League controversy!

[Guest dolphins fanatic]

We have a rule in 1 of our leagues that is designed to punish owners that aren't active and dress players who are listed on MFL as out or on a bye wek. The rule is if you dress a player on a bye week or is listed as out then you lose your points from your top point getter for the week.

 

This week we had an owner who put in his lineup early in the week and started Drew Bennett not knowing he is out. He is an active owner that has always put in his lineups.

 

With Hurricane Wilma affecting the Miami/K.C. game we had our 1st come 1st served waiver wire pickups frozen for the weekend at the start of that game. One of our commishes sent an email to the league that day stating if you need to pick up any players on the waiver wire do so before the start of that game cus the waivers will be closed till the end of the weekend at the start of the Phins/KC game. This owner didn't get the email cus he was at work and was a little miffed to find such short notice.

 

Should we stick to our league rule of losing your top point getter for starting a player listed as out?

 

Or should we give forgiveness for this week due to the confusion surrounding our waiver wires due to Hurricane Wilma?

 

It was a 7 point difference in the outcome of the game. The owner would lose his points from Clinton Portis for this mishap.

 

I would appreciate as much input as possible.

 

Thanking you in advance!

[ts]

Does not sound as if the owner is question is really all that "active" if:

 

1. He didn't know Bennett was hurt.

2. Was not aware that the KCC-MIA game was moved to Friday nite.

3. Missed a league email noting the WW window change.

 

...sux to lose a game due to the "bye player" rule that your league has, but IMO, the guy is out of luck ... he should not get the points from Portis.

[Donutrun Jellies]

Rule is rule. Play on. Harsh rule, but it's a rule.

[Outshined]

Rules aren't made to be bent. Stick with them and you will have no problems. You can't argue with something that is set in stone. You will open a can of worms if you bend the rule.

[Youre Going Down]

I hate to say it but rules are rules. If you change it for him, what about the guy that followed the rules was awarded a win to a loss? Opens up a can of worms. Bennet was questionable all week up to I believe Thursday then out for indefinite period. Are all teams lineups locked after first game kickoff or could of he added a bench player knowing Bennet would be out(had to know by Saturday he was out)?

[cliaz]

A rule is a rule, not a suggestion. It sucks about the hurricane and all but he could have made arrangement with the commish.

 

Then again, if the commish knew before hand what was happening he could have taken actions.

 

I am commish on my league and if someone is unable to get to their computer, they can call me and I will set their lineup for them.

 

But you can't bend the rule because of an act of God.

 

it sucks, it really does though.

[RussMan]

Its a dumb rule imo. If he doesnt play a guy that is going to be inactive he already gets a zero... how does taking more points away help? It just helps the other guy get a victory even easier. If I was another team I wouldnt want my competition getting an ez win becuause of some slappy.. and then the rules making it even easier for someone to win if someone makes a mistake. I think that compounds the problem.

 

You are going about it the wrong way.

 

If its a mistake then let it go. His loss should be punishment enough.. If its a real problem, then can the guy after a warning, then if necessary take over the team in the spirit of competitiveness and fair play.

[Dirty Weasel]

This is an easy one to call - at what point was Drew Bennett officially listed as out? Therein lies your answer.

[Guest THEbigred]

Rules aren't made to be bent.

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You can't be serious. With very rare if any exception, ALL rules are intended as guidelines, not hard-n-fast, make-no-exception BS.....ie, basically, yes rules ARE made to be bent. And this comes from a career military guy.

 

Having said, that I see no valid reason to make an exception...but if it really causes a lot of hassle, the answer to this question should be the same as the answer to any such league "issue:" put it to a vote.

 

PS a couple other thoughts:

 

1 - I agree that it's a stupid rule. If an owner wants to piss their money away by starting bye players, let em. Then kick em out next year. In fact we face a similar situation.

 

2 - w-t-flip does the hurricane or the waivers have to do with his lineup submission?

Edited October 24, 2005 by THEbigred

[Dirty Weasel]

You can't be serious.  With very rare if any exception, ALL rules are intended as guidelines, not hard-n-fast, make-no-exception BS.....ie, basically, yes rules ARE made to be bent.  And this comes from a career military guy.

 

Anyway, the answer to this question should be the same as the answer to any league "issue:"  put it to a vote.

 

PS:  IMO that's a stupid rule.  If an owner wants to piss their money away by starting bye players, let em.  Then kick em out next year.  In fact we face a similar situation.

 

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As an AF guy here, let me say we don't have rules. We have instructions. Instructions are guidelines. Rules are rules.

[theeohiostate]

Probably the dumbest rule i've ever seen. I understand the fact of wanting to keep active owners but late minute inactives/scratches could affect a team, also, what the hells wrong with setting your line up a few days in advance? Then getting penealized because a player is out, i understand active, but that rule may be TOO excessive

 

If i were the owner, i play by the dumb rule put in place and not join next year , This is a game and if you have to forfeit points cause you take you family to dinner then piss on that.

[Slusy]

I don't understand why you don't just call the bye-player's week a straight forfeit, but that's not for me to say.

 

Bennett's been out all week. I'm sure you have a process to putr in waiver wire requests ahead of time. That being the case, he had plenty of opportunity to claim a player to replace Bennett, and if not, then he had plenty of time to e-mail the commish before the games started on Sunday. Unless he was actually evacuating because of Wilma, I think you need to let the rule stand.

[Grits and Shins]

Was Bennett list as OUT on Wednesday or Friday?

 

It's a stupid rule and I agree with RussMan.

[Guest THEbigred]

As an AF guy here, let me say we don't have rules.  We have instructions.  Instructions are guidelines.  Rules are rules.

 

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That makes no sense. But coming from the AF, I hardly expected it to.

 

And I'm an AF guy too, so I should know

[wiegie]

I'm confused. How would freezing the waiver wire have caused this guy to still have to start a player who was out or on a bye week? Were all of his other WR's also out or on a bye?

 

If the guy had someone else he could have started and didn't then too bad for him.

 

But if he had no one else eligible that he could start then I could see how he could be annoyed that the waiver wire got shut down more than 36 hours ahead of when he thought they would be shut down.

 

What would you have done if someone was in a similar situation where they had no other eligible WRs and then all of a sudden one of the WRs he planned on starting suddenly was declared "out" on Saturday. Would that person also be screwed?

 

Also, how did the guy find out the waiver wire was closed. Did he try to add somebody to his roster to replace Bennett only to find the ww was closed?

[kcmast]

Dumb rule, but in my opinion it is the rule. Vote it out next year. So if you're gone for a weekend and I guy is listed as out at the last moment, you're hosed? Again, dumb rule. Some people have lives; bash me for that one, but it's true!

[wiegie]

In my league we have formal rules, but we also use informal rules based upon something we call "the spirit of the league". We all basically have a gentlemen's agreement that no one is going to try to screw the league by exploiting league rule loopholes and at the same time we try not to let a person get screwed by a rule loophole--which seems like is what happened in this case.

 

If the guy tried to pick up a player to replace Bennett, then in my league we would certainly give the guy the benefit of the doubt. But in my league we are friends and our friendships are not worth having people get screwed over for the amount of money involved. Your league may be different.

[Whiskey Pimp]

I am in this league so here is some more background. The team in question started Bennett when he was OUT. He had Braylon Edwards on his roster as DOUBTFUL. The email about waivers being frozen came on Friday morning. The email wasn't sent out as an on the spot decision, it was sent as a notice that since kickoff of week 7 is now Friday 6pm CST then waivers are frozen then (our rule is waivers are frozen at kickoff of the week). Looking at any sports channel Thursday and he should have known that. He then tried to make a waiver pickup on Friday night AFTER the game but instead of adding and dropping in the same move (we're on MFL) he flat out dropped Edwards. Had he just placed Edwards in the spot of Bennett none of this would be relevant. He should've looked in his inbox before logging on to drop Edwards and he would've seen that waivers were closed and he could've put Edwards in his lineup then.

[whomper]

You have to stick to the rule..I agree with the rule in principle but you should make it a monetary fine and not deduct points..That is irrelevant to your question though..It has to stick..I commish my main local..I emailed the whole league on thursday and I called every guy in the league just to make sure they did waivers before friday.

[major-tom]

I agree this is the worst rule I've ever seen. It almost begs to cause controversy and hard feelings.

[TJOLIRPH]

Bad rule, in this case put to a league vote. I mean what 2 years ago you have Dillon in your line-up go to the in-laws for dinner find out he was in a minor fender bender on the way to the game and Rudi got his first start and now you get hosed twice? Dumb rule

[Chief Dick]

Probably the dumbest rule i've ever seen.  I understand the fact of wanting to keep active owners but late minute inactives/scratches could affect a team, also, what the hells wrong with setting your line up a few days in advance? Then getting penealized because a player is out, i understand active, but that rule may be TOO excessive 

 

If i were the owner, i play by the dumb rule put in place and not join next year  , This is a game and if you have to forfeit points cause you take you family to dinner then piss on that.

 

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Agree with this.

[Ralph Furley]

Put me down as another who thinks it is a dumb rule, but really there is no controversy. Rules state what should happen.

[STL Fan]

In our league if you start a player listed as out or on a bye, you get fined an amount equal to a transaction ($5). That way the owner gets punished, but some other team doesn't get a win they don't deserve because one guy was a dumba$$.

[Whiskey Pimp]

Bad rule, in this case put to a league vote.  I mean what 2 years ago you have Dillon in your line-up go to the in-laws for dinner find out he was in a minor fender bender on the way to the game and Rudi got his first start and now you get hosed twice?  Dumb rule

 

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That's not how it is at all. If the NFL injury report has a player listed as OUT then you start someone else. If the player is a gtd or gets in an accident on the way, he would not be listed as OUT.