Major problem in my league I may have screwed up

[Breesman32 11]

I messaged a member of my league and told him I didnt know if I wanted to bring back him and his wife because I felt they could not contend in a 12 team league and do not make trades to make their teams better. Well, it got out of hand, he took it personal and declared him and his wife to be done with the league. I'm trying to be fair in the league but was really annoyed by the dropping of elite players he and his wife dropped in the last two years and the fact that they refuse to participate in trades to improve their team and rather drop players and lose games. I told him the league was not going to get easy and that this kind of competition is here to stay in a later message. Also a trade happened involving this:

 

Davis/Jennings® for Ingram/Sproles/Clark.............Complete one sided and I voted against it and so did someone else but this man was playing the guy who gained Davis and Jennings in the deal and did not help to veto it. Today I go to his roster and saw that he benched everyone but who already played and his wife as well.

 

Should I allow them to be benched or because this was intentional, should I go into my LM tools and restore the players starting?

 

I do feel as if I may have overstepped my law as LM though by not waiting until after the season to tell him I needed to take the league in a new direction.

[tanatastic 2,061]

Id go ahead and set a legal lineup, but yea thats a bit of drama for midseason. Def postseason stuff. Im a big hater of blatant dumbassery tho. this year I had to set a guys lineup who was too stupid to know he had guys going on thurs. He was tied for first place! I regret it now cuz he has payed attention since and the loss would have helped me. But i hate babysitting when its a freakin money league! shouldnt that be motivation enough to pay attention!?

[Matt Mueller 146]

Best thing to do at this point is to start the players with the highest projections and possibly assume management of the teams to be far to other owners playing against them.

[ralphster 274]

Sounds like you were trying to look out for the league but your method was misunderstood. I assume you reached out now because you were hoping a little goading might wake them up? If that was the case, sending him a message with potentially sensitive information was likely the wrong way to do it. If you truly care and want to send a message you do it in person, or a phone call at the very least. Such action implies respect and allows for clear(er) understanding. Text in a message is easily misinterpreted and should be left to general sh!t talk and trade feelers imo.

[Breesman32 11]

Well I have his email address but am not personally friends with him. The league I made clear I wanted to be an active league and it has been that for the most part. He was very outspoken but his atitude didnt show it in his play. The only way I could have communicated was through email or league email.

 

If I set their lineups the husband is playing someone who has to win to get in. And well, I have to win to get in or for the other to lose. I don't want to cause collusion or anything.

[treewarden 1]

I had an owner quit this season and the team is fighting for a playoff spot. Tell the league you are taking over the team(s) and setting the lineups based on highest projected points. Don't waver and keep on top of the projections so no one can claim foul. It's the best you can do in this case.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,877]

making people be active in trades is dumb, making people be active on setting their team and using the waiver wire is ok

 

the top 3 teams in my main league, have made 0 trades, but the best use of the waiver wire.

[Law 220]

making people be active in trades is dumb, making people be active on setting their team and using the waiver wire is ok

 

the top 3 teams in my main league, have made 0 trades, but the best use of the waiver wire.

 

 

This.

 

IF I were told I had to make trades to stay in the league, I'd say so long league! I'm not about to make a trade just because some over-eager commish says I have to. Just stupd. Manage your roster through byes yes, forced trades hell no!

 

Also to the OP, please proof read. VERY hard to follow whatever it is you're trying to write.

[ralphster 274]

I agree forcing participation through trades is wrong. OP also talked about these teams dropping studs previously, so there is precedent for communication. If you had to do it over again a message with your phone # and a request to call would likely have saved some trouble. As Tan said this type of thing is best addressed in the off season.

 

That said they're out, so change their passwords and start the best possible lineup for both their teams to finish the year. Your personal team's fortunes are irrelevant now, as protecting the league's integrity becomes priority one. Explain everything you're doing and why, and let the chips fall where they may.

[Shakey210 10]

First problem... Women in the league. As commish, women will not be in my league lol.

[BTL99 34]

Sounds like this guy and his wife are totally clueless when it comes to FF and they definitely need to go.

[stonewall 647]

 

 

Davis/Jennings® for Ingram/Sproles/Clark........

 

 

 

 

 

I was just wondering when Jennings became a registered trademark?

[madd futher mucker 36]

Sounds like you were trying to look out for the league but your method was misunderstood. I assume you reached out now because you were hoping a little goading might wake them up? If that was the case, sending him a message with potentially sensitive information was likely the wrong way to do it. If you truly care and want to send a message you do it in person, or a phone call at the very least. Such action implies respect and allows for clear(er) understanding. Text in a message is easily misinterpreted and should be left to general sh!t talk and trade feelers imo.

 

As a long-time commish, I agree with this completely. In fact, if there is not a way or a time that I can get to TALK to a league member by phone or if they won't respond to an email request to CALL me back at a mutually convenient time, then they won't be playing in a league of mine, As ralphster said, there is no way you can convey nuances of tone and have a frank dialogue with an owner by text or messaging. I'm sure the situation wouldn't have gotten this far if there had been more and better communication from you as an active commissioner. If you are going to be the commish from now on, get every owner's phone number, give up texting and talk to them person to person. Also, think through in advance exactly how you plan on approaching the problem and what their possible reactions will be to what you plan on saying to them.

 

Also, both the timing of this message and the message itself were completely wrong.

 

Frankly, there is almost no way that you as commish can force or edict that people make trades, nor control who gets dropped to the waiver wire. Assuming that this was a money league, once they paid their entry fee they have every right to manage their teams as they see fit, so long as they operate within the league bylaws. They don't have to be as competitive as some of the other players in the league. I'm sure that most owners in your league do not mind having some dead money in the league anyway.

 

I also note that you have a vote veto system on trades. While I'm normally against this system, in your case maybe it is for the best, since it appears that you may be inclined to veto trades just because they do not meet your personal standards of 'fair and balanced'. I don't know what Davis or which Jennings you are referring to, but regardless I fail to see anything so completely onesided about this trade that it could merit a commissioner veto. Your job as commissioner is NOT to pass judgement on the 'fairness' of trades, but to enforce well thought out and well written league bylaws. This trade surely doesn't appear to have involved collusion, nor is it so imbalanced as to jeopardize the very existence of the league. Your communication to these two owners, however, has in fact jeopardized the existence of the league. There is now no easy solution that I can think of. You have effectively lost control of your league at the most critical time of the season and whatever you do puts you between a rock and a hard spot..

 

So good luck with this. From what I can read into your post, you may be a decent fantasy owner, but you have no clue about how to run a league as an effective commissioner. If the league somehow does continue to exist next year, I suggest that you resign and turn the reigns over to someone who has either more experience or better management and people skills.

[jeffkomlo 19]

 

 

 

Also, both the timing of this message and the message itself were completely wrong.

 

Frankly, there is almost no way that you as commish can force or edict that people make trades, nor control who gets dropped to the waiver wire. Assuming that this was a money league, once they paid their entry fee they have every right to manage their teams as they see fit.

 

Agree 100% shoulda waited until end of season, commissioner's job is to oversee league, can't force owners to trade, judge trades or even work waiver wire. To me overstepped bounds and screwed up league this year nice job.

[JT 137]

 

As a long-time commish, I agree with this completely. In fact, if there is not a way or a time that I can get to TALK to a league member by phone or if they won't respond to an email request to CALL me back at a mutually convenient time, then they won't be playing in a league of mine, As ralphster said, there is no way you can convey nuances of tone and have a frank dialogue with an owner by text or messaging. I'm sure the situation wouldn't have gotten this far if there had been more and better communication from you as an active commissioner. If you are going to be the commish from now on, get every owner's phone number, give up texting and talk to them person to person. Also, think through in advance exactly how you plan on approaching the problem and what their possible reactions will be to what you plan on saying to them.

 

Also, both the timing of this message and the message itself were completely wrong.

 

Frankly, there is almost no way that you as commish can force or edict that people make trades, nor control who gets dropped to the waiver wire. Assuming that this was a money league, once they paid their entry fee they have every right to manage their teams as they see fit, so long as they operate within the league bylaws. They don't have to be as competitive as some of the other players in the league. I'm sure that most owners in your league do not mind having some dead money in the league anyway.

 

I also note that you have a vote veto system on trades. While I'm normally against this system, in your case maybe it is for the best, since it appears that you may be inclined to veto trades just because they do not meet your personal standards of 'fair and balanced'. I don't know what Davis or which Jennings you are referring to, but regardless I fail to see anything so completely onesided about this trade that it could merit a commissioner veto. Your job as commissioner is NOT to pass judgement on the 'fairness' of trades, but to enforce well thought out and well written league bylaws. This trade surely doesn't appear to have involved collusion, nor is it so imbalanced as to jeopardize the very existence of the league. Your communication to these two owners, however, has in fact jeopardized the existence of the league. There is now no easy solution that I can think of. You have effectively lost control of your league at the most critical time of the season and whatever you do puts you between a rock and a hard spot..

 

So good luck with this. From what I can read into your post, you may be a decent fantasy owner, but you have no clue about how to run a league as an effective commissioner. If the league somehow does continue to exist next year, I suggest that you resign and turn the reigns over to someone who has either more experience or better management and people skills.

 

 

This. You screwed up this league. Don't do it to another.

[Breesman32 11]

 

As a long-time commish, I agree with this completely. In fact, if there is not a way or a time that I can get to TALK to a league member by phone or if they won't respond to an email request to CALL me back at a mutually convenient time, then they won't be playing in a league of mine, As ralphster said, there is no way you can convey nuances of tone and have a frank dialogue with an owner by text or messaging. I'm sure the situation wouldn't have gotten this far if there had been more and better communication from you as an active commissioner. If you are going to be the commish from now on, get every owner's phone number, give up texting and talk to them person to person. Also, think through in advance exactly how you plan on approaching the problem and what their possible reactions will be to what you plan on saying to them.

 

Also, both the timing of this message and the message itself were completely wrong.

 

Frankly, there is almost no way that you as commish can force or edict that people make trades, nor control who gets dropped to the waiver wire. Assuming that this was a money league, once they paid their entry fee they have every right to manage their teams as they see fit, so long as they operate within the league bylaws. They don't have to be as competitive as some of the other players in the league. I'm sure that most owners in your league do not mind having some dead money in the league anyway.

 

I also note that you have a vote veto system on trades. While I'm normally against this system, in your case maybe it is for the best, since it appears that you may be inclined to veto trades just because they do not meet your personal standards of 'fair and balanced'. I don't know what Davis or which Jennings you are referring to, but regardless I fail to see anything so completely onesided about this trade that it could merit a commissioner veto. Your job as commissioner is NOT to pass judgement on the 'fairness' of trades, but to enforce well thought out and well written league bylaws. This trade surely doesn't appear to have involved collusion, nor is it so imbalanced as to jeopardize the very existence of the league. Your communication to these two owners, however, has in fact jeopardized the existence of the league. There is now no easy solution that I can think of. You have effectively lost control of your league at the most critical time of the season and whatever you do puts you between a rock and a hard spot..

 

So good luck with this. From what I can read into your post, you may be a decent fantasy owner, but you have no clue about how to run a league as an effective commissioner. If the league somehow does continue to exist next year, I suggest that you resign and turn the reigns over to someone who has either more experience or better management and people skills.

I am very good at running my league. But I think the problem is if I did 4 team playoff instead of 4 then I would still be alive and would actually be 8-5 instead of 6-7 and I doubt Decker and Jeffery would have went off again this week so that gives me a good chance to win in addition to CK having Seattle and Carolina going to saints. That guy I'm playing would have lost weeks 11 and 12 but still have won this past week due to what happened. He would be 7-6. The third guy would have been 6-7. I never said they should make trades period but that they should not quit on their teams and should make trades if a good player isnt wanted on their team and they needed to win. That was my turnoff. I recanted and said they didnt have to leave but they still decided they were moving on. He apologized for the whole argument getting out of hand in the league. But guess what, with his starters he would have won last week and I would be in. And I'm wondering if I should go back and start those players, block him and the wife from the league and put myself in. I was the no.2 scorer in my league despite my record and that was due to hovering in the 100-110 range weekly. This past week I lost 153-125.

[Breesman32 11]

here's the thing guy owns this team

RG3

McCoy

Brown/Rainey

Fitz

Garcon

Wright/Douglas/Floyd

Walker

Viniaterri

Cowboys...................he had chiefs for a while

 

His original no.2 rb was scratched week 1 and the jags backup Forsett he picked upand then after week 1 J.Bell who was on the bench. His original TE was Gronkowski and dropped him before season started. He then stuck with Clay until recently and dropped him for Walker. But he also had White and dropped him early on and picked up KC's defense after week 1. His problem was RG3 and McCoy. When there is something wrong there its best to sell high and get value for them. He didnt do it.

 

His wife's team was a bit worse.........

Ryan

Woodhead

Rogers

Cotchery

Washington

Nicks

Graham

Randon kicker

Random defense

 

She originally drafted Martin and Jones and both had season ending injuries. Though she certainly could have worked on her team. I had offered her Gordon for Graham which she turned down. It is easier to play matchups on tightend than receiver. She also turned down a later offer of Megatron/Bell for Graham/Cotchery. I had offered her a wide receiver who is playing like a top three right now in the first offer and she didnt want it. Then I offered her a rb who had his best game against the ravens and almost two TDs. Cotchery isnt proven to go off every week, he only does well when Brown has some coverage. so because these people were not willing to help their team I felt they could not handle the league and they have not transitioned well to a twelve team league.

[madd futher mucker 36]

Just go back and read your own last two posts. After reading them, it is quite evident that you view the league mainly from the standpoint of how things affect YOUR team.

 

A good commissioner can separate what is best for his team from what is RIGHT for the league as a whole and will always do the right thing. It appears that you are incapable of this. There is absolutely no way you could convince me that you should be a commissioner of ANY league. I'm sure that i speak for almost all of the members who responded to your topic here that after reading your posts, the vast majority of them would never consider joining any team where you are the commissioner.

[Breesman32 11]

I have been running this league for four years I just would like people to always try to win.

[Breesman32 11]

I have left a lot of rules alone, I have allowed six people in. Standard points for Tds non fractional. Inverse standings on waiver wire pickups start of each waiver week and trade voting. I kept it almost as similar as the original NFL fantasy that used to be on CBS. I have been fair with the rules in the league. But if there are more exciting owners I can add then why can't I do that. I feel these two were not as good as some others who can join next year. One guy left the league accidentally and then when I reinvited him I never got a response back and went ahead and added his replacement and then he said he didnt get the invite after it was full and then I had to tell him I sent one but he never joined back and the league was full. I felt bad about letting this guy go. He was a good player too. I don't want some average players taking up my league.

[Groundhog 24]

I am very good at running my league. But I think the problem is if I did 4 team playoff instead of 4 then I would still be alive and would actually be 8-5 instead of 6-7 and I doubt Decker and Jeffery would have went off again this week so that gives me a good chance to win in addition to CK having Seattle and Carolina going to saints. That guy I'm playing would have lost weeks 11 and 12 but still have won this past week due to what happened. He would be 7-6. The third guy would have been 6-7. I never said they should make trades period but that they should not quit on their teams and should make trades if a good player isnt wanted on their team and they needed to win. That was my turnoff. I recanted and said they didnt have to leave but they still decided they were moving on. He apologized for the whole argument getting out of hand in the league. But guess what, with his starters he would have won last week and I would be in. And I'm wondering if I should go back and start those players, block him and the wife from the league and put myself in. I was the no.2 scorer in my league despite my record and that was due to hovering in the 100-110 range weekly. This past week I lost 153-125.

 

you're missing the point here. You are so focused on how these little details are affecting your team (the trees) you have either lost or never had the ability to effectively manage the league as a whole (the forest). Your job as commish is basically to develop a set of rules that provide good incentives to play fair, to ensure that everyone complies with those rules, and to help everyone have fun with it (with humor, weekly updates, what have you). Instead you are reducing yourself to these ad hoc commish edicts that are probably going to signal the other owners that this ship is not smooth sailing. I realize this doesn't help you extract yourself from the predicament you're in, so really what I'm saying is, if you insist on being a commish next year, take a step back and try to think big picture, not little picture.

[jeffkomlo 19]

Still a douche, just because she didn't' trade with you, you didn't'allow her to continue in the league? He's not a good player?

You sir are a nightmare commish

[Quickolas1 80]

Wow... just... wow.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,663]

Sounds like you were trying to look out for the league but your method was misunderstood. I assume you reached out now because you were hoping a little goading might wake them up? If that was the case, sending him a message with potentially sensitive information was likely the wrong way to do it. If you truly care and want to send a message you do it in person, or a phone call at the very least. Such action implies respect and allows for clear(er) understanding. Text in a message is easily misinterpreted and should be left to general sh!t talk and trade feelers imo.

I like to present my feelers in person

[jgcrawfish 232]

Just go back and read your own last two posts. After reading them, it is quite evident that you view the league mainly from the standpoint of how things affect YOUR team.

 

A good commissioner can separate what is best for his team from what is RIGHT for the league as a whole and will always do the right thing. It appears that you are incapable of this. There is absolutely no way you could convince me that you should be a commissioner of ANY league. I'm sure that i speak for almost all of the members who responded to your topic here that after reading your posts, the vast majority of them would never consider joining any team where you are the commissioner.

Although a bit more harsh than I expected from you MFM, you are exactly right. As a commish you have an obligation to maintain competitive balance, even if it hurts the team you manage. The greater good should always trump the individual benefit. Just by virtue of frequenting this site, the OP is probably much more committed to FF than most, if not all, of the players in his league. But just because that's the case it doesn't mean the other owners aren't committed or good FF owners. If you're going to make a league an "uber competitive" one, you notify the owners of the teams, in person (phone works as well) and let them know what's happening, then give them opportunity to decide whether they are prepared for that level of commitment. You do not blast them for not making trades or managing their team in way that you don't deem appropriate.

[GreenTD 56]

I never said they should make trades period but that they should not quit on their teams and should make trades if a good player isnt wanted on their team and they needed to win. That was my turnoff.

A good player isn't wanted on their team & they need to win?!?! Maybe this husband & wife deemed that the"good player" in question, gave them the best chance to win so why would they trade them just for the sake of trading?

 

It's not your job as commish to dictate the value of player's on other people's teams. As long as they were fielding a complete lineup & not throwing their matches towards the end, why do you care?

 

With all your posts in this thread, you've painted yourself as an overbearing commish & the exact person who shouldn't be in charge. Not trying to be harsh, just giving my $.02.

[Breesman32 11]

A good player isn't wanted on their team & they need to win?!?! Maybe this husband & wife deemed that the"good player" in question, gave them the best chance to win so why would they trade them just for the sake of trading?

 

It's not your job as commish to dictate the value of player's on other people's teams. As long as they were fielding a complete lineup & not throwing their matches towards the end, why do you care?

 

With all your posts in this thread, you've painted yourself as an overbearing commish & the exact person who shouldn't be in charge. Not trying to be harsh, just giving my $.02.

did I not menyiom that he dropped Gronk. last year after the draft which he and wife didnt make he dropped RG3 and she dropped the bears defense after week 3. who does that? I messaged the husband to tell him I didn't know if I could bring them back because they havrnt adjusted well to the league. they have failed to reach 7 wins the last two years. his record is 4-8-1 and his wife is 4-8-1. I targeted gronk in the draft and he autodrafted him with last pick in fourth. yes he picked McCoy with his first pick over Peterson and lynch.

 

this post was about if I should have started his players and I didn't and I lost with a high score and his opponent would have lost. I can still go back and start those players but that will be collusion.

[posty 2,412]

making people be active in trades is dumb, making people be active on setting their team and using the waiver wire is ok

 

the top 3 teams in my main league, have made 0 trades, but the best use of the waiver wire.

Exactly... Trading for the sake of trading is stupid...

[Quickolas1 80]

this post was about if I should have started his players and I didn't and I lost with a high score and his opponent would have lost.

 

we know. its all about you. how you want to tell others how to play and run their teams so you can change records and make the playoffs. and your hindsight crystal ball to criticize someone who takes lesean mccoy over marshawn lynch. and how someone should be booted if they won't trade you Jimmy Graham for Josh Gordon. and how as commish instead of making friends and influencing people to strengthen the league, you judge and alienate.

 

a few less "I"s and "me"s and "my"s might be your first step.

I have left a lot of rules alone, I have allowed six people in. I have been fair with the rules in the league. I don't want some average players taking up my league.

[smashmouths@blf 33]

Many mistakes were made here which is unfortunate. The solution is simple. Kick the husband out first, put in his worst lineup and then proceed to bang his wife. If she's any good she stays, but either way the dude deserves to get punched in the face in front of his slutty wife and kids.

[IGotWorms 3,792]

This guy has got to be fishing. No way anybody could be this dumb

[GreenTD 56]

This guy has got to be fishing. No way anybody could be this dumb

Judging by many of the WSIS or various other pointless threads cluttering the boreds lately, I'm not so sure.

[Cold Ass Honky 3]

What is this "trading" you speak of?

 

Seriously, since I started playing FFPC (and WCOFF before that) I could never go back to playing those unstructured local-yocal leagues.

 

Some of the stuff I read on here makes me laugh.

 

Reminds of the league I started in 1987 where we turned in our starting lineups in-person at a weekly Friday lunch gathering, and graded the games out of the Monday morning newspaper.

 

Anybody remember the "Nigerian Nightmare"?

[dain11279 947]

You and this guy should both be punched in the face for allowing his wife to participate in the league