deliberately trying to throw game

[ff_tomorrow 0]

I am commish in this league. One team that has a playoff spot locked up is playing against a team fighting for the last spot in the playoffs. By losing this week's game, he would insure that they will meet again next week in the playoffs. He has set his worst possible lineup for this week's game in hope of losing. Keep in mind, he has not inserted injured or inactive players, he has just left his best players on the bench. It's obvious that he wants to set his preferred matchup for the playoffs. Would you consider this attempt to fix the outcome illegal, or is this just good strategy? As commissioner would you intervene or would you just leave him to his own fate?

 

We do not have weekly prizes or prizes for season point totals. Do those rules help cases like this in any other leagues? My initial thought is that someone would gladly throw away a chance at a small one week prize to help them advance in the playoffs.

 

Any other thoughts?

[thekid65 0]

I am commish in this league. One team that has a playoff spot locked up is playing against a team fighting for the last spot in the playoffs. By losing this week's game, he would insure that they will meet again next week in the playoffs. He has set his worst possible lineup for this week's game in hope of losing. Keep in mind, he has not inserted injured or inactive players, he has just left his best players on the bench. It's obvious that he wants to set his preferred matchup for the playoffs. Would you consider this attempt to fix the outcome illegal, or is this just good strategy? As commissioner would you intervene or would you just leave him to his own fate?

 

We do not have weekly prizes or prizes for season point totals. Do those rules help cases like this in any other leagues? My initial thought is that someone would gladly throw away a chance at a small one week prize to help them advance in the playoffs.

 

Any other thoughts?

 

 

That is one of the advantages of having a good regular season. I'd call it good strategy. As long as his roster is filled, your hands are tied, unless you have written specific rules against this (and even then, a line-up is totally subjective, so you cant prove anything). Your best hope is that he loses this game, and gets the match-up he wants next week, and then proceeds to lose in the first round. Karma is a nasty beeeeeotch, and she does tend to bite.

[wildbluefan 0]

Ethically , yes, this is wrong, but I see nothing you can do about it ! It's like the 5-year old kid in the candy store stealing one piece of candy....eventually he will have to "fess up", and it may be when he is seated at the right hand of the man upstairs !

So, eventually this owner will get busted, and it may be in the first round of the playoffs when he will get his "just due" !!!!

[mrgymrat 0]

This came up earlier and most people agreed that it is bad FF karma that will come back to bite him either in the playoffs or next year. As a commish I wouldn't take any actions and just let things play out the way they do. The guy is obviously doing what he can to control his own destiny so you can't blame him for that but people have long memories and it will come full circle at some point down the road.

 

More than likely he will be smote by the FF gods...

[Apollo Creed 9]

if they are in a position that they can do it.. its fine. he can start whoever he wants..

[taxicab823 0]

well if by losing the game he is going to screw another team out of making the playoffs i wouldn't allow it.

[Day Old Doughnut 0]

well if by losing the game he is going to screw another team out of making the playoffs i wouldn't allow it.

 

The team that doesn't make the playoffs should have either drafted better or picked better starting lineups during the season. Sucks to be them.

[WhiteWonder 2,196]

as long as he does not intentionally start injured players or players who won't see any playing time (backup QB's etc).... really nothing you can do.

 

you cant prove anything.. perhaps he really thinks this is his best lineup this particular week. we all know it isn't but it technically could be.

[Dallas_Empire 0]

Ethically , yes, this is wrong, but I see nothing you can do about it ! It's like the 5-year old kid in the candy store stealing one piece of candy....eventually he will have to "fess up", and it may be when he is seated at the right hand of the man upstairs !

So, eventually this owner will get busted, and it may be in the first round of the playoffs when he will get his "just due" !!!!

 

 

Wrong? It happens all the time in the NFL. No problem with it and the guy has a right to set any lineup.

[RF7 0]

If the guy already his spot locked up then he has earned the opportunity to do what he wants. He has no obligation to any team that might be screwed out of a playoff spot.

[Dallas_Empire 0]

well if by losing the game he is going to screw another team out of making the playoffs i wouldn't allow it.

 

 

YOu are everything wrong with fantasy football

[#1LionFan 0]

well if by losing the game he is going to screw another team out of making the playoffs i wouldn't allow it.

 

I agree with this poster, but as long as he is playing active, actual NFL players, there is not much you can do about it. As previously mentioned, hopefully he gets hammered next week!

[Dr.Grimm 0]

well if by losing the game he is going to screw another team out of making the playoffs i wouldn't allow it.

 

Allow what??? It's his focking team. He should be able to run it the way he sees fit. It's not like he is cheating or something, nor is it something I would do. But to say you wouldn't allow it is over the top.

[Dallas_Empire 0]

Allow what??? It's his focking team. He should be able to run it the way he sees fit. It's not like he is cheating or something, nor is it something I would do. But to say you wouldn't allow it is over the top.

 

 

Yeah, these people who want to stop the lineup thing are whiners.

[Dr.Grimm 0]

Yeah, these people who want to stop the lineup thing are whiners.

 

I agree. It is beyond belief to think that a commish would even consider doing such a thing. It would be funny as hell if by doing this, the guy would knock someone else out of the playoffs. It would also be funny if the guy doing this loses the first week of the playoffs.

[WhiteWonder 2,196]

YOu are everything wrong with fantasy football

 

classic example of a person who would be all for this if they were the one sitting players and would whine like a ###### the moment they were on the opposite end of things.

 

plain and simple the guy can start whoever he wants as long as he is fielding a competative team. Have you ever watched sports debate shows? they often talk about teams tanking it intentionally toward the end of the season for a better draft pick or more balls in the lottery. But these pro teams still have to play the games and still have to send players out on the field or court.

 

so as long as he is not benching his team or starting players he knows are hurt or sitting out, there is nothing wrong with it.

 

however he is not justified simply because he is in the position to do so.

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

Kind of a doushy move but nothing you can do about it. It sucks to be the team losing out but the team that he 'allows' in may have a banner week next time and kick his azz. Let Karma take care of this problem.

[WhiteWonder 2,196]

as a sidenote... i have intentionally started a weaker lineup in hopes of losing a game and drawing a different playoff opponent in the first round but i was i believe the top team at the time and simply wanted to fall to 2nd and play the 3rd place team... the 4th place team was getting healthy and hot.

 

no ones playoff hopes were at risk

[FlaHawker 24]

I am commish in this league. One team that has a playoff spot locked up is playing against a team fighting for the last spot in the playoffs. By losing this week's game, he would insure that they will meet again next week in the playoffs. He has set his worst possible lineup for this week's game in hope of losing. Keep in mind, he has not inserted injured or inactive players, he has just left his best players on the bench. It's obvious that he wants to set his preferred matchup for the playoffs. Would you consider this attempt to fix the outcome illegal, or is this just good strategy? As commissioner would you intervene or would you just leave him to his own fate?

 

We do not have weekly prizes or prizes for season point totals. Do those rules help cases like this in any other leagues? My initial thought is that someone would gladly throw away a chance at a small one week prize to help them advance in the playoffs.

 

Any other thoughts?

If the guy paid his enrty fee, then he can start who he wants. Anyone who bitches about it should have taken care of business and not had to rely on someone else winning. Now, will the FF gods (small g) smote him? Possibly. But that's between him and the FF gods (small g).

[PDrax 0]

Strategy...As long as the line-up is legal, give it a rest.

Weekly prizes do help...but the reality is, winning the Championship trumps all.

Next topic.

[Dallas_Empire 0]

Stop trying to tell others how to manage their teams. You keep doing that and you will turn into a democrat.

[berven 0]

In the NFL, you are not allowed to try to lose. However, you are permitted to try less than your hardest to win, strategically benching regulars to save them for the playoffs.

 

In FF, there may be a fine line between trying to lose and not trying your hardest to win, but it's a crucial distinction. I would disallow the former. Eg, if the guy started players on IR or left slots vacant, I would intervene. In this instance, though, he has merely started a non-optimal line-up. I would let it go, since you don't want to get into the business of judging whether a guy is trying his best. I benched Westbrook yesterday. Was I sandbagging or merely making a misguided judgment?

 

I personally would not start a lineup of benchers, but I have taken flyers on lower-ranked players when I already had a playoff spot clinched. I wasn't trying to throw the game. I was just indulging a whim since I had nothing to lose.

[wild_and_crazy_guy 5]

If this owner thinks it will help his team to win the league, and he's not breaking any rules, he can start whoever he wants. If your league provides owners an incentive to sit their starters by not having a weekly high game, that's something you might want to look at.

[FenixTx972 2]

we allow sitting whole rosters if they want, it's strategy

[Bills04 46]

I have done what this owner is doing, and it worked out well for me.

 

If he knows he will make the playoffs, and wants to "manipulate" who he plays in them, then fine. He deserved the right to do so, by making the playoffs!

 

And - look at Indy sitting their starters last year - and Tampa, etc. The pros do it, too!!!

[taxicab823 0]

i still can't believe more than half of you guys would allow something like that. it's like the last place guy cutting there best player for the best team to pick up. just use the excuse "maybe he didn't think he was good anymore" that's why you need people to spot those ridiculous types of things from happening. having a guy season come to an end because another guy won't play his normal rotation. PATHETIC!

glad i'm not in a league with some of you guys! what other bad rules do you agree with?

[madd futher mucker 36]

i still can't believe more than half of you guys would allow something like that. it's like the last place guy cutting there best player for the best team to pick up. just use the excuse "maybe he didn't think he was good anymore" that's why you need people to spot those ridiculous types of things from happening. having a guy season come to an end because another guy won't play his normal rotation. PATHETIC!

glad i'm not in a league with some of you guys! what other bad rules do you agree with?

 

This has nothing to do with 'bad rules'. Since league rules apparently do not expressly prohibit this, you HAVE to allow it. And I also agree that as long as he fields a legal roster, this is a strategy issue.

 

And it sure is a good thing not to have a rule against it either. With all of the 'is this trade fair' situations, we as commissioners don't need to be trying to rule on 'is this roster fair' questions.

[FlaHawker 24]

i still can't believe more than half of you guys would allow something like that. it's like the last place guy cutting there best player for the best team to pick up. just use the excuse "maybe he didn't think he was good anymore" that's why you need people to spot those ridiculous types of things from happening. having a guy season come to an end because another guy won't play his normal rotation. PATHETIC!

glad i'm not in a league with some of you guys! what other bad rules do you agree with?

It absolutely is NOT like cutting players. And if your season comes to an end because you have to rely on someone else wining, tuff shite! You should have taken care of your own business!

[p.man 7]

If it was week #1 I'm sure everyone would laugh and say this guy has no idea what he's doing. And I'm sure his opponant wouldn't mind at all.

[1b4igo 0]

i lock up a playoff spot in one league this week if i lose. our last two playoff spots are based on breakdown of how you do everyweek against every other team. the top 4 spots go to divisional 1st and 2nd. by losing, the guy i play makes the playoffs based on divisional ranking and the two teams behind him can't catch me in breakdown. i was tempted to tank the week, and will probably regret not doing it, if the cards fall the wrong way and i get bumped.

[IAMWood 6]

i lock up a playoff spot in one league this week if i lose. our last two playoff spots are based on breakdown of how you do everyweek against every other team. the top 4 spots go to divisional 1st and 2nd. by losing, the guy i play makes the playoffs based on divisional ranking and the two teams behind him can't catch me in breakdown. i was tempted to tank the week, and will probably regret not doing it, if the cards fall the wrong way and i get bumped.

 

How would you not tank? If you win you could be out but if you lose you are definitely in? You have no choice but to tank... That will make them change the ghey rules next year.

 

[taxicab823 0]

It absolutely is NOT like cutting players. And if your season comes to an end because you have to rely on someone else wining, tuff shite! You should have taken care of your own business!

 

how can you take care of your own business with another team putting in a ridiculous lineup? obviously the other guy who is going to get the win didn't take care of his business and scums his way into the playoffs. anyone who benches players that results in screwing another guy out of the playoffs doesn't deserve to play fantasy football. if anyone ever did that in my league even if it didn't have to do anything with my team i would kick them straight in the goods.

 

on a side note post the results of that matchup, i am curious to see how it turned out!

[ff_tomorrow 0]

on a side note post the results of that matchup, i am curious to see how it turned out!

 

 

UPDATE:

The person who wanted to lose on purpose ended up setting his best lineup. There were a number of people in the league that voiced their opinion about what was happening. The unanimous opinion (including the person playing against him that would have gotten a playoff birth with the win) was that he should try to win every game no matter what. Everyone basically said that the league is more fun when everyone tries to win every week. That being said....it looks like a win is in store for the person who originally wanted to lose. He is going to get the win due to big games by Cutler and Westbrook. Though he would have started Westbrook (because of injury concerns) anyway, the switch from Edwards to Cutler plus starting Andre Johnson and Jones-Drew will be the difference between a win and a loss. I'm not sure how things will go over if he ends up losing in the playoffs next week because he didn't get the matchup he wanted.

[schmitty34 2]

UPDATE:

The person who wanted to lose on purpose ended up setting his best lineup. There were a number of people in the league that voiced their opinion about what was happening. The unanimous opinion (including the person playing against him that would have gotten a playoff birth with the win) was that he should try to win every game no matter what. Everyone basically said that the league is more fun when everyone tries to win every week. That being said....it looks like a win is in store for the person who originally wanted to lose. He is going to get the win due to big games by Cutler and Westbrook. Though he would have started Westbrook (because of injury concerns) anyway, the switch from Edwards to Cutler plus starting Andre Johnson and Jones-Drew will be the difference between a win and a loss. I'm not sure how things will go over if he ends up losing in the playoffs next week because he didn't get the matchup he wanted.

 

That was the way to handle it...with everyone giving their opinion and leaving it up to the owner to make the "right" decision. In no way should the league have ever forced him to do that though.

 

Also, this was nothing like dropping a player so another team can pick it up as mentioned a few posts above. In this case, the owner was using strategy for his own team, not colluding with another team purly for THEIR benefit and not his own.

[FrankRizzo 0]

That was the way to handle it...with everyone giving their opinion and leaving it up to the owner to make the "right" decision. In no way should the league have ever forced him to do that though.

 

Also, this was nothing like dropping a player so another team can pick it up as mentioned a few posts above. In this case, the owner was using strategy for his own team, not colluding with another team purly for THEIR benefit and not his own.

 

This is why we charge a "per loss fee" vs "entry fee".

 

And next year we are going to install another rule that I found from someone on this site ...

Seeds #1/#2 are on bye week ... so Seed #3 gets to CHOOSE who they play between Seeds #5/#6.

 

This eliminates the need to "tank" the last game to try and get favorable matchup because it won't matter.

 

We allow a "wildcard" for 6th spot (top scorer out of remaining pool) and sometimes this team is "better" than seed #5 so I like giving the option for #3 to pick who they play ... very interesting!

[slash 0]

I am commish in this league. One team that has a playoff spot locked up is playing against a team fighting for the last spot in the playoffs. By losing this week's game, he would insure that they will meet again next week in the playoffs. He has set his worst possible lineup for this week's game in hope of losing. Keep in mind, he has not inserted injured or inactive players, he has just left his best players on the bench. It's obvious that he wants to set his preferred matchup for the playoffs. Would you consider this attempt to fix the outcome illegal, or is this just good strategy? As commissioner would you intervene or would you just leave him to his own fate?

 

We do not have weekly prizes or prizes for season point totals. Do those rules help cases like this in any other leagues? My initial thought is that someone would gladly throw away a chance at a small one week prize to help them advance in the playoffs.

 

Any other thoughts?

AHHH very interesting questions..

By doing well, he has earned the right to throw a game if he likes. I have a rule in my league that teams that have locked up a spot have the right to play any player they want(minus players that are not playing). aka, throw a game if they like. And teams that are on the bubble or out of the playoffs should play their best lineup... ex, no benching Wayne for Henderson.

I have weekly and season point totals, so those will not affect an owners decision.

 

So i say its a strategy and should be left alone.

[ppierce 2]

He's gonna end up losing to the team that he wanted to play. Not to mention he would have beaten the "better" team had he just let things play out.

[Bert 1,099]

i still can't believe more than half of you guys would allow something like that. it's like the last place guy cutting there best player for the best team to pick up. just use the excuse "maybe he didn't think he was good anymore" that's why you need people to spot those ridiculous types of things from happening. having a guy season come to an end because another guy won't play his normal rotation. PATHETIC!

glad i'm not in a league with some of you guys! what other bad rules do you agree with?

 

Let me guess you are one of the focktards that believes you shouldn't keep score in little league because the kids are there to have fun not win or lose and that every team should get a trophy.

[PATSSOX 22]

He's gonna end up losing to the team that he wanted to play. Not to mention he would have beaten the "better" team had he just let things play out.

 

i agree with

 

guy in my league, who is actually the commish, is doing this also this week. he wants to make sure the guy he is playing gets in the playoffs. if he does they will play in 1st round next week. i do not mind the strategy but would be very pissed if i was team that was trying to make playoffs.

 

it his team and he can play it like he wants. now i would have a big problem with it if guy on another team called and asked for him to bench his players so that he can get in playoffs.

[Ray_T 598]

as a sidenote... i have intentionally started a weaker lineup in hopes of losing a game and drawing a different playoff opponent in the first round but i was i believe the top team at the time and simply wanted to fall to 2nd and play the 3rd place team... the 4th place team was getting healthy and hot.

 

no ones playoff hopes were at risk

 

This to me is a different issue.

 

You are screwing yourself (in terms of position in the standings)

 

You arent deciding who makes the playoffs and who does not. This, to me is not considered to be an issue.