Who should you most emulate in your pool this year: Ghandi or George W. Bush?
In other words … do you want to get along or do you just want to flip everyone off and forge an isolationist policy that builds growing resentment toward your country … errr, fantasy team?
Tough call, I know.
This is a subject you’re not going to see discussed too often, but I blogged on this very topic during draft week last season and I’m going to roll it out again here because it could be the difference between the sweet taste of victory or the bitterness of defeat.
Training camps are getting set to open, which means fantasy drafts are taking place all over. This is the prime time to think about your fantasy owner image and whether or not it needs to be remade.
No, "fantasy owner image" is not something dreamed up by Sean Avery during his summer internship at Vogue.
It’s a serious business.
Just like in everyday life, you’re judged in the fantasy world by your actions and the way you conduct yourself with other people.
Do you play well with others or are you the kid everybody avoids in the sand box?
If you know you’re the latter (or if you just think everybody else sucks, which might be a clue you’re in denial) then there are some really easy steps you can take to remedy that situation.
But Chris, who cares? It’s freaking fantasy sports. What does it matter what people think of me?
Well, aside from wanting to actually be a relatively solid citizen in this world; being viewed as a good fantasy owner can actually help you to achieve more for your team. If you’re hungry to win and want to have every available tool to help you realize that goal, then the "Do Unto Others" golden rule can help.
League etiquette really does matter.
BURN BABY BURN
The key point you should always keep in mind early on is you don’t want to burn any bridges, à la K-Lowe and Burkie.
Thanks to the internet it’s really easy to be an anonymous loud mouth; but why in the world would you want to aggressively cross off potential trading partners with useless bravado?
It’s an unfortunate fact in most fantasy leagues that you’ll have at least a few owners who don’t pay any attention to their team after the first month anyway, so why add to that list of potentially helpful players you’ll never get your hands on by needlessly alienating yourself?
Granted, some people are just idiots.
If you’re in a league with strangers though, you’re better off not sending that zinger of an email or bulletin board post because Murphy’s Law says that putz will have several of his friends in the same league. Then you can count on one hand the teams that will actually trade with you – not a good situation.
The other aspect of that is you do NOT want to give other owners ammunition to dig in and try even harder against you. In real life athletes try to avoid giving the other team those famous bulletin board quotes – the same thing applies in fantasy.
I’ve run into a few legendary jerks in various fantasy leagues over the years and it always gives me no greater pleasure than to find that extra motivation and trounce their sorry behinds. Dancing on their fantasy graves in April is sweet revenge… so maintain a low profile and keep your eye on the prize.
NOT-SO-GREAT TRADE OFFERS
It’s quiz time.
Take out your number two pencil and don’t open the test until I tell you to.
Don’t worry though. There’s only one question on this exam and it is multiple choice.
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| With new season on the horizon, Sportsnet.ca fantasy expert Chris Nichols previews the players you will need to target on draft day.
• Monday: Rating the goaltenders • Tuesday: Sleepers & Rebounders • Wednesday: Fantasy Pool Etiquette • Thursday: Power Forwards |
Question: Let’s put your owner image IQ to the test. Say you get what you consider to be the most ridiculous trade offer you’ve ever seen in your life. Should your answer be:
A) What the $#&# kind of an offer is that you $&#*&$ idiot?!?! I’ve seen more tempting offers in my email’s spam folder!!
B) Let me get back to you on that one. Let’s see. Nope, hell hasn’t frozen over yet.
C) Yeah, I drafted those guys in the second and third round so that I could deal them to you for your cast-offs and waiver wire pick-ups. By the way, the moron factory just issued a recall of your model.
D) Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to stick with my current line-up for now.
Resist the urge to tell owners who send those pathetic offers (every league has someone like that) where to stick their trade. You’re only going to start a needless war of words and aside from it being a waste of your time; you’ll be eliminating potential trade partners.
By the way, if you’re still not sure which answer you’d be best served by in the long run then you may have more personality issues than I can help with in one blog.
SMACK DADDY
Similarly, avoid running heavy smack on the league bulletin board if you’re on top of the standings at the end of October. The other owners don’t care and championship banners aren’t handed out one month into the season.
The lower your profile, the less chance you have of alienating owners that you might need when March rolls around.
That said; if you happen to be in a league with the same group each and every season then feel free to run that smack and run it hard. These people already know what you’re all about so if you’re the kind of poolie that tends to lay it on thick and have some fun with this annual ritual then have at it.
Just remember… what goes around, comes around.
Especially if you lose.
