Fantasy Judgment partners with Fantasy Phenoms

As I attempt to navigate Fantasy Judgment towards its manifest destiny within the fantasy sports industry, I have entered into another valuable partnership.  I am pleased to announce that Fantasy Judgment (www.fantasyjudgment.com) has officially entered into a partnership with Fantasy Phenoms (www.fantasyphenoms.com) to provide dispute resolution services for its readers and members.  Fantasy Phenoms is a great resource for fantasy baseball and football information, and they also host creative and exciting daily fantasy games.

Led by owners and fantasy sports veterans Brett Greenfield and Jason Sarney, Fantasy Phenoms has a staff of six writers, plus Brett and Jason, and provides unique and detailed analyses of players for the benefit of their readers in the quest for fantasy sports glory.  One of the best features is the use of Sabermetrics to evaluate pitchers by providing an index number using several different statistics to measure a pitcher’s worth.  The individual position rankings in both baseball and football employ intricate statistical and mathematical analyses which break through the surface of a player’s true value and give their readers the best possible evaluation one can find.

I am looking forward to watching this partnership grow as the dedicated readers and members of Fantasy Phenoms utilize Fantasy Judgment’s services as a means to maintain the integrity of their leagues when issues do come up.  This is why the relatiosnhip between Fantasy Judgment and Fantasy Phenoms works so well – people go to Fantasy Phenoms for advice, content and rankings to decide whether to draft, trade or keep a certain player.  Then, they can go to Fantasy Judgment to ensure that any transactions they may enter into are fair and within the rules of the league. 

So please welcome Fantasy Phenoms to the Fantasy Judgment universe.

Fantasy Judgment partners with Fantasy Sports Dish

I am pleased to announce that Fantasy Judgment has entered into a partnership with Fantasy Sports Dish (www.fantasysportsdish.com) to provide dispute resolution services for their loyal readers and audience.  As Fantasy Judgment looks to expand its brand, what better way to start than by associating with a one-stop shop for all of your fantasy sports information and news? 

Fantasy Sports Dish gathers and aggregates fantasy sports news from around the internet and put it all in one place for its readers.  Run by Lightfoot Simmons (an alias so he doesn’t tip off his opponents in his various fantasy leagues), who has over 15 years of fantasy sports experience in all major sports,  Fantasy Sports Dish was created to provide information for all fantasy sports enthusiasts who are constantly looking in all directions for fantasy news and opinions.  They hope to also provide avid and experienced fantasy sports players with reliable and quality information.  Another great aspect of Fantasy Sports Dish is the wealth of information provided on their Twitter feed (@fantasysprtsdsh).  They are constantly tweeting updates, links, and news that is easily accessible and beneficial to its readers and followers.

This is one of the first steps in expanding the scope of Fantasy Judgment to audiences who may not have been familiar with our services.  We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with Fantasy Sports Dish and the opportunity to provide dispute resolution services to their passionate fantasy sports fan base.

Fantasy Phenoms Expert Mock Draft – January 12, 2011

On January 12, 2011, I participated in another fantasy baseball expert mock draft with more superstars in the industry, including Brett Greenfield of FantasyPhenoms.com, Kevin Jebens of RotoSavants.com, Tim McLeod of RotoRob.com, Joe Whelan of MLB.com, Geoff Stein (my long lost distant cousin) of the recently departed Fanball, Ryan Hallam of FantasyAlarm.com, Mike Spiher of RotoChamp.com, Jeff Gross of Hardball Times (www.hardballtimes.com), and Jared Norris of Rotowire.com.  It was a 12-team mixed 5 x 5 Roto league and I had the randomly selected 9th pick overall.  Notwithstanding my well-documented opinions on Roto leagues (https://fantasyjudgment.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/passing-judgment-the-reality-of-fantasy-baseball/), my preparation for this draft deviated from the norm as I am accustomed to participating in H2H leagues.  Therefore, Carl Crawford was NOT on my radar (sorry to those people who love stolen bases). 

The first eight picks were not surprising given the format.  Albert Pujols rightfully was selected first overall as he continues to justify top billing in any format of fantasy baseball.  Much to my pleasant surprise, Miguel Cabrera went second.  I say I am surprised because I am used to seeing Hanley Ramirez go second overall in these Roto mock drafts.  But Cabrera is arguably the second best hitter in all of baseball, so he was rewarded with the second pick behind King Albert.  With position scarcity clearly a concern, Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzki went third and fourth respectively.  Then the fifth pick is where I have a big problem – Carl Crawford.  I understand that Roto leagues operate differently and the need for contribution in all five categories is crucial.  But when analyzing players’ talents, abilities, statistics, and every other objectiver criteria available, is Carl Crawford really the fifth best player in the league?  Is he really the best outfielder in the league?  I would argue not, but regardless of my personal opinions, he was taken fifth.  Next up was the NL MVP Joey Votto going fifth, followed by Evan Longoria and Matt Holliday.  I was not surprised by Votto or Longoria as Votto clearly has emerged as a top tier first baseman hitting in a good lineup at a great hitters’ park.  Longoria is clearly the best third baseman available, which is a big deal considering there is a tremdendous drop-off after the top five.  But Holliday did surprise me a little going eighth overall as I thought there were better outfield options still available like CarGo, Ryan Braun, and Josh Hamilton.  I wasn’t complaining because I was then able to draft Carlos Gonzalez with the ninth pick.  Regardless of the format of the league, Gonzalez has emerged as a top tier talent and is worthy of a top ten pick in any draft.  He hits for a high average, demonstrated great extra base hit power, drove in and scored well over 100 runs, and will steal a lot of bases.  He just signed a seven year contract extension for $80 million, so I would look for him to be motivated to justify those dollars and put up equally impressive numbers again.  Finishing up the first round was David Wright (the second best third baseman), Josh Hamilton, and Robinson Cano.  Cano has supplanted Chase Utley as the top second base option, and he is clearly worth a first round pick in any format. 

After selecting Cano with the last pick of the first round, Jared Norris of RotoWire selected Ryan Braun.  I really liked how he started his team off with Cano and Braun, two young studs with established resumes and only getting better as they enter their primes.  Next went two stars in decline – Alex Rodriguez and Chase Utley.  Then it was back to me for my second pick, and I decided to take Mark Teixeira (despite disliking the Yankees more than anything in the world).  I have always been a fan of Teixeira as he plays the game the right way and is as consistent as they come with his production.  Hitting 3rd in the Yankees’ lineup all but guarantees 30 homeruns, 100 RBI, and 100 runs scored.  His hamstring injury in the ALCS has healed, and besides that, he has never been an injury concern.  I had considered Adrian Gonzalez here as well, but adjusting to a new league was a minor concern if mine and I preferred to have the sure thing.  Sure enough, Gonzalez would be drafted two picks after me (with NL Cy Young winner Roy Halladay sandwiched in between).  Rounding out the rest of the second round was Matt Kemp, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum, Prince Fielder, Ryan Zimmerman, and Jose Reyes.  I was a little surprised at the Kemp selection because he has been so disappointing thus far in his career.  He has all the talent in the world to be a five-tool player, but it hasn’t materialized yet.  Maybe this will be his breakout season (if Rihanna writes a song about him).

I will now provide a rundown of the rest of my picks and give some thoughts, commentary and analysis on why I drafted them and what my projections are.  If you would like to see the entire draft so you can see in what context these players were drafted, please send me an email request and I will provide you with the draft grid.

3rd Round: Felix Hernandez-SP-SEA.  What is not to like about the reigning AL Cy Young winner?  To grab him in the third round was a steal for me.  While he may not win 20 games because of the team he plays for, he will still win 12-15 games just based on his talent alone.  He is a lock for 200 strikeouts, a sub-3.00 ERA, and a sub 1.25 WHIP.  If the Mariners can somehow find a way to score some runs for him, he could easily win 20 games.  It is scary to think he is only getting better as he enters his mid-20’s.

4th Round: Brandon Phillips-2B-CIN.  This was the one time I bought into the position scarcity craze as second basemen were flying off the shelves.  Already gone were Cano, Utley, Pedroia, Kinsler, Uggla, and Weeks.  I didn’t think it would be a good thing to get stuck with Luis Castillo, so I grabbed Phillips hoping for a bounce-back season.  He has 30-30 ability, and in that Cincinnati lineup, he could really blossom into a top option as he approaches 30 years old.  I might have overpaid to get him here, but the risk will be worth the reward when he returns to his 2008-2009 form.

5th Round: Justin Verlander-SP-DET.  After starting my pitching staff with King Felix, I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled to take another ace pitcher in Verlander.  He is a dominant pitcher who will win 15-18 games on an improved Detroit team, and is a lock for 200 strikeouts and a low WHIP.  I could have taken Zack Greinke, David Price or Ubaldo Jimenez here, but I opted for Verlander who has been putting up great numbers for several years now and can truly be relied upon.  I question Greinke’s value despite switching to the National League.  He seems too fragile and I am concerned about his regression in 2010.  Price is a great talent, but Tampa Bay has been decimated by free agency and trades.  They have no bullpen and will see their offensive production take a big hit, so Price’s chance of winning games has been diminished.

6th Round: Jay Bruce-OF-CIN.  I have been a fan of his since he arrived in the big leagues a couple years ago.  He has a sweet swing and is primed to put up huge numbers once he matures as a hitter and becomes more selective.  I expect a similar progression in his power numbers to Joey Votto.  Bruce doesn’t look like he can be a .300 hitter yet because of his lack of plate discipline, but as learns the strike zone and becomes more selective, he can certainly become a .280 – .290 hitter.  With another season of experience under his belt, I think he will approach 30 homeruns and 100 RBI this year.  Not bad for a second outfielder.

7th Round: Matt Cain-SP-SF.  Cain is another player I have been fond of for years.  His win-loss record is not indicative of how good a pitcher he is.  After his performance in the 2010 playoffs, I think people are now aware of what he can do.  He always has a low ERA and WHIP, and he also has the potential for 200 strikeouts.  The Giants are the defending champions and still have very little offense, so I would expect Cain and the rest of the staff to be pitching in close games all year.  Even though Cain will pitch well enough to win 15-18 games, I would expect him to get no-decisions that will push that number back down to 12-15.  Regardless, I like him a lot as my 3rd starter.

8th Round: Michael Young-3B-TEX.  While the Rangers continue to disrespect Young by pushing him all over the field from SS to 2B to 3B to DH, I gladly scooped him up in the 8th round as the quality of third basemen plunged to scary depths.  Young doesn’t do anything spectacularly, but he is consistent with his production and will not hurt me anywhere.  He is historically a .290 – .300 hitter and should continue his trend of 20 homeruns and 90 RBI.  With Adrian Beltre now batting in the middle of the Rangers’ lineup, Young should have no problem eclipsing 100 runs scored either. 

9th Round: Jonathan Papelbon-RP-BOS.  My first closer is a bit shaky as Papelbon comes off a poor 2010 that saw him blow several saves and essentially write the end of his career in Boston.  The Red Sox would love to trade him, but there were no takers given his likely arbitration award.  Despite all of that, he is now pitching for his future on a very good team, so there should be plenty of save opportunities for the Rick Schroeder look-alike.  He isn’t a great first choice as a closer, but he should still amass 30-35 saves.

10th Round: Clay Buchholz-SP-BOS.  This youngster emerged as a co-ace of the Red Sox staff forming a formidable duo with Jon Lester.  I see continued progress with Buchholz who should win 15-18 games with an impressive ERA.  However, he does not strike people out so the more batted balls in play could lead to an increased WHIP as hitters adjust to him.  Despite that, he is my 4th starter so I can live with that.

11th Round: Carlos Lee-OF-HOU.  I was very happy with this selection here because Lee is coming off a very disappointing season that saw his batting average plummet and his power numbers deflate due to being in a depleted Astros’ lineup.  Lee has historically hovered around .300 with 30 HR and 100 RBI, so many think that 2010 represented the beginning of the end for the lumbering slugger.  I think differently.  He is only 34 years old and is primed for a comeback.  As my 3rd outfielder, I can still live with .285, 25 HR and 90 RBI.

12th Round: Tim Hudson-SP-ATL.  His 2010 season proved to any naysayers that he has fully recovere from Tommy John surgery.  Hudson looked like his 2002 self again despite slowing down a little down the stretch.  He is good for 12-15 wins and a solid ERA around 3.00, but he doesn’t strikeout anyone and the Braves revamped bullpen with a new young closer could potentially cost Hudson a couple wins as well.  It is all relative as Hudson is my 5th starter so I am not relying on him to put up ace-like numbers.

13th Round: Bobby Abreu-OF-LAA.  Once regarded as a 1st or 2nd round pick in any fantasy format, Abreu is heading towards the end of a productive career.  That being said, he still performed well in four of the five Roto categories in 2010.  He doesn’t appear to be a .290 – .300 hitter anymore, which is a direct parallel to his increase in strikeouts and decrease in walks he is drawing.   His lower on base percentage also leads to a decrease in runs scored.  He should still be able to reach .260 – .275 with 20 HR and 75 RBI.  His value is also increased in Roto leagues because is can still steal 20-25 bases.  At least defensive value isn’t counted in fantasy because Abreu avoids contact with the outfield wall as if the wall has a sexually transmitted disease.

14th Round: Brad Lidge-RP-PHI.  My second closer is also a question mark as Lidge had a shaky 2010 season but looked good in the playoffs.  He is pitching for a contract this season, so I would look for him to be motivated even more.  With the Phillies’ outrageous starting pitching, there should be plenty of opportunities to save games (assuming Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels don’t complete every game themselves).  The other upside to Lidge is the fact the Phillies don’t appear to be as offensively dangerous, so they are likely to be playing in close games all year.  Since blown saves and earned runs allowed won’t hurt me in a Roto league, I will take my chances with his potential for 35 saves and a bunch of strikeouts.

15th Round: Juan Uribe-SS-LAD.  After a great postseason run with the world champion Giants, Uribe parlayed it into a big three-year contract with their NL West archrival.  He will likely play second base for Los Angeles, but Uribe will qualify at shortstop based on his 2010 output.  This is a signing the Dodgers will regret relatively quickly, but for my fantasy team’s purposes I can live with him here in the 15th round.  He won’t help with batting average or stolen bases, but if he can continue his power surge and put up 20 homeruns and drive in 65-70 runs, I won’t complain. 

16th Round: Ervin Santana-SP-LAA.  I was a little surprised to see Santana still available down here.  He has had an up and down career and seems to suffer from Saberhagen Syndrome where every other year is an epic disaster.  Unfortunately, 2011 is the year that will be a disaster if this pattern continues.  Seriously, look up his numbers from 2006, 2008 and 2010 and compare them to 2007 and 2009.  I am an optomist and think this is just a fluke.  Santana won’t be winning any ERA titles, but he is good for 15 wins and a bunch of strikeouts as the Angels’ #3 starter.

17th Round: Lance Berkman-1B/OF-STL.  I am excited about this pick all the way down in the 17th round.  The former fantasy stud had the worst year of his career in 2010 as he split time with the Astros and Yankees.  Berkman was never completely healthy as a nagging wrist injury sapped him of his power, and then the trade to New York didn’t do much for his value as he split time as a designated hitter.  Now projected to play full time in the St. Louis outfield, Berkman should return to fantasy relevance batting behind Pujols and Holliday.

18th Round: Angel Pagan-OF-NYM.  Being a Mets’ fan, it is both superstitious and sentimental that I get at least one Met on my fantasy team.  I have no problems with that being Pagan down in the 18th round.  Like it or not, he is going to play everyday for the Mets, and after his impressive 2010 season, he has proved that he belongs.  Pagan won’t be leading the league in any category, but he demonstrated he can steal bases and hit close to .300.  That is good enough for me to be my 5th outfielder.

19th Round: Carlos Zambrano-SP-CHC.  Either I need to see a shrink or everyone else in the draft will need to be psychiatrically examined for letting The Big Z fall to the 19th round.  Yes, he is insane.  Yes, he has been a trainwreck for several years.  But after he came back from his “personal issues” in 2010, he looked like the Zambrano of old by finishing 8-0.  With Lou Piniella gone, Zambrano should get a fresh start in the Cubs’ rotation.  He isn’t going anywhere with that albatross of a contract, so the Cubs will rely on him to return to form.  This was well worth the gamble in the 19th round because if he flames out, I wouldn’t have lost anything.  If he is his old self, then I look like a genius. 

20th Round: Jorge Posada-C-NYY.  This one was a head scratcher as I couldn’t believe he was still available.  I never draft a catcher until the end of a draft, ever, except for when Mike Piazza was in his prime.  Otherwise, this is a waste of a pick to take a catcher so high.  Joe Mauer’s 2009 season was not the norm, but even still, there are plenty of other players that put up much greater numbers.  I don’t buy into the position scarcity argument with catchers because they are all so fragile, and their maximum performance still falls well under the averages for other positions.  The fact that Posada will still available was gold to me because he will be the full-time DH for the Yankees, so I will benefit from the pop in his bat and be spared from the nagging injuries he is accustomed to behind the plate.

21st Round: Alex Gonzalez-SS-ATL.  My final pick of the draft was the Braves’ starting shortstop who catapulted into fantasy relevance last season with a great start to the season with Toronto.  After he was dealt to the Braves, his numbers leveled off and never approached his apex with the Blue Jays.  That being said, he will play everyday in Atlanta, and that is good enough for me to have in a backup in the last round of a draft.

So that is the team I drafted.  I was quite pleased with my team and would have no problem going into battle with them.  I feel I have a good balance of power, speed, and pitching to compete for a championship with this squad.  I’d like to hear whether you agree or not and what your thoughts are.  Please feel free to email me at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com, comment on Fantasy Judgment’s Facebook page at http://goo.gl/xF0pt, or tweet me at www.twitter.com/FantasyJudgment. 

Passing Judgment – NFL Picks for the Divisional Round

Greetings and salutations.  The Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs is upon us as the final eight teams vie for the chance to raise the prestigious Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl XLV.  After a very exciting Wild Card round which saw three very close games and three road victories, what will the next round bring for us?  There are some compelling storylines in each game, including the fact that both AFC games are between division rivals and both NFC games are rematches from earlier in the season. 

Without further adieu, here are my official predictions:

Green Bay at Atlanta

After an impressive regular season, the Falcons earned the #1 seed in the NFC and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.  The Packers earned their way into the playoffs with a hard-fought Week 17 victory over the Bears, and then survived a late comeback by defeating the Eagles in Philadelphia in the Wild Card round.  The Packers’ path to the Super Bowl is not unlike the Giants’ magical run from 2007, so it is possible for the talented Cheese Heads to accomplish this.  The key to this game will be Green Bay’s ability to stop and/or contain the Falcons’ running game.  Green Bay’s secondary is very talanted, so Roddy White may not be available for Matty Ice to throw to consistently with Charles Woodson on him.  Clay Mathews and A.J. Hawk could wreak havoc on Ryan’s ability to stay in the pocket.  While Atlanta was a dominant home team this year, something tells me Green Bay’s road warriors may silence the Georgia Dome.

Prediction: Green Bay 27  Atlanta 21

Seattle at Chicago

After hearing that they didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs, let alone host a playoff game, the 7-9 Seahawks somehow knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions in a thrilling 41-36 game during the Wild Card round.  The game was capped by an incredible touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch that will be displayed on highlight reels for the next 25 years.  Now Seattle must come back to Chicago where they defeated the Bears 23-20 earlier in the season.  The Bears are rested after earning the #2 seed and a bye, but Seattle looked like a whole new team compared to how bad they played down the stretch of the regular season.  As much as I don’t trust Jay Cutler, I still think the Bears have enough talent on both sides of the ball to hold back the Seahawks.  I do not foresee another offensive explosion from Seattle, so I would expect a low-scoring game that will be dictated by Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers.

Prediction: Bears 20  Seahawks 13

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

The heated rivalry between these two AFC North division opponents continues as they meet in the playoffs once again.  The Ravens went into Kansas City and utterly destroyed the AFC West champions on both sides of the ball.  The Steelers are well rested after earning the #2 seed and look to continue their dominance over Baltimore in the playoffs.  The key to this game will be the health and effectiveness of Pittsburgh’s big play defenders.  Joe Flacco and company looked great against the Chiefs, but the Steelers present a much greater challenge.  If Ray Rice can run the ball effectively and Flacco can make some big plays to his talented receivers, then the Ravens will have a chance to win this game.  However, I don’t see the Steelers allowing their rival to come into a hostile environment and dictate the game.  Big Ben and Rashard Mendenhall will do enough to put points on the board, but I smell a defensive or special teams touchdown from Pittsburgh being the difference.

Prediction: Steelers 24  Ravens 20

NY Jets at New England

In what has become the league’s most entertaining rivalry, the Jets and Patriots will meet for the 3rd time this season after splitting their two regular season matchups.  It was a tale of two seasons for New England, the #1 seed in the AFC and arguably the best team in the league.  Very early in the season, the Jets handily defeated the Patriots at New Meadowlands Stadium.  However, once New England got going several weeks after, they were playing on another level when they met on Monday Night Football in December when both teams were 9-2 and vying for the top spot in the AFC.  The Patriots decimated and embarassed the Jets 45-3.  The Jets advanced from the Wild Card round when they impressively defeated Peyton Manning and the Colts 17-16 on a late field goal by Nick Folk.  I can’t see any way the Jets’ defense holds down likely MVP Tom Brady and his talented offensive weapons.  While Derelle Revis may take Deion Branch away from Brady, he has plenty of other options all over the field in Wes Welker and the rookie duo of tight ends – Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  Additionally, the law firm of Benjarvis Green-Ellis has become a legitimate threat in the running game, so the Jets have to be very careful and cautious when calling blitz packages.  Mark Sanchez had the worst game of his life in that MNF debacle, but he has played better lately despite his shoulder injury.  I don’t foresee another massacre like before, but I also don’t see how the Jets keep this a relatively close game. 

Prediction: Patriots 34  Jets 17

As an aside for the Jets – Patriots game, we have all heard about Rex Ryan’s home movies where he acts out his fantasies for his foot fetish.  In case you didn’t hear, Patriots’ receiver Wes Welker recently gave an interview about the game where he made 11 references or mentions of foot, feet and toes.  It could just be a coincidence, or he could be the league’s biggest comedian.  The video of the interview can be seen at www.goo.gl/E2Rws.

Passing Judgment – The Reality of Fantasy Baseball

It is no secret that I am not a big fan of “Roto” leagues for fantasy baseball.  My criticism of Roto leagues is well documented, even dating back a couple years in an article I had written for Addict Fantasy Sports (http://www.addictfantasysports.com/perspectives/article/1807).  This may be considered blasphemy to some in the industry, but I just can’t get excited about standard 5 x 5 Roto leagues.  In my opinion, they do not represent any semblance to real baseball with regard to the valuation and talents of professional baseball players. 

For some background, Roto leagues typically are based on five offensive categories (batting average, homeruns, runs batted in, runs scored, and stolen bases) and five pitching categories (wins, saves, earned run average, WHIP, and strikeouts) – hence they are called 5 x 5 leagues.  There are variations of this as some leagues employ 4 x 4 or even 6 x 6.  The gist is that Roto league members accumulate season totals and are ranked based on where they stand in each category.  The other type of fantasy baseball played is referred to as head to head (H2H) where a point value is associated with a litany of statistics (much more extensive than just the few categories in Roto leagues) and teams play games against a direct opponent each week.  The winner is the team who has accumulated more points from his players during a particular scoring period.  In my estimation, this format is more representative of real baseball.

Because of my bias and preference towards H2H leagues, I am always frustrated every year when I read the fantasy baseball magazines and website rankings and evaluations for players because they are purely based on Roto league performance.  I can’t explain why, but I get so irritated hearing about why Michael Bourn and Juan Pierre are so revered simply because they steal a lot of bases.  I understand there are not a lot of players who amass impressive stolen base totals, so winning the steals category requires a certain amount of strategy.  But besides that, what value do they bring to a fantasy team?  Neither of them have any power whatsoever, they are not high on base percentage players so they do not score a lot of runs, they hit near the top of their respective orders so they don’t drive in runs, and they are not typically hovering near .300 for their batting average.  In my personal opinion, Roto leagues do not bring a ton of excitement or require much intuition with regard to a player’s true value. 

Maybe I am making unfounded assumptions that people who play fantasy baseball want to somehow simulate the feeling of being a general manager.  Maybe I am overemphasizing the important or desire to have fantasy baseball resemble real baseball.  I am in no means attempting to insult anyone or criticize anyone’s personal preferences.  I am merely trying to point out that the old standard way of evaluating players in fantasy baseball needs to evolve because H2H is arguably just as popular.  For those like me that play H2H, there is no reason to rely on magazine’s rankings and analysis because it does not translate to H2H formats – at least not very well.  Two more examples of this are Hanley Ramirez and Carl Crawford.  Both of them are superb baseball players with loads of talent, and they are also very valuable fantasy assets.  Ramirez is especially revered because he is a shortstop, and that is one position with major scarcity and lacks depth at that particular position.  He is universally considered the #1 or #2 pick in every draft that is conducted and analyzed in fantasy magazines and websites.  After Albert Pujols, is Ramirez really the second best player in baseball?  I think most would agree that he is not.  But because he plays shortstop and is a 30-30 candidate every year, he shoots up the list to #2.  In a H2H league, he has a ton of value as well.  But I don’t think he would universally be penned the #2 pick in a H2H draft because there are plenty other players who can amass significantly more points than him.  Crawford is a more direct example of Roto love.  While he is a tremendous baseball player with loads of talent, is he really worth a top 5 pick in a draft?  He has never topped 20 homeruns or 100 RBI.  He is revered in Roto leagues because of his speed and his history of stealing 50+ bases.  As he gets older and enters his 30’s, his legs will not have the same strength or endurance so it is likely his stolen base numbers will continually decrease as he ages.  This is perfectly normal.  Just watch as the years go on as his value in Roto leagues slowly but surely decreases.  That is, unless he takes advantage of his new surroundings and powerful lineup in Boston and amasses 25 homeruns and 100+ RBI while also sporting a .300+ batting average and scoring 100+ runs.  That is certainly possible, but the love of his stolen bases will wane.

I am aware that I may be in the minority with my opinions.  But when I read an article in Lindy’s 2011 fantasy baseball magazine written by Dave Cameron of Fangraphs, I was pleasantly surprised to see that others felt there were things that needed to be done to improve fantasy baseball so as to make it more representative of real baseball.  Without so much as explicitly saying it, Cameron was constructively criticizing Roto leagues.  He made several recommendations to make fantasy baseball more enjoyable and similar to real baseball. 

In all fairness, these suggestions could be employed by both Roto and H2H leagues, but they are more likely geared towards Roto leagues.  First, Cameron suggested that we value statistics that win games as opposed to statistics that are simply scarce.  This goes directly to my point regarding stolen bases.  Cameron expands this suggestion by also mentioning saves and used Chad Qualls and Juan Gutierrez (both on the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010) as examples.  Qualls and Gutierrez combined for 27 saves and neither were likely drafted before the season.  Teams that acquired them in mid-season were rewarded with some saves to help bolster that category in Roto leagues.  But when you look at their entire body of work, they also combined for an ERA of over 6.00.  In a Roto league, that doesn’t matter.  All that counts are the saves.  In a H2H league, fantasy teams are likely penalized for giving up earned runs, issuing walks, blowing saves, and any other category that may have a point value associated with it.  The most poignant point made by Cameron in this argument is that “this leads to some truly bad baseball players being elite fantasy talents, and a huge disconnect between reality and the way fantasy is scored.”  Well said Mr. Cameron.

The next suggestion made by Cameron is directly pointed to Roto leagues and their use and value of batting average as a category.  As he points out, batting average only deals with plays that happen when a batter swings the bat.  The example Cameron used compared Carlos Gonzalez and Joey Votto.  CarGo hit 12 points higher than the NL MVP but made 25 more outs than Votto in 12 fewer plate appearances.  Cameron suggests using on base percentage in lieu of batting average as the measure for a player’s true offensive value.  As my father preached to my little league team when I was 7 years old, “a walk is as good as a hit.”  This is absolutely true.  Good offensive players typically have good plate discipline and pitch selection, and this usually translates into high walk totals which helps increase on base percentage. 

Cameron then makes a similar argument for pitchers when he recommends utilizing innings pitched as a category.  The example he used was the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez.  His lack of victories was well documented, and fortunately this was overlooked when he was given the award despite only winning 13 games.  But as we all know, a pitcher’s true value and talent is not based on the number of wins he accumulates.  As a way to reap the benefits of pitchers like King Felix who pitch well but are hampered by inept offenses, Cameron thinks that including innings pitched as a category will help offset “an increase in roster strategies that emphasizes relievers and cheap starting pitchers that would just clear league minimums in innings pitched, allowing bullpen arms to drive the ratio stats of ERA and WHIP down even further by taking a larger percentage of a team’s total innings.”  Well said Mr. Cameron.

As a way of demonstrating my objectivity, I do not agree with everything that Cameron suggests.  He recommends that defense be considered and valued in fantasy leagues.  This I wholeheartedly disagree with.  While no one would mistake Carl Crawford with Adam Dunn with regard to their defensive capabilities, their talents in the field have no place in a fantasy league.  I am a strong advocate for fantasy baseball being as close to real baseball as possible, but the fact of the matter is that fantasy baseball is not real baseball.  The intangibles that Derek Jeter is so revered for mean nothing in a fantasy league.  If he rebounds and hits .320 with 20 HR, 85 RBI, 110 runs scored and 25 stolen bases, no one will care whether he makes 20 errors or dives into the stands to catch a ball.  I also disagree with Cameron’s recommendation to delineate outfielders at a specific position.  He argues that having a team with Adam Dunn, Manny Ramirez and Carlos Lee as your three outfielders is something no major league manager would ever do.  While that is true, that makes no difference in fantasy baseball.  Each outfield position does take specialized skill and talent.  Centerfield is clearly the most important outfield position and it cannot be played by just anyone.  A centerfielder needs to have speed, agility, a strong arm, and leadership to cover the gaps and make calls on a ball.  But at the end of the day, every outfielder has the same job description – cover the field, catch the ball, throw to the correct base, back up plays in the infield when necessary.  These tasks must be completed by left fielders, right fielders and centerfielders.  To require fantasy baseball players to draft individual outfield positions doesn’t make much sense and would devalue all outfielders overall.  Where I do agree with Cameron regarding positional delineations is to do away with the “corner infielder” and “middle infielder” labels.  While these are usually reserve or bench positions, it is completely unrealistic to have Billy Butler, Derrek Lee or Carlos Pena as a backup third basemen.  Having specific positional players in the infield is much different than the outfield, and I do agree with Cameron’s point about this.

In summation, I love baseball – both real and fantasy.  I love playing fantasy baseball for many reasons, and I do want my leagues to be as close to real baseball as possible.  But it can never truly replicate the real thing, and no one should ever expect it to.  But there are many ways to simulate leagues to make them as comparable to real baseball as possible, and in my opinion, H2H leagues do that more than Roto leagues.  That is just my opinion.  In the end, all that matters is that people play fantasy baseball regardless of which format it is.  Fantasy baseball can universally prompt debate, discussion, and help foster personal and professional relationships. 

Let me know what you think.  You can send an email to michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com, leave a comment down below or on Fantasy Judgment’s Facebook page (goo.gl/xF0pt), or find me on Twitter and send a tweet (www.twitter.com/FantasyJudgment).

Fantasy Baseball Expert Mock Draft Results (January 10, 2011)

On January 10, 2011, I participated in a fantasy baseball expert mock draft hosted by the good people at Fantasy Alarm (www.fantasyalarm.com).  As you may remember, Fantasy Alarm was one of Fantasy Judgment’s (www.fantasyjudgment.com) partners at the 2010 fantasy football Superdraft event in Las Vegas.  Doing mock drafts is something I have always enjoyed, so I was more than happy to accept Jeff Mans and Ryan Hallam’s invitation to join this star-studded draft.  The big names came out for this draft – Nate Stephens from RotoWorld, Geoff Stein from Fanball, Steve Gardner from USA Today, Tony Cincotta from FantasyPros911, Jeff Mans and Ryan Hallam from Fantasy Alarm, Tim Heaney from KFFL, Cory Schwartz from MLB.com, and representatives from RotoExperts, Mock Draft Central, and Fantasy Sports R Us all participated in this 12-team, mixed 5×5 Roto league. 

With the 6th overall pick, I drafted reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay.  It turned out that I was the only one who drafted a pitcher in the first round.  Players selected before me were Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki, Miguel Cabrera, and Carl Crawford.  Finishing out the first round after Halladay was Robinson Cano, Joey Votto, Carlos Gonzalez, Evan Longoria, Ryan Braun, and Ryan Howard.  If I was not going to take a pitcher, I would have taken Carlos Gonzalez who provides the best production in all five rotisserie categories (average, homeruns, rbi’s, runs, and stolen bases).  Gonzalez is coming off a monster season and just signed a 7-year contract extension for $80 million.  I was a little concerned that maybe he would try too hard to justify the contract, thus slipping from his breakout 2010 performance.  So I decided to take a sure thing with Halladay and pursue securing some of the pitching categories (wins, ERA, strikeouts and WHIP – obviously Halladay will not help with saves).  Going into the second round, the trend to draft hitters continued with Chase Utley, David Wright, Adrian Gonzalez, Mark Teixeira, Josh Hamilton and Ryan Zimmerman taken off the board.  I then debated taking King Felix or Tim Lincecum to have a dominant 1-2 punch with Halladay.  But with all of the hitters being taken, I felt I needed to get a bat so I selected Matt Holliday.  In his second full season hitting behind Pujols, I look for continued production in at least four categories (Holliday can steal some bases too).  It is an added bonus that I can say I have both Halladay and Holliday.

Rather than go through every draft pick made, I will provide a list and comments of the players that I drafted starting with the third round.  If anyone would like to see the draft board and everyone’s picks, please send me an email at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com and I will get you a copy.

3rd Round: Adam Wainwright-SP-STL.  The chance to pair up two dominant starters was too enticing to pass up this time around.  Wainwright has become an elite pitcher and is poised to win a Cy Young Award at some point.  He is a lock for 18-20 wins, 200 strikeouts, an ERA under 3.00, and a WHIP under 1.20. 

4th Round: Ichiro Suzuki-OF-SEA.  I have always liked having him on my fantasy teams because he is so consistent and annoys opponents to death.  In a roto league, he is great for batting average and stolen bases.  Under normal circumstances, a leadoff hitter with over 200 hits a year should score at least 100 runs.  But the Mariners have been so inept offensively the past couple years that Ichiro hasn’t even come close to the century mark in runs scored.  I think that will change this year.

5th Round: Paul Konerko-1B-CHW.  Konerko conveniently picked his contract year to have his best season in 2010.  I don’t expect him to match or come close to +.300 or 39 homeruns again, but he is still a solid performer and should have no trouble slugging at least 30 homeruns and drive in 100 runs.  Having Adam Dunn in the Sox lineup will only help Konerko, either by protecting him in the order or getting on base before him.

6th Round: Brian Wilson-RP-SF.  Besides the crazy beard, orange cleats, and WWE-style interviews, Wilson is a pretty damn good closer.  He showcased his talents during the 2010 playoffs and should have no trouble topping 40 saves again this year.  The Giants excellent starting pitching means a lot of close games, which means Wilson should have plenty of opportunities to save games.

7th Round: Michael Young-3B-TEX.  All of a sudden, third base has become barren with talent beyound the first tier of players.  Young is one of the best of the rest after Wright, Longoria, Zimmerman, A-Rod and Beltre are taken.  Hitting in the Rangers’ potent lineup helps Young, who should reach .290, 20-25 homeruns, and 90+ RBI.  He is one of those players who seems to avoid prolonged slumps and is the model of consistency.

8th Round: Brian Roberts-2B-BAL.  I liked this pick here because Roberts is primed for a comeback season after missing most of 2010 with multiple injuries.  He is not the same player he was five years ago, but he certainly can hit .280, 15 homeruns, 75 RBI, score 90 runs, and steal 25 bases.  Those are not bad numbers for a second basemen this late in the draft. 

9th Round: Carlos Pena-1B-CHC.  If I could have one mulligan, it would be this pick.  Pena should love hitting in Wrigley and in that loaded Cubs’ lineup, but he is a cancer to the batting average category.  The guy didn’t even crack the Mendoza line in 2010.  He is the true epitome of “all or nothing”.  Essentially, he is this generation’s Rob Deer, except he is a terrific defensive player too.  Pena should do well in Chicago, but I admittedly could have done better here.

10th Round: Matt Cain-SP-SF.  As much as I despised my last pick, I absolutely loved this one.  I have always been a Matt Cain fan and defend his virtues to those who pay too much attention to win/loss records.  He has been the victim of poor run support over the years, yet his talents often get overlooked.  After his great performance in the 2010 playoffs, he is ready to ascend to the next level in relative obscurity because his rotation mates Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner often get more attention.  Cain is my third starter behind Halladay and Wainwright.  Mikey likes this.

11th Round: Carlos Beltran-OF-NYM.  As a Mets’ fan, I always try and draft at least one Met (assuming he is somewhat competent and not named Luis Castillo).  Beltran is another risk-reward selection because this can go either way.  He is in a contract year, which bodes well here because the last time he played for a contract was 2004 when he put up monster numbers with Houston in the regular season and playoffs.  However, he is a major health risk after two partial seasons and microfracture surgery on his leg.  I think money talks and Beltran will seek to cash in.

12th Round: Brad Lidge-RP-PHI.  While Lidge is still waiting for Albert Pujols’ homerun from 2006 to land, he seems to have overcome whatever ailed him at the beginning of last year.  He is in a contract year as well and has the fortune of closing for a team with the best starting rotation in all of baseball.  While Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels are all capable of throwing a complete game on any given day, the reality is that complete games are few and far between.  Lidge should have plenty of chances to close games for a team primed to win 100 games.

13th Round: Ian Desmond-SS-WAS.  Desmond is an up and coming player now hitting in a relatively competent lineup that includes Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche.  If Desmond ends up hitting 2nd in the order, he has a legitimate chance to score 100 runs.  His bat is known to possess talent, but he must demonstrate he can play shortstop consistently enough to stay in the lineup.  I was pleased to get someone with his upside down here in the 13th round.

14th Round: Nick Swisher-OF-NYY.  If giving peppy interviews was a category, Swish-a-licious would be a first round pick.  But it is not so he is a 14th round pick.  Swisher provides some good power numbers for my 3rd outfielder, and hitting in the Yankees’ lineup should see him attain similar numbers this year as well.  He has never been known for his batting average, so that may slip back down to the .250 – .260 range.  But I expect another 25 homeruns and 85 RBI along with 100 runs scored if he bats second in the order.

15th Round: Tim Hudson-SP-ATL.  My satisfaction with pitching selections continued as I happily grabbed Hudson down in the 15th round.  After being two full years past major arm surgery, Hudson proved that he is back to his old self again.  He doesn’t strikeout a lot of batters, but he is good for at least 15 wins and an ERA around 3.00.  He is a reserve on my roster which indicates how deep my staff is.

16th Round: Casey McGehee-3B-MIL.  What I wrote above about Michael Young can be reiterated here with McGehee as a solid option for the second tier of third basemen.  McGehee benefits from hitting in a potent Brewers lineup which includes Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks.  He topped 100 RBI in 2010 and should have an opportunity to do it again.  He is just as qualified to start at 3B on my team, so getting him this far down in the draft was a pleasant surprise.

17th Round: Marco Scutaro-SS-BOS.  After being known as a backup with a good glove for most of his career, he has learned how to hit and provides production in real and fantasy baseball.  Hitting in the Red Sox explosive lineup should provide plenty of runs scored for Scutaro, and depending on where he bats in the lineup, he could knock in 70-75 RBI as well.  He is coming off a surgery, so I will keep an eye on how he recovers.

18th Round: John Buck-C-FLA.  I was very pleased to get Buck down in the 18th round.  I typically concede the catcher position in almost all of my leagues because they just aren’t worth a high round pick.  While Joe Mauer, Brian McCann and Victor Martinez are all good offensive players, their production and statistics do not warrant such high picks.  Buck should give me 15 homeruns and 65 RBI playing everyday for Florida.  Not bad for an 18th round pick.

19th Round: James Shields-SP-TB.  Big Game James took a big step backwards in 2010.  But with Matt Garza now gone, Shields has to step up his game again and be that dependable #2 pitcher behind David Price.  Shields has proven over the years that he can win 15 games and strikeout 200 batters.  I look for a rebound season from him because he is too talented to repeat what he did last year.  The only concern is that Tanpa Bay’s team has been gutted, so scoring enough runs and successfully closing out games in the bullpen could be problematic.

20th Round: Jason Kubel-OF-MIN.  For my last pick of the draft, I selected Jason Kubel, who looks like he may be the Twins’ full-time designated hitter if Jim Thome does not return.  Kubel is a power threat who can hit for decent average when he is being selective at the plate.  Hitting in the spacious Target Field will probably continue to decrease his homerun totals compared to when he played in the Metrodome, but he should produce 20-25 dingers hitting behind the M&M boys (Mauer and Morneau).

So that is my team.  Overall I am pleased with the team I drafted.  I shouldn’t have drafted Carlos Pena where I did, but other than that, I don’t think I would undo anything else.  Thanks again to Ryan Hallam and Jeff Mans from Fantasy Alarm for hosting this expert mock draft.  Thanks also to my fellow team owners who drafted.

Let me know what you think of my team.  Shoot me an email at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com, comment on Fantasy Judgment’s Facebook page (http://goo.gl/xF0pt), comment down below on the blog, or tweet me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FantasyJudgment.

Court is in Session at The Hardball Times

Recently I was selected to become a contributing writer on the prestigious baseball website called The Hardball Times (www.hardballtimes.com).  The Hardball Times is a terrific site for all things that are baseball, including commentary, analysis and research.  The site covers all arenas of the game from history to the present day, as well as individuals teams, players, and fantasy baseball information.  I will be authoring a bi-weekly column on behalf of Fantasy Judgment (www.fantasyjudgment.com) where I will provide commentary and analysis on various issues and disputes that commonly plague fantasy baseball leagues.  I will post some decisions rendered by Fantasy Judgment, as well as provide hypothetical scenarios that will hopefully spur some debate and conversation. 

The Hardball Times has some very talented writers and baseball people, so I am extremely proud to be joining their ranks.  This will also provide Fantasy Judgment some additional exposure to a sophisticated baseball audience and passionate fantasy baseball players.  My debut article where I introduce myself and explain the function of Fantasy Judgment can be viewed at http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/court-is-now-in-session-to-resolve-your-fantasy-baseball-disputes/.  Please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email if you have any thoughts on where I am going with this new column which will likely be titled “The Verdict.”

Passing Judgment – Fantasy Football in Real Court

There is no dispute that the worlds of professional football and fantasy football are now intertwined in many respects.  We know that NFL players themselves participate in fantasy leagues.  The NFL’s own website has its own fantasy products and content (www.fantasy.nfl.com).  There are several television, radio and internet programs and shows dedicated to fantasy content, statistics, and advice.  And when a person wins a fantasy football league, one of the awards they may receive is a trophy symbolizing their victory – much like the prestigious Vince Lombardi Trophy awarded to the Super Bowl champion.  However, there is a fine line that cannot be crossed before the conglomerate known as the National Football League turns fantasy football fun into a legal reality.

Titlecraft, Inc., a company that manufactures fantasy football league trophies, sought a declaration from the NFL that its trophies do not infringe the NFL’s rights in the Lombardi Trophy.  The NFL subsequently filed a counterclaim against Titlecraft asserting claims of copyright and trademark infringement.  The Lombardi Trophy, designed and manufactured for the NFL by Tiffany & Co., is made of sterling silver and consists of a replica football sitting at a downward angle atop a three-sided base with concave sides, which get smaller as they rise.  See Titlecraft, Inc. v. National Football League (U.S.D.C. – Dist. of Minnesota, Civ. No. 10-758).  There is no dispute that the NFL holds a valid copyright registration for this trophy.

Titlecraft’s trophies are similar to the Lombardi Trophy in that they consist of a football sitting at a downward angle atop a based with three tapered sides.  Despite the fact that the sides of Titlecraft’s trophies are not concave and are made of wood rather than silver, the NFL issued a cease-and-desist letter to Titlecraft in August 2009 informing them that they were infriging the NFL’s rights in the Lombardi Trophy.  The NFL demanded that Titlecraft “stop selling its trophies and account for all profits it had derived from its allegedly infringing products.”  In response, Titlecraft denied any infringement and continued to sell its trophies.

The prestigious Vince Lombardi Trophy awarded to the winner of the Super Bowl.

A Titlecraft trophy awarded to the winner of a fantasy football league.

On March 11, 2010, Titlecraft brought an action against the NFL seeking a declaration that its trophies do not violate any intellectual property rights of the NFL with regard to the Lombardi Trophy.  The NFL then sought summary judgment regarding Titlecraft’s liability for copyright infringement.  In order to establish a claim for copyright infringement without direct evidence of copying, the NFL must demonstrate that (1) it owns a valid copyright to the Lombardi Trophy; (2) Titlecraft had access to the trophy; and (3) Titlecraft’s trophies are the Lombardi Trophy are substantially similar.  Because there was no dispute that the NFL owned a valid copyright or that Titlecraft had access to the trophy, the only issue remaining for the court to consider was substantial similarity.  The requisite criteria for substantial similarity is that the works be similar in both ideas and expression.

The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota easily concluded that Titlecraft’s trophies were substantially similar in idea to the Lombardi Trophy.  There was no disputing the physical similarities between the trophies, including the downward-angled footballs atop tapered bases, the scale of the footballs to the bases, the lack of any other football-related adornments, the direction of the laces on the footballs, and the smooth surfaces of the footballs.  Additionally, Titlecraft conceded that their trophies, much like the Lombardi Trophy, correlate to performance where they represent the highest achievement with regard to success.  As for substantial similarity in expression, the standard is whether the concept and feel of the works is similar when viewed from an ordinary person’s perspective when observing the works together.  The mere fact that there are differences between the works is irrelevant because the analysis hinges on their similarities.  The court strongly determined that “no ordinary observer could conclude that Titlecraft’s trophies have anything but the same concept and feel as the Lombardi Trophy.”  In fact, the court went on to state that Titlecraft’s trophies are “appropriations” of the Lombardi Trophy because they are so similar in “shape, size, aesthetics, and feel” when viewing them side by side. 

In the end, the court ruled in favor of the NFL granting their motion for partial summary judgment against Titlecraft.  What this means is that a conclusive finding of liability for copyright infringement has been determined by the court.  Now it is just a matter of how much the damages will be.  The case will likely get resolved within the next few months through alternative dispute resolution or with the assistance of the Magistrate Judge. 

So what can we take away from this case?  It is quite clear how protective the NFL is of its intellectual property and marks.  I personally can attest to this as well.  I negotiated a contract with the NFL to have Fantasy Judgment’s (www.fantasyjudgment.com) services offered on the NFL.com fantasy football website this past season.  Part of the contract included me agreeing not to use, promote or advertise any of the NFL’s marks or logos on my website or through any forum when discussing Fantasy Judgment’s affiliation.  I exchanged several emails with the NFL’s legal team so that I completely understood what I was allowed to do in regard to advertising and promoting this partnership.  It was explained to me that there is significant value in the NFL’s marks, and they do not allow anyone to prosper from using these marks without appropriate compensation.  It actually does make a lot of sense.  While I can state on my website that Fantasy Judgment and the NFL have an agreement, I could not put the NFL logo or any other mark on the website along with that statement.  In the current case, the NFL has a protected proprietary interest in the Lombardi Trophy.  Any attempt to capitalize off of that intellectual property interest without just compensation is prohibited by the NFL and punishable by the courts.  The reality is that the NFL was not necessarily harmed by Titlecraft’s use of the Lombardi Trophy as the basis for their products.  The NFL is not in competition with Titlecraft selling replica trophies to fantasy football leagues.  It all comes down to money.  The NFL rightfully does not want anyone else to profit or gain off the use of its intellectual property.  The moral of the story is – don’t mess with the NFL. 

The fantasy sports industry has been continually growing over the last 20 years.  Now firmly entrenched online, the industry has reached new heights and has even been relatively insulated from the economic problems facing the United States and the rest of the world.  There are so many different niches within the fantasy sports universe, and this has promoted several entrepreneurs to capitalize on a thriving market.  One of these markets is the fantasy sports trophy business.  There clearly is a need and desire for such a product because people who play fantasy sports want to feel that sense of accomplishment when achieving victory.  What better way to do that then provide a trophy – especially one similar to the actual NFL championship trophy?  But again, there is a fine line between fantasy and reality.  Titlecraft crossed that line, and it is going to cost them an unspecified amount of money (and perhaps more) for trying to replicate the NFL experience in the fantasy universe. 

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this issue.  Leave a comment, drop me an email at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com, write on Fantasy Judgment’s wall on Facebook, or find me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FantasyJudgment and send a tweet.

Ringing Endorsement

When running a business and providing a service to clients, there is nothing better than receiving an unsolicited compliment and gracious appreciation from one of those paying customers.  That is exactly what happened this morning as I received an email from the Commissioner of a fantasy football league that retained Fantasy Judgment to provide dispute resolution services for the entire season.  The Commissioner of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen sent me the following note:

Your Honor,

On behalf of The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I would like to express our appreciation for the excellent service that you provided to our league this season. We are commending you, not only on the concept of a fantasy judgement service, but on your implementation of it as well. Your quick and fair responses to each of our disputes made the season go more smoothly and helped to make it more enjoyable for everyone involved. There were many instances where just knowing that there was an option available to “send it to the judge” was enough to eliminate a problem before it even began. Based on some of your rulings and recommendations, we are tweaking our rules to eliminate future disputes and misunderstandings between our league members. Again, thank you for your part in making 2010 the best season yet for The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen! Please let me know when we can renew for next season.

Thank you,

The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen

This email could not have been more appreciated, and I made sure to write him back and express my thanks for him taking the time to drop me this note.  I just thought I would share this feel-good story because things like this do not happen often – and that in and of itself is unfortunate.  Thank you to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for your kind words, and the Court looks forward to resolving more cases for you in the future.