Around this time every year, MHR holds its Annual Community Mock Draft. Members pick the teams they would like to represent, and every day they turn in selections for which players they want their teams to take in the upcoming 2011 draft. We work our way through the draft order, doing as many rounds as time allows, and the only thing that can stop us is the Draft itself on April 28th.
If you are a member from last year or even earlier, then you probably don't need to be reminded how this is going to work. For new members or those unfamiliar with the concept of a community mock, follow me below the fold and we'll look at how the draft works, what it will look like, and above all, how you can contribute.
Who's running this thing?
There will be two commissioners running the 2010 draft. Myself (Jeremy) and Mocker extraordinaire, Sayre Bedinger. I am occupying more of a behind the scenes role, compiling the posts and maintaining the records, while Sayre will have a more upfront role as the prime communicator to the owners. Sayre will be giving his input on every pick in the draft, as well as being the main contact regarding trades and rules, and he will be the one who signs off on any trades between owners.
Where do we start?
First, we hold a sign-up period, where members can select a team to represent on a first come first served basis. This year's signup will be held tomorrow, Sunday February 27th, at 1:30pmMST. This will consist of a post that goes up at the designated times, containing a table that will fill up over the course of the day (realistically, over the course of a few hours), with members "calling dibs" on teams in the comment section. Basically just post a comment in the thread indicating which team you would like to represent (or list a couple, in order of preference, if you aren't sure which teams are still available) and teams will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis. If you have been awarded a team, you will see your name updated on the Owner's Table in the post to confirm. Once all 32 teams have been selected, that is it, so be sure to be in the thread early. If you are given a team, and your name goes into the Owner's table, it is your responsibility to get your contact info sent to the commisioners (the address will be provided in the post tomorrow). The Owner's List master document cannot be compiled until all owner contact info has been submitted. Once the Signup is completed and contact info has been received, the Owner's List will be posted to the front page.
Who gets to be the Broncos?
Every year we do something a little different regarding who picks for the Broncos, which represents the crown jewel of the MHR Community Mock. In the past we have raffled off the honor or awarded it as the first team given away in the thread, and last year John Bena had the distinction of picking for the Broncos. For 2011, we will be raffling off the Bronco's current allotment of 6 picks each to individual owners. That means that this year there will be 6 members making up the Bronco's war-room, and it will be very interesting to see how well they can work together to make the draft work in Denver's favor. Think of it as our very own "six-legged-stool." In order to be eligible for the raffle, you will need to simply indicate in the comments that you would like to be considered for the Broncos war-room. Once the rest of the sign-up is completed, the Broncos will be raffled off and the new owners will be notified. We will talk about more specifics for the Broncos' representatives further down the list.
When does the Community Mock Draft start?
Once the Owner's List has been posted on the front page, that marks the opening bell of the 2011 MHR Annual Community Mock Draft, and the Carolina Panther's owner will be on the clock. So expect the 2011 draft to officially start sometime Sunday evening, which means the Broncos will probably be making their selection first thing Monday morning.
What are my responsibilities as an Owner/Representative of my team?
First and foremost, you will be making the selections in the draft for your team. You will also be expected to provide a one to two paragraph summary of your thinking and motivation for the selection, which will be submitted with your selection, and which will be included in the post announcing the pick. To this end you will need to familiarize yourself with your team's needs and draft philosophy, and keep track of developments with that team that could change their draft outlook. I highly recommend visiting the SBNation site for your team, and putting up a fanpost there to get commentary from their fans and closest followers. They can help you see their team with a depth that MSM coverage rarely does, and in the process inform your decision with the accuracy and rationality that the MHR Community Mock has come to be known for.
How long do I have to make a selection?
We have had different time frames in the past, and always, the members have exceeded expectations in timeliness. Last year the "clock" was set at 24 hours per selection, in order to make one per day, but members averaged around 3-4 hours to get their selections in and we would have 3-4 picks per day. For 2011, the selections will have a 12-hour deadline. I fully expect that to be dwarfed by actual participation, but in the rare event of a missing selection, the draft will be only minimally delayed. Last year the selections would post as a group, but this year each selection will get its own post, so only expect 3-4 selections to be published per day. Once the commissioners have been notified of a selection by a team, word goes out to the next team on the clock, even if nothing has posted publicly. This keeps things moving quickly. We are also starting the draft much earlier than in the past. With any luck, we should reach Denver's 7th round selection (approximately 209-210 if compensatory selections have been added to the draft).
How do I make my selection?
You will receive an email telling you that you are on the clock, and outlining the general rules you need to follow, along with instructions on how to format your selection. Simply send a reply to that email, and your selection has been made.
What happens after I make my selection?
You get a post on the front page dedicated to your pick. Oh, and the community will either rake your decision over the coals, or shower you with praise....
Are trades allowed?
Trades are not commonly allowed in community mocks, due to logistics, but here at MHR we have allowed them every year and the membership has carried out the instructions with admirable trustworthiness. However, we traditionally have not allowed players to be traded, instead only allowing picks to be traded for picks within the current draft. This also means that future picks are not allowed to be traded. For 2011, we will continue this tradition, which actually aligns quite well with the current situation regarding trades under the current CBA mess.
How do I make a trade?
In order to pull off a trade you will need to be calm under pressure, creative and tenacious. Owners will be asked to share their emails on a master document that is distributed only to the owners. This document is your trade lifeblood. You can use it to contact owners looking to deal your pick. As long as the trade only involves picks in 2011, any trade you dream up can be submitted to Sayre. You will need to act quickly putting a deal together, in order to be able to submit it and get it approved before your deadline expires. Some owners won't be interested in trading with you, so you may need to wheel and deal or quickly get in contact with someone else. Once you have a trade you agree upon, the team that is acquiring the current selection should send the proposal to the commissioner for approval, along with the selection they would like to make if the trade is approved. If Sayre doesn't feel that the trade is realistic or fair, he may return it to the bargaining table with suggestions on how to make the trade better. Other wise, if the trade is approved, the selection will be announced, the owners will update their tables, and the draft will continue on.
What are my responsibilities as a representative of the Broncos?
Because of the new format, the reps chosen for the Broncos' war-room will have added responsibility, above and beyond the fact that they will be expected to be perfect. First and foremost, Bronco reps will need to be in contact with one another, informing eachother of their strategies for their picks. While the whole team should be involved in discussing the strategy, it should be noted that only the person assigned the pick has final say on who is selected with that pick. Also, once the team has been informed of the selection, they will ALL need to submit their thoughts on the pick, just as if they had made the selection themselves. They are free to include any of the details that went into the selection, or any dissent they have to the majority opinion. It is clear that anyone submitting themselves for consideration as a Broncos' rep will need to be prepared to work as part of a team. They will not only be representing the Broncos, but also the entire MHR community.
Are there any special rules regarding trading picks for the Broncos?
Clearly, for the Broncos to trade picks will require some special circumstances, because it would not be fair to trade away one person's picks, and deprive them of the opportunity to represent their Broncos on this site. To that end, 100% approval will be needed from all Broncos reps in order to pull off a trade. This essentially means that a rep who's pick is being suggested for trade has the power to veto the trade if they aren't willing to part with the pick. In the event that a trade is agreed on that acquires more picks for the Broncos, the order of selection among the representatives will be maintained, and a new member of the team will be selected from the earlier raffle entrants, who will then occupy the final pick of the Broncos' draft. For example, if the Broncos were to trade out of the #2 pick, to the #7 selection, while obtaining another 2nd round pick (say #60) in the process, the rep responsible for the #2 pick would now have the #7 selection, the next two reps would hold onto their selections, the next 3 reps would all move up one pick, with the third round rep moving to #60, the 5th round rep moving to the third round, etc. Then another member would be added to the team (when the Broncos are originally raffled off, several extra names will be drawn for this contingency) in the now vacant 7th round pick. It may sound complicated, but we can always take a little extra time to make sure that the Broncos selections are done correctly.
What if I can't make my selection in the alloted time?
In the event that the deadline comes to pass (or if we suspect the deadline will come to pass, and cannot make contact with you) Sayre reserves the right to make the selection for you. You will still retain any other picks you have for your team, though if contact cannot be made in a reasonable amount of time, Sayre may also determine that another representative be drawn from the community.
Will upcoming changes in the draft order be reflected in the community mock?
Normally we don't start the community mock until after the compensatory picks have been awarded, however, with the CBA problems not looking to be resolved anytime soon, we figured we could start the draft early, make more progress, and if something happens and compensatory picks can be awarded or players traded, then we will do our best to accommodate those changes in our draft order. Personally I think it is highly unlikely that we will have to do that....
Anything else I should know?
If you have any other questions about the Mock, or the process behind it, you can email me for clarification, or just drop your thoughts and questions in the comments.