What Is Going To Happen To High-Stakes Fantasy Football?

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:07 am

Don, I hope you, Chad, Scott Fleming, Glenn (who's competing for a lot of baseball money) and everyone else who is owed money gets paid and paid promptly. That's the No. 1 concern obviously. If you guys are comfortable playing in an event that hasn't paid its prize winners (assuming the event goes off as planned), that's your call. I just hope that we're not here a year from now hearing how people haven't been paid for two years worth of events. Unfortunately, I think that's a very real possibility should that event go forward without paying all of its past prize winners before Sept. 9.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:09 am

Originally posted by Glenneration X:
quote:Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:
Glenn, it's not my responsibility as a prize winner to help grow an event so they can pay me. I should not feel an obligation to participate in an event that hasn't paid me so it will generate revenue in the future in order to pay me. None of this is or should be my responsibility and I should not feel an obligation to assume it. Unfortunately, what is and what should be are not always one and the same.

[/QUOTE]True, but I still have the choice to invest my time and money with an entity that carries significant risk or one that carries none. As I've been saying I don't think the choice should be very difficult to make.

Glenneration X · Post by **Glenneration X** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:47 am

I'd like to make one last point and it will be my last.

For those owed or who will be owed significant amount of moneys, sometimes you are put in a position to not only protect your own money, but that of your friends and colleagues. Sometimes you have the opportunity by your actions to help deliver to others what they are waiting for and deserve.

I won't go into details, but Tom things are not always as uncomplicated as they appear from the outside of an issue.

[ August 14, 2011, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: Glenneration X ]

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:49 am

Originally posted by Glenneration X:
I'd like to make one last point and it will be my last.

For those owed or who will be owed significant amount of moneys, sometimes you are put in a position to not only protect your own money, but that of your friends and colleagues. Sometimes you have the opportunity by your actions to help deliver to others what they are waiting for and deserve.

I won't go into details, but Tom things are not always as uncomplicated as they appear from the outside of an issue. Glenn, I know you're thinking about others besides yourself. You are a stand-up guy and you want this matter to be resolved for everyone, not just yourself. I believe that event's future should be of secondary importance to everyone. The primary goal right now should be to pay all of the past prize winners and the current year's upcoming baseball winners. If you are able to help facilitate that in any way, that would be great. I hope that you can. That's what matters most to those of us who not only work in this industry and play in this industry but want to see the industry continue to prosper in the years to come.

[ August 14, 2011, 01:56 PM: Message edited by: Tom Kessenich ]

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:05 am

The WCOFF prize winners are finding themselves in a bit of a moral dilemma. If they choose not to play, they very likely forego their winnings. If they do play, they provide an avenue and the means for new suckers to put money into the system -- and still likely forego their winnings.

Tough call guys. I hope everything works out for you.

Glenneration X · Post by **Glenneration X** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:17 am

Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:
quote:Originally posted by Glenneration X:
I'd like to make one last point and it will be my last.

For those owed or who will be owed significant amount of moneys, sometimes you are put in a position to not only protect your own money, but that of your friends and colleagues. Sometimes you have the opportunity by your actions to help deliver to others what they are waiting for and deserve.

I won't go into details, but Tom things are not always as uncomplicated as they appear from the outside of an issue. Glenn, I know you're thinking about others besides yourself. You are a stand-up guy and you want this matter to be resolved for everyone, not just yourself. I believe that event's future should be of secondary importance to everyone. The primary goal right now should be to pay all of the past prize winners and the current year's upcoming baseball winners. If you are able to help facilitate that in any way, that would be great. I hope that you can. That's what matters most to those of us who not only work in this industry and play in this industry but want to see the industry continue to prosper in the years to come. [/QUOTE]Thanks Tom, I do appreciate you stating that. Still, I'd be the same guy no matter which direction I decided to go. Whatever I decide, it will be because I feel it is the right thing to do weighing all the factors that will be presented to me at that time.

There are many other stand-up guys and gals that play this game. That's been proven in ways I'm not sure you're aware of since this unfortunate experience began. Whatever they decide to do and for whatever reasons they decide to do it, I'm sure it will also be done for the reasons they feel are the right ones to follow.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 8:45 am

Originally posted by King of Queens:
The WCOFF prize winners are finding themselves in a bit of a moral dilemma. If they choose not to play, they very likely forego their winnings. If they do play, they provide an avenue and the means for new suckers to put money into the system -- and still likely forego their winnings.

Tough call guys. I hope everything works out for you. Glenn has been told that an announcement will be made tomorrow and he has told the masses (he did, not the person in charge) about that. So let's see if this deadline is met. You'd think an announcement would come before taking new signups, but maybe not in this crazy world. All I can say is that if RT Sports allowed new revenue to come in before prize money was paid I'd be very surprised. Disappointed too, but let's see.

Jersey Dawg · Post by **Jersey Dawg** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:30 pm

Tom, Greg... Many of the current wcoff winners rolled winnings into 2011 drafts soon after prizes were announced in Jan/Feb. It was part of the process. Some of the smaller winners rolled everything over. Larger winners most likely requested some cash and rolled over some for drafts and rooms at the MGM.

Like Glenn, I was fortunate enough to get some of my cash, but another $3500 is tied up in two of their contests and several nights at the MGM.

It's "easy" to say that we should sign up now for either of the two competiting contests that pay their winners. However, that money is not just sitting around or growing on a tree in any of our back yards. It's real money we need to draw down from real savings. Not that easy given the current economic climate.

As Glenn said (different words, but same general picture) if we have to choose between keeping our rolled over funds in 2011 drafts that take place while they firm up a deal with a new investor, or more than likely forefit everything by demanding cash today..... it's not that hard of a choice.

I'm still trying to find a few extra bucks to do what Glenn has done, that is sign up for something here and hope to be drafting in both leagues. Personally I am not a fan of 1.5 points for TE's and 2 flex palyers, so that other contest is not for me.

Pete

[ August 14, 2011, 06:33 PM: Message edited by: Jersey Dawg ]

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 12:36 pm

Pete, I understand that to play with another event you need to find money that you otherwise hadn't planned on spending due to the rollovers. And I realize that isn't an easy option for a lot of people. All I'm saying is that if people are prepared to play in an event that hasn't paid its past winners in full before the first draft date they're taking on a significant risk. Should that occur and the event go on, it would not surprise me if a year from now we're hearing more tales of people who haven't been paid for two years running.

To me, that's what this is all about. If people are willing to possibly play for nothing, that's up to them. But since I believe that's one of the most significant aspects of this mess of a situation, I do not believe that should be overlooked. For me, it would be at the heart of whatever decision people will make.

I'll say again that as a person who works in this industry and also plays these games, I do not believe that event should go forward until all of the 2010 prize winners have been paid in full. Only then would I view that event (or any that fell into a similar predicament) as one worthy of the money I'm prepared to spend.

[ August 14, 2011, 06:38 PM: Message edited by: Tom Kessenich ]