Is my league corrupt?

[The Hefty Shaman]

A couple of managers (let's call them Tim and Sid) got together to change the rules. They are friends with the commissioner, so the commissioner sent out the rule changes to everyone. Someone in our league objected, and was completely roasted by Tim. Almost everyone in the league is like me and stays out of it, and goes with the majority, but when the other owner objected and asked questions, he was publicly insulted. Tim also said that he Sid and the commissioner should be thanked for caring about the league so much that they always sacrifice their time to tweak the rules. These things really concern me. All owners will be meeting in the future to discuss rule changes, and I am afraid to voice my objections. Also, I am wondering if a small group of people in any of your leagues control the rules.

[PrairieDog]

Rule changes like that should be put to the whole league for discussion and then voted on. I've run many leagues and that'sa always the way it is done.

What you described is ridiculous and I would have left the league immediately myself.

[Eskimo Brother]

Tough to say without more information. What were the rule changes, when do they take effect, who stands to benefit, is there money involved, etc.

It doesn't sound like something conducive to a well-run league though. Generally I think all rule-changes should be put to a league-wide majority vote.

[Pengwin7]

First off - Welcome to the Forums!

Second - sorry that this is your first post. I've been doing fantasy hockey for over 30 years... I've been in every type of league imagineable and can say I've seen commissioners change rules "on the fly" before.
I've actually seen some key rule changes made immediately that needed to be done... and I've seen some rule changes that seemed to be advantageous to particular teams.
As an example, a common one I dislike is when the league has 12 teams, say, and there is 1 team leaving or 1 new GM joining... it can get difficult to decide how to do "partial keepers" in those sorts of leagues.

Generally - as rules go, I promote the following:

1. Treat rules as "guidelines to fair play". I like to write this generically into rules so that people don't go "Oh, well the rules didn't say I couldn't... so I did...".
Grown men... doing fantasy hockey... people know when something is fair and when it is not... or... at least... they should.

2. For major rule changes, they should be implemented at one FULL year out. Generally, I like to open up rule discussion in between seasons: May, June, July - around there.
And THOSE rule changes are not implemented for the coming season, they are typically for a full season away.
So, rule discussions this summer (2019) would be implemented for the 2020-2021 season.
Teams have to be given time to adjust their teams.
A bad commissioner would say "Oh - we are adding two teams, so we are decreasing keeper goalies from 2 to 1, for all teams, this summer".
Then one team with Vasilevskiy(TB) and Rask(BOS) now has this previously valuable goalie (Rask) that maybe has limited or no value any longer.

3. WHAT... is the specific rule change at hand?
That might be a good topic to get into.
I mean, if you tell us that Tim/Sid/Comish decided to immediately create a rule that kept teams from dropping good players during H2H playoffs... (my speculation)... see, that's one rule that leagues often miss... and is a good rule.
Some rebuilding teams drop their veterans - who MIGHT be solid players right now for teams still in H2H.
Then, maybe some really solid player is dropped - Dougie Hamilton, say - who can really help one playoff team with the #1 waiver.
And maybe GM1 is friends with GM2, and GM2 has the #1 overall waiver claim. That's a "gifting" of one player from another during playoffs to strengthen one team.
That IS/CAN BE the time-and-place for an immediate rule change.
Commissioner might say "OK, Hamilton is a very good player just dropped... we aren't going to let the guy with the #1 waiver claim reap the reward of this guy".
But then, maybe the guy with the #1 waiver claim WAS saving it for a good player in the playoffs - knowing, from past seasons - that somebody good would be dropped to help him.


Rules are hard things... like laws... they really require more information.
Commissioners are like lawyers & judges.
There are good ones and bad ones... some that truly care about well-being of league and some that are self-serving and will manipulate rules and GMs they invite to be a winner.
I've seen it all...

But welcome to the forums - hope we can help!
Sorry about being in a tough position.

[fantasyhockeygeek]

I actually think that leagues are run best without majority vote rule changes... in my book it should either be unanimous vote or commissioner discretion. I've seen both work well.

In any case, rule changes should be made at least a year in advance of their implementation so teams have a chance to manage their teams accordingly, with the caveat that you'd have to consider the implications in your particular league setup.

[PenguinHunter]

League rules should not be implemented mid season unless 100% of the league is in favour of it. This is usually something that arises that makes sense to everyone and was unforseen to how the league would work with the website or to adjust to some rule change that is imposed in real-life NHL.

Any other changes should occur in the offseason, and I would always suggest a 1 year waiting period (if it is a keeper or dynasty league) . for example if you decide this summer to change a rule, then the imposed change should not occur until the 2020-21 season.

[The Hefty Shaman]

The owner who did not like the change asked questions about the reason for the rule change. He was basically called an idiot in public, and told to not to bitch. The commissioner was silent. I have a good relationship with everyone in the league, but I am concerned about the same thing happening to me if I have questions.

[Axeman33]

If people in your league call you an idiot because you are questioning rule changes then this is not a league you want to be associated with.

Welcome to the forums.

[The Hefty Shaman]

If people in your league call you an idiot because you are questioning rule changes then this is not a league you want to be associated with.

Welcome to the forums.

Thanks, man. That is my concern. It has already happened to another. Don't know what to do.

[finnys_fanatsy]

Thanks, man. That is my concern. It has already happened to another. Don't know what to do.

speak your mind, if you get called out, restate your mind and hold your ground or leave em right there.

be nice to know what the change was

[Eskimo Brother]

Thanks, man. That is my concern. It has already happened to another. Don't know what to do.

Is there money involved? Is it a league with friends in real life? If it's no to both, probably best to leave ASAP with that kind of atmosphere. Fantasy hockey should be fun. If it's not fun for you, what's the point?

[StuntMan12]

The best leagues I am in, we vote on rule changes in the off-season and leave the rules as is during the regular season. If the league seems very toxic to you, it might be best to find another one.

[horrorfan]

Thanks, man. That is my concern. It has already happened to another. Don't know what to do.

A good commissioner ensures the smooth running of the league and involves everyone in key decisions. If the commissioner (or his friends) discourages constructive feedback, then it's more of a dictatorship.

Don't waste your time in such leagues.

(coming from someone with commissioner experience)

[McDeichel]

In every conflict there is your side, the other guys side, then there is the truth.

What is the rule change? What sparked the rule change? I doubt the rule change was unprovoked. Cause we all know fantasy managers are all trustworthy and that no one in your league ever tries to bend the rules.

No one needs to be called an idiot, it’s a person’s right in a league to voice their opinion. On the flip side, don’t be a lush. I’m sure being called an idiot isn’t the worst thing any of us has been called in our lives. I assume you were never a hockey player if you can’t handle being called an idiot. I’m sure everyone here has been called worse on the ice, I know I have.

Don’t let the commissioner call you names and don’t back down. If you believe he is wrong then stand your ground and fight for what is right.

[The Hefty Shaman]

In every conflict there is your side, the other guys side, then there is the truth.

What is the rule change? What sparked the rule change? I doubt the rule change was unprovoked. Cause we all know fantasy managers are all trustworthy and that no one in your league ever tries to bend the rules.

No one needs to be called an idiot, it’s a person’s right in a league to voice their opinion. On the flip side, don’t be a lush. I’m sure being called an idiot isn’t the worst thing any of us has been called in our lives. I assume you were never a hockey player if you can’t handle being called an idiot. I’m sure everyone here has been called worse on the ice, I know I have.

Don’t let the commissioner call you names and don’t back down. If you believe he is wrong then stand your ground and fight for what is right.

I think you missed the point. No one called me anything, and I am not advocating for anyone. I am trying to objectively convey what happened, and to describe its effect on me and on others in the league. Everyone is afraid of upsetting these few people who have taken it upon themselves to determine all of the rules.