Today, the BFL Insider sits down with the President of the BFL one Xavier Sanford or X as he is known by many of the brothers. X has over 20 years in the BFL his favorite team is the Atlanta Falcons he has been married for 12 years and has two sons. I asked him about the best movie he has ever seen he said it would have to be the Matrix. (I still don’t get that movie) We spoke about his favorite quote and many of you may have heard it before, for those of you who have not it’s simply this Practice the 5 P’s Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

 

BFL Insider-Your thoughts on the new madden and the demo?

X-I have not played the demo. I have been out of town and have not had a chance. I have been looking for it to drop did not know it was out yet with the late date of the game.

 

BFL Insider-What changes would you like to see the BFL make to grow the league?

X- As a league we should always welcome a diverse group of players. Although I don’t think we need to make any changes, do more players mean its better? The BFL has always added players based on someone sponsoring them as a good person. This is different from recruiting people that we may not know, into the BFL.  I don’t think we should look at recruiting to grow the league, we should stick to fellowship with brothers whom we know or that someone knows to grow the league.

 

BFL Insider: Talk about playbooks, custom books, and sliders and things you think we should look at this year.

X-When you look at custom playbooks, I think they cause the league to go backwards the league would turn into a league with everybody running the same hot plays.  The league was built on each person drafting a team. That teams playbook, and I don’t think we should change.  When you talk about sliders perhaps we should look at them if they improve the gaming experience. Another reason I am not for changing playbooks or custom playbooks is you lose the benefit of your draft position. You picked a team for a certain type of playbook, and everybody is now running it.

 

BFL Insider: What about moving LB/CB and motioning WR into the Line?

X-We try to get guys to look at this stuff every year before the start of the season. However, people only give 50 percent of the information they found on a web site. The bottom-line is people are always looking for a way to bring heat.  If we just randomly allow people to move a LB up to the line of scrimmage it may cause problems for the AI blocking scheme. EA tries to address problems, and we should be looking at problems every year it is the responsibility of every player in the BFL to let us know of problems they find and not just part or 50 percent of it. They should bring all the info for us to decide. As far as the WR issues we have to address that this year during the meeting. I don’t think it will be allowed this year. The rule should be motion to the tackle on either side..

 

BFL Insider: As people start to retire or quit because of other things do you think the league will continue under it current group of players.

X-Myself Miller and Wink we saw this day coming for all of us when we were  having kids that is the point of strengthening this league and passing on what we have to the younger brothers. The BFL is not a league that is set up for guys to meet people and get their gamble on. We want young talent in the league, but they have to be guys who hold true to our core principles, values, and the foundation of what this league is all about. This is why many brothers view winning a BFL championship as more important than winning a nationals, EA challenge or any other tournament it’s just not easy to win one. I want guys to always have pride in winning a BFL championship.  The day is coming for all of us that we have to hang it up; Wink told me he has falling in love with his family and that the time commitment to be great does not come close to the time spent with his family. We all have to move on in life, and if we don’t that is a serious problem.

 

BFL Insider-This last term I am sure was pretty tough on you and the staff with the suspensions and the case with DC if you could change anything about those cases is there anything you would change.

X-It’s sad what happened and it has been rough/ I will be candid and honest with you at times it seemed the more I tried to lead the more resistance I got. I have been in the league for 20 years and on the board for 19 of those 20, and I have seen how things have been handled and sometimes we have not handled people who were not the best players the same way we handled a guy, who was not a great player? I don’t or did not enforce rules with people in mind I have to be true and handle everybody the same according to the rules of this league. I have to be fair and govern based on the rules of the BFL league. Sometime people will question your motives and your integrity when you rule, but people will always question leadership. I had 2 number one draft picks in the last three years and people are like what’s going. How does the president get the number one pick every other year? However, I find anytime a person does not get a top five pick, they want to question the draft process.

 

BFL Insider-I know you lost your brother recently can you tell the league something about a guy that was close to you that we did not know.

X-My brother was fighting kidney failure for 12 years had a transplant from another brother. Currently there is no cure for what he had, it was sad to see him go from being healthy and always on the move to sitting on a dialysis machine, a big change for him. He was a family man and loved his kid’s old school style with strong values. He was a good big brother and made an effort to spend more time with me when he moved back to Atlanta. He is missed by all of us…

BFL Insider-What went into the decision to move the draft day up/I know you have always not liked that idea.

X-The game's late release date is what caused a change, we will not keep this format for next year provided the game comes out on time. Keeping with tradition I am big on tradition, when you look at it. What are the real benefits? In some ways, it’s a disadvantage, guys are going to draft their team, and a few weeks later they are going to say I did not want this team, and people are going to want out, once the rule's meeting set the rules for this year’s game play. It’s far better to make your draft pick after you know what the rules are for the upcoming season. Most guys don’t think about that they don’t consider what the rule changes may be, they only think about themselves and how the draft will affect them.

 

BFL Insider-Talk about your game do you think you have the time that you once had to prepare.  I have noticed you don’t blitz as much as in years past any reason for that.  

X-The game is so wide open, me and madden separated five years ago we filed for divorce recently because of other things. The game consumed too much of my time I was putting in hours daily and needed to start doing other things. I realized I was consumed with this game and winning.  I am spending time labbing and people are finding stuff on the web to get good. I just don’t have the time to learn all the BS in the game I just refuse. I think most guys have gotten wins because of what they have found online.

 

BFL Insider-The league has done a great job on playoff Saturdays however not as good on the Christmas party and the league picnic any plans for them this year.

X-My thoughts on those events guys have said we don’t have a cookout every year, and that was not the case we never had one every year. In the past, we put out a date for something like that, only 7 or eight people show up, and many other guys would not show up. We would have a cook out at the expense of the league and not getting the full support of the league, guys would not show up for whatever reasons. As far as the Christmas party Chatt would always have a party at Christmas and the league would cover some of the cost. We did not always have a party and picnic every year it may have seemed like it. I do like the idea of us getting together doing something and also a few guys dropping a few a dollars to do something.

 

BFL Insider- Is it time to look at the forfeit rule again this year.

X-The forfeit rule people try to manipulate the rule and the way it’s enforced but guys are not following the rules. When you don’t call there are no make games to be played. Guys have to call the board in advance waiting until Friday to call should not happen that should only be in emergency they should not be late every week. People start coming later and later and that is not the way it should be done. You have to call a board member and be cleared on why you will be late 7:30 is the start time. Others are not going to wait on you, they will play the game. ..it causes problems for the league with the others in the quad. The second step is you have to call Sat to make arrangements you can’t wait until Tuesday to start calling people you have to respect your brothers by contacting the person you have play.

 

BFL Insider Thanks again X for your time and the work you do for the BFL, we have not always agreed-on everything, but I still have love for you as my BFL brother (in fact, fact I don’t know any of my brothers I have agreed with everything they have done.) Your job is not an easy one you have 30 or so brothers pulling, calling, complaining and that makes it tough oftentimes we don’t even tip our hat and say thanks. Thanks for all your hard work and your efforts to make the BFL the best Madden league in the nation.