Post
by renman » Sat Nov 12, 2011 3:30 am
Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:
OK folks, I guess it's time for us to step in here. This is a worthy topic of debate but unfortunately as we've talked about every other time this has come up there is no fool-proof way to handle this. Greg and I do not want to put the NFFC (or NFBC for that matter) in the position of running any team, setting lineups etc. That is not our responsibility. It is up to each individual owner to decide for themselves how they want to run their team. Once they pay the entry fee, it's their team for good or bad.
One would obviously hope that all owners would remain competitive - especially in the national events where consolation prizes are available. That's one of the reasons we offer them. And as has been pointed out many times, the fact that total points play a key role in who makes the playoffs is another incentive for people to keep battling even if their won-loss record isn't what they would hope.
It stinks when owners quit. I think we all agree with that. However, there could be a myriad of reasons why an owner set his lineup (or didn't set it) on any given week. Putting us in charge of deciding how best to run their team or who should be starting is not something Greg or I believe should be the case. Again, we prefer to remain hands off when it comes to how each league is decided. There's no question in my mind that's the best approach for us to take.
James, to address your idea about having an announcement made or a statement signed with all due respect I don't believe that will accomplish the goal you seek. I don't believe anyone begins the season with the idea of doing anything other than trying their best. It's only after the season has commenced and things go a certain way that some people may choose to bail. But on Draft Day (or before), I believe everyone enters the competition with the intent of competing to the highest degree.
I'm not going to lock this thread for now but I don't believe there's anything more to add to it at the present time. Once the season is over we can certainly revisit this as well as everything about our event to get ideas from all of you as to how we can improve things. But for now, let's move on. Sound good? Tom,
Thanks for posting and showing you guys do care about this issue. Some tried to create the sense you don't care. Let me just share a few things since those who divert attention from the real point cause confusion.
-No one is saying there is a "full proof" way to handle this. All that has been said is the topic is worth discussing among expert level fantasy football minds and maybe some good ideas can come out of it. That seems like something that should be allowed to occur on the message board right?
-Though some may have in the past mentioned it, I do not think anyone is asking you and Greg to 'run anyone's team.'
-Tom, you started your thread saying this is a worthy topic to debate. But specific people have made very clear efforts to shout that down and ruin such debate. This is followed by you saying "We have already discussed this, lets move on..."
Actually, we haven't discussed it much because certain people wont allow it. The TOPIC isn't the problem, the people trying to disrupt the topic are the problem. I am not the bad guy (not saying you said I was) for highlighting this.
As for announcements before the event. I know no one PLANS to quit before the season. What I am saying is that I would be willing to bet that most (not all) of the people who bail on their teams in an NFFC league are newcomers stepping into the high stakes fantasy world for the first time. I believe addressing this topic some BEFORE we start will lead to people thinking twice. It will result in that guy who is 2-5 and frustrated thinking back to draft day when it was explained that we all have a personal responsibility to uphold the competitive integrity of the competition. On top of that, making these kinds of issues important further PROFESSIONALIZES the NFFC and makes it stand out as dramatically different from a home league or Yahoo/NFL.com fantasy league. It creates higher sense of esteem, value and integrity with your event.
Will that FIX the problem? Of course not. Is it a good thing if even it changes the mindset of a handful of owners later in the season and results in them playing out the league?
Yes, I believe that is a good thing.
It doesn't cost any money. It doesn't require you run anyone's team. Is it the best idea that could come out of a thread like this? I certainly don't think so.
