[Dogberry99]

Originally Posted by Ty Cobb

Theme teams are a red herring. They aren't being addressed. Throwing games is. It's appalling that you don't see the ethical problems this presents.

1. You give your promise to abide by the TOS when you play. Theme teams are. They aren't purposefully losing. There is an enormous difference between not winning and losing on purpose.

2. What about the 1-2 guys who miss a WC spot because of this tanking? What says you to them?

3. What about the 29 guys in the lower league that these two will land on next season being deprived of a fair chance?

In the end, either your word means something, or it doesn't. If it doesn't, what does it say about you...or our community at large? I'd like to think we're better than that.

1) The devs themselves have stated that there are certain permissible actions that are in direct violation of their own TOS. They are on record as saying that tanking is allowed when certain parameters are met. They have not gone on to specify those parameters. Demanding strict adherence to the TOS when the Dev Team itself does not behave in this manner is also a red herring.

2) Sometimes you're the Rays facing the Red Sox and the Yankees. Sometimes you're the AL West when the Astros decide to lose all the games to go get better draft picks. Sometimes you have 4 90 Win teams in your Perfect League Division. Sometimes you have none better than .500. If this is an issue that needs to be addressed, it is 100% separate from tanking. Do not conflate the two.

3) The 29 players in the lower league are already forced to deal with more competitive players. This is no different from whales purchasing super teams while in the Entry League. The promotion/relegation system will move teams as appropriate, including teams that actively improve their lineups and those that sell off cards. If this is an issue that needs to be addressed, it is 100% separate from tanking. Do not conflate the two.


The bottom line is that too many people are so worried about their game that they are trying to control other people's teams. Intervention should only occur when there is a clear rules violation, and unfortunately we do not have clear rules to know where those boundaries exist. Until such time as we receive better guidance, we need to lay off one another except in clear and obvious instances of obvious manipulation of competitive balance. Playing quality cards is not such a manipulation, whether or not you own better cards.

I owe you the freedom to play your game your way. You owe me the same.