section308 0 Posted October 14, 2012 Hey Guys, I am new to the board but have been playing FF for three years. We have a highly competitive 20 team league. Our commissioner is 3-2 and in a tough battle this week. He called his best friend in the league and worked out a "rental trade" of a backup QB for an RB1. They made the trade with the commitment to trade back the players next week after they both got through their games. He was hit with a moment of conscience and told the league this morning what he did via a league memo. He ended the memo, however, saying rental trades are not explicity prohibited in our rules and while it is a "grey area", we will not allow them. It While I am glad that he did not go through with the trade, it is a horrible precedent to establish and I cannot see how blatant collusion is a "grey area". I am going to meet with him to tell him how disappointed and discouraged I am that someone who is supposed to maintain the integrity and well being of the league would make such decisions. I am trying not to overreact but this has really taken the joy out of the game for me. Love to hear your thoughts... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheUsualSuspect 207 Posted October 14, 2012 Being that your league is competitive, are team managers able to veto a trade? If so, they must be proactive and not allow this to happen. Typically I will always say that if whatever you are questioning/disputing is within the league rules, then let it go. However, if trades can ONLY be vetoed by the Commish and he even thinks a move like this is fair and competitive, make it clear that this will be your last season in this particular league and finish the season. Your Commish should set rules so that collusion is not possible. If in fact your commissioner is dirty, then the league will see this and dissolve after the season. Just my initial thoughts, good luck the rest of the season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Benedict 0 Posted October 14, 2012 They didn't do the thing you found objectionable, but you're holding them accountable for ever having considered it in the first place? I don't see the beef. Don't play Thought Police here. The commish is human, and wants things to go his way just like anyone else does. he probably fantasizes about machine-gunning down the people ahead of him in line at the grocery store too, but as long as he doesn't act on it, he's just a guy like the rest of us. When push came to shove, he manned up and did the right thing. Which is pretty much all you want out of a commish. No real idea what your beef is here, unless I'm reading this wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krizay 0 Posted October 14, 2012 They didn't do the thing you found objectionable, but you're holding them accountable for ever having considered it in the first place? I don't see the beef. Don't play Thought Police here. The commish is human, and wants things to go his way just like anyone else does. he probably fantasizes about machine-gunning down the people ahead of him in line at the grocery store too, but as long as he doesn't act on it, he's just a guy like the rest of us. When push came to shove, he manned up and did the right thing. Which is pretty much all you want out of a commish. No real idea what your beef is here, unless I'm reading this wrong. I'm in agreement with this.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDC 5,893 Posted October 14, 2012 He said rental trades won't be allowed. What is the problem here? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quickolas1 80 Posted October 14, 2012 He said no rental trades and that is horrible precedent and you feel the need to meet with him to tell him how disappointed you are? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheUsualSuspect 207 Posted October 14, 2012 They didn't do the thing you found objectionable, but you're holding them accountable for ever having considered it in the first place? I don't see the beef. Don't play Thought Police here. The commish is human, and wants things to go his way just like anyone else does. he probably fantasizes about machine-gunning down the people ahead of him in line at the grocery store too, but as long as he doesn't act on it, he's just a guy like the rest of us. Bruce, I typically agree with you and enjoy your sense of humor but not on this one... If I knew someone fantasized about my wife, or parked outside my home and seriously even thought about stealing my car, harming my children, or breaking into my house...There would be consequences. The fact of the matter is that not only did the Commish think about making this move, but the entire league including section308 now knows about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IAMWood 6 Posted October 14, 2012 Bruce, I typically agree with you and enjoy your sense of humor but not on this one... If I knew someone fantasized about my wife, or parked outside my home and seriously even thought about stealing my car, harming my children, or breaking into my house...There would be consequences. The fact of the matter is that not only did the Commish think about making this move, but the entire league including section308 now knows about it. get a grip dude. It's over, no harm done... If you really have an issue with it, don't join next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheUsualSuspect 207 Posted October 14, 2012 get a grip dude. It's over, no harm done... If you really have an issue with it, don't join next year. That is basically what I stated in my initial post. My second post used what we call an analogy, dude. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
section308 0 Posted October 14, 2012 Thanks for the input. Just as a point of clarity, the commish did make the trade and then had the moment of conscience so they traded back today. I do agree that no harm is done this season but I know a few of our league owners are shocked he would call rental trades and collusion a grey area. I'll just put a beat down on the league, collect the spoils and move onto a better league next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pronghorn3 0 Posted October 14, 2012 I Played in several leagues with bad commissioners, one skimmed the pot ($600 pot = $350 payout) and the other switched players after start of their games. I told the skimmer he as an ass clown and he threw me out (I currently run a league for the members that quit his league) For the other league, I took a screen shot of the illegal transactions and sent it to the entire league at the end of the season, then quit. Some people want to win at any cost, they are not Sportsmen and if it's not fair across the board, I don't play. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mobb_deep 917 Posted October 14, 2012 Is a trade not you and another owner each entering into an agreement in an effort to improve your teams and only your teams? Tradebacks meet that criteria. Collusion only occurs when one player willingly hurts his own team to help another team. People just quickly jump the the conclusion that tradebacks are collusion because it's a catchy sound bite. But when you think about it, that stance is illogical. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wild_and_crazy_guy 5 Posted October 14, 2012 So, basically you are very upset because your commish considered doing something wrong...but didn't do that thing. But it's still on your mind, and you posting about it here. Don't you have a job or something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WR Guru 31 Posted October 14, 2012 Collusion only occurs when one player willingly hurts his own team to help another team. That's an extremely narrow definition of collusion. Collusion is a secret agreement between two or more parties to create an unfair advantage over another party or parties. In my league, any trades involving future considerations (of which a planned trade-back would fit the bill) are flat out prohibited and have been for many years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IAMWood 6 Posted October 14, 2012 That is basically what I stated in my initial post. My second post used what we call an analogy, dude. I don't memorize who said what and your analogy is poor at best, which is why I said get a grip. good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chroniciguana 13 Posted October 14, 2012 When I began playing this strange thing called "fantasy football" in the late 1980s, we allowed short-term trades. They were part of the strategy of the game. If you had two or more hot QBs, loan one out for a week and let him beat up on your division rival by proxy. Your rival, of course, could do the same to you. When I resumed playing a decade later, this had somehow become illegal, immoral, unethical and downright un-American. And all along I thought these things were little more than smart strategic moves with the potential to backfire if the guy holding your hot QB decided to keep him. Which he could. No, the real NFL doesn't let the Broncos rent Peyton Manning to the Dolphins for a week. But the real NFL doesn't have five-point FGs either. These player loans weren't kept quiet (a key element of "collusion" is secrecy). Everyone could and did do it. And they could, and did, bite you in the butt. There was also no fraud involved - another element of this "collusion" thing. If your league rules prohibit player "rentals," then what your commissioner sought to do was wrong. But why these trades, which we viewed as good, clean cutthroat fun among friends, became illegal is something I still don't quite understand. But whatever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreenTD 56 Posted October 14, 2012 If I were the OP, I'd forget about meeting up with the commish to discuss his distaste with the trade. Makes him look like a d-bag. Just finish out the season & play in a different league next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WR Guru 31 Posted October 14, 2012 When I began playing this strange thing called "fantasy football" in the late 1980s, we allowed short-term trades. They were part of the strategy of the game. If you had two or more hot QBs, loan one out for a week and let him beat up on your division rival by proxy. Your rival, of course, could do the same to you. When I resumed playing a decade later, this had somehow become illegal, immoral, unethical and downright un-American. And all along I thought these things were little more than smart strategic moves with the potential to backfire if the guy holding your hot QB decided to keep him. Which he could. Okay, let me give you a little hypothetical. Let's say that me and a couple of my buddies join this league you're describing. The three of us can essentially form a cartel, swapping players back and forth in temporary trades as needed to artificially strengthen our lineups and create a consistent competitive advantage against the rest of the league. Or, better yet, we can just identify which of our three teams is the strongest and make rental deals each week to strengthen that one team and dominate the league. Oooooh, and also use the two weaker teams to block our top competitors from getting free agents they need. This is all legitimate strategy according to you. Just carrying your rationale to its logical conclusion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chroniciguana 13 Posted October 14, 2012 Let's say that me and a couple of my buddies join this league you're describing. The three of us can essentially form a cartel, swapping players back and forth in temporary trades as needed to artificially strengthen our lineups and create a consistent competitive advantage against the rest of the league. Or, better yet, we can just identify which of our three teams is the strongest and make rental deals each week to strengthen that one team and dominate the league. Oooooh, and also use the two weaker teams to block our top competitors from getting free agents they need. This is all legitimate strategy according to you. Just carrying your rationale to its logical conclusion. You would, of course, first have to round up nine of the most oblivious humans on the planet and convince their day room attendants to allow them access to a computer. Presuming you and your "buddies" were to somehow find yourselves in a league with real functioning adults, however, odds are by the third week of this you'd grow a little weary of driving on four flat tires and cowering behind the sofa whenever the doorbell rang. Which is probably a more logical conclusion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,337 Posted October 14, 2012 Does your commish have a house, wife and kids? Do you know how to punch? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
