Hey Lucky! Does this sound familiar?
Feb 12, 2007 18:56:15 GMT -5
Post by Pun on Feb 12, 2007 18:56:15 GMT -5
Linky
A friend calls me the other day and says, "Let's start a league."
Easy as that, he thinks. "I could get a few guys from my (existing) league," he says. "And you can get a few from yours ... and we'll get 'er going."
Sigh. So my response was just what any typical red-blooded fantasy owner would say: "OK, you get it going. Find 12 people; I can probably help with two, at the most. Set a draft day and time that works for everyone. Oh, and be sure to get all the league rules lined up. Do people want to do auction or draft? Points or Roto? Head-to-head? How about transactions? Oh, and if I can interject, I'm in six leagues already ... I'd appreciate if it could be fairly low-maintenance."
OK, so maybe I'm not typical. But his response was just as I expected: "Oh, maybe it's not easy ..."
It's true. Fantasy baseball has become so much more complex over the years. There are so many details that go into playing this hobby, fantasy rookies often are left in the dust until they figure out what exactly is going on. And new commissioners are put into a broiler because of issues/occurrences that can't be predicted. New commishes spend way more time managing the league than they expected, and not always at opportune times.
If that has happened to you, either as an owner or commish, you're not alone. As a player, it happened to this fantasy writer in 1992 when I first joined an AL-only head-to-head league with my workmates at a daily newspaper. We had games daily that were kept by hand; as a result of all the work, we didn't know the winner until just before the 1993 season. I jumped into the league and offered to help before realizing it would damn near kill my passion for baseball statistics. And my team stunk because I didn't know all the rules.
As a full commish, I've had to deal with gripe sessions, people threatening to quit the league because of an argument with a fellow owner, owners cheating, owners "bending the rules" because they weren't clearly stated, complaints in scoring systems, league turnover, etc.
The point here is that it can seem overwhelming at first. So overwhelming, in fact, that a new fantasy owner or commish might want to simply give up or never even try.
But anything that's good takes hard work to accomplish. All it takes is a little elbow grease, some intelligent tweaking, organization and the right game plan. It might not be the "roses-at-your-feet" experience you'd expect, but fantasy leagues can be a good time and build lasting relationships among friends. That's why this hobby has caught on so fast.
The elbow grease, tweaking and organization are up to you. The task can be daunting, even with the ease of online gaming in the modern age. There are so many details to map out -- scoring system, number of players per team, how to handle transactions, trade deadline, etc. -- that most of us wouldn't even know where to begin.
The Fantasy Source is here to help. Many of us have already performed the painstaking task of starting a league from a clean slate, and we've helped many other owners through the process as well. Below are three links to tutorial guides on how to start a league.
The first column is the beginner course, touching on such details as scoring systems, transactions and whether to choose an AL- or NL-only league or both. The second column digs a little deeper, delving into awards, position eligibility, draft details and more. Finally, once you've "graduated" from those courses, you're ready to move onto the nitty-gritty of setting up a keeper league.
For you first-time fantasy players or commissioners, we'll help lay the groundwork for a competitive and successful league. Start slowly, and work your way to the big-time. For you seasoned veterans, these pieces can perhaps give you some new ideas to consider for your leagues.
It's time to begin the journey. However, if you run into a downed tree in the road and need some help, let us know. Enjoy the season!
A friend calls me the other day and says, "Let's start a league."
Easy as that, he thinks. "I could get a few guys from my (existing) league," he says. "And you can get a few from yours ... and we'll get 'er going."
Sigh. So my response was just what any typical red-blooded fantasy owner would say: "OK, you get it going. Find 12 people; I can probably help with two, at the most. Set a draft day and time that works for everyone. Oh, and be sure to get all the league rules lined up. Do people want to do auction or draft? Points or Roto? Head-to-head? How about transactions? Oh, and if I can interject, I'm in six leagues already ... I'd appreciate if it could be fairly low-maintenance."
OK, so maybe I'm not typical. But his response was just as I expected: "Oh, maybe it's not easy ..."
It's true. Fantasy baseball has become so much more complex over the years. There are so many details that go into playing this hobby, fantasy rookies often are left in the dust until they figure out what exactly is going on. And new commissioners are put into a broiler because of issues/occurrences that can't be predicted. New commishes spend way more time managing the league than they expected, and not always at opportune times.
If that has happened to you, either as an owner or commish, you're not alone. As a player, it happened to this fantasy writer in 1992 when I first joined an AL-only head-to-head league with my workmates at a daily newspaper. We had games daily that were kept by hand; as a result of all the work, we didn't know the winner until just before the 1993 season. I jumped into the league and offered to help before realizing it would damn near kill my passion for baseball statistics. And my team stunk because I didn't know all the rules.
As a full commish, I've had to deal with gripe sessions, people threatening to quit the league because of an argument with a fellow owner, owners cheating, owners "bending the rules" because they weren't clearly stated, complaints in scoring systems, league turnover, etc.
The point here is that it can seem overwhelming at first. So overwhelming, in fact, that a new fantasy owner or commish might want to simply give up or never even try.
But anything that's good takes hard work to accomplish. All it takes is a little elbow grease, some intelligent tweaking, organization and the right game plan. It might not be the "roses-at-your-feet" experience you'd expect, but fantasy leagues can be a good time and build lasting relationships among friends. That's why this hobby has caught on so fast.
The elbow grease, tweaking and organization are up to you. The task can be daunting, even with the ease of online gaming in the modern age. There are so many details to map out -- scoring system, number of players per team, how to handle transactions, trade deadline, etc. -- that most of us wouldn't even know where to begin.
The Fantasy Source is here to help. Many of us have already performed the painstaking task of starting a league from a clean slate, and we've helped many other owners through the process as well. Below are three links to tutorial guides on how to start a league.
The first column is the beginner course, touching on such details as scoring systems, transactions and whether to choose an AL- or NL-only league or both. The second column digs a little deeper, delving into awards, position eligibility, draft details and more. Finally, once you've "graduated" from those courses, you're ready to move onto the nitty-gritty of setting up a keeper league.
For you first-time fantasy players or commissioners, we'll help lay the groundwork for a competitive and successful league. Start slowly, and work your way to the big-time. For you seasoned veterans, these pieces can perhaps give you some new ideas to consider for your leagues.
It's time to begin the journey. However, if you run into a downed tree in the road and need some help, let us know. Enjoy the season!
