FOOL’S Managers over the years

[TeachEnEspanol]

That was my favorite list so far! I have nothing but good things to say about Hyde (he is my new favorite trading buddy after all, and that is a high honor)!

and KAOS!!! I was so excited to see that name on the list! I had forgotten about him! While that might not sound flattering, I agree with muns, he is one of the people I'd welcome back in a heartbeat. He added so much to the league and when everything fell apart a while back it was one of those stab-in-the-heart moments to see him post and say that he was leaving. If memory serves me, he is from Illinois. I should look him up and find him and then be his friend...because that would be cool!!!

[Alan T]

I got a chance to say hi to kaosfere just recently, right before OOTPX was released over on the ootp boards. It sounds like he has remained busy but was doing well.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Alan T

Where who went? Tim? He left to pursue a career as a professional Europa Universalis player, but failed when France steamrolled him, so fell back to life on the golf tour.

Or are you asking where I went? I got donuts for breakfast for my girls. I'm the best dad in the world, who wouldn't want honey nut cheerios and donuts for breakfast???

lmao...gold

[hyde4us11]

FTR, Top 15 already is a honor. As Alan likely remembers we discussed if it was something for me. I usually played slower leagues and always wanted to watch entire careers thinking this league will close before I get to see that happen. To think in this format I'm going to get many cycles of players, has been truly awesome. To be in the thought of in the top half of the all time is great to me. Now look out Alan (assumption here) I'm not done yet .

[TimGuru]

Kaos is one of the FOOLs I miss the most. I liked that anarchist-wannabe.

[muns]

Its getting closer to the time ive been waiting for, the unveiling of the top 10, however we still arent quite there and I still havent figured out how I want to do it. So im doing 2 more at the moment. Enjoy!!!


12. Tellisto- Talk about a name from the far far past that nobody ever seems to remember or talk about anymore. I was hoping he would maybe crack/sneak up in the top 10 but I just couldn’t justify it. Tell as we all called him grabbed ahold of the New York Franchise in 1964 and ended up leaving FOOL in 1972. All he ever did was win 594 games in 9 seasons, making the playoffs twice and winning the FOOL Classic once.

You see back then you had to win your division to be in the Classic, otherwise he may very well have won a few more championships for himself. His win percentage sits at 5th best ALL TIME at .551% and he was a very knowledgeable guy on the boards. Tell gave up FOOL in 1970 due to a few undisclosed reasons, and ill say that it was a sad day. We were so new and were going through so many new bugs that Markus introduced to us, that the league was shaky at best. The concept was and is still fantastic, but I think the stability was a huge issue for Tell and at that point we were far from stable. We lost one of the better GM’S the league had at that point in time. Tell I know you still frequent the FOFC boards, I think you should come back as well, there is always room for a good guy that can win around here. Would you even think about it????

An example of our first “trying” issues with OOTP 9
1964 Consolation Draft - Front Office Football Central


So far in the countdown this pick at this spot by far has been the toughest for me to pick. Both guys I was considering are class acts and have contributed to the league in a big ways. I spent hours searching on the forums trying to see if I could give the edge to one or the other on “making an impact on FOOL” or in any different areas I could think of, and couldn’t give the edge to either one of them. So it all came down to the stats. The guy thats in the spot below him at number 10 had one more playoff opportunity and two more first place finishes than my number 11 guy.


So for the 11 spot im choosing Commo_Soldier.

Commo is a guy that is and was well liked, spoke his opinion when he needed to and knew how to play OOTP. His teams were always compettitive and he only finished last once in his entire career. His last 9 years in the league he never dipped below 500 ball and he made the playoffs 4 times. His overall record stands at 2891 and 2595 for a winning % of .527. Commo made the playoffs 7 times as a GM, however his only knock is that he only won a FOOL Title once. He ranks 8th all time in winning percentage and during the regular season is always a guy you had to contend with. If he hand more championships he would have no doubt been ranked higher on this list but the championships are and were elusive. In closing, Commo needs a thank you for all the work he has put into FOOL from the beginning and for always coming back after taking a break. Hopefully he does so again, and would be welcomed by all in the FOOL community.

An interesting thread about one of our old rules for spending to much that Como was involved in
Team punished for spending too much - Front Office Football Central

Another Prediction or Preview post from Commo
1979 Predictions - Front Office Football Central

Commo brining up more than a few issues in this thread for FOOL
Whats the Plan? - Front Office Football Central

and lastly a season review Commo Posted of his Brooklyn Squad
1967 Season in Review - Front Office Football Central

Top 10 is next up!!!!!!!!

[Alan T]

Tellisto and Commo are two of my favorite ex-FOOLers. I spoke some with Tellisto immediately after he left but not much since. He and I saw eye to eye on many things in the old days and I enjoyed having him around.

Commo had something come up in RL out of the blue and dropped FOOL as well as the OOTP beta team and hasn't been around either since then. I hope he is ok as I have no idea what happened.

[Chief Rum]

Great list so far, muns. Brings up some wonderful memories, and really shows some of the history (both in game and out) that we have already built up in some 16 months of play.

I am really looking forward to the remaining 10 spots.

[muns]

After thinking about this all day I think I want to release all 10 at the same time in one giant release. For some reason im hung up on that.

However I wanted everyones opinions. Would you want me to do that and release it Sunday, or should I hold off and wait till monday before the sims starts.

OR would people like to see me stager them out over the day tomorrow that leads down to the number 1 spot getting released before the sim on Monday??

I think im so hung up on releasing it all together is because if I did it one by one its going to be damn easy to tell who is coming next as we get further down the list..

This isnt like in real life where they could be 300 names and stuff, so there is no real climax here.

Thoughts????

[muns]

and DOLA..... Yes the list is finally done and wrote, I just have to touch up some parts here and there that sound funky. but after a month and a week give or take a few days, its done. Was a blast doing it.

[TeachEnEspanol]

I think it would be great to release the whole list at the same time so we can see everyone all together but I think this is your baby so we'll be cool with whatever you decide to do with it whenever you decide to do it.

I also think it is a shame that you can't be on the list because I know that rating wise you'd be way-the-heck up there and as a person you'd be impossible to beat. I hope other people will join me in recognizing you as truly one of the most valuable managers that we have here in FOOL. Thanks for doing this list, always contributing in awesome ways, and generally carrying our asses when and if people are ever being boring or gloomy. Sorry guys, but on my list, Muns is #1!

[Tasan]

Admit it Teach. You haven't heard your name yet and you're sweating it whether you're even on the list!

[Tasan]

Anyway, I would pitch my vote in for all at once as well. It'll get kinda melodramatic I think towards the top.

[Tasan]

And I'll head off the obvious retort right now. Yes, I already know I'm not on the list. An enemy of Hartford is an enemy of muns, and this will be his revenge.

[Chief Rum]

I vote all. But I am a big time impulsive instant gratification guy. Why the heck do you think I am in FOOL?

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by Tasan

Admit it Teach. You haven't heard your name yet and you're sweating it whether you're even on the list!

OK, so good, I'm not the only one who thinks it's a little weird that there's only 10 left and we haven't seen my name yet. Phew!

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I vote all. But I am a big time impulsive instant gratification guy. Why the heck do you think I am in FOOL?

Fair enough.

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by Tasan

And I'll head off the obvious retort right now.

Obvious?! Now Tasan, you know I'm not that kind of girl.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I vote all. But I am a big time impulsive instant gratification guy. Why the heck do you think I am in FOOL?

I think this is where I live too!

[Montreal_GM]

I think you should release it however you see fit.

[TimGuru]

Kevin is playing to move up a spot at the last minute....

[ekcut]

Originally Posted by TimGuru

Kevin is playing to move up a spot at the last minute....

Have I ever mentioned how witty and devishly handsome muns is?

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by ekcut

Have I ever mentioned how witty and devishly handsome muns is?

Is he? And if so, what are you gonna do about it?

[muns]

Originally Posted by TeachEnEspanol

Is he? And if so, what are you gonna do about it?

Im hoping nothing since he does have a wife and kids, unless thats the sort of thing that goes on up in Canada, and if thats the case; a chat is in order!

[muns]

Ill release it all tomorrow after work, that way it can be read before the sim runs.

[buckinbranco]

This has been an awesome read so far muns. Clearly you got that money in the mail. Or perhaps I just missed my name?

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by muns

Im hoping nothing since he does have a wife and kids, unless thats the sort of thing that goes on up in Canada, and if thats the case; a chat is in order!

The way I hear it, #3 isn't official yet so you still have a chance...or is it, he still has chance to increase his ranking? I'm not sure anymore, but I won't judge.

I look forward to the top 10!!!

[muns]

Originally Posted by buckinbranco

This has been an awesome read so far muns. Clearly you got that money in the mail. Or perhaps I just missed my name?

Buck you my friend got hosed this time around. In one of my earlier posts I said that you and I would not be included on the list this time around. You spent a good time away which you were still on the hook for (which wouldnt be fair to you), and then with alan taking over your squad your stats were useless as it wasnt really you.

So im sorry to say that you wont be in this version bud.

[buckinbranco]

Awww no worries. Perhaps next time I will have a championship to boost my ranking.

[muns]

Well Folks this is it. We have finally made it to the top 10. I actually feel really really good about this list. Some parts sucked doing and has taken a long time, and im sure I have a few people ranked too high or too low, but I don’t think its anything that’s off by 1 or max 2. But that’s what the discussion is for right??? I hope this has been as fun as a read for you as its been writing for me. Im hoping I can do the top 10 justice and have some bigger FOOL fun!!




10. gstelmack-

When you think about gstelmack you immediately think about Boston, or at least I do. We have had so many owners come in move teams around/switch teams that it’s a rarity in FOOL that someone comes in with a Franchise and sticks with them throughout their career. Greg’s time in FOOL has been affectionately compared to today’s version of Chicago Cubs Franchise. For many many years Greg had solid teams, but like the poor Cubbies things just never really worked out.

That all changed in the in the 2010 season, when the guy that “stuck it out the most” got his Settlers a FOOL Title. That historic season will forever immortalize gstelmack with the Boston faithful fan base and enshrine him in hearts all over.

Greg’s highlight years were from 1999-2010 when he went to the playoffs 8 times including a stretch of 4 in a row, and came home a champ once. Overall his record was 3066 and 3154 for a winning % of .493 which ranks him 19th all time.

Gstelmack doesn’t really have any threads that stand out above the rest like most of the other guys ive listed above. He however basically responded to every question thrown out on issues, posted trade blocks every year, and did a write up when he had the time to do so. Consistently is the word id use for Gstelmack and we got that for a long long time.

Greg moved onto FOOL X as his distaste for OOTP 9 grew as some of the bugs we still have seemed to have been squashed in OOTP X. Like Commo, I want to thank Greg for all his work around FOOL, and say congrats for making the top 10.

Please read post 174 of this thread that describes Boston a little bit more
1976 Off-season Thread (Opening Day File is up!) - Page 4 - Front Office Football Central



9. allpro10050-

I’m sure this pick right here might have some people wondering what the heck im doing, but at # 9 this is where I have the all time GM landing. All Pro has been around for a long long time in FOOL. He managed what is today the Chico Franchise from (1964-1975) and the Ann Arbor Winged Ligerines Franchise from 1981-1988, 2001-2005,2011-up through today. He went 3691 and 3927 for a win percentage that ranks him 21st all time in the history of FOOL at.485%.

He has 6 first place finishes to his name and has made the playoffs 10 times. He is also one of 9 FOOLERS who have won 3 or more FOOL rings in their careers. Allpro’s glory years were from 2013-2024. During that span his teams made the playoffs 8 times including 5 in a row (2013-2017) and won 2 FOOL Classics.

Sounds pretty damn impressive huh? Well it is. He didn’t land at 9 because of anything he didn’t do. I can’t find a flaw with allpro at all. I would like him to post more, but everybody has their own personality and he is who he is. He lands at 9 simply because we have a group of guys and gals who have just won a tad bit more and that’s why we are doing this list. I want again thank Allpro for being apart of FOOL, and congratulate him as well for landing in the top 10.

I wish him continued success in FOOL, and am looking forward to seeing Ann Arbor back on top of the pile here shortly.

Allpro explaining how he came up with all his team names
2015 Playoff Thread - Front Office Football Central


Allpro telling me to suck it Post 88
1984 Season Thread - Page 2 - Front Office Football Central



8. BZ-

When you actually sit down and look at BZ’s body of work its hard not to want to rate him even higher than the spot I placed him in. He is 1579-1501 for a win % of .513. That mark puts him 12th all time.

Then you take a look at his 6 first place finishes and 9 playoff appearances and realize that’s also some pretty impressive stats. Next up you look and see that he has 3 Rings to his credit and like Allpro above, is one of only 9 FOOLERS that can say that. Impressed yet? Maybe??

Well what got me really impressed is when I actually sat down and looked at his seasons in general a nifty pattern developed. In 2018 Bz made his first appearance in the Classic and unfortunately lost, but just 3 short years later he was back for more. From 2021-27 Bz made 5 Classic appearances, including 3 in a row (2021-2023) winning 2 of those. Hammersmith and Ann Arbor spoiled BZ’s bids for 7 classics in a row. Then in 2030 BZ did it again winning his final ring and ending a decade of flat out Contential League Owning.

In FOOLS long history we have had teams of a few decades. In the 1960’s it was the St. Louis Terriers, in the 1970’s it was the Valdosta Peanuts in the 1980’s it was the Hartford Harpooners and in the 2020’s it was the New York Heroes. If you can lay claim to a team of a decade like only 4 managers can, your damn good in my book and BZ is right there. Now if we can just get Brian to post more often and talk some smack!!!!

For real though it’s been a heck of a ride for BZ and I hope he continues to add to not only his successes but to FOOL in general. Time will tell if BZ keeps climbing up this ladder.



7. Montreal_GM.

It’s rare when you get a new guy in any league let alone FOOL that just jumps right in and “fits”. Kevin has been amazing since taking over the Montreal Franchise right at the restart of FOOL in 2011. He brings his lunch pail to FOOL everyday and frequently adds thoughts opinions and chatter on the FOOL boards that makes FOOL that much better a place to visit.

But my friends it’s not just about Kev hanging out that puts him in my top 10. Kevin knows how to play, and that knowledge has translated into wins (a lot of them) in the toughest side of FOOL that the league has ever seen. The CL has won 15 titles in 23 seasons of “restart ball” and Kevin has three of them. You have to ask the question, if Kevin was on the other side would have have more wins and titles than he already does?? My simple short answer would be yep……

Kevin has 2625 wins and 2397 losses for a win % of 523. That puts him 10th all time and .1% of a point away from being number 9. He has finished in first place 5 times and made the playoffs 11 times in his 23 year career in FOOL including 8 times in a row from 2015-2022.. And Ohhh by the way in case those stats aren’t good enough for you, since the restart no GM has had more wins during the regular season.

I’m glad Kevin is around and he certainly has added another flavor/ great GM to our league. The only other question I have is this. If Kevin would have been around FOOL since the beginning where would he have ended up on this countdown? I mean he is already 7th right now, and honestly is one title or a few more playoffs appearances away from jumping up more than a few spots. Think about it, he is only going to continue to climb.

An awesome thread that Kevin made that I think needs to come back in some form
Boom or Bust: 2011 - Front Office Football Central



6. Tasan-

While Tasan wasn’t one of the original owners in FOOL, I consider him one of its Grandfathers and one of the guys that would step up any at point if needed. I can’t picture a FOOL without him and because of that I hold him in the highest regard possible.

While it can be debated that either BZ or Montreal GM could be placed ahead of him on this countdown in terms of wins and titles, I however wanted to point out a fact that hardly ever gets any mention in the FOOL history books. I would be doing a HUGE disservice to Tasan if I didn’t “go here” and I think it needs to be brought back up.

While Hartford had its run in the 1980’S, Tasan had an “I hate Hartford Campaign” going along side their run (which was hilarious btw) which can be found here

1980 Offseason Thread - Page 4 - Front Office Football Central

The 1980 Regular Season Thread - Page 3 - Front Office Football Central

The 1980 Regular Season Thread - Page 3 - Front Office Football Central

New York-Hartford 1981 - Front Office Football Central

1981 FOOL Classic: Toronto Osprey (91-63) vs Hartford Harpooners (106-48) - Page 2 - Front Office Football Central

1982 FOOL Offseason Thread! - Page 2 - Front Office Football Central

1982 Season Thread - Page 4 - Front Office Football Central


But Tasan was also in the middle of a great rebuild job. In 1985 his plans and hard work finally came to fruition as he made the playoffs that year and the following year. Then in 1987 all the hard work finally paid off as the FOOL Classic and Title came back home to Colorado. It seemed like it was the beginning of something special right????? Unfortunately it was not meant to be and it was decided that 1988-2000 would be computer run so that we could restart FOOL.

Was it fair?? Hell no it wasnt…. He sat through one of FOOL’S teams of a decade waiting patiently for his turn and then when it was upon the league, it was taken away from him. Tasan didn’t complain once, he didn’t moan, he didn’t threaten to quit, he was simply put….. "Tasan", one of the Grandfathers of FOOL.

I’m sure he was crushed, but he didn’t voice his displeasure, he sucked it up and let FOOL restart. In those next years that the computer simmed, his Colorado Franchise went to the playoffs 9 straight years and won the FOOL Classic twice. If you don’t think he could have turned that into more FOOL titles your crazy and he sure would have a hell of a lot more wins. FOOL owes you a lot Tasan even though it doesn’t get brought up nearly enough. but honestly thanks for bending over for us

Back to the present, Tasan has 4009 wins, 3648 losses and a win % of .524. That puts him 9th all time in FOOL history. So he isn’t ranked 6th because of what could have been. He has 9 first place finishes which is 5th all time, and 16 playoff appearances which is tied for 4th all time. His knock??? He only has 2 titles, but we already covered that now haven’t we.

Tasan has also been a guy that has been extremely active on the boards and has just about participated in any FOOL changing event over the years including serving on its BOD. Thanks for all you have done Tasan, FOOL wouldn’t have been the same without your handprints all over the league.
Some final posts from Tasan that I wanted to point out.

How the Colorado Logo came to be
Colorado Stadium renovation - Front Office Football Central

The Colorado Ring of Fame
The Colorado Rancheros Deck of Fame - Front Office Football Central



Well we have finally made it to the top 5 now. It’s been a long hard fun road trying to evaluate where I wanted everyone to fall, but these 5 can be considered the back bone of FOOL and without a doubt have won the most and are extremely active on the boards.




5. TeachEnEspanol-

One FOOLER just described her the other day as the most likeable and nicest person in FOOL. I think that is a very accurate statement, and I cant think of one way in which Teach might have ever done something as questionable or crazy on the boards here.

That aside for a moment, Teach maybe a controversial pick here at 5. Why you say??? Well Teach has an interesting approach in FOOL, and one if I may so myself hasn’t ever been brought up/talked about before. Teach and I have never spoken about how she builds her team but with some observations she is the only one that really does it the way she does it. Alan has his way, I copied some of Alans stuff and put my own thang on it, Chief has a system, Eric is a beast… (that list can go on) but my point was that we all have the way we like do it.

But honestly how many people in FOOL can say they have 7 championships? I count a total of THREE and she is one of them. Teach is tied for the second most titles in FOOL history with a whopping 7.

Here is another stat that should just blow your mind.
Did you know that Teach is the ONLY FOOLER that can claim that she has won back to back titles 2 separate times???

In another long line of neat stats going her way is that she has made the playoffs 11 times and when she does it’s a damn safe bet the Title is heading to Napa. She ranks first all time in FOOL winning the title 63% when she is in the playoffs.

So how does she do it? I for one am not going to rain on her parade and start giving hints, if you really want to see, take a good hard look at her teams (when she isn’t in rebuild mode like now) and you’ll be able to tell for yourself. I will say that she figured out that playoff baseball and regular season baseball are 2 totally different animals and her rosters always have the edge in the playoffs because of it.

Her knock??? Her style of ball however as I mentioned isn’t flashy in the regular season. Of all the teams with a title she ranks last in win % with .471 and ranks 31st all time in FOOL history. In the grand scheme of things though Titles is what counts in my book, and id much rather be partying it up after a FOOL Classic “W” than sitting at home saying to myself “well at least I rank in the top 10 of win percentage”.

I will also say that while her team wasn’t rebuilding as strongly as Tasans was, she too also got caught up in the FOOL restart, and her team won 2 rings while on AI control during that time period. You didn’t hear a peep out of her either.

Not only has teach been the “nicest” of all the FOOLERS she too has been around for a long long time, and has been involved in many of our “issues” I think She also needs a “big thank you” for not only being there to help move FOOL to what is has become but for also sticking it out during what can only be described sometimes as a bunch of little boys fighting over who’s toy truck is bigger. So thanks Teach!!!!!

Below are some posts I gathered that show some of Teaches “finer” moments in FOOL

Her draft thread that actually turned into a nice discussion that lead to a neat study
Draft - Front Office Football Central

How Napa Valley came to be in FOOL
New Location for Texas - Front Office Football Central

Her cheerfulness
Update - Front Office Football Central

This post just made me laugh
Help a Brother Out? - Front Office Football Central

Teach being Teach
2013 Trade Block - Front Office Football Central




4. Ekcut-

Again one of my favorite GM’S in FOOL history has to be Eric. Not only does the man know how to win some ball, but he does it in a fashion that’s fun. He isn’t a boaster that is going to tell you how many FOOL titles he has, or how amazing his team is. Nor is he a guy that is going to show up and just be silent because his team may be loosing or is in a rebuild job. Either way Eric goes about it the “right way” and adds his own spice to any FOOL convo.

I have had a blast watching him come into the league not let anyone push him around during trade talks and then just rip shit up in whatever division he is in. Could he be ranked higher on the list??? Just like everything else around here that is debatable, but he sure as hell isn’t going to be ranked lower.

His stats are just amazing and if we were just doing this on pure stats, he surely could be ranked higher. He is 3995 and 3929 for a win percentage of 504% which ranks him 15th all time. He also has 11 first place finishes on his resume with 18 total playoff appearances. He is tied for 3rd place all time in FOOL history for first place finishes and is 3rd place all time in FOOL history with playoff appearances.

All stellar numbers if your asking me and I haven’t even touched the Titles yet. Eric has 6 rings over his FOOL career and ranks 4th on that list. He is also one of only four GM’s to claim that they have 5 or more titles, and one of only 3 that can say they have 5 or more titles and won over 50% of their games.

A few more things that I have to mention here about Eric’s stats (just to be fair to him). Eric started in fool in 1967 and lasted until 1988. He left FOOL, in 1989 and then came back half way in 2001-2005. He was here but really wasn’t playing like his normal self, missing exports and such. During that time frame he went 309-501 with a win % of 381. That basically destroys what he could have in terms of winning percentage, but he was listed as the manager and as such the record stands, but like I said to be fair I did have to mention that.

Since 2020 though I don’t think there has been a team more consistent than Edmonton. Eric always has them playing in top form and check this out. Since 2020 (That’s 14 seasons) Edmonton has made the playoffs 11 times, with 3 titles. That is unheard of and such a fantastic feat to do in the BEASTLY CL. Remember my argument with the number 7 guy on this list Montreal GM????

Where Eric would be finishing over in the RL???? More wins that’s for sure, more titles though??? Good question but my answer leans heavily on the yes side.

I’m going to leave you with some of Eric’s posts that I thought were relevant. Not only has he been fantastic game wise, but he has always been around the boards doing his thing as well. FOOL is better off for having him back, and I for one and happy to have him around.


Eric and his sense of humor at the beginning of his FOOL career
Hartford/Baltimore Trade (1971) - Front Office Football Central

Eric suggesting that we change the SB rate which was a good topic to discuss

Let's put the soon to be elected officials to work. - Front Office Football Central

Eric being Eric lol Post #215
1975 Offseason thread - Page 5 - Front Office Football Central

Eric on OF George Baker and our Hall of Fame
FOOL Hall of Fame unveils logo, announces plans - Front Office Football Central

Baltimore’s Nickname and Stadium changes
Baltimore Submiting Nickname change and a new stadium - Front Office Football Central

[muns]

I ran out of room, and it wont let me post the last 3 in the same message so my bad guys. Next 3 coming up now

[muns]

3. Chief Rum-

Like Magic number and JimmyOOTP before him (no they aren’t even in the same league as far as Chief Rum goes) I just didn’t know where to even start with him.

There is so much information, stats, discussions, trades whatever, that you can basically draw and arrow -------------> and say insert whatever you want to talk about there and Chief would have been involved in it.

Another bigger than life type guy that FOOL has had the pleasure of keeping in its league. The heaviest of heavy weights not only in terms of stats, winning exc, but in creating, managing and pushing FOOL to what it’s ultimately become in my eyes, the greatest sim league concept that’s on the net.

I can honestly sit here and say that if we didn’t have Chiefs big personality around to help us through our “dark periods” I’m not totally sure FOOL would have made it and lasted to what it is now.

We all know about Chiefs Longevity and his winning ways speaks for itself, however id like to go ahead and highlight some of those things for us all. He is 4703 and 4194 for a winning percentage of 529. That ranks him 7th all time in FOOL. He has 14 first place finishes which ranks him 2nd all time (only 4 behind the leader) and he has 24 playoff appearances which ranks him first all Time. Just in case you weren’t sure, no you didn’t read that wrong, I said 2nd all time in first place finishes and 1st all time playoff appearances.

The next stat line is also fantastic; however it could also be used as Chief’s Chink in his FOOL armor plating. Chief has 4 titles, but with 24 playoff appearances that could be considered on the low end. I however don’t because there are 26 other guys either in this league or guys that have dropped out that don’t have 1 single title. I will also readily acknowledge how much of a crap shoot playoff ball is, as we have historically seen plenty of series get decided on some stupid OOTP issues.

Chief has been the standard for consistency in FOOL for 40+ FOOL seasons. Chiefs most success in old FOOL came in the years 2002-2010. He made the playoffs 6 out of 9 seasons (including 4 seasons in a row) and won back to back championships in 2007-2008. As a side note, only 4 managers have ever won back to back titles and Chief is one of them.

In new FOOL, it’s been more of the same from good ole Chief. From 2017-2029Chief made the playoffs 9 times including 5 seasons in a row from 2025 through 2029. Here is another fun fact/stat for ya. Did you know that in all of Chiefs 45 seasons he makes the playoffs at a clip of 53% of the time??? Consistent my ass huh lol.. You could set your watch to that stuff right there!

It’s not just about what Chief has done in game though. He has always been around here on the boards being Chief. He isn’t afraid to put you in your place or share his opinion, right or wrong. (He will tell you he is never wrong but don’t let him fool ya!!! ) It’s tough to sum him up with a few posts but im going to do the best I can and post some of Chiefs moments here in FOOL.

Chief you also need a big shout out and a huge thank you for helping FOOL become what is is!!! We are lucky to have you and call you one of "us".

Chief smack talking
Smack Talk - Front Office Football Central

How Chief builds a team
My Way (How Chief Rum Builds A Team) - Front Office Football Central

A nice contribution when he had the time was the “next 10)
The Next 10 (2017) - Front Office Football Central

Chief helping out trying to figure out if we should keep the playoff sim the same as the regular season sim.
Playoffs Same Sim as Season? - Front Office Football Central

Chief pushing FOOL to keep together
The Future of FOOL - Front Office Football Central

Chief doing a preview
2002 Team Positional Rankings and Preview - Front Office Football Central

Like I said im sure I missed some, but those are the ones I chose. Thanks for being you Chief; I enjoy having you around these parts.




2. Dark Cloud-

To use a phrase that gets used often in many different areas, “the man, the myth, the legend”, the Dark Cloud….. DC was the brains behind FOOL some 16months ago, and his baby turned into what I have already said is the best sim league on the net. It was such a good idea that FOF has adapted its own very version of FOOL which is called FOWL here at FOFC.

When you have a totally different game, on a totally different format copying you, you know you have arrived……. Period….. FOOL for me and like most others has been a drug. I can no longer play single player in OOTP anymore, as it’s simply not as fun as FOOL. I have tried and tried to the best of my ability to remedy that, but I need my FOOL fix.

Along with not being able to play single player OOTP, I can no longer play slow multi player across all sim games period. I just have no desire to play in a league that plays one season in a year. I crave being able to see a guy I drafted in the first round turn into a hall of famer 2 months later. For me there is simply no other way to play. So DC you have created something special and unique, but you’re a bastard for killing my other games/ league experiences

To put a personal touch on it, I went though a lot of stuff 3 years ago, and FOOL was my outlet, and by that extension, I give some credit to the idea and league for helping me get back onto my feet per se. Not only did I want to see my hall of famer I wanted to argue who went into the hall of fame…

No other league can touch what we have here, and DC a modest thank you is all I can offer for your brilliant idea. You started a new concept for text sims and one im looking forward watching and growing even more. Your a pioneer.

Even Markus couldn’t keep up with how brilliant an idea it was. I mean what idiots would actually play OOTP with Injuries off and actually expect injuries to be off??? We made Markus have to come up with some dumbass excuse for why simulated injuries actually did happen when they were supposedly off and then got ignored anyway?!?!?!!?
That right there also says we have arrived…..

DC game wise wasn’t all that shabby either even after hopping all around the league like it was his personal playground.

I mean how many guys would you know that could get bored with one team, move onto the next total rebuild job, and in 2 seasons have them in the playoffs AND not kill his win percentages over time??? That sums up DC in a nutshell there.

He went 2383 and 1937 for a ridiculous win percentage of 552%. That % ranks him 4th all time in FOOL history, however if I modify the rules a bit, puts him 2nd all time for people that have played more than 1,000 FOOL games. He also has finished in first place and made the playoffs 9 times in his career. And ohh by the way he does have 4 rings to go along with all of the other accolades ive already mentioned.

Fun fact/ question? Can you name all the Franchises that DC has managed???? Let’s start with his famed St. Louis Terriors (1961-1965 Also home to our Hall of Fame), the Chicago Thunderstorms (1970-1979) the Boston Bombers (1981-1988), the Compton Brothers (1966-1969) and finally the Boston Settlers (2027). You would think at some point he would start to loose but as you can tell that never really did take affect.

It’s kind of tough to commend someone for being so active on the boards when you were the brain child of the league and commished it for a good number of years, so I won’t do that. Instead ill just say Ron, you are the man behind FOOL, the one that got us started, and someone that ill owe a great deal of gratitude too for a long long time. For all of us (yes I am speaking for us all here) in FOOL, thanks for all the work bud. I can’t think of a better place to waste my time at work, or off time when im on call, or relieve stress because our head coach has no idea wtf he is dong.

Some of DC’s moments are below and mind you most of these are going to be focused on our history. I felt those are most appropriate for DC, but there are clearly other areas where he was instrumental. Feel free to look up his profile if you want more.

The birth of FOOL
Interest in an a fast-sim OOTP league? - Front Office Football Central
Sign-up Thread for FOOL - Front Office Football Central
Now what? Welcome to FOOL (1964) - Front Office Football Central

The start of Championship banners
Championship Banners - Front Office Football Central

1964 Consolation Draft that turned into us figuring out feeder leagues were going to be a problem
1964 Consolation Draft - Front Office Football Central

The CRE List
1964 Consolation Rookie Exemptions (CRE) List - Front Office Football Central

Divisional play
Divisional Play - Front Office Football Central

The DH Proposal
Designated Hitter Proposal - Front Office Football Central

The Vulture league
Idea: Vulture League - Front Office Football Central

Fool after 10 years
The Facts of FOOL - Front Office Football Central

The “win window”
The "Win Window" - Front Office Football Central

14 years of FOOL history
Chronicling the past champions of FOOL (1961-present) - Front Office Football Central

Best team nicknames in FOOL
Your favorite FOOL franchise nickname ever/Your favorite FOOL Classic memory - Front Office Football Central




1. Alan T-

You know as I was doing this list and figuring out who was going where and why, the last 2 spots were never in question or in doubt as to who would be where.

While DC was the brains behind the operation and made FOOL “happen” Alan became FOOLS Heart and Soul. No Alan to me means no FOOL.

And before I continue here, I want to make sure Alan that you thank your wife for all of us here at FOOL. I’m sure there were and are on more than a few occasions that you put FOOL where it shouldn’t have been on a priority list and you took a bullet for us. So please make sure she knows she too is also appreciated.

So Alan’s timeline in FOOL kinda looks something similar to this.

Original GM

Winningest gm in history

a few more seasons pass

Still winningest gm in history now with the most titles

FOOL guardian counselor and therapist

FOOL savior

And then finally FOOL commish.

Seriously is anybody thinking I missed something here???

As the ultimate gentleman and FOOL ambassador he has been a fantastic fit for FOOL and its followers. Alan has stepped up every single time something needed to be done or stepped up too, all while again managing on its best day a ship that barely needs a captain, and at its worst, a ship that has the crew all jumping overboard while he tries to patch the holes himself so it doesn’t sink.

I can’t even begin to explain how much he has done around here. From the troubleshooting when the server goes down, to trying to get bugs looked at over on the OOTP forums, to the numerous studies he has done on modifiers, stolen base percentages exc, to the weekly articles called the village idiot, to picking the WBC teams and running the tournaments, to our brand new website, to putting all the time into our new found stat books and franchise history sections, to our fun fact quizzes, to inducting our hall of fame classes. Man in looking at that list it’s a wonder how you have time to do much else, and im sure I missed a few other things that you do on a daily basis.

But if all of those reasons weren’t enough to land him the number 1 spot on the list, ill get into Alan’s FOOL records are as a GM.

He has won 2353 and lost 1570 which puts him right at the 60% mark. That ranks him first all time in FOOL history for winning percentage, and he is the only FOOLER to have a mark above 58%. He also has 11 first place finishes which ties him for 3rd place all time, and 16 playoff appearances which puts him tied for 4th all time. All nothing to sneeze at if you’re asking me.

What’s truly disgusting though is that Alan has 7 Fool titles which ties him for 2nd place all time in FOOL history. That’s 7 titles in 25 years for roughly 28 percent. So let me put that in perspective for you PEEPS. That’s almost a title every 4 seasons!!!!! So once every month Alan would take a nice stroll into the banner maker’s office and have himself another Valdosta banner to proudly display here in the FOOL showcase.

Want more?????

Alan also is one of our 4 FOOLERS to say that he has won back to back Titles and is the ONLY GM that can say he has EVER won back to back to back or a “3 peat”. It’s never been done since his Valdosta teams did it from 1970- 1972.

He also is only one of 4 FOOLERS to say that he had a team that won for an entire decade as his Valdosta teams wiped the mat with any and all teams as he made it to the Classic 6 times winning 3 in the 1970’s.

What more can I really say about the man?? He is a winner, a great guy, and our beloved commish.

Lastly Alan ive been thanking a lot of people in this countdown, but the biggest needs to go out to you!!! You’re the one that puts in the time the most here and still continues to do so. So again as ive said before if there is no you there is no FOOL.

Thanks for all you do from all of us here that play!!!!

I’m going to again leave you with some of the things Alan has done here, and mostly it will be history stuff, but its all a good read.

A Season Preview
1971 Season Previews - Front Office Football Central

A Glimpse into the the mind of Alan during a FOOL Classic (a fantastic read)
Valdosta's 1971 FOOL Classic Managerial Log - Front Office Football Central

Valdosta’s wall of Excellence
Valdosta's Wall of Excellence - Front Office Football Central

What might have been, how the realignment with DH changed FOOL
What Might have Been? - Front Office Football Central

Average age of players study (in old fool)
Average age of team study - Front Office Football Central

1977 FA report Card
The 1977 Free Agency Report Card - Front Office Football Central

Win Shares!!!!!
1980 WinShares listed by team - Front Office Football Central

1981 things to watch for
1981, Things to watch for! - Front Office Football Central

The first Village Idiot
The 1985 Village Idiot - Front Office Football Central

Restrictions on MLC’S
Opinion Poll: Do you feel some restriction should be put in place for MLCs? (Reposted - Front Office Football Central

Stats Discussion
Stats Discussion - Front Office Football Central


Thanks to everyone that has followed the list for the past week. I had such a good time doing it. Hopefully ill be able to revisit the list in another 25 years or so. Good luck to everybody on upcoming seasons!!!

[Alan T]

That was great fun to read through muns. Thanks for taking the time to do all of that research and then presenting the list in a way that was entertaining to read.

I had entirely forgotten some of the various articles you mentioned for people (including some of my own that I had entirely forgotten I had even done).

Dark Cloud and I had a recent conversation in private about FOOL, the community and managers in it and one thing that was realized during that conversation is all of the "hard work", the championships, the stats, the articles, etc are all meaningless without the great personalities that exist not only in FOOL Classic (tm), but the other leagues as well.

I don't know how much some of you that don't participate in FOOL-X or FOOL-H venture over to those threads, but there are some really great newer FOOLites there too in those leagues. Without all of you, this would not be anywhere near as much fun. I'm grateful to have such a fun hobby with such great people. I'm looking forward to the next 75 seasons!

[Montreal_GM]

Great job muns.

Seeing the effort put in here and around the league by Alan and DC makes me feel bad for not continuing the Boom or Bust thing, but the format I used was a bit time consuming. Perhaps I'll rethink the setup and give it another go, especially since we can look back at whole careers now.

Thanks again!

[hyde4us11]

I agree with Alan's wife comment but add his kids there too. The kids I am sure got the Dad's gotta finish this real quick then I'll be right with you. I know I've had to do that a time or 2 myself and Alan does a hell a lot more then I do in all my leagues put together right here in FOOL.

[TimGuru]

I wholeheartedly agree with the top spot, and the whole top 10 seems propah. This has been a good read.


I'm sure everyone would agree with me that barring his own modesty, the top 10 is incomplete without muns himself in it. I speak for myself and the input I got from Brittdad, that muns is an excellent ambassador when new people come to the league, he made me feel very welcome right off the bat, to the point where he and I now correspond about non-FOOL stuff as friends. He's a champion GM, he has endured some personal frustration with the virtual shouting matches on here and stuck it out for the good of FOOL, and has certainly made his mark with contributions both in the day to day board life and now this magnum opus. Like many of us, I believe FOOL serves as a welcome escape from the real world for muns, and for the rest of us, he makes that escape a little more refreshing.

Thanks Jeremy, great job.

[TeachEnEspanol]

I am completely overwhelmed to see my name at #5 and love Muns for every kind word he has to say about me. It has been so much fun to come home from a long day at work and read about all of the fantastic people who have been a part of this amazing and unique league!!!

I have so much respect for all of the owners but I have to agree with numbers 1-3 especially. Thanks always to Alan for all of the hard work. I don’t know anyone who knows how to play the game like you do. Chief, your talent and commitment to the league will always be a thing of wonder. And of course, like I’ve said before, Muns would be up there with all of you guys on my list, and finally...

One place where I have to respectfully disagree is that I would never put myself on a list in front of Tasan. Even though he is my longevity buddy, I can't believe that I am any more talented (and I guarantee I'm no more committed) at actually playing the game. Titles or not, Tasan is on my personal list of the elite.

[Tasan]

The thing I kept thinking in my head while reading this was "Who has more than the 7 championships that everyone seems to be second to?" Then it hit me, the author of the list. muns you sly dog, it really takes a big person to not say that every time you mention the second place guys, and I wouldn't expect less from you.

Oh and thanks for linking my Ranchero wall. I had forgotten about it. I think the 75th anniversary of the league is a good time to update!

[Young Drachma]

It takes a classy guy who has close to 6000 career wins, 34 playoff appearances and 13 titles to write a list honouring everyone but himself.

This was an astounding feature and really chronicles why a league like this is so fun as a concept, but the people that make it great are the reason it's worth coming back to time and time again.

Thanks a ton for doing this, again. Your bust in St. Louis is firmly secured, next to the POONER Dynasty exhibit that shows you as the architect of FOOL's Greatest Dynasty.

[Chief Rum]

This was just a phenomenal read. It's an achievement all its own.

Were muns some guy off the street who had no prior connection to the league, read through the FOOL history, prepared and then wrote all this, that achievement, by itself, would probably make him a requirement in any top ten.

The fact he is also the most successful GM in FOOL history, an integral part of the community, and on top of all that, one of the nicest guys around I know, just adds to the wonder of it all.

muns contributions to FOOL are really quite monumental. Take a bow, muns. You deserve it as much as anyone ever has.

[Young Drachma]

This is a really good thread. Not just the rankings, the conversations about players and all of that. It was seriously good stuff and I ran into it again today and decided to bump it.

[muns]

So I was looking up some FBCB stuff in an old dynasty thread, and I searched for all posts I started and ran across this one.

As I read it and took a nice trip down memory lane, I couldn't help but think about a lot of fun times in the league and a lot of the people that made it as fun as it was for me.

If anybody is still around and out there, I wouldn't mind catching up with people and seeing what's going and new with them as its been a few years. I hope everybody is still doing well

[ekcut]

I love the trip down memory lane.

I haven't been on this forum in years! I miss the FOOL. There will never be another league like it!

[Ned Doolittle]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

I absolutely refuse to be in any league in which HA/Anthony is a part. He spends his time trying to destroy the league rather than actually play out the sim. The first post he made in the new RWBL forums while trying to decide if he actually wanted in was full of cussing-out insults to some other owner during a discussion about strategy. No thanks. Glad I missed his time in FOOL even if it did mean Boston got moved.

And yet, here we are all these years later talking about me and no one will ever remember you. I haven't posted in these forums FOR YEARS and haven't been in this league in quite some time. Funny how that works, huh? We always remember the most passionate ones the most. There's a reason why guys like Charles Barkley get put on TV and ppl like Karl Malone don't. No one wants to watch a guy whose nickname was "The Postman", one of the most boring blue collar jobs around. We want the fiery opinionated ones. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Tim Duncan to get a tv gig. I'm at 0 or 11, baby, I don't do anything halfassed. If I'm just gonna be an owner like gstelmack, just submit rosters and not rock the boat in the interest of being polite and just agree with the majority then what's the point? We remember that Lawford tirade all these years later because there was passion. It was an energetic owner who was fully invested trying to make his team better and not afraid to tell the league about it.

I never mastered this league. I'm a fairly decent at OOTP but this league was unique in a way that i couldn't get a handle on. You should be happy to have a league where ppl can't just walk in off the street and throw some lineups up and win. You guys have created what's called "a challenge". Congrats to all who have won.

Oh, and my signing of Lawford was completely worth the money. Nevermind that he apparently went to the HOF, that part I knew was gonna happen when I had him in the team office signing the contract. Couple years ago there was a team called the NY Knicks. Bad to average team. No stars on the roster. They signed one guy to a massive max contract, his name was Amare Stoudmire. Why? What's the point in doing that when one guy wasn't gonna be enough to bring them a championship? Because when you're bad you don't sign one star to bring you a championship. You sign one star to help start you on the way to bringing you a championship. It all has to start somewhere. And a team with one star on it is better than a team with no stars on it. We were like the Mets of the 2000s, who went to the World Series on the back on one guy only - Mike Piazza. Get the star first and then try to figure the rest out as you go.

I'm still reading this thread, I just wanted to piss in gstelmack's Cheerios for a second. Can't wait to see where I rank as an owner.

[CrimsonFox]

Russia's hacking FOOL now? great...just great...

I didn't join fool til after this list was made. fun stuff for sure.

I wonder where me and the Halifax WInter WOlves would rank.

ootp killing my pitchers in postseason was always my achilles heel