Commissioner Decision - please weigh in

[SWIFTboy]

I made a decision as commissioner of my keeper league this week that almost tore the league apart. I feel I'm completely in the right, but figured some completely objective outside opinions might help. The deed is already done, but still appreciate any thoughts.

Main issue:
Our keeper deadline was this Saturday. Everyone had to pick 3 keepers. One GM chose Tavares, Andersen, and Marner (he's a Leafs fan). This was shocking because he could have chosen Seguin (in a league with SOG). After adjusting a few things (more on this later), I confirmed the keepers and Yahoo posted the results for everyone to see. A few hours later that GM messaged me to change his selection from Marner to Seguin. I told him the deadline passed and that it was too late, and all hell broke loose with people accusing me of things and others threatening to quit the league.

Other details:
- I posted all the rules for keeper deadlines on the main page of our league. Including a Saturday at midnight deadline, the fact that people could text me their selections and I'd input them myself, and the entire commissioner process Yahoo uses to confirm them and them make them official. I also personally messaged each GM to make sure they knew the deadline.

- One GM only has 2 keepers listed in the official keeper results. That's because he traded for Stamkos on the final day. Because I have to input that trade manually by editing rosters, he wasn't able to physically add Stamkos as a keeper before the deadline. Both GM's followed offseason trade guidelines, including posting the trade to the group chat so everyone could know it was official and on time. The GM gave me verbal confirmation he wanted Stamkos as his third keeper. I set Stamkos as his keeper in the custom draft. This seems like irrelevant information to me, but some people used this as evidence that I was being unfair, so I'm including it.

- Since I have the first two picks in this year's draft, I am also the GM who stands to benefit from not allowing a keeper change after the deadline has passed. This part really sucks. I didn't want to be Commissioner, but the exact GMs who are giving me shit about this are the ones who insisted I take the position since I take these things seriously. Either way, my integrity is being questioned. But I understand the potential conflict of interest. And I admit I will be drafting Seguin with my first pick.

- HOWEVER, I also just spent the whole summer voting in new rules for our league. Without getting into too much detail, I was the deciding vote on two issues that would have given me a HUGE advantage. I voted against my own interest, just to show I wasn't trying to benefit myself. If I voted otherwise the benefits would have been far greater than being able to draft Seguin.

- I asked the GM why he wanted to make the change. It wasn't like he clicked the wrong button by mistake, or didn't understand the process. He just straight up changed his mind (probably after people gave him shit, but I can't prove that). His main argument is 'I didn't think this would be a big deal' or 'this is a simple request' or 'this shouldn't be an issue'. He hasn't tried to explain why he should be allowed to break the rule, he just repeats that I should do it.

- People have made bigger mistakes in the past and no one got a do-over. Also, someone sent a trade to the Comissioner where they accidentally included a third round pick. The Comish accepted the trade, and no one said anything. So there is a precedent of a comissioner benefiting from a mistake.

- I didn't pick the keeper date myself, I purposely used the same date as the year before, which was chosen by the league and the previous commish.

The Outcome and my opinion:
-I've simply said no. I feel it would set a terrible precedent. At some point someone's keeper will get injured during training camp and they will want to switch. It seems like a completely cut and dry violation of the rules, and why allow it? Not to mention anyone wanting a free pass on any bad decision. Like, fantasy IS making decisions, that's all this game is! How can you undo it, especially without a good reason???

- Some people asked to put it to a vote but I also don't want to set a precedent of every violation going to a vote. Why should half the GM's get to decide that it's okay to break the rules this time? My team will be very strong this year, and I feel people are just upset that now I'll be even stronger. Why do they get to inject their bias into this? Just follow the ****ing rules! There were no votes for any other previous 'mistake'. The entire role of a commissioner is just to uphold the rules decided on by the league. What's the point of even having one otherwsie?

Thoughts!??!

[LordoftheRinks]

My thoughts - a change of mind is not a mistake. We make decisions everyday and would love a do-over, but hey, that's life deal with it. As a commish, you need to stick to your guns and be consistent. I've always valued consistency along with fair play. Once you start bending the rules you open the floodgates.

Being a commish is generally a thankless task. You've stepped up to the role because you have a vision of what you want your league to be so stick with your values. It will be best in the long run.

[mounD]

I would stick to your guns here. I think the best course of action would be to draft an official statement to the league, and explain your reasoning like you've done here in this thread. Every decision here is just by the book, enforcing the rules of the game on which the league has agreed. It's unfortunate that it appears as if you may be making a decision to benefit yourself directly, but some folks are naturally going to be suspicious and see things in that way.

This is a difficult situation for any manager, let alone the commissioner of the league who stands to benefit from enforcing the rules. Like I said, I would make a statement and engage in a conversation with your fellow GMs about why this has to play out by the book. Others have said, and are correct, that you don't want to set a precedent of "Mulligans" for these types of decisions that are built into the rules. You can't close Pandora's box, and once you open it every single decision can potentially come into question down the road. Similar rationale with calling a vote to settle the issue. Leagues have agreed upon standards precisely for this reason: you simply can't operate a complex game if every decision could potentially require a GM vote.

TL;DR just be nice about things, and explain your decision.

[MZac]

It sucks that you have the first pick. If you didn't it's probably a non issue. I think you have to decide whether you think this will potentially collapse the league. I'd have no problem sticking to the rules, seems you went over and above to give everyone a fair shot.

The reality is in a lot of these leagues there are some really weak GMs that don't pay anywhere near the attention that some of us do on this site. So this leaf fan may have had no idea how bad keeping Marner over Seguin was until his fellow GMs shamed him about it (because they are smart enough to know you will be their biggest competition this season and Seguin makes that worse). Most fantasy GMs are out for their own interest and rightfully so. I think the commissioner needs to be consistent and above all else fair. Given some of the history you presented and the length you went to advise everyone Id have no problem keeping it as is. This also sets a good standard for future seasons and how you will handle things. It's just a matter of whether you believe enough GMs will stick around for future seasons...

[GinFizz]

id let him make the switch. then choose marner.

[rataylor22]

I agree allowing the switch sets a bad precedent, and as a commissioner you always have to think of the future impact of singular decisions.

[Dennis]

Way to stick to your guns. You're being fair, consistent, and objective. That's all you can ask for in a commissioner.

[Gretzky99Orr4]

It was too long so I didn't read the entire thing but I would let him switch. Season hasn't started and you have to cut him some slack since he is a Leafs fan. Plus I like GinFizz idea to then grab Marner.

[happypg]

Hate to bring it up like this, but if it was a "for fun" league, I would let him make the change. If there is a decent amount of $$ for an entry fee, i would say sorry.. and then send out a league email explaining why changing your mind after a deadline has passed doesnt fly...

[Referee3083]

You can't allow the switch. I agree with everything you said. But to me, the bigger issue is that this one GM gains a huge advantage over the other GMs if you allow this, in that he had the ability to see what every team's keepers were, review what players would be available in the draft and then adjust his team to best take advantage of this additional information. No other team had that information before making their keeper selections. Whether or not he actually did all of what I just said is also irrelevant. The fact that he could have (and other managers could in the future) would kill the entire integrity of the keeper deadline. What's the point of a keeper deadline if someone can come along and say, whoops (I saw that everyone in the league is keeping the top RWs and none will be available to draft), changed my mind and want to keep a RW instead of a C. And how long of a period after the keeper deadline do you allow the "whoops change", hours, days, weeks?

Stick to your guns. Being a commissioner can suck (I know as I'm one for a 12 year old league), but integrity and rules have to be the top priority. Otherwise, everyone else just blames you for gaming the system, not being objective, and you have nothing to fall back on.

[SWIFTboy]

Thanks for everyone's response.

A couple details I didn't include:
- This is all among suppoedly close friends
- It's a $100 buy in with 12 GMs and is meant to be competitive.


Oh and I already made all these arguments and posted everything I did out in the open but that's basically what invited everyone to give their two cents which devolved into chaos.

[PrairieDog]

I am an experienced commissioner, and I've gone through similar situations.

If the rules are there in black and white and you are not deviating from them, then IMO that's that. People have asked you to be commissioner because they don't want/have time to oversee it themselves (I wonder why). You are doing that and getting grief for it.

If it's devolving that bad over this I would consider just resigning (although that can be tough, especially if it's an old league and you are invested in your team - but I've done it). Sometimes it's not worth it, and you don't deserve to be under suspicion because your own team is doing well.

I wouldn't allow the switch. Live & learn - when the deadline's approaching, get your ducks in a row.

[Wonko]

Being a commissioner is like babysitting. It takes time and dedication and it is thankless. You have to stick to your guns here. Follow the rules that you have made and posted. If the league folds, start a new one with the remaining owners who understand you made the right choice. This is the right choice for the future of the league.

In reality it could be more difficult than this. Friendships may even be at stake. People get pretty worked up over their fantasy teams. As a fellow commish of two fantasy hockey leagues I have seen first hand how batshit crazy some people can get. I explain things to them as politely as possible and then I give them time to cool off. If they continue to wallow and wail I usually am forced to just tell them if they don't like it they can leave the league. Some owner have left. Others have come around.

Good luck, these situations are never easy.

[Gretzky99Orr4]

yeah that $100 and the close friends business definitely makes a difference.

[als_revenge]

Thanks for everyone's response.

A couple details I didn't include:
- This is all among suppoedly close friends
- It's a $100 buy in with 12 GMs and is meant to be competitive.


Oh and I already made all these arguments and posted everything I did out in the open but that's basically what invited everyone to give their two cents which devolved into chaos.

In a pay league, I wouldn't allow do overs. What's next, somebody wants a do over on the original draft? LOL

Just post a link on your league forum to these posts.

The only leg this guy has to stand on is if he changed his mind BEFORE the deadline passed...