Archive for collusion

I’m going to do something a little different today and step away from fantasy analysis and try to leave you with something that is simple, very practical, and hopefully helpful.  With a shout out to my fellow commissioners out there, I’d like to give you a template for creating a fantasy league charter.

I’ve been playing fantasy baseball for 20 years now and I’ve had the honor of commissioning for most of that time too.  It can be a fun job but for those that have done it you know that it can also be a little rough sometimes.  No one enjoys stepping into the middle of heated league debates, trade meltdowns, or finding replacement owners, but if you’ve commissioned a league in the past odds are you’ve dealt with a few issues here and there.  While there’s no way to foresee or avoid every issue that can derail a fantasy league (and since there’s no substitute for having great owners as your foundation), a rock solid league charter can go a long way in setting both the tone and direction of your league long term.  In my opinion, it’s a must-have.

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They say that a person’s true colors are often revealed during high-pressure situations and with both the MLB and your league’s trade deadlines rapidly approaching, this is about as high-pressure as it gets for fantasy owners during the season. The haves and the have-nots have separated within the standings and those who are in contention for their league title are caught in a seemingly high-stressed dogfight with some fierce competitors. Trade talk is abundant and the days can be filled with boatloads of anxiety, especially when your competition makes a deal that could either vault them past you in the standings or extend the lead they may already have over you. And while many of you are more than capable of rolling with the punches, there are numerous who are exposed as both petty and immature, no better than a petulant child who takes his ball and goes home when things don’t go his way during the game. Read the rest of this entry »

I received an email a few days ago with an ethics question regarding the fantasy game and given some of the discussions this column has prompted in the past, I thought bringing it here might help the person out  little more. Obviously I have my own opinion on the matter which I happily shared, but also mentioned that I might put it in more of a public forum to garner additional thoughts. After mulling it over for a bit,  I thought the FanGraphs/RotoGraphs community would be a good group to provide further insight. Read the rest of this entry »