ARDA CUP Football 2012

[the phantom]

NEWLY REFORMED ARDA CUP READY TO MOVE FORWARD
by Phantom, MESPN News

Those with connections and quick ears knew for many months that change was coming to Arda Cup, but few realized just how major the changes were until Eru announced them last September. A complete and total reformation of the tournament was the order.

And who could blame him? Most teams were running up enormous debts, and the tournament itself needed greater staffing to assist on tackling issues such as policing the behavior of various organizing host committees- notably those based in Valinor. The idea that the Blessed Realmers were possibly killing opposing fans was something that needed to be dealt with, and the Cup was ill equipped to handle the problem.

And then there was of course the problem of competitive balance. Leagues thrive on competitiveness, and the more teams that feel they are in the running, the better. A salary cap was necessary to be certain. It was one thing for a team to have a dominant run, but Doriath positively crushed all comers in the 2011 Cup, boasting a roster with nothing except top-tier talent. An all-star team.

Once Eru handed down his verdict, the remainder of the year was spent working on ownership buyouts and cutting deals that left everyone unhappy, but no one completely shafted. All teams were dissolved and all contracts voided. Everything would start again from scratch.

And according to an announcement this morning, the clean-up is officially over. The Arda Cup Committee is ready to receive team proposals from potential ownership groups beginning tomorrow. If approved, the groups will have permission to draw up preliminary contracts within the bounds of the new salary rules. And the rules are-

Minimum Total Salary- 35 million
Maximum Total Salary- 120 million
Maximum Individual- 25 million

Reporters at the press conference immediately inquired about the exceptionally large range, and the spokesman was refreshingly honest about it.

"Well, we have new television contracts and site contract rules etc. and we're not entirely certain how much money teams are going to be earning in the end. We have possibilities set in rules based upon how much total revenue the tournament brings in, but we don't know which set of figures we'll end up with as we don't know how much total money we'll actually be bringing in."

"Our estimates have been all over the place, as in the past it was very de-centralized, with individual sites having a lot of freedom to set prices for attendance and food etc. and offering different sorts of perks. Frankly, there was a lot of under-the-table stuff going on as well. There's just no way to pin down a number, so we've given as wide a range as we're comfortable giving."

The spokesman went on to explain that they needed a rather low end just in case teams didn't make much. "It would be ridiculous to demand that teams spend more than they will be making. Our ownership groups deserve the opportunity to field a successful team while still making a profit."

The spokesman said that the high end is to allow for aggressive groups to buy talent and set a good market for high-end players, but added that it would be at their own risk. "If some squad ends up over-spending, that's their problem."

The only thing the spokesman was sure of profit-wise is that teams would make more money the deeper they advanced into the tournament. "It'll be a tiered reward system."

Needless to say, this next month is going to see a complete flurry of activity. Groups have lawyers working on proposals as we speak, and player-agents are no doubt already receiving phone calls. The short off-season is going to be absolutely frantic, and this reporter can hardly wait to see the results.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by MESPN

All teams were dissolved and all contracts voided.

Indeed, as the MESPN stated earlier, Eru made great changes to this year's games. Firstly, he dissolved all of the teams. He claims that he only used water and the One power, but we have inside information that quite recently his large stores of Nitric Acid got somewhat smaller. Secondly, he banished all the contracts from the confines of the world into the Timeless Void. You see, contracts are legal documents, so you can't just dissolve them or set them on fire. So Eru found another way to keep them away from people. Morgoth was overjoyed with this decision; he finally got some company in that lonely place.

The reporters who were sent to the Doors of Night to interview the contracts were torn out of bed to get all the information timely, but they were still in hybernation mode and thus very confused; instead of interviewing the contracts they got into a theological argument with Eru. "Why me?" the One complained. "Why do they keep bothering me with all these teams, contracts, points, and all that nonesense? I'm just a tired old man. I retired, for My sake! The Valar are supposed to keep an eye on the world for me. But they're such children: they want to play too, so they give me the responsibility to oversee all this. You know why they all are called Children, right?"

If you're wondering where's the theology here, we don't exactly know. Or the argument, for that matter.

However, we want to tell you, dead readers... erm, that was supposed to say dear readers... or was it bead readers? Mead readers? Maybe deed readers? Deaf readers? Bread? Dread? Head? Thread? Or maybe deal? Read Readers?

Never mind. We just want to tell our readers something, but while we were trying to figure out which readers you are we forgot what we wanted to say.

Needless to mention, we are going to supply you with the most crazy and random articles you can find in EA.

[Nogrod]

On 2012 the Arda Kicker Magazine (AKM) will continue to be the most reliable source of overall information to the Arda Cup with its renowned statistics and analysis – whatever TTN says. After a short dispute, the AKM has also renewed its contract with the legendary gonzo-journalist Hunter U. Nogson (formerly known also as Ugr Nogrendale) giving him free hands to do what he wishes for an astonishing amount of cash. So we’re looking forwards to him ego-tripping once more with the greatest stars of the Arda Cup and providing first class off-the-mark journalism for our readers.

But this year the AKM has also assigned some of its top reporters to follow certain investment groups and the teams they finance to give the readers some insight into what happens behind the public arena. Yes, the Arda Cup Committee has declared it is ready to receive team proposals from “potential ownership groups” beginning tomorrow, but it is no secret to the journalists on top of things that different investment groups have been actively forming and working out their plans from September last year. The AKM will bet that some contracts have already been made behind the curtains. So when after some detective-work the AKM found out about three interesting groups of investors, it decided to concentrate on those this season, having already some early insight into their workings. The AKM will thus follow closely the bussiness, the politics and the passions involved in Meneltarma Capital (Númenor Investment Group), Evil House (Angband Investment Group) and Oath & Blood Alliance (Sons of Fëanor Investment Group).

Stay on the channel – or purchase the latest issue of the AKM – because you’re worth the news, gossip and analysis!


Enter the Investment Groups, what to look for?
The AKM Editorial by the Editor in Chief, John Bull

It is clear that something had to be done to the dominance of a few superstar teams during recent years. Praise Eru, he came up with a balanced-sounding idea of introducing a salary cap – and a minimum wage-total – to ensure no team can pick all the cream and that no team with a totally lousy roster can enter the competition. That should be good for the competition. Although the AKM thinks that setting a higher minimum total for teams to spend, even if it meant fewer teams in the tournament, would have been even wiser. But a lot will depend on how this year’s tournament turns out. If the differences in quality are still too great, some kind of levelling could be in place as also the best teams gain from a competitive league.

But will the emergence of the investment groups affect the game itself and how? According to the AKM’s knowledge, there are different kinds of investment groups from individual millionaires and wealthy circles of friends or kin to wide bands of small investors forming more like a fan- or identity-based groups. It is clear the motives behind different investment groups will affect their decisions on buying players, offering individual players different salaries and so on – and in the end to the sporting success or failure of a team.

It is easy to see a few different ways an investment group might go about its business. If the group is only in the game for financial interests it would try to find the best input – output ratio, thus not necessarily looking first and foremost to the best possible team or winning the competition: with a cheap but decent team with let’s say one or two interesting enough players (or nice headlines) the team could make better profit even if it drops out from the tournament earlyish compared to an expensive team that goes farther in the tournament. Or if a player-investor has enough say in the group, he or she might talk an expensive deal to him or herself making the group pay her or him well above the decent price – thus affecting other possible sign-ins and thus the quality of the team.

The enthusiastic small investors might be playing it badly as well fex. spending recklessly to hire their heroes and ending up losing it big time with not enough level players – or stubbornly relying on “local boys” and not having their eyes open to more talented players, possibly overpaying their local players at the same time thus adding to their problems, financially and gamewise.

Also, with money comes influence. How will different investment groups react to big money offered if the offerer has in mind influencing the team to his or her ends? So how much will money dictate the choices, how much pride and glory of one’s kin, race, city or alignment, how much pure sporting excellence and drive to win – or plain hating to lose?

It is hard to say as yet, but there sure will be answers this spring. With the AKM you will be with the exclusive crowd able to peak into the forces moving under the surface. So we’re inviting you to join the AKM with the Arda Cup 2012!


The AKM: the game – and the game behind the game!