Sandbox no longer a free fantasy sports site - RedsZone.com - Cincinnati Reds Fans' Home for Baseball Discussion

Vada Pinson Fan · 01-03-2003, 01:42 AM

If you register prior to January 9th, 2003 you will be charged a discounted $3.95 per month. After that date fantasy players will be charged $6.95 per month to access what will now be known as SandboxPlus. No longer free for any fantasy sport Sandbox(Plus) offers.

Certainly a bummer (to be charged a monthly fee in my opinion) for a site that continues to get worse with each succeeding year. Not to mention all the spam mail I receive from having my email addy given to online companies (from Sandbox and/or their partners).

I think I'll be looking elsewhere for a Baseball Fantasy League provider.

I do realize that Sandbox has costs that must be paid for. If they had a better product and hadn't caused me all the aggravation from the outrageous amount of spam (Thank goodness for the ability to block & filter email!) I would've been more apt to stay and pay but not now.

Here is the url for SandboxPlus' NEW FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

http://www.sandboxplus.com/faq.html

Best Wishes,
Jerry/ Vada Pinson Fan

01-03-2003, 01:48 AM

If anyone has any recommendations I'm looking for another web site for fantasy baseball, preferably a free one

Your'e right about Sandbox, this past season was ridiculous.

Vada Pinson Fan · 01-03-2003, 01:56 AM

Gus,

I'm going to strongly consider using Yahoo Fantasy Baseball this year.

Here is some additional info found at the Braves forum:

Fantasy sports: cut from the lineup
Sandbox.com's castle finally crumbled.
By Julie Landry
October 22, 2002

Imagine a sports team that lets fans into the stadium free. The catch: at the door, they must divulge personal information so the team can sell it to marketers. That was the scheme that Sandbox.com, an online sports game site, had going for nearly seven years. But after marketers stopped paying, and customers balked at having to cough up money for access, the company's model fell apart.

Sandbox.com is a prime example of misguided dot-com strategy: if we build it, they will come--and then somehow we'll make money off them. Established in 1995, the site's main attraction was free fantasy sports leagues. It managed to pull in nearly 7 million users by mid-2001 and raised more than $50 million from traditional venture capital firms, like Vulcan Ventures and the Wasatch Venture Fund, and strategic investors, like CNN/SI Interactive and Go2Net Ventures.

Video game companies like Activision and Electronic Arts have been making a killing on gamers' fierce devotion and their willingness to spend on products. For a while, Sandbox.com had the same draw, racking up millions each year by selling information to marketers like Sports Illustrated. But the marketers didn't stick around.

Earlier this year (2002), Sandbox.com managed to sell some intellectual property assets to GameBase International, a gaming infrastructure company, for an undisclosed sum. But by then, the last inning was nearly over.

In September, the company made a last-ditch effort to save itself by charging fantasy-league team owners a small subscription fee. Users refused, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy two weeks later.

01-03-2003, 02:01 AM

Thanks Vada, I'll take a look.

NDRed · 01-03-2003, 09:47 AM

I have used Sandbox, Yahoo, CBS Sportsline, etc and I think Yahoo is the best by far. I have not been on Sandbox for at least 2 years and I still get spam every day from them. Try out Yahoo it is very good, free for the basic service, and has lots of options. You can even be in multiple leagues.

SirFelixCat · 01-03-2003, 10:03 AM

Speaking of which...anyone interested in starting up a RedsZone league for this year? If so either post on here or pm me!!!

Red Leader · 01-03-2003, 10:05 AM

I personally like Sandbox the best. Unfortunately those in my work league feel differently and don't want to pay for the service. So, as league commish, I am going to have to move our league this year. The one question I have on Yahoo! is the options. Basically what I am looking for is a league that will allow us to play head to head matches and score on fantasy points, like 1 pt = single, 2pts = double, etc. and NOT score on roto head to head scores, which is what I thought was the only option with Yahoo!. If anyone knows if you have the option to play head to head fantasy points, please let me know. Thanks.

Redny · 01-03-2003, 10:11 AM

I had noticed that sandbox was starting to charge, and was trying to figure out where to go. The information posted here is helpful, please keep it coming.

GIK · 01-03-2003, 10:55 AM

You can play head-to-head @ Yahoo for footbal so I would assume you can also play h2h for baseball as well.

Red Leader · 01-03-2003, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GIK
You can play head-to-head @ Yahoo for footbal so I would assume you can also play h2h for baseball as well.

I played head to head for football based on a points league this year, but when I did a search for fantasy points leagues on Google it always took me to the premium game, that's why I wasn't sure if they offered it for free. If anyone has played Yahoo's head to head game by fantasy point, could you please post here and let me know for sure.

Neo, I know that you set up the Redszone fantasy leagues on Yahoo last year, if you have any input could you please let me know. Also, I will be interested in joining the Redszone league again.

KYRedsFan · 01-03-2003, 11:01 AM

I've played sportsline h2h baseball the last couple years. Great site.

haassolo · 01-03-2003, 11:03 AM

why don't we start a new thread, I can start if you want, and I can have people pm me with e-mail address and go from there, we can have a couple leagues based on style, the best league i was ever in was one with 20 teams, it really forces you to pay attention because the talent is really dilluted

Red Leader · 01-03-2003, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by haassolo
why don't we start a new thread, I can start if you want, and I can have people pm me with e-mail address and go from there, we can have a couple leagues based on style, the best league i was ever in was one with 20 teams, it really forces you to pay attention because the talent is really dilluted

It might be a bit early, I know most sites don't release their fantasy baseball games until at least end of Feb.

haassolo · 01-03-2003, 11:30 AM

It is never too early. But you are right, we can get the prelims down though

01-03-2003, 01:42 AM	#1
Vada Pinson Fan Quiet Reverence Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Ohio Posts: 800	Sandbox no longer a free fantasy sports site If you register prior to January 9th, 2003 you will be charged a discounted $3.95 per month. After that date fantasy players will be charged $6.95 per month to access what will now be known as SandboxPlus. No longer free for any fantasy sport Sandbox(Plus) offers. Certainly a bummer (to be charged a monthly fee in my opinion) for a site that continues to get worse with each succeeding year. Not to mention all the spam mail I receive from having my email addy given to online companies (from Sandbox and/or their partners). I think I'll be looking elsewhere for a Baseball Fantasy League provider. I do realize that Sandbox has costs that must be paid for. If they had a better product and hadn't caused me all the aggravation from the outrageous amount of spam (Thank goodness for the ability to block & filter email!) I would've been more apt to stay and pay but not now. Here is the url for SandboxPlus' NEW FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: http://www.sandboxplus.com/faq.html Best Wishes, Jerry/ Vada Pinson Fan

01-03-2003, 01:56 AM	#3
Vada Pinson Fan Quiet Reverence Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Ohio Posts: 800	More Sandbox info- Gus, I'm going to strongly consider using Yahoo Fantasy Baseball this year. Here is some additional info found at the Braves forum: Fantasy sports: cut from the lineup Sandbox.com's castle finally crumbled. By Julie Landry October 22, 2002 Imagine a sports team that lets fans into the stadium free. The catch: at the door, they must divulge personal information so the team can sell it to marketers. That was the scheme that Sandbox.com, an online sports game site, had going for nearly seven years. But after marketers stopped paying, and customers balked at having to cough up money for access, the company's model fell apart. Sandbox.com is a prime example of misguided dot-com strategy: if we build it, they will come--and then somehow we'll make money off them. Established in 1995, the site's main attraction was free fantasy sports leagues. It managed to pull in nearly 7 million users by mid-2001 and raised more than $50 million from traditional venture capital firms, like Vulcan Ventures and the Wasatch Venture Fund, and strategic investors, like CNN/SI Interactive and Go2Net Ventures. Video game companies like Activision and Electronic Arts have been making a killing on gamers' fierce devotion and their willingness to spend on products. For a while, Sandbox.com had the same draw, racking up millions each year by selling information to marketers like Sports Illustrated. But the marketers didn't stick around. Earlier this year (2002), Sandbox.com managed to sell some intellectual property assets to GameBase International, a gaming infrastructure company, for an undisclosed sum. But by then, the last inning was nearly over. In September, the company made a last-ditch effort to save itself by charging fantasy-league team owners a small subscription fee. Users refused, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy two weeks later.

01-03-2003, 09:47 AM	#5
NDRed Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 1,271	I have used Sandbox, Yahoo, CBS Sportsline, etc and I think Yahoo is the best by far. I have not been on Sandbox for at least 2 years and I still get spam every day from them. Try out Yahoo it is very good, free for the basic service, and has lots of options. You can even be in multiple leagues. __________________ I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.- Stan Helsing

01-03-2003, 10:03 AM	#6
SirFelixCat Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 5,674	Speaking of which...anyone interested in starting up a RedsZone league for this year? If so either post on here or pm me!!! __________________ Resident Poker Pro

01-03-2003, 10:05 AM	#7
Red Leader Puffy's Daddy Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Centerville, OH Posts: 20,422	I personally like Sandbox the best. Unfortunately those in my work league feel differently and don't want to pay for the service. So, as league commish, I am going to have to move our league this year. The one question I have on Yahoo! is the options. Basically what I am looking for is a league that will allow us to play head to head matches and score on fantasy points, like 1 pt = single, 2pts = double, etc. and NOT score on roto head to head scores, which is what I thought was the only option with Yahoo!. If anyone knows if you have the option to play head to head fantasy points, please let me know. Thanks. __________________ 'When I'm not longer rapping, I want to open up an ice cream parlor and call myself Scoop Dogg.' -Snoop on his retirement Your Mom is happy.

01-03-2003, 01:48 AM	#2
Gus Guest Posts: n/a	If anyone has any recommendations I'm looking for another web site for fantasy baseball, preferably a free one Your'e right about Sandbox, this past season was ridiculous.

01-03-2003, 02:01 AM	#4
Gus Guest Posts: n/a	Thanks Vada, I'll take a look.

01-03-2003, 10:11 AM	#8
Redny Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 1,357	I had noticed that sandbox was starting to charge, and was trying to figure out where to go. The information posted here is helpful, please keep it coming. Last edited by Redny; 01-03-2003 at 11:48 AM.

01-03-2003, 10:55 AM	#9
GIK Administrator Join Date: Apr 2000 Posts: 4,056	You can play head-to-head @ Yahoo for footbal so I would assume you can also play h2h for baseball as well.

01-03-2003, 11:01 AM	#11
KYRedsFan Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 3,546	I've played sportsline h2h baseball the last couple years. Great site. __________________ "You're drunk again. No, I'm just exhausted 'cause I've been up all night drinking." Peter Griffin

01-03-2003, 11:03 AM	#12
haassolo Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 523	why don't we start a new thread, I can start if you want, and I can have people pm me with e-mail address and go from there, we can have a couple leagues based on style, the best league i was ever in was one with 20 teams, it really forces you to pay attention because the talent is really dilluted __________________ Whoa whoa whoa, Miss Lippy. The part of the story I don't like is that the little boy gave up looking for Happy after an hour. He didn't put posters up or anything, he just sat on the porch like a goon and waited. That little boy's gotta think 'You got a pet. You got a responsibility.' If your dog is lost you don't look for an hour then call it quits. You get your ass out there and you find that f***ing dog! Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

01-03-2003, 11:30 AM	#14
haassolo Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 523	It is never too early. But you are right, we can get the prelims down though __________________ Whoa whoa whoa, Miss Lippy. The part of the story I don't like is that the little boy gave up looking for Happy after an hour. He didn't put posters up or anything, he just sat on the porch like a goon and waited. That little boy's gotta think 'You got a pet. You got a responsibility.' If your dog is lost you don't look for an hour then call it quits. You get your ass out there and you find that f***ing dog! Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

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