In 2012 I played leagues both for money and for free. I played only five money games this year.
1. $100 league. Came in 3rd, paid $40
2. $100 league. Came in 3rd, paid $160
3. $50 league. Won it, paid $220 and a trophy
4. $30 league (stinking budget...). Came in 3rd, no prize
5. $30 league (ditto). Came in 2nd, paid $60.
That's a total output of 310 bucks but actually I paid $285 because of discounts for being a repeat player in two of those leagues. Let's call it $300 spent. $300 out, $480 in, means I made a profit of 180 bucks and one trophy for the season. I'm happy with it because I love the game and would play all season just to break even, or even if it cost me a bit. But playing this game for over 20 years (21st in 2012...yes I remember too the USA Today mail-ins...) I have been made aware of some things I think unfair to players. To make it short, I think people are making too much money running leagues.
If you start from the premise that 12 people contribute 100 dollars each you have 1200 in the kitty. By all rights then at the end of the season 1200 should be paid out. I understand completely that resources are not free, that even statistics cost money. But I also know that in this age of immediate news that one human with one computer and an internet connection can accomplish a lot. One feed can be multiplied fairly easily into 10,000 with little to no extra expenditure. I also know that today there are literally dozens of quality websites offering free or very low-cost league hosting with features that come close to, if not exceed those that cost more money. Yes, some of them submit us to advertising, but in fact some of the paid ones do as well, AS WELL as place you on mailing lists. So, while 12 busy people should be willing to part with a bit of the kitty for convenience's sake, and let's remember IN THE BEGINNING of fantasy football whoever hosted the draft at least got beer brought to his house, I think the 20% and upwards that is the norm in the pay-to-play industry is too much. A Commish should be rewarded, not that much given the technology available today.
1. This league was not run by me, it was run by another popular internet site that I have mixed feelings about and which is one reason I began this blog. This league is FULL of ringers, I have played it four years in a row. Even though it pays out some of the best on the internet it NEVER has paid out more than 75% of moneys collected, and the number has been getting even lower as the years go by. I think that's too much of a fee. Also on the negative side, this host also has an ugly website that hasn't changed much in years. The logo and customization options are lousy, customer service fair-to-middlin, site navigation difficult, and user interaction not easy to accomplish. On the positive side, the league pays winners promptly, the competition is excellent, the scoring systems good, and trading tightly controlled. Why do I play there? Because even at its lousy payout rate, if I want to "get a game" it's the best I can find online! The players are there.
I want to provide these players a better alternative. FREE HOSTING allows me to increase payouts, nearly FREE PAYMENT PROCESSING through leaguesafe.com for example allows us easy escrow and so no money problems. I say "nearly" free because Leaguesafe charges at this time $1.50 (yes that's ONE DOLLAR and fifty cents) for winners to withdraw their money by mailed check. This covers mailing and the credit card payment processing you use when you pay for your league, and I think it is a bargain. New services of similar operation are also popping up. All we need is the players who want the best.
Anyway I lost my playoff game in this one and it hurt because some of my usual bangers did diddly on that day. Reggie Wayne and Ray Rice for example did nothing in a PPR and I actually would have been better off starting my bench! But it was fun, because I love the game.
2. This is a league I have hosted for 8 years, the past few online at ESPN for free. It pays out 100% because it is basically only long-time friends and family, with the occasional fill-in friend. Of the 8 years online I have won this league once, 5 years ago, and never since! Anyway it is always fun because we really utilize the message boards, send each other taunting and inflammatory pics, and overall it's a blast. Whether I win this league or not makes no difference, I win seeing everybody playing together. Still, because I am a beast, I will enjoy spending their 60 beans.
ESPN has done a good job for us. It limits how many leagues one person can run to 10. 10 of our URFL fantasy football leagues will be there. Its ads are prominent but not often intrusive.
3. This is the same host as #1. Another nasty, viciously competitive league. You have to be on your toes at all times. Third year in it, my first win, though I did make the playoffs last season. This host, by the way, while pay, does use advertisements.
4. and 5. Out of desparation this year and apparently not having enough to do, I started two on-the-whim shotgun last-second leagues on NFL.com using their message boards and leaguesafe.com for the money. Within 6 hours of my initial postings-calls for players I had two 10-team $30 leagues scheduled to draft and ready to go. Because of the small amount of money and number of teams I limited the payouts to first and second in league #4, and so I won nothing for a strong 3rd place. One Steven Hauschka field goal on a night when the vaunted San Francisco Defense could not keep the Seahawks out of the end zone would have had me in the title game. But, alas, I eat dirt. In league 5, I picked up the Tennesse D and after 34 from them thought I was a lock to win, but then DeAngelo Williams did his annual explosion on the wrong day for me and so I lost out on the 220 bucks and instead get that bridesmaid's reward.
I also played 12 free leagues on ESPN, FOX, and NFL.com. I won 5 championships, 4 second places, 1 third, and 2 gutterballs. I should mention that while the competition is not on the level of the leagues I pay to play in it has been getting better all the time with few teams being abandoned nowadays.
I will close up this post by mentioning an observation. In one of these free leagues I was in a team owner set his lineup once, before Week One, and never changed it all season. Despite injuries, bye weeks, and a league of stiff competition, he wound up with a 7-8 record and at one point was 7-4.
Fantasy football. It's about fun, communication, competition, and a little luck. URFL leagues let you keep it that way and leave the profit for the players.
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