Veto Policy Commissioner's Statement

[Nationals GM (Preston - Old)]

In the last few days, there have been questions raised about the Commissioner's Office's veto policy. A major concern from several of you is how we are able to veto trades when both GMs agree to it and there are no signs of collusion, which is generally the rationale behind a veto. The four of us in the Commissioner's Office reviewing trades have been in many leagues before and we are generally very much against vetoes; however, we have seen some leagues fall apart as a result of too many unbalanced deals and we want to ensure a long and stable league where the rich don't get richer and the poor don't get poorer, so to speak.

As a result, we have been involved in long discussions over many of these deals to find what's best for the league. We understand that this process is very much subjective and there are different opinions on every player, but when we are in discussions on whether or not to approve or veto a deal (and veto is a harsh word, re-works are strongly encouraged), we try to envision a scenario in which either team can win the trade (with injuries excluded, you can't predict injuries), based on past production and future projection. If we deem that the trade is simply too lopsided and one team cannot possibly win the trade, it receives a veto. A veto, however, is not the end of the trade. Like we said before, we realize people have different opinions on players. Generally if you demonstrate to us that you make a good enough modification to the trade, which can be as easy as removing a player, the trade will pass, even if a team still wins by a decent enough margin. Almost every trade has a winner, that's what trading is about, improving your team.

As we advance throughout this dynasty, expect that there will be fewer vetoes. We have been harsher now due to the fact that we don't know many of you and we don't necessarily know that you know what you're doing. If we understand that both GMs involved in a trade have generally shown that they know what they're doing, the deal will pass. We don't want one of you to run your team into the ground and not realize it; we've seen it happen many times before and we don't want that to happen here. We ask that you be patient and trust the system. We are looking out in the best interests of the league, not ourselves, and we want this to be a fun, long-lasting league for all of us to enjoy for many years.

I hope that clears everything up!

- Commissioner's Office

[Nationals GM (Preston - Old)]

I would also like to thank the GM(s) who had issues and came to me directly about them, as opposed to voicing their complaints directly on the board. I will always attempt to find a fair solution to any problem you may have, because I want everyone to enjoy this league. Talking to me directly will allow me to appropriately address the issue, while posting directly on the board not only causes problems, but it will also result in me reacting more harshly and solutions may not be reached. Again, I would like to repeat that if you have ANY issues, come to me and talk about them and I'm sure we can reach a solution.

[Nationals GM (Preston - Old)]

Do people read this? Clearly some people don't.

What took place on the cbox is unacceptable, and the next person to do something like that will be immediately removed from the league. Making fun of other individuals has been repeatedly said to be wrong; if you have an issue with someone, talk to them about it.

If you think a trade is bad, there is an easy way to have your voice heard. On every single trade that I say the Commissioner's Office will discuss it, I say PM the Trade Review account if you have a problem with it. Trust me, when people veto it, we discuss it. When there are a bunch of vetoes, obviously that says something to us. You don't need 10 vetoes to have an effect.

Lastly, things like this ruin what these leagues are for: fun. Leagues fold every year because the Commissioner's Office doesn't want to put up with this stuff. It's funny how people complain how we don't veto enough trades and that we veto too much. We try to do our best and understand it's not a perfect system, but if you send something in, it will have an effect on the decision.

[Nationals GM (Preston - Old)]

Over the last few weeks, the commissioners have recognized the need to tighten the trade policy. There are some deals that haven't looked good, but clauses that have made it difficult for us to rationalize a veto. For example, we have stated that we don't want to veto a deal that the other team could possibly win, or that a player may be unproven, though it is likely that the player will succeed. As a result, we will try to determine the plausible results, based on what we see as a likely projection for a player.

The rationale behind this alteration is that we would like the proverbial gap between the better teams and the not so fortunate teams to remain close and competitive. We have all seen leagues unravel right around this portion of the dynasty as teams selling off players don't receive the appropriate value, and the gap widens and widens. Sometimes we may make a mistake in the long run, but we are doing our best to maintain parity. As always, please respect the decisions of the Commissioner's Office, as we are trying our best to make this dynasty last indefinitely.