Abuse of Executive Privilege

[Qball86]

Please help try to explain the seemingly immpossible for me and some of my league mates....we use CBS if that is important.

 

Team A checked his gamecenter at 8:15 to see if his opponent, the commish, had anyone else to play, what he saw was Chester Taylor and the Vikes DST.

 

Monday morning he was looking again and noticed the commsih now had Portis and the Vikes not Chester Taylor. We checked the transaction report, including all types, and saw the commish benched Portis for Taylor at 8pm, then at 8:23 benched Taylor for Portis. His 8:23 transaction was in red, this means he had to go in under commish privileges and make the change because his lineup was locked out already.

 

His defense "I am not sure what you are talking about? Portis was in my lineup all day yesterday. Please call me"

 

We think he went to the OJ Simpson school of alibi.

 

PS When writing on paper I use a McDonalds salt shaker full of comas and dispense with 2 shakes, hopefully this computer thing is a fad as it has me all f'd up. Please feel free to help me with my grammer and spelling as it obviously changes the context of my message drastically.

[Kid Cid]

Adding Portis to his lineup was not a problem, adding him after kickoff is. Especially using his commisioner privileges to do so. Your commish is a liar. Get a new commish or get a new league.

[Thews40]

The time stamp tells the tale. Confront him and have him explain it... get the other members in the league to chime in. I'd be pissed .

[detlef]

Sounds pretty messed up.

[yo mama]

I'd make a bid deal out of it, especially if he wins because of the move. Does the commish already have everyone's money? If not, you've got some leverage.

 

Even if he looses, or the move doesn't make a difference, I'd still quit the league at the end of the year and start up a new league without him.

 

One more thing - not that I'm defending your commish - but if you use MFL as your platform he *could* have been logged in as commish and not realized it. (Happens to me all the time). But if you confront him (and the league) with the transaction log that should be all you need to get him to reverse switch. I guess my point is that he may not have intentionally cheated, but he certainly lied. Either way, copy and paste that transaction log in an email to the commish. If that doesn't get him to switch things back before tonights game, then take it up with the league as a whole.

[PaulOttCarruth]

First thing I'd do is take a screen capture of the transaction log. On CBS, the commish has the power to delete transactions.

[xMRogers]

Now, sounds fishy, but if I have this straight:

 

He had a lineup with Portis in it as of Sunday at 1pm (or whenever he initially set it). At 8pm, he submitted a lineup change putting in Chester Taylor, but at 8:23 reversed that back to Portis using commissioner priveliges.

 

Looking at the play by play, (assuming this is all EST time btw), Portis hadn't done anything in the first 8 minutes of the game (8:15 to 8:23) - maybe 5 yards on two plays, maybe nothing at all.

 

So the one thing I wonder is was he just correcting some sort of strange error? Didn't really give himself an 'advantage' in that 23 minutes that was obvious (ie, if Portis had ran a 60 yarder at the beginning of the game).

 

Think a conversation is definitely in order about it though - just pointing out this isn't as cut and dried as if at 11pm he made the switch back.

 

Most likely, it is a big problem, but worthy of a conversation.

[rocknrobn26]

I'd make a bid deal out of it, especially if he wins because of the move. Does the commish already have everyone's money? If not, you've got some leverage.

 

Even if he looses, or the move doesn't make a difference, I'd still quit the league at the end of the year and start up a new league without him.

 

One more thing - not that I'm defending your commish - but if you use MFL as your platform he *could* have been logged in as commish and not realized it. (Happens to me all the time). But if you confront him (and the league) with the transaction log that should be all you need to get him to reverse switch. I guess my point is that he may not have intentionally cheated, but he certainly lied. Either way, copy and paste that transaction log in an email to the commish. If that doesn't get him to switch things back before tonights game, then take it up with the league as a whole.

 

Good point, but the screen is different, that is, when logged in as commish and you go to submit lineups, instead only your team's list showing, as commish it shows a pull down of all teams. If CBS is similar, that would be a major flag. I hate calling anyone a liar or cheat, but this situation smells bad. Give him the benefit of the doubt and if he continues to CHA, nail him and walk next year!

And make sure you get a screen capture ASAP!

[detlef]

Now, sounds fishy, but if I have this straight:

 

He had a lineup with Portis in it as of Sunday at 1pm (or whenever he initially set it). At 8pm, he submitted a lineup change putting in Chester Taylor, but at 8:23 reversed that back to Portis using commissioner priveliges.

 

Looking at the play by play, (assuming this is all EST time btw), Portis hadn't done anything in the first 8 minutes of the game (8:15 to 8:23) - maybe 5 yards on two plays, maybe nothing at all.

 

So the one thing I wonder is was he just correcting some sort of strange error? Didn't really give himself an 'advantage' in that 23 minutes that was obvious (ie, if Portis had ran a 60 yarder at the beginning of the game).

 

Think a conversation is definitely in order about it though - just pointing out this isn't as cut and dried as if at 11pm he made the switch back.

 

Most likely, it is a big problem, but worthy of a conversation.

Certainly all true. Of course, his initial response was not good. Had it gone down as you say, we would have likely had some story besides, "I don't know what you guys are talking about". Besides, just because Portis hadn't done much, he was still taking advantage of something nobody else can. How many times have you wished you could change something just minutes after kick-off but just sucked it up because it was out of your hands.

[Qball86]

I'd make a bid deal out of it, especially if he wins because of the move. Does the commish already have everyone's money? If not, you've got some leverage.

 

Even if he looses, or the move doesn't make a difference, I'd still quit the league at the end of the year and start up a new league without him.

 

One more thing - not that I'm defending your commish - but if you use MFL as your platform he *could* have been logged in as commish and not realized it. (Happens to me all the time). But if you confront him (and the league) with the transaction log that should be all you need to get him to reverse switch. I guess my point is that he may not have intentionally cheated, but he certainly lied. Either way, copy and paste that transaction log in an email to the commish. If that doesn't get him to switch things back before tonights game, then take it up with the league as a whole.

 

We don't need leverage, we're al "friends"...we all know where we live...

 

Your last paragraph is actually kind of what I'm looking for, any way to explain the error. I don't know what MFL is, we use CBS as our league site and I don't think its possible to be working as commish and as a team at the same time accidentally. From what I understand all his access points are the same as ours(teams) unless he needs to manually correct something. Any normal transactions that other teams in the league can't do based on time or action, the commish goes in as league commish and makes the changes, these always post in red. Hope thats clear.

 

Lastly, you seem to want to give him a chance to switch back to his original line-up without penalty. Suppose he says ok I'll switch back to how I had it before. Then suppose he wins and goes to our SB. Shouldn't his attempt to deceive be enough to DQ his arse?

[yo mama]

1. Your last paragraph is actually kind of what I'm looking for, any way to explain the error.

 

2. Lastly, you seem to want to give him a chance to switch back to his original line-up without penalty. Suppose he says ok I'll switch back to how I had it before. Then suppose he wins and goes to our SB. Shouldn't his attempt to deceive be enough to DQ his arse?

1. I'm not even sure I'd want his explanation. But giving him an out in a manner that saves some face may be a more productive approach to getting the issue resolved properly.

 

2. Good point. I hadn't even thought about just disqualifying him. Personally, I'd only drop that kind of A-bomb on someone who I *knew* cheated. If you aren't sure, then the right thing to do is limit him to the line up he had in place at the time of kick off. For better or for worse, that's the line up he was entitled to.

Edited December 17, 2007 by yo mama

[detlef]

We don't need leverage, we're al "friends"...we all know where we live...

 

Your last paragraph is actually kind of what I'm looking for, any way to explain the error. I don't know what MFL is, we use CBS as our league site and I don't think its possible to be working as commish and as a team at the same time accidentally. From what I understand all his access points are the same as ours(teams) unless he needs to manually correct something. Any normal transactions that other teams in the league can't do based on time or action, the commish goes in as league commish and makes the changes, these always post in red. Hope thats clear.

 

Lastly, you seem to want to give him a chance to switch back to his original line-up without penalty. Suppose he says ok I'll switch back to how I had it before. Then suppose he wins and goes to our SB. Shouldn't his attempt to deceive be enough to DQ his arse?

I would say either he explains why he should have Portis going to your satisfaction or he gets DQ'd. If at the end of this you feel he cheated, the punishment shouldn't simply be that he has to start the other guy.

 

This is pretty much why our commish is just a glorified secretary. It's a thankless job that rotates from guy to guy in our league. It is certainly not an invitation to do what the hell you want. As xm says, it's not like he knew that Portis was going off. However, unless he mistakenly made the switch because he was in the wrong mode and thus didn't realize the game had started, there's not a whole lot of defense.

[Qball86]

I would say either he explains why he should have Portis going to your satisfaction or he gets DQ'd. If at the end of this you feel he cheated, the punishment shouldn't simply be that he has to start the other guy.

This is pretty much why our commish is just a glorified secretary. It's a thankless job that rotates from guy to guy in our league. It is certainly not an invitation to do what the hell you want. As xm says, it's not like he knew that Portis was going off. However, unless he mistakenly made the switch because he was in the wrong mode and thus didn't realize the game had started, there's not a whole lot of defense.

 

The owner who is his opponent put a poll on the site explaining pretty much what gave you all, that his lineup changed after an allowable time for changes to occur. His choices were A) Commish caught dq his team or B )Reset team to original lineup. In a 10 team league it's 8-0 in favor of A and the owner who posted the poll didn't vote, nor the commish. Fastest poll in our history and probably the only one everyone, that needs to, voted.

 

I'll re-post what happens next but please keep offering advice.

[Thews40]

The owner who is his opponent put a poll on the site explaining pretty much what gave you all, that his lineup changed after an allowable time for changes to occur. His choices were A) Commish caught dq his team or B )Reset team to original lineup. In a 10 team league it's 8-0 in favor of A and the owner who posted the poll didn't vote, nor the commish. Fastest poll in our history and probably the only one everyone, that needs to, voted.

 

I'll re-post what happens next but please keep offering advice.

Just make sure it wasn't an innocent mistake. It would suck if you lost a friend because of a misunderstanding.

[Savage Beatings]

If indeed you guys are all friends, then I don't think that this means you have to lose your friend or leave the league, etc.

 

He should definitely be DQ'd for what he did, but if he has the balls to just man up and say, "You know what, I succombed to a moment of weakness there... I'm sincerely sorry, and I accept whatever punishment the league dishes out." Then I think you guys can probably get through this by just DQ'ing him and having someone else take over the Commish duties going forward.

[alexgaddis]

my theory is that he saw it was very windy at Giants stadium and figured there would be alot of running plays...I would demand a good explaination...

[Uncle Wiggy]

I think the Commmish should forfeit the game. And obviously someone else should run the league next year.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I had a similar incident yesterday. I was checking not only my score but the score of the other semifinal all day yesterday. The commissioner happens to be the #1 seed (and a cocky MFer that I'm dying to beat in the finals) - he had Cotchery in his lineup everytime I checked. At 6:45, he was losing 88-85 - he had Cooley left, his opponent had the Minn Def left. When I checked at 8PM, the score was now 88-80, but he had Cooley AND Santana Moss in his lineup. I sent him an email asking for an explanantion but haven't received a reply yet. Now I've never done a Yahoo league. I first logged in at 11AM. Is it possible that the his lineup didn't update for me because I was logged in before gametime? I would think that as I was bouncing around the site, checking all of the matchups, that it would've updated.

[detlef]

I think the Commmish should forfeit the game. And obviously someone else should run the league next year.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I had a similar incident yesterday. I was checking not only my score but the score of the other semifinal all day yesterday. The commissioner happens to be the #1 seed (and a cocky MFer that I'm dying to beat in the finals) - he had Cotchery in his lineup everytime I checked. At 6:45, he was losing 88-85 - he had Cooley left, his opponent had the Minn Def left. When I checked at 8PM, the score was now 88-80, but he had Cooley AND Santana Moss in his lineup. I sent him an email asking for an explanantion but haven't received a reply yet. Now I've never done a Yahoo league. I first logged in at 11AM. Is it possible that the his lineup didn't update for me because I was logged in before gametime? I would think that as I was bouncing around the site, checking all of the matchups, that it would've updated.

I am unfortunately in a Yahoo league and the matchups do update. The only way it wouldn't, I'd imagine is if you hit your back button to get to it.

[Bronco Billy]

You are all friends & live close to each other, he went in and changed his lineup after the game started, and then he lied about making any changes at all?

 

He needs to be DQed & removed from the league permanently, especially if you all are going to remain friends, and if I were you I'd be checking my wife for his pecker tracks...

[Uncle Wiggy]

I am unfortunately in a Yahoo league and the matchups do update. The only way it wouldn't, I'd imagine is if you hit your back button to get to it.

 

Thanks for the info - I didn't use the back button. I kept clicking on View Matchup. Looks like I caught the commish red-handed.

[ironicpirate]

A CBS commish doesn't login separately as the commissioner and then for his own team (at least I don't). Just by having the commissioner privileges my screens look a little different than a "regular" league member (I have a few more buttons I can push). Here's the thing before it gets ugly. Has anyone in your league ever been the commissioner other than the current guy? If so, sometimes CBS doesn't remove the commissioner powers from previous years. In that case, someone else could have made the move and there is no way (that I'm aware of) to prove who made the move - it's just a "commissioner" transaction.

[Qball86]

Just make sure it wasn't an innocent mistake. It would suck if you lost a friend because of a misunderstanding.

This is why I pose the question here before I react within the confides of our league. I want to hear possible "what if" scenarios to better understand what may have happened.

 

You are all friends & live close to each other, he went in and changed his lineup after the game started, and then he lied about making any changes at all?

 

He needs to be DQed & removed from the league permanently, especially if you all are going to remain friends, and if I were you I'd be checking my wife for his pecker tracks...

 

I may make comments about a posting member of the huddle, although more thier football oinions than them personally, but never his/her family. Now you're saying the commish cheated, bet your wife cheats on you too. Scram.

 

A CBS commish doesn't login separately as the commissioner and then for his own team (at least I don't). Just by having the commissioner privileges my screens look a little different than a "regular" league member (I have a few more buttons I can push). Here's the thing before it gets ugly. Has anyone in your league ever been the commissioner other than the current guy? If so, sometimes CBS doesn't remove the commissioner powers from previous years. In that case, someone else could have made the move and there is no way (that I'm aware of) to prove who made the move - it's just a "commissioner" transaction.

 

No, hes been the only commish for quite a few years now. I thought commissioner privilege was only given or taken away from within the site by someone who already has it. What would CBS have to do with it?

 

Coincedentally, he is now saying "Portis has been in my lineup since week 6, why would I all the sudden bench him for CT in the first place? Someone must have gotten logged in under my name and f'd with me." He goes on to add the league rules don't allow add/drops within 5 minutes of a players start time so the transaction is invalid and he's putting Portis back in his line-up. Thats his "resolution" to the problem.

[KOKIDKOKID]

This is why I pose the question here before I react within the confides of our league. I want to hear possible "what if" scenarios to better understand what may have happened.

I may make comments about a posting member of the huddle, although more thier football oinions than them personally, but never his/her family. Now you're saying the commish cheated, bet your wife cheats on you too. Scram.

No, hes been the only commish for quite a few years now. I thought commissioner privilege was only given or taken away from within the site by someone who already has it. What would CBS have to do with it?

 

Coincedentally, he is now saying "Portis has been in my lineup since week 6, why would I all the sudden bench him for CT in the first place? Someone must have gotten logged in under my name and f'd with me." He goes on to add the league rules don't allow add/drops within 5 minutes of a players start time so the transaction is invalid and he's putting Portis back in his line-up. Thats his "resolution" to the problem.

Wow. Sounds fishy to me. I am a commish and I know my conscious would bother me to no end.....ESPECIALLY if my entire league voted against me in a league wide poll. Short of the commish proving that someone did indeed log onto his account and messed him over - I say he's caught with his hand in the fantasy football cookie jar. If he doesn't man up...given the league wide vote - I'd start a new poll asking the other 9 owners if they'd like to start a new league without the questionable commish.

 

KO'd

[joeyb7]

I use CBS, and the transaction report doesn't lie....in fact, I don't think even with the commish's priveleges that there is any way to tamper with the way the site lists transactions. In my experience, even "fixes" have to show the add and drop if you dropped someone by mistake, etc.

 

I'd just post a copy of the screenprint in an e-mail to everyone in the league, expecially if it results in him winning.

 

There should be absolutely no transactions after kickoff unless it is due to another owner e-mailing the commish if he has no access to a computer asking to change his lineup - this is the only fair after kickoff transaction in my opinion. He'll probably say he was off-site and needed to change it, etc.....but if he does counter with this move, tell him he should have had another owner do it for him....

 

Best of luck. I've seen some of these move over the years.

[ironicpirate]

This is why I pose the question here before I react within the confides of our league. I want to hear possible "what if" scenarios to better understand what may have happened.

I may make comments about a posting member of the huddle, although more thier football oinions than them personally, but never his/her family. Now you're saying the commish cheated, bet your wife cheats on you too. Scram.

No, hes been the only commish for quite a few years now. / I thought commissioner privilege was only given or taken away from within the site by someone who already has it. What would CBS have to do with it?

 

Coincedentally, he is now saying "Portis has been in my lineup since week 6, why would I all the sudden bench him for CT in the first place? Someone must have gotten logged in under my name and f'd with me." He goes on to add the league rules don't allow add/drops within 5 minutes of a players start time so the transaction is invalid and he's putting Portis back in his line-up. Thats his "resolution" to the problem.

 

Let me clarify, if someone had commissioner powers, CBS doesn't reset from year to year so that only the new commissioner has this access. You have to go in and manually do that...Or as you said the commissioner can grant the access to someone. When I took over our league - there were a ton of other people with access, and a couple teams had multiple owners. So in our league we could have had up to eight people do something like what you described. But that's all out the window if he's the only one with access - he's the only one who could have made the move after the game started.

 

Does he have any idea who this mystery person is, who apparently gets some kind of thrill from secretly removing Clinton Portis from his FF line-up? That's a real specific fetish! As for the "we don't allow moves within five minutes" line of logic...this boy has a future in politics, because that's about as ridiculous an argument as I've ever heard. We don't allow stealing - since you caught me, I'll just put the money back and we'll call the whole thing even.

Edited December 17, 2007 by ironicpirate