I can see how your enthusiasm for the game could dwindle if things begin to stagnate. I also like training plus I like arena management, the forums, and flag chasing. My biggest enjoyment of the game is a bit more esoteric. I LOVE basketball, have been around it all my life, and a lot of my enjoyment comes from the make-believe aspect- I have a little hoop team I run which is located in a tiny village in rural Thaialnd. I try to do well but I don't really get too upset if I lose and I try to take the changes that come along with a sense of "Okay let's turn this way now." Much like you do, only less aggressively. I just signed an NT player with hopes of more merch revenue next season and have been looking for some decent Thai players on the TL. Out of the 7 available only one has a salary of over $5k.
For me the improvements to the game should be made in the possibility that a worse team can beat a better team. This just doesn't happen very often and it should happen sometimes. Maybe the penalty for TIE should be increased and/or the bonus for CT increased. I know it is difficult to simulate off-nights, hot streaks, and lucky breaks, but they happen enough in real basketball that I wish it happened here more often. I took my wife to a Kings game when we were in Sacramento earlier this year and they trounced the Suns. The Kings were the worst team in the division and the Suns were battling for the final playoff spot.
I admire Mr. Burns, who is beginning again in the lowest Italian division. That's a good solution to the stagnation problem only that in Nippon or Thailand you have to go aaaaaall the way down to the second division!
Anyway, I hope you stick around. I think your ideas and attitude are good for the community. Plus I've always been a big fan of Dizzy Dean.
Once I scored a basket that still makes me laugh.