How to Enhance Your Live Fantasy Draft!

[Upside Down Drafting Guru]

Have a League Constitution

 

 

When the forefathers wrote the United States Constitution, they anticipated power problems and other possible issues. A league Constitution is a must for your family league, your big-boy league, and (especially your professional league...if you enter one.) It’s a safety net to reference the rules that govern the league starting with preseason and standing tall for the regular season for consistency.

This Constitution should be a long paragraph (or two or three) carefully explaining the rules specific to your league, along with the code of conduct, and the cell phone numbers for all owners as well as e-mail addresses; (for all to have a clean copy of.) Moreover, the Constitution should provide structure and balance, and when in doubt, referencing this trusty document, it will be your lead-pipe lock—your King Solomon to solve any fantasy problem that should arise. We Commissioners in Fantasy-Land are usually the organized brains of the litter—that’s just the way we’re wired. If you’re not the league Commish, you should respect his idea of getting a League Constitution installed, and commend his efforts when at all possible.

 

 

 

 

Set up a Rules Committee

 

I've been playing FF for over 15 years. We’ve had our share of controversy in my league for years now, but it wasn’t until the owners had enough of it, mostly arguing (controversy), that we created a Rules Committee. These elected delegates—usually are three veteran owners each year who review all trades, transactions that involve dropping a stud player to the waiver wire, and any other controversial issues that may arise. Our Rules Committee must come to a two-thirds majority before its ruling is given to the Commish. In our league, I—being the Commish—have final say (meaning I can overturn any ruling if need be), but the beauty of our system is that I rarely have to overrule a decision because our Rules Committee almost always gets it right.

 

League Housekeeping

 

The hardest task of a league leader (as you fellow commissioners already know) is collecting the upfront league entry dues necessary to purchase a team in almost any Fantasy League. If you’re reading this particular Fantasy Book, I’m assuming you’re a serious owner and play for more than pride—or cold hard cash, specifically. If you play for the fun of it—not that there’s anything wrong with it! —you can skip this section if you like, and good for you, because leagues with no cash at stake can be awesome too. I’m for anyone who enjoys following football just for the love of it. What always fascinates—and terminally irritates me—is the guy who wins the league for the first time, and despite never having paid his entry dues on time—then immediately proceeds to ask me (yours truly, the Commish) to pay him ASAP, or at least wonders why it’s taking me so long to fork over his winnings.

 

In a word—G-R-R-R!

 

 

 

 

 

I’m sure you’re grinning about now because this situation occurs in so many leagues, and if you’re a fellow Commish, I feel your pain. After years of playing, here’s how our league handles all financial matters.

 

We set the boundaries in the preseason using a strategy that you probably use effectively with your kids. If everyone knows the guard-rails, aka, rules, you can enforce them, and reprimand offenders because all the must-do’s are laid out on the table well in advance.

 

When there are no rules in place, and nothing has even been agreed upon verbally—bickering and antagonism are sure to follow. Back to the kids analogy; I don’t blame them when there are no rules in place (the adults haven’t done their jobs); only when the kids know the rules, thanks to proactive parents, and then choose to break them, the little darlings are, as the lawyers say, culpable, and a punishment is in order.

 

 

 

 

 

Our cutoff period, or drop-dead date, to own a FF team in our league is before the last preseason NFL game in August. This deadline serves two purposes. First, the league dues are collected well in advance of opening day kickoff, AND I won’t have to be a bad Santa and need to track down deadbeat owners during the holiday season for entry fees, which they will often claim is cash difficult to come up with when it has been already set aside for gifts and holiday things/priorities (wife and kids)—or secretly for trips to the local casino to “raise” money in order to pay for these presents. Essentially, if you foot the bill, you’re not only purchasing a team in the league, you being the de facto owner and CEO of the team; you have the right to manage it as you see fit—which includes selling it to someone with the cash and desire to play Fantasy Football. And believe me, you won’t have trouble finding a willing coach—usually more than one.

 

Sadly, some people don’t agree with this reality, probably because they’re whole life is a fantasy. What’s worse, if you let these moochers slide, they often sit on their wallets for the entire season—thinking—not only that you forgot their entry fee, but that you will pay them off (lighting quick) should they win.

 

 

By Jonathan Bauman

 

Fantasy Football Writer:

 

How to Enhance Your Live Draft: Why Owners Will Show Up Win or Lose