“A well thought out Trifuricated (You Know, 3 Pronged) manifesto entitled "Drafting, FAAB, the Waiver Wire, and Reality in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship."
This is Prong #1 of the three I said would follow.
Integrity
A basic tenet of anything worth doing, integrity makes thing meaningful. Intentionally losing games, so you can finish in last place and get the first pick in the draft, violates the spirit of competition. Yet some would argue it’s OK because you’re trying to make your team better, albeit in the future.
The infield fly rule came to be in order to prevent those, who would take advantage of the situation, from making a mockery of the game. Steroids, Corked Bats, Doctored Balls, Sign Stealing and innumerable other processes in ALL of life are infected by the lack of Integrity. Everyone’s looking for an edge. An easier, softer, faster, way to the winners circle. It’s a fact of human of human existence.
Fantasy Gamers, as all of us who have served as Commissioners well know, are particularly adept at trying to exploit the rules. From insinuating the rigging of the draw for Draft positions, to green lighting/nullifying trades, to the mistaken tallying or not tallying of stats. It goes on and on. Conspiracy, deceit, and paranoia flourish. Rules, Watchfulness, and Democracy attempt to keep this dark side in check and promote fairness. Ah!!! What a concept!!! “A Level Playing Field.”
Most of us have an idea of how, -WE—individually, would like to see things run. There must be consensus however or nothing would get done. Rules speak to this and in the immortal words of Cosmo Kramer.
“There must be RULES! Jerry. RULES!!!”
“Why? Why do we need rules?”
“WHY? WHY!!!? WHY Do we need RULES!?! Without rules there would be CHAOS!! CHAOS! JERRY!!!!!!!
End of Prong #1
Kevin
Prong #1 "Integrity"
Prong #1 "Integrity"
"All of Life is part of the Divine"---Ancient Hindu saying