Quandry

[terpkristin]

Well, I seem to be in a bit of a dilemna. I know, I really shouldn't complain about the situation I'm in, but I'm not sure what to make of it these days...

During yesterday's league match, I put up my 2nd best-ever NSI of 78. My previous best was a 79 away on a MOTS. This 78 was a home PIC win. I'm not complaining. My team has been making steady progress. From Hatstats, this has been my competitive season so far:
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=right>8(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L HOME</TD><TD>17830</TD><TD>The Interns (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=72005'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 37.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 15.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 15.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 7.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 78 </TD><TD class=numcol> 5-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>7(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L AWAY</TD><TD></TD><TD>The Interns (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=72005'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 36.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 14.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 15.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 6.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 71 </TD><TD class=numcol> 3-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>6(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L HOME</TD><TD>32359</TD><TD>Kirilenko Fans (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=222379'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 33.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 13.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 15.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 5.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 79 </TD><TD class=numcol> 4-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>5(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L AWAY</TD><TD></TD><TD>Team Gooch (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=72008'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 35.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 14.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 14.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 6.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 72 </TD><TD class=numcol> 6-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>4(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L HOME</TD><TD>33903</TD><TD>Castilla (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=72004'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 34.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 13.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 15.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 5.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 74 </TD><TD class=numcol> 5-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>4(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>C AWAY</TD><TD></TD><TD>Of Mexican Descent (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=8318'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 32.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 11.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 15.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 6.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 67 </TD><TD class=numcol> 2-5 </TD><TD class=numcol>L</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>3(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L AWAY</TD><TD></TD><TD>Claire Utd (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=71183'))</TD><TD class=numcol> x-x-x </TD><TD class=colcol> 30.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 9.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 15.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 6.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 72 </TD><TD class=numcol> 5-2 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>3(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>C AWAY</TD><TD></TD><TD>Boston Breakers (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=71754'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 32.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 12.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 13.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 6.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 65 </TD><TD class=numcol> 5-1 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>2(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L AWAY</TD><TD></TD><TD>orange cats (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=70737'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 20.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 9.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 8.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 2.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 42 </TD><TD class=numcol> 3-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>2(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>C AWAY</TD><TD></TD><TD>New Hampshire Gurus (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=224095'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 32.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 12.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 13.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 6.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 64 </TD><TD class=numcol> 5-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD><TD align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>1(22) </TD><TD class=teamcol>L HOME</TD><TD>20910</TD><TD>ChickChasers (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=71524'))</TD><TD class=numcol> 3-5-2 </TD><TD class=colcol> 30.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 12.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 13.5 </TD><TD class=numcol> 4.0 </TD><TD class=numcol> 65 </TD><TD class=numcol> 7-0 </TD><TD class=numcol>W</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The only game that looks really funky/out of place in there is my match with orange cats, where I PIC'd with backups. Now, more than halfway through the season, I'm in line to auto-promote and my main series competition hasn't logged in since 4/11/04 and has 2 starters injured so when I play him this week it really shouldn't be much of an issue. I MOTS'd him on the road last time, put up my 79 NSI and beat him 4-0. I'm actually contemplating PICing him this week given my better TS, home field advantage, and his injured starters.

The problem is that every week, Hatstats forecasts me promoting to a harder and harder IV series. This week, they have me going to IV.43, whose ratings look like:
<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD align=middle>1 </TD><TD>Stiinta United (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=71322')) </TD><TD align=right> 18 </TD><TD align=right>5</TD><TD align=right>13</TD><TD align=right>17</TD><TD align=middle>5-3-2</TD><TD align=right>28.5</TD><TD align=right>12.5</TD><TD align=right>9.5</TD><TD align=right>50.5</TD><TD align=right>49</TD><TD align=right>24</TD><TD align=right>25</TD><TD align=right>98</TD><TD align=middle>W</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ededed><TD align=middle>2 </TD><TD>Quickie (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=70758')) </TD><TD align=right> 17 </TD><TD align=right>7</TD><TD align=right>10</TD><TD align=right>17</TD><TD align=middle>5-3-2</TD><TD align=right>22.5</TD><TD align=right>10.5</TD><TD align=right>7.5</TD><TD align=right>40.5</TD><TD align=right>40</TD><TD align=right>12</TD><TD align=right>27</TD><TD align=right>79</TD><TD align=middle>W</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD align=middle>3 </TD><TD>Proletarian Dictators (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=70842')) </TD><TD align=right> 19 </TD><TD align=right>12</TD><TD align=right>7</TD><TD align=right>14</TD><TD align=middle>3-5-2</TD><TD align=right>12.0</TD><TD align=right>20.5</TD><TD align=right>7.0</TD><TD align=right>39.5</TD><TD align=right>32</TD><TD align=right>24</TD><TD align=right>22</TD><TD align=right>78</TD><TD align=middle>D</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ededed><TD align=middle>4 </TD><TD>NLR (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=8732')) </TD><TD align=right> 19 </TD><TD align=right>15</TD><TD align=right>4</TD><TD align=right>13</TD><TD align=middle>3-5-2</TD><TD align=right>22.5</TD><TD align=right>18.0</TD><TD align=right>8.5</TD><TD align=right>49.0</TD><TD align=right>47</TD><TD align=right>21</TD><TD align=right>37</TD><TD align=right>105</TD><TD align=middle>D</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD align=middle>5 </TD><TD>Chelsea_FC (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=8267')) </TD><TD align=right> 17 </TD><TD align=right>17</TD><TD align=right>0</TD><TD align=right>11</TD><TD align=middle>3-5-2</TD><TD align=right>12.5</TD><TD align=right>24.0</TD><TD align=right>7.5</TD><TD align=right>44.0</TD><TD align=right>29</TD><TD align=right>27</TD><TD align=right>33</TD><TD align=right>89</TD><TD align=middle>W</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ededed><TD align=middle>6 </TD><TD>Revenge of the Nerds (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=72230')) </TD><TD align=right> 14 </TD><TD align=right>27</TD><TD align=right>-13</TD><TD align=right>10</TD><TD align=middle>x-x-x</TD><TD align=right>12.5</TD><TD align=right>10.5</TD><TD align=right>6.0</TD><TD align=right>29.0</TD><TD align=right>29</TD><TD align=right>9</TD><TD align=right>19</TD><TD align=right>57</TD><TD align=middle>L</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffff><TD align=middle>7 </TD><TD>Thunder Chicken (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=71973')) </TD><TD align=right> 12 </TD><TD align=right>17</TD><TD align=right>-5</TD><TD align=right>5</TD><TD align=middle>4-4-2</TD><TD align=right>22.0</TD><TD align=right>13.5</TD><TD align=right>8.0</TD><TD align=right>43.5</TD><TD align=right>49</TD><TD align=right>21</TD><TD align=right>22</TD><TD align=right>92</TD><TD align=middle>L</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ededed><TD align=middle>8 </TD><TD>Golden Otaku (javascript:popUp('/team_overview.php?teamid=229487')) </TD><TD align=right> 7 </TD><TD align=right>23</TD><TD align=right>-16</TD><TD align=right>1</TD><TD align=middle>3-4-3</TD><TD align=right>10.5</TD><TD align=right>12.0</TD><TD align=right>8.0</TD><TD align=right>30.5</TD><TD align=right>24</TD><TD align=right>12</TD><TD align=right>24</TD><TD align=right>60</TD><TD align=middle>L</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I can't hang there! I'm worried about auto-promoting not because I think I'm going to lose, but because financially I'm not ready to improve my team the way I need to to hang in any of these IV's...training Dixon has been great, but I'm not sure if next season I'll even be able to afford his wages (a separate problem all together), and keeping him in my #1 trainee spot leaves only one spot open for another trainee, which isn't economically very useful. But, for Dixon to have a shot at u20, I need to keep training GK. If I were to promote to IV, I'd need to improve my midfield and potentially get another good striker. Nevermind my coach issue, because as soon as my current guy drops leadership, I'm hoping to convert one of my players into a coach, but then need to worry about finding a suitable potential coach to replace him when HE drops leadership...

So. I'm stuck. I'm really not into that entire "throwing a game" thing. Maybe I just PIC the rest of the season and see how things go? There is potential that the team that trains scoring could beat me if I go that route (Claire Utd in V.228, my series). I'll sell my current #2 trainee when I either pull a decent trainee or when he hits excellent. At the latest, that should be towards the end of this season. But that won't net me much more than 500k probably...depending on need at that time of the season.

I'd take any input you guys care to offer...

Thanks.
~tk

[fantastic flying froggies]

I say promote and see worry later about next season.

This is after all a sports simulation. The main goal, if not the only goal, is to be the best.

Plus if you don't promote, you never know what happens in your current division next year.

[terpkristin]

I agree with what fff said, I mean, that was definitely the philosophy I took in season 20-21. Season 20 I promoted out of v.237 into IV.62, not as bad as IV.19, but still pretty damn hard. I value the experience I gained in IV.62, but in the grand scheme, my 1 season stay there really didn't help my team...I lost all the time, lost supporters both because of the relegation and because of constantly losing, lost money because of not filling up a 35k stadium....

The only really good thing to come out of season 21 was Dixon, my first youth pull there. And I got relegated to a series that so far I'm taking pretty easily. It loses its charm after awhile...

~tk

[Raven Hawk]

TK,

Play to win the series. The series that you get in next year is inconsequential at this point. Teams will shift up and down those listings until the end. It really is a crap shoot who's division that you get into next year. Throwing games won't help the matter any.

[Masked]

It is too early to know what series you will end up in. Last week you would have been entering my series, where a 78 NSI would definately put you in the top 6.

[terpkristin]

Thanks for the advice....I could hardly see myself throwing a game, but still wanted the input.

Definitely still considering PIC'ing this week though, going to have to pay attention to the number 2 team's activities and see if he even logs on this week...

:)
~tk

[Poli]

Play to win. :)

Until HT craps on you and you lose half your lineup to injuries. :)

[YoSoySean]

Never throw a match. Maybe you'll get lucky and get put into one of the lesser IV series....

[lytic]

You could always tie a few games and go for the qualification match to see if you like the series. Though I think you could hang around with a 79ish rating.