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Ethical Question from Commish viewpoint... (1 Viewer)

toddhead

toddhead

Footballguy
Okay, my league runs through CBSsportsline and I posted a story today about Shaun Alexander re-braking his foot and being out for the season. I simply copied the article from ESPN last year and made a few small edits to make it fit for this year. Well... shockingly, most of my league is falling for it. As the commissioner, is it my duty to inform them that it was a bogus story before we draft? I don't want everyone to pass on him and then have me pick him up with my pick at 8... not sure how that would go over with the league.

Is it my duty as the commissioner to tell them since I was the one who posted the "article"?

 
Where did you post the article? Just on a blog or something? If so then they deserve to miss out on Alexander if they believe 1 small source.

 
1) Stupid thing to do in the first place.

2) Highly unethical if you posted it as a news story on your site using commish privs.

 
agreed....try playing fantasy football with people that actually follow football. It might be slightly more rewarding.

 
On CBSsportline everyone in our league and in your league has the ability to post news stories. Almost every other day someone in our league posts stupid stories. If you click on the link to read the whole story it clearly shows who posted it. I have no special privileges because I'm the commish, I just kind of feel guilty because I have some saps in my league.

 
This is a question about ethics right? And you being the commish who is actually posting a misleading "article"? You have to tell them. They are stupid yes if they don't check the facts themselves, but really, if you posted the article, and you know there are people who are buying it, you have to tell them. Personally I think it is hillarious thet they are buying it, but you will have a huge mess if it comes out that it is a fake in the middle of or after the draft, especailly if you end up getting alexander. Creating misleading content to screw up your league draft is funny but unethical, taking advantage of the situation and then telling everyone they are stupid is asking for a fist in the face.

 
Let's see...

1) LT

2) Sjax

3) LJ

4) Gore

5) Parker

6) Addai

7) Bush

8) Maroney

9) ...

somewhere SA comes. Not to unreasonable to me that SA is available at pick 8. Now if he is falling into the second round because you misled your league shame on everyone involved...

 
I'll end up telling them soon... but in a you are a bunch of idiots kind of way. Maybe I'll make a story where LT donates his foot to Alexander.

I guess it is one guy who is really freaking out about it because he was going to take him early and he's running around telling everyone else.

 
Okay, before I get hammered a little more maybe I should explain my league. We are all friends here at work. It isn't a bunch of strangers who threw a league together. We have been playing together for about five years now with a change out of two to three teams a year because the Marines PCS. I play with a bunch of guys who know how to take a joke and wouldn't go cry to their mommies because someone pulled something over on them. I just felt a little bad about it because someone actually fell for it. Like I said, stories get posted in our league all the time, but nobody ever believes them. I posted a story about Brady getting arrested for indecent exposure last year and photoshopped his head on someone else's body who was getting dragged by police. Nobody fell for that one...

So, before you go bashing me as the Commish... you need to know the whole story.

 
honestly, you don't need to explain.

Anyone who would believe it without a 4 second google search is probably someone who should be made fun of early and often.

 
The guy who was freaking out just figured it out... he came over to me and laughed... see... he has what we call a sense of humor...

 
It is up to them to verify information they get on a message board, BUT I guess as a commissioner I just wouldnt do that. Is it worth all of the crap you would take??? You probably would need to field new owners for next season! Summary: Just dont do it.

 
CalBear said:
1) Stupid thing to do in the first place.

2) Highly unethical if you posted it as a news story on your site using commish privs.
Click to expand...
:shrug: stupid thing for league-mates to believe it in the first place..

do you play cards, Tx Hold 'Em? you bluff, right?!?! isn't THAT unethical, then?!

did you ever pick up a guy off of waivers, perhaps a michael turner type of quality backup, so that the team in your league that has the injured starter ( perhaps LT) can't get his quality backup and has to suffer thru an injury without him or his backup?! isn't THAT unethical as well?

its fantasy football...show me a league that has a rule that you can't post funny and/or misleading stories ..

if the guys in the league are dumb enough to fall for it, thats their problem..just like bluffing in poker, I'm not obligated to be honest and fold when I have a 2-3 offsuit..

 
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I just passed on Alexander at the 1.11 after reading your fabricated story.... and I'm furious at you. Thanks for ruining my season you S.O.B. :shrug:

 
A commissioner needs to hold themselves to a higher ethical standard than other players in the league. If you don't like it, let someone else be in charge.

 
It's shady especially because you play with dummies who believe it without verifying it.

Tomorrow post the exact same story but replace SA with S. Jackson, then the next day do it again with Addai instead. Eventually they will catch on to your bad joke.

 
As a commissioner you should not even go the route of posting fake stories in the first place. Your ethics should never be questioned. If you are asking if you need to let everyone know you were pulling a prank then you should not be a commissioner.

 
nygiants56 said:
CalBear said:
1) Stupid thing to do in the first place.

2) Highly unethical if you posted it as a news story on your site using commish privs.
Click to expand...
:unsure: stupid thing for league-mates to believe it in the first place..

do you play cards, Tx Hold 'Em? you bluff, right?!?! isn't THAT unethical, then?!

did you ever pick up a guy off of waivers, perhaps a michael turner type of quality backup, so that the team in your league that has the injured starter ( perhaps LT) can't get his quality backup and has to suffer thru an injury without him or his backup?! isn't THAT unethical as well?

its fantasy football...show me a league that has a rule that you can't post funny and/or misleading stories ..

if the guys in the league are dumb enough to fall for it, thats their problem..just like bluffing in poker, I'm not obligated to be honest and fold when I have a 2-3 offsuit..
Click to expand...
Comparing bluffing in poker to posting false information made to look like an ESPN new story- you got to be kidding. :lmao:

 
DawgStyle said:
I think a change of first names is in order .....From Todd to Richard.
Click to expand...
LMAO....As for the post, our league does this kind of stuff for fun too.. but it is always in a humorous fashion and blatant in its falsehood - if you read to the last sentence atleast.
 
toddhead said:
The guy who was freaking out just figured it out... he came over to me and laughed... see... he has what we call a sense of humor...
Click to expand...
Unfortunatly a lot of people on this board lack a sense of humor. I found it funny. take things way to seriously.
 
nygiants56 said:
CalBear said:
1) Stupid thing to do in the first place.

2) Highly unethical if you posted it as a news story on your site using commish privs.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes: stupid thing for league-mates to believe it in the first place..

do you play cards, Tx Hold 'Em? you bluff, right?!?! isn't THAT unethical, then?!

did you ever pick up a guy off of waivers, perhaps a michael turner type of quality backup, so that the team in your league that has the injured starter ( perhaps LT) can't get his quality backup and has to suffer thru an injury without him or his backup?! isn't THAT unethical as well?

its fantasy football...show me a league that has a rule that you can't post funny and/or misleading stories ..

if the guys in the league are dumb enough to fall for it, thats their problem..just like bluffing in poker, I'm not obligated to be honest and fold when I have a 2-3 offsuit..
Click to expand...
Bluffing in Poker, and intentionally misleading someone is different. Yes the people who just belive your story are stupid, but you are supposed to be the commish looking out for what is best for your league.Is this what is best for your leauge?? The answer to that question will tell you whether you are out of line or not.

 
Your Mom said:
Blackstar said:
Calm down, ladies. Its Fantasy Football.
Click to expand...
:shrug:
Click to expand...
Uh... when money's on the table, I have to disagree.As commish, the OP is probably being perceived as being more trustworthy than the rest of the team members.imho, this is a violation of that trust, and I would leave the league immediately.
 
Are you guys not even reading my posts? Give me a break. WE ALL POST STORIES IN OUR LEAGUE... this one people just happened to believe... If some of you were members in my league I would kick you out... you wouldn't have to leave. Give me a break... it’s fantasy football, not reality football

To clarify for those of you who can't read...

1. WE ALL POST FAKE STORIES

2. We are all friends

3. I didn't abuse any Commissioner privileges

4. If you read the story on our site it clearly states who wrote/posted it, so all they had to do was read to whole story.

5. WE ALL POST FAKE STORIES

6. The league thought it was funny that some owners fell for it

7. WE ALL POST FAKE STORIES… it’s what makes the league fun, you should try it.

Maybe your league is different and I understand that, but we have a FUN league even though there is a lot of money involved. Everyone in our league except for two nasty sailors is a current or former Marine, so maybe our skin is a little thicker than some of you guys.

 
You asked a question and got an answer. If you weren't prepared to accept the answer, why did you ask the question?

By the way: It's not funny. A story about how Shaun Alexander is going to miss the season because he was caught smuggling ferrets into California would be funny. Copying a story from last year and changing the dates is pretty much the opposite of "having a sense of humor."

 
toddhead said:
Okay, my league runs through CBSsportsline and I posted a story today about Shaun Alexander re-braking his foot and being out for the season. I simply copied the article from ESPN last year and made a few small edits to make it fit for this year. Well... shockingly, most of my league is falling for it. As the commissioner, is it my duty to inform them that it was a bogus story before we draft? I don't want everyone to pass on him and then have me pick him up with my pick at 8... not sure how that would go over with the league.Is it my duty as the commissioner to tell them since I was the one who posted the "article"?
Click to expand...
even without this story SA has been falling past 8 in most leagues.
 
nygiants56 said:
CalBear said:
1) Stupid thing to do in the first place.

2) Highly unethical if you posted it as a news story on your site using commish privs.
Click to expand...
:popcorn: stupid thing for league-mates to believe it in the first place..

do you play cards, Tx Hold 'Em? you bluff, right?!?! isn't THAT unethical, then?!

did you ever pick up a guy off of waivers, perhaps a michael turner type of quality backup, so that the team in your league that has the injured starter ( perhaps LT) can't get his quality backup and has to suffer thru an injury without him or his backup?! isn't THAT unethical as well?

its fantasy football...show me a league that has a rule that you can't post funny and/or misleading stories ..

if the guys in the league are dumb enough to fall for it, thats their problem..just like bluffing in poker, I'm not obligated to be honest and fold when I have a 2-3 offsuit..
Click to expand...
Bluffing in poker is akin to telling people you are down on a player when you intend to select that player. Both are perfectly fine.Posting a fake story is akin to miscalling your hand. Neither are appropriate.

 
This is quite possibly the dumbest thread evah. It's neither unethical, nor is it that funny. It's just dumb.

 
I love the fact people are buying it. I am the commish in my league and we talk smack and joke about each other players injury retirement etc.. I am also in a league with Firemen and if anyone complained about being fooled they would be the ### not the commish. As long as you are good with that let the story run. If it makes you feel bad post more bogus stories and they will catch on. Just because your the commish doesn't strip you from having fun at others expenses during FF. If you league is serious enough to get mad about the story then it is not serious enough to be mad about if you get my drift since anyone serious about FF would know it was a bogus story. Good Luck and why don't you post your story here so I can plagerize it for my league.

 
I can;t beleive you posters are takeing this so seriously. Obviously you havn't played SPORTSLINE. They have a neat little feature just for this. Playing pranks on others

makeing out humorous stories. SA pulled the prank himself on the MEDIA this summer and I got a kick out of it because it made half the media look like what they are.... FOOLS! You would never beleive the owners that fell for it. My June draft he fell to second round. He got traded for Caddalac in one league! Mellow out dudes. Some of us like to have a little fun at this sometimes. And I loved the fact SA himself elected to have a little fun with the media on this same subject and his value fell dramatically until two weeks later he gave the prank away. Beleive it or not I was drafting during this two week period. It didnt effect me because of my 5th position. Too early in first and 2 late in second but it effected the middle and other end big time. lol 19th player chosen in the draft. One guy got him a heck of a deal thanks to SA prank he pulled himself.

just my 2 cents worth

 
dapace2 said:
The fact that you don't know the anwer tells me you shouldn't be the commish.
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:wub: Seriously, that's a move a clown would make. Don't get me wrong, I am in a few leagues that have a clown or two, but the commish is not one of them. You should know better.Think of it this way.... Say everyone in the league falls for it and you are able to draft Alexander wherever you want. I'll use the 2nd round for example. How fun is it going to be to easily win against a bunch of knuckleheads that believed you in the first place. Also, have fun dealing with the backlash from the other 11 owners when they realize that you pulled one over on them. Do you really think that this can end well? :no:
 
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I accepted the answers everyone gave, but I don't remember asking if I was fit to be the commissioner. I'm fair, honest, and don't accept any underhanded stuff going on in our league... the fake stories are a part of our league!... it's just that nobody really ever falls for them and I guess that is why I was questioning whether or not I should let the league know. If I wasn't the commish I wouldn't have said a word because that is the nature of our league, BUT, being the commish, I felt like I should probably say something. If another owner in the league would have posted the story, I wouldn't have announced it either. Its' obvious we just have a more laid back league than some of you... probably because we are all friends. I do appreciate your opinions on the original question, but I don't appreciate the attacks on my integrity as the commish.

I keep telling myself not to even respond to this post, but I guess it's the Marine in me that doesn't like his integrity questioned.

I did a screen copy of the league story so you guys who don't have CBSSportsline can see how obvious it is that I posted the story... I really don't know why I'm doing all this to justify it.... geez...

Alexander story...

Our League Website

 
toddhead said:
I accepted the answers everyone gave, but I don't remember asking if I was fit to be the commissioner. I'm fair, honest, and don't accept any underhanded stuff going on in our league... the fake stories are a part of our league!... it's just that nobody really ever falls for them and I guess that is why I was questioning whether or not I should let the league know. If I wasn't the commish I wouldn't have said a word because that is the nature of our league, BUT, being the commish, I felt like I should probably say something. If another owner in the league would have posted the story, I wouldn't have announced it either. Its' obvious we just have a more laid back league than some of you... probably because we are all friends. I do appreciate your opinions on the original question, but I don't appreciate the attacks on my integrity as the commish.

I keep telling myself not to even respond to this post, but I guess it's the Marine in me that doesn't like his integrity questioned.

I did a screen copy of the league story so you guys who don't have CBSSportsline can see how obvious it is that I posted the story... I really don't know why I'm doing all this to justify it.... geez...

Alexander story...

Our League Website
Click to expand...
that is all finebut then ask yourself this:

if this was par for the course and no big deal, why ask about it in here?

 
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