Free Ride Commissioning

[FantasyFreak]

So I was reading a few "Help Wanted" notices, and a few dust ups occurred. Rather than join in the thread, and creating a "witch hunt," I decided a more diplomatic approach should be taken for myself, as I DO have opinions on the issue, but did not want to get into a downward spiral type of thread. I do however, after much thought, think the conversation needs to be brought out to the community in a more general sense. That question/conversation goes as follows:

How do we feel about Commissioners that remove their fees, and essentially play for free within the league itself, justifying it by the claim that it take a lot of time and energy to commission a good league? This is a topic that has recently come up, and while I have a very strong opinion on the matter, I would like to hear what the community thinks as a whole, before I chime in with mine (which will be unaltered based on popular opinion)

[skip]

Right up front, I'll state that I don't play in pay leagues. Some seem to think they are more competitive but I've never had that experience when I played in them. I've found that involving money invites problems that don't exist in free leagues.

Back in the days of USAToday, I wouldn't have had an issue if part (or all if the league was cheap enough) of the commissioner's entry fees were paid. At that time there was a lot more work involved. Now there just isn't in the majority of leagues. I am sure there is probably more to do in leagues with salary caps, contacts, etc. where they involve a lot of manual work. But generally speaking aside from the few minutes it takes to move an MFL league from one season to the next, the time spent is minimal. I don't see a need for a commissioner to play for free.

[Cult of Dionysus]

Think it's a joke of the commish plays. If a league just hires a guy, that's a different situation.

Haven't been in the Help Wanted for a few weeks, but there was a guy who was doing multiple $100 plus leagues on a free ride basis. That's just ridiculous. A commish already has a small advantage over everyone else as he knows the rules better than anyone else.

But if there's idiots out there who wanted to hand out money, go ahead.

Btw, just want to give a shout out to Teprovich, who has been commishing both the Hall of Famers League and DLF Premium League for free and without a team in either league!

[thebeast]

I am a commissioner in two leagues for a while now. They both have decent entry fees, I pay full fee for both. Playing for free is ridiculous.

[M-Dub]

Right up front, I'll state that I don't play in pay leagues. Some seem to think they are more competitive but I've never had that experience when I played in them. I've found that involving money invites problems that don't exist in free leagues.

Back in the days of USAToday, I wouldn't have had an issue if part (or all if the league was cheap enough) of the commissioner's entry fees were paid. At that time there was a lot more work involved. Now there just isn't in the majority of leagues. I am sure there is probably more to do in leagues with salary caps, contacts, etc. where they involve a lot of manual work. But generally speaking aside from the few minutes it takes to move an MFL league from one season to the next, the time spent is minimal. I don't see a need for a commissioner to play for free.

Skip nailed it. Free or reduced dues for the commish are a relic from the olden days of the mid ‘90s, when you had people leaving their starting lineups on your answering machine and you tallied up scores by hand using Monday’s newspaper. There’s no reason a commish shouldn’t pay full dues in the internet age. Sure, it’s still more work than just being an owner, and some of the “under the hood” stuff on MFL can be tedious, but I think most commissioners are in that role because they genuinely enjoy it.

[UnsafeAtAnySpd]

Yeah, dues should be paid by the commish. That said, if the commish goes above and beyond and comes out of pocket for things like trophies, etc., it'd be good to kick them a bit of cash to help out.

[myndflyte]

Agree that the commish should pay. I can understand keeping a few bucks from each team to pay for MFL but even in my league I take that money and make a free, winner take all, best ball league when MFL gives out free leagues half way through the season.

[Kramer]

I'm a commissioner in a league and I help out in another. I would never think of playing for free, not would I want to. I would also never want to play in a league where the commisioner was playing for free. Every commish knows the time commitment involved. If it's too much for them, don't do it, or ask for help. Delegating work isn't hard either. Saying you should play for free because of all the work you have to do at keeping the league running is very deceptive and exploitative. I would highly recommend people avoid such leagues.

[collbey]

I agree there is no place for playing for free or taking a cut with the league software that there is now. I co-commish one league which still has a lot of manual intervention because the waivers are complicated as it is a salary contract league with penalties on cuts and how much cap room cuts free up and the contingencies that go those but even then would never consider not paying or taking a fee. But it is a league amongst friends.

Many of the postings in the Help Wanted area are from people who are taking a business approach to commissioning leagues and are doing numerous leagues. They are out to make a profit. I appreciate those who are upfront that playing for free or a fee as quite a few hide the fact that they are taking a cut (always check out how the $$ out match the $$ coming in!). I am sure the leagues are well run and good for them as they seem to do a pretty good job of filling them up, just isn't for me.

[BigBawseRoss]

i would never play in a league where a commish didnt pay, i think its total BS. its fun, and honestly you gotta be a sucker to think that your commish should play for free based on his efforts. you dont commish a league because you think of it as a hassle or hard work, you do it to ensure the league is run properly and because you have more of an action taker mentality (someone has to step up and organize things so all 12 people can have fun) and usually are just leader types. i wouldnt want a league where i knew from day one the commish was not risking anything but had the same chance as me to win money

[moishetreats]

Piling on. Back in the hand-scoring days, I would actually pay half the dues. Now, I pay full dues. In one league, the Commish doesn't pay his small share of the MFL fees.

Bottom line: Any Commish worth his or her salt puts in faaaaaar more time and effort than the cost of the league dues anyway. It's always a labor of love and the spirit of volunteerism to help the league be the best that it could be. I appreciate the tokenism of a Commish not paying, but the "value" is negligible. I appreciate far more thanks that are well-earned at the end of the season than saving the few bucks on league fees or even the bigger bucks on the buy-in.

[BelichekYourSelf]

In one of my leagues its a $100 buy in and the commissioner doesn't pay. However, he throws a draft party at his place every year with unlimited beer and pizza so I think the everyone else comes out ahead.

[FantasyFreak]

In one of my leagues its a $100 buy in and the commissioner doesn't pay. However, he throws a draft party at his place every year with unlimited beer and pizza so I think the everyone else comes out ahead.

So this is a hometown league?

[chopping mall]

I personally don't care. Or I guess I don't care if there are leagues like this, I myself would never play in a league like this, but that's me. If others are fine with it and have no issues with it, well who am I to try and tell others what to do?

Basically I'm a never veto when it comes to how people set up their own leagues, if you're cool I'm cool I aint trying to tell anyone else what they should do or how to play fantasy.

[BelichekYourSelf]

In one of my leagues its a $100 buy in and the commissioner doesn't pay. However, he throws a draft party at his place every year with unlimited beer and pizza so I think the everyone else comes out ahead.

So this is a hometown league?

Yea.. Its been going on for 15+ years at this point. I'm the only one that doesn't live in the area. But my uncle is the commissioner so I just go down and stay at his place for the draft.