For years in one of my money leagues, I've wanted to change the rules so that the first four playoff spots were awarded based on team record and the final two were for sale to the highest bidder (real money), but no one else seems all that interested.
I think it's a pretty smart idea, personally. It ensures that the best teams make the playoffs (because nobody is going to bid their way into the playoffs unless they think their team is good enough to win), and could potentially increase the total prize pool pretty substantially. It also makes for some interesting strategic decisions. If I have a fantastic team who missed the playoffs due to a slow start or some bad schedule luck, and the prize pool is $1000, how much do I bid for a playoff spot? Each team, on average, will have a 1-in-6 chance of taking the pot, leading to an EV of $167. If my team is extra good, maybe I'm willing to bid $200. If my team is crappy, maybe I bid $50, hope no one else loves their team, and then try to catch a few lucky breaks during the playoffs.
Like I said, none of my league mates what anything to do with it, because they don't like the idea of playoff spots being awarded to whoever will pay the most instead of whoever is most deserving. I don't mind that at all, because it's just more money for the eventual champion.
