First, a Happy New Year to all. I hope each of you have something good to anticipate in 2018. If not at the moment, maybe you will. In 2017, My wife and I got a new son-in-law, our first grandchild, and our first trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It will be hard to top that.
Forum Decorum
First, a word about the forums. One of our coaches recently apologized to me privately for an outburst in the league forums. I explained to him that I am sincerely attempting to build a culture in the USFL/WFL of both keen competition and a healthy user experience. They don't need to be mutually exclusive.We haven't had any real problems in that area. I hope it continues. Part of my vetting process for new owners is to check their posts in the community and league forums. I have already rejected two applicants because of posts that were way out of line, including calling other coaches "stupid" or comments in a similar vein. Let's all remember to always count to 10 before we hit "submit."
Also, we have two owners for whom English is not their first language. UKRAIN is from Ukraine, AlexanDragon from Quebec.
Null and Void
The league's trade committee, for the first time since the USFL/WFL officially kicked off, voided a trade this week. It was a tough call for everyone who voted. The reason I insisted on a trade committee was the rampant "bad" trades I was seeing in the public leagues and how it was negatively affecting many inexperienced coaches and struggling franchises. The committee was put in place primarily to deal with extreme examples of trade imbalance or negative long-term implications, part of the reason this has happened only once in 2.5 seasons.Those who have been with us since Day One, however, will recall we actually did have a trade voided before the USFL/WFL had even officially begun. Former Tampa Bay coach Campton sent two first-round picks and a second-rounder to New York for a defensive back. When the trade was voided for its long-term implications, Campton said he was simply taking a new approach and that the rest of the league "needed to have faith" in his "process."
Booger926 made this prophetic comment at the time: "If he stays around to see the future of his bad deal, then yes. If he bolts before, then NO and sets the precedent for the rest of the league."
And ToroTex added this: "Agreed. There is no way to ensure (enforce) a long term commitment from any owner. If there is a departure after what is viewed as a "bad" transaction, those that are committed to stay will be negatively affected from the choices made by the departed. The well-being and long term stability of the league is more important than any owner."
The three picks in this deal? They turned out to be FS David Oxford (75/78), RB James Connelly (77/82) and WR Lee Rice (89/96).
Of course, Campton didn't stick around. He joined other leagues that let him trade away everything as soon as he showed up. And what of Campton's "process?" The term "scorched earth" comes to mind.
He took over eight teams--and has abandoned them all, seven after just one season. His combined career record was 55-89. The teams he left behind have gone a combined 54-106 since he departed.
