Oooh, a quandry

[terpkristin]

So I just got this HT-mail from the team that's #1 in my series (I'm #2):

I have been to div 4 once and am really not ready to go back just yet. If you feel that you are ready I will let you have it if you really want to go. Let me know one way or another.

I honestly don't think I'm ready for D-IV. But maybe I could play the promotion match and see how things fly....

Thoughts from those of you that have made the leap?

~tk (i'm getting lazy)

[The Afoci]

Promote. If. At. All. Possible.

[FrogMan]

Agree with The Afoci. I'm all for promoting when you have a chance, no matter if you think you are ready or not. You never know, you could get in a manageable IV league, or at worst, be relegated in a year, but you'll have tasted it.

And even if you don't promote, you can't beat having one more game of training for your players.

FM (I got lazy way before you lady )

[terpkristin]

Completely off-topic. I just realized I'm Division III here in the forums now!!!

~tk (you only got lazier before I did FM because you're older )

[Doug5984]

tk- I would atleast def. tell him you are wanting to promote, chances are if you are not ready to promote you wont auto promote and then you will get more money for finishing in first + more money from attendance at the qualification game. If your team does good enough to autopromote then your team is probably ready for the leap.

[Havok]

tell that guy to suck it up and move to divison IV. I hate guys like that. His team is plenty good enough to compete in IV.

What a wuss.....

[daedalus]

Originally posted by Havok
tell that guy to suck it up and move to divison IV. I hate guys like that. His team is plenty good enough to compete in IV.

What a wuss.....

Eh, in a sense I do agree with you. However, you do have to give the guy credit for being willing to give up the prize money (finishing 2nd, instead of 1st) to let another team through. Much props.

[Coffee Warlord]

Repeat after me.

Never ever ever ever ever ever ever pass up a chance for promotion from V to IV.

It's not that big of jump. IV to III is where it really gets dicey.

[Mr. Wednesday]

V to IV is a bit of a jump. Unless you catch a division with walkovers, you're looking at an average NSI that's ten to twenty points higher in IV than you usually see in V.

FWIW, in NSI magnitude the move from IV to III is comparable.

[terpkristin]

Well, I won't autopromote, that's about certain. This guy's team value is slightly more than mine, but we put up comparable stats usually (at least NSI-wise).

Still considering,
~tk

[Nyarlahotep]

Go for it. If your team is comparable, you may as well be the one to reap the rewards of the first place finish.

[Fonzie]

I'd recommend taking him up on the offer to grab 1st. At the very least you'll get a qualification match loss, which as already stated nets you some extra training as well as some extra cash. Not to mention a pretty 1st place trophy for your case.

And you never know, you might win the qualifier, get into a decent IV league, and play well enough to stick around. The sponsor money is better in Div IV, too.

One caveat: promoting before you're ready will make it considerably harder to recruit supporters. They don't seem to like losses or shutouts at home (which I've learned the hard way).

On balance, though, I'd say it's better to promote or to get a chance at promotion whenever you can. Good luck with your decision.

[sterlingice]

I've found that even with 3 losses in a row in Div IV, supporters will still come as long as you have a crack staff of 10 spokespersons. Although getting shutout, they will be more reticent to do so

My record this year is 3-5 and I've endured a pair of three game losing streaks (the first was 2 fixtures and a cup game) yet my supporters have gone from 1258 at the beginning of the season to 1413. I might actually lose supporters next week (only gained 2 this week) but that's becuase my losing streak will reach 4 games when Brooklyn crushes me. Still, the fact remains that I've gained between 15 and 20 supporters every week despite having a 5th place team in a division where I'm in over my head.

As for your situation, you need to badly improve that midfield. To tread water in Div IV, or at least a decent Div IV series, will require a passable midfield at home and an inadequate on the road (winning will require substantially more, but baby steps). You are going to get drilled if you put up those poor and weak midfields unless you land in a nice cushy series that isn't much better than a Div V.

However, in the grand scheme of things, everyone is right: if you get a chance to promote, do it! You don't know when you might get another chance. Next season, you might end up with one of the "creampuffs" from a tough Div IV series like home sweet IV.21. Hell, I'm one of the creampuffs in IV.21 and I put up a high 60s NSI every week. You could get someone like that drop into your series or a good promotee from Div VI since they are pretty close to Div V and they could walk away with the title next year. You never know when you might promote and even if you get killed next year, you'll be a year wiser with higher division knowledge. Plus some of that prize money can go to shoring up the midfield.

SI

[Poli]

Tell the guy to get some marbles!

[Rich1033]

I agree with ardent. If you guys are close, Id rather play it out and see who is the better team. But if the guy has no balls, just take first place and run with it.

[terpkristin]

Thanks for all your input, peoples!
I'm gonna do it, he doesn't want it, and since my next match with him is at HIS house, we'll likely tie again, in which case he'll beat me on GD (we are 1 and 2 by GD only).

Here's to playing a qualifier!
~tk

[KevinNU7]

Well by him backing down I'd assume that he is going to take a couple of his good palyers out so you can walkover him.

Interesting.... I'm have this strange feeling that he is hoping you agree and then you PIC the match because he promises to play his B team or something. Then you goes in there and plays his best lineup and beats you. hmmmmmmm

[robbgmaier]

(shakes head sadly) :-(

I auto-promoted last season, and have yet to score a non-walkover point. However, I am making 20K a week more in sponsor money, so it hasn't been a total loss. As others have said, you have to go up if you can, it's entirely possible that henceforth you will have to face tough demotees from IV and never have the chance again.

Don't you have any testicular fortitude.......uh......

[damnMikeBrown]

I'll speak up for this guy. This game is played around long term success. While I think he's stupid for not going ahead & getting a qualification match, I don't think he's an idiot for not wanting to promote.

I lost 2 games last year in a pretty good V series. This year I have ZERO points. My fan base during this time has gone up 70. That's seventy supporters joining in a half a season. Last season I gained over 500. Yeah, so I'll get auto-relegated at the end of this ridiculous season, and end up with FEWER fans than when I was promoted. That's a hell of a great season.

Long term, I just wasted an entire season, or 4 months. The only benefit I've received is training. While that is not inconsequential, I'd have trained equally well in a V series.

My team is better than all but a dozen+ or so FOFC teams. My mantra would be "Stay in V until you can safely avoid auto-relegation".

[lytic]

I was gonna say ask Mike before you decide... lol!

If your qual game is with a team in series IV.FOFC(19). LOSE IT!!!