amongst all of those young and toned bodies.

Rob, thanks for coming over to say hello! It was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to the next poker battle!

KJ Duke · Post by **KJ Duke** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:15 pm

Likewise Rob, nice talking to you in LV. Hope to see you in Vegas for football. Nothing better than getting a shot at taking down the reigning champion.

[ March 21, 2007, 08:18 PM: Message edited by: KJ Duke ]

eddiejag · Post by **eddiejag** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:23 pm

Jack Straw how could i forget you, we talked at the auction and the main event , and had a blast.

I like your Carlos Beltran for MVP, YOU KNOW I HAVE HIM in all three of my leagues,NL,AUCTION 42 BUCKS, THE MAIN EVENT PICK 7 AND THE ULTIMATE PICK 6, BELTRAN for MVP. jUST DONT GET HURT. LOL.