Commissioner looking for some advice on a trade situation (1 Viewer)

[da_budman]

Asmost have said, I reverse both trades. I also, immediately, go to the league website, and cancel letting the website handle trades. These kind of issues simply do not happen when both owners ( or in this case all owners) have to call/email the commissioner when a meeting of the minds has happened in reguard to trades.

Over the last 10 years plus of being commish I have had on several occasions, one team feeling like they had made a deal but the other team apparently not on the same page. Unless they are BOTH on the same page they both dont call/email me....and there is no trade. Its just simpler this way and Ive never had to reverse a trade ...ever...

 

[Steve in Minneapolis]

You reverse both trades.But where is the responsibility in Owner B, knowing that the trade is 3 weeks old, asking Owner A if the trade offer still stands?

I am surprised more people haven't pointed out/condemned Owner B for his behavior in accepting an offer that came three weeks ago, but hadn't been discussed in nearly a month.

 

[Underachievers]

You reverse both trades.But where is the responsibility in Owner B, knowing that the trade is 3 weeks old, asking Owner A if the trade offer still stands?

I am surprised more people haven't pointed out/condemned Owner B for his behavior in accepting an offer that came three weeks ago, but hadn't been discussed in nearly a month.

Team B should have rejected it 3 weeks ago if he did not like the offer at the time. But, the fact remains that Team A still let the offer stand so I would have assumed that the offer still stood. I cannot imagine leaving an offer on the table that I no longer wanted the other manager to accept.

 

[madd futher]

Withdraw both offers and let them start over. He didn't wait until a few days went by to complain. He immediately stated he didn't know it was still active.Unless you think he was lying, you shouldn't let a manual screw up like that affect a season. The fact that it's a work league among casual friends makes it even more obvious.Be a hard-core He-Man in a big stakes league. In something like this, no harm no foul.

In the scenario you described - a friendly work league - I'd do exactly this. This again points out the need of comprehensive by-laws even i a league among friends to pre-address what is a very common situation.Here's some possible language for when you draft your by-laws next year."The league believes that once you commit to a trade, you have a moral obligation to go through with the trade, BUT, as commissioner, the rule must be that there is not a binding trade until/unless it has been OFFERED AND ACCEPTED ON THE WEBSITE. Trade offers through the website are valid offers until accepted or revoked. YOU are responsible for revoking any open trade offers that you have made.I recommend that owners first negotiate OUTSIDE the website, and to use the website only to consummate the official trades. I encourage you to set up your team information with your telephone numbers, preferred call times and e-mail addresses for that purpose. I also recommend that owners withdraw any unaccepted trade offers at least 48 hours before the next weekend’s games are to begin."In serious money leagues that i play in though, the trade would stand and the Website evidence would rule.

 

[Steve in Minneapolis]

Thanks again for all the replies. I appreciate them... Here is the email I sent out last night. I was second guessing my decision, especially since I was one of the three teams involved in this situation. (I am Team C). I asked another commissioner friend, and I thought his advice was horrible, and I made a different decision than what he recommended. Based on my second guessing, I posted this to see if I was over-thinking this or not... Here is what I sent out:

Hey guys -

We have a situation that came up today that involves a trade

between Team A and Team B.

In case you don't know the details, here is what happened.

Team A offered a trade to Team B three weeks ago on the

website. They discussed it, didn't finalize anything and

then moved on.

Today 'Team B' accepted that trade... Team A immediately

saying that this was something that had been discussed weeks ago,

and he asked for forgiveness for inadvertently leaving

this offer on the table.

Today, Team B and I finalized a trade. During our

negotiation, he did specifically tell me that before he

accepted our deal, he wanted to make sure he could accept an

offer from another team. When he got to his computer, Team B

accepted both deals, since the offer from Team A was still

on the site.

We have said that we will never veto a trade unless there is

clear evidence of collusion. In this instance, I think it

is clear that Team A made an innocent mistake, and his trade

with Team B should be reversed. Team B did say that he

wanted to accept the other trade before accepting ours, so I

will back that one out as well.

I don't love that this sets a precedent for judgement calls.

Since we have never said this specifically, I would ask that

we make a rule now that states each team is responsible for

their own trade offers, and it is up to you to ensure that

your offers are offered and/or withdrawn...and if they

aren't it is your responsibility. If anyone has an issue

with this, please let me know.

 

[KingPrawn]

Well done

 

[Steve in Minneapolis]

Since I know some will ask, the advice I got from my friend was this: (he did not know I was involved)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Team A made an innocent mistake, and CBSSportsline doesn't exactly make it easy for you to know that an offer is still pending unless you go back to the trade page to make another offer.

Team B used very dubious judgement (at best) in assuming that the offer with Team A was still legitimately available. Accepting an offer that hadn't been discussed in weeks, especially without just a simple phone call/email is not negotiating in good faith. Based on this, you have to reverse that trade.

Despite what Team B said about not wanting to make the second deal without the first, the circumstances, especially the bad judgement of Owner B, should not penalize Owner C.

If you reverse the second trade, you screw team C. Team B may be stuck temporarily with more depth at one position than he wants, but that is his fault, not Team C's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Had I not been Team C, I probably would have listened to this with a more open mind...but since I am the commissioner, and that ruling would have looked like it was a biased decision that directly favored me, I opted to not go with his advice.

Based on the fact almost no one has gone this direction in this thread, I am glad that I ignored him...

The part that REALLY sucks for me is that this trade would have unloaded depth at QB (I have Cam/Romo/Tebow) in exchange for a starting RB and WR that I critically needed (I am thin at both spots due to losing J Charles and Britt). My team is 1-4, and I've been trying to put something else together this morning, but it's not gonna happen, and now I am looking like I will soon be 1-5.

Thanks again for the comments...

 

[PoolShark]

For future use... we have a rule in the league I commish specifically for situations like this. No trade is valid until both owners call in their acceptance to me within a reasonable timeframe. The website can be used for negotiating only, just like email or phones, but a trade is not official just because it is accepted online. A lot of guys forget and leave trades open for weeks, long after they actually want to go through with them.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Team A should pay attention to details

I bet he will in the future

Do nothing

 

[Dr. Awesome]

Well done

Yep.

 

[da_budman]

For future use... we have a rule in the league I commish specifically for situations like this. No trade is valid until both owners call in their acceptance to me within a reasonable timeframe. The website can be used for negotiating only, just like email or phones, but a trade is not official just because it is accepted online. A lot of guys forget and leave trades open for weeks, long after they actually want to go through with them.

THIS...... is the answer to all trade issues.

 

[PoolShark]

For future use... we have a rule in the league I commish specifically for situations like this. No trade is valid until both owners call in their acceptance to me within a reasonable timeframe. The website can be used for negotiating only, just like email or phones, but a trade is not official just because it is accepted online. A lot of guys forget and leave trades open for weeks, long after they actually want to go through with them.

THIS...... is the answer to all trade issues.

Thank you sir! It has worked for us.