The New Trend, "Invite Only" Leagues

Goody · 02-05-2003, 08:58 PM

C'mon guys, what is this, a country club?

I consider this one of the greatest communities associated with an online game or company. But what made it great, the sense of community...is slowly going down the wrong road.

Well...I'm not impressed with this "Good ol' boy's club" business in the least. So don't expect me to be quiet about it. Not everyone discovered this game early on, and more will discover it when #5 comes out. Let's not portray ourselves as an elitist community that doesn't welcome newbies....and give everyone a fair chance.

Invite only.

Why even post the league on the general OOTP game board if you have your own "better" network?

woody5254 · 02-05-2003, 09:28 PM

Which league was invite only?

holyroller · 02-05-2003, 09:39 PM

I agree completely. Personaly, I find the whole idead of "elite" leagues and trolling for vultures to be absolutely disgusting.

darkhorse · 02-05-2003, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by holyroller
I agree completely. Personaly, I find the whole idead of "elite" leagues and trolling for vultures to be absolutely disgusting.

Personally, I find people who can't spell personally, personally offensive.

holyroller · 02-05-2003, 10:20 PM

Sounds like a personal matter.

billycola · 02-05-2003, 10:55 PM

Don't get personal.

sixto · 02-05-2003, 11:06 PM

has anyone ever stopped to ask why the hell personally means personally?

darkhorse · 02-05-2003, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by holyroller
Sounds like a personal matter.

I have no idead why I do.

Killebrew · 02-05-2003, 11:50 PM

Is this really a trend? I hadn't seen references to this yet, but maybe that's cause I'm not invited

. Vultures and GM Asst's on the other hand are a great idea.

Aussie Mark · 02-06-2003, 12:00 AM

I can understand perfectly why some long running Commish's would start up an invite only league. They are probably sick of running great leagues only to find that 25% of their owner base turns over constantly because of deadbeat owners. Considering the amount of time and effort that it takes to run a league, I won't blame any Commish who decides that he prefers to hand pick owners.

In fact, many leagues take this a step further, by having existing owners recommend potential owners, or have existing ownres vote on which waiting list members should be admitted to the league. I see nothing wrong with this. As an owner, I hate to see my enjoyment of a league ruined by some newbie AOL punk who keeps trying to trade me Rey Ordonez for A-Rod, doesn't understand how team finances work, and whose message board posts consist of variants on the theme of "dudes, my team rools", or "everyone on my team is available for trade, I'll be on AIM for the next hour before I start my homework if you want to talk trades".

If you've got a problem with invite only leagues, why don't you take it up with Steve and Markus, since the "official" OOTP league is also an invite only league.

Goody · 02-06-2003, 12:39 AM

The OOL is the only league that it seems appropriate to have an invite only policy.

UKSubs · 02-06-2003, 12:44 AM

There is obviously a place for elite and invite only leagues in the OOTP World. I think there are many people that prefer to play in leagues where they know the people and by far the easiest way to play in a league with people you know and like is to invite them. The only downside would be that there are new OOTP players everyday and I'm sure that some of them are great owners or will be great owners. Of course, if you close off your league to just people you know and the people they know, a league will get stale and perhaps someone who would be a great owner in an online league never becomes one because they never get to experience a good league. I would like to hope that most of the people who run very good leagues would take on a new owner who has never played in an online league and teach them what they need to know, so that they can get the experience each of us had when we found our first great league.

On a somewhat related topic, I was curious as to why people think Assistant GMs is a good idea? I think that most leagues have enough chaos that having more than one person per team just makes things harder rather than easier for all parties. But perhaps other people have different thoughts on this matter.

As to vultures, I think actively soliciting people to be a vulture is pompous, but they are a good idea if people see a league they like and want to be a part of it in any way they can.

Kurtis R. · 02-06-2003, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Portlander
The OOL is the only league that it seems appropriate to have an invite only policy.

Think about it Lloyd... your league is basically invite only too... my league is also...... someone wants to join your league.. and you don't like him....... poof... he doesn't get to join right??... that is a form of "invite only"... except you didn't invite.. you decline... same sh*t different pile.

As far as invite only leagues.... I don't see anything wrong with them. It's their right to open whatever kind of league they want to open.

my $0.02... not yours

Kurtis

EagleEye_0 · 02-06-2003, 12:50 AM

Well, considering many people have developed friendly relationships with each other in online leagues, why should an invite league be any different than someone inviting a group of 15 or 20 friends over to his house for a party or something.

And I dont see what could be wrong with vultures. Why not add someone who is already involved in the league to your owner list instead of some random person who applies.

Delgadodawg · 02-06-2003, 12:54 AM

I figure if someone spends all the time and effort that it takes to setup and commish an online league, he/she has the right to make it invite only. Why not try to get owners who you know will make your league successful and then if it is not full open it up to everyone else.

That is the route I would take if I were starting up a league.

statfreak · 02-06-2003, 01:02 AM

Just for the record, I have no problem with invite only leagues. I do have a problem with people trying to tell other what they can and cannot do with their league.

I also enjoyed the hypocrisy of the thread starter. Guess it's okay to have an invite only league as long as the right people are in it.

SanDiegoPadres19 · 02-06-2003, 01:07 AM

I agree with Aussie Mark on this issue. I also see Portlanders standpoints. Both make valid points. A little boring background on my self, which will all make sense in the end. I have been a co-commish in FDBL since about 2000. One of my duties was to get new GM's once old ones left or quit. This is not an easy task. Basically pimping your league on the .400 boards for all to see. I probably did this twice a month, each time trying something new. It wasn't easy, nor fun. After awhile i started up my own league and decided it was going to be "invite only" Partly because i did not want to deal with stupid GM's out there who have no clue what they are doing, they take on 15 leagues and don't give a rats ass about anybody on thier team. They leave guys on the DL for weeks on end, and ignore all IM's to trade. I didn't want those types of guys in my leagues. That is baiscally why i wanted invite only. I personally know every GM in my league, thru other leagues, and i trust each and every one of them.

Now, you make a valid point when you say you might be passing on a great GM, well for every one of those, there are 10 not so good GM's that i explained above.

As they say, to each his or her own.

LivnLegend · 02-06-2003, 01:11 AM

I agree with Kurtis in that most solid leagues out there are invite only. There are several leagues that are “first come, first served” and they often are coincidentally the ones advertising for owners every other week.

Some day the USBA might have an opening (hey, work with me here, it could happen

) and the person that takes over that team will not necessarily be the first person that sends me email. It will be someone who has expressed some interest already and seems like a person who would make a great addition. I will "invite" the person I see as the best fit for the league.
As Sean put it, a guy takes the time to start up the league, there is no reason why he should not be able to pick and choose who's in it, even if it is the "same old" owners that Commissioner is familiar with. I’m not saying it’s the best way, and not the only way, but I do not begrudge it.

Of course there is a possible downside if you are not open to adding "fresh" people to your league. When the USBA expanded by four teams, I added two GMs I was very familiar with and two who I have never shared a league with. After doing some cursory reference checks, the relatively "unknown" guys seemed like good fits and have worked out extremely well! Playing with new people is often refreshing and invigorating for a league.

Delgadodawg · 02-06-2003, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LivnLegend
Some day the USBA might have an opening

What!!!!!! You have to be kidding! I don't believe it

MannyTrillo · 02-06-2003, 02:21 AM

I think "invite only" can be a very bad idea. Most of leagues that I'm in benefit a lot from a few very active and enthusiastic owners. By and large, these owners do not tend to be the guys who are very well established and in tons of different leagues and whatnot. In fact, I would say just the opposite.

For my own part, one of the first leagues I joined (So'49) is the one I enjoy the most and remain the most loyal to. If I were to tragically lose the use of my arms or something, I think I'd drop my other leagues- but I'd peck out my lineups & articles for this one using my nose, and with a smile on my face. The rebuilder team I got is finally ready to contend, and I'm so excited about it I actually went shopping on-line for a 1953 White Sox cap the other day.

Part of the reason I enjoy this league so much is that the sense of excitement when you first find yourself in a really good league tends to sustain itself. Now that I've been playing on-line for going on a year, I really don't think I could get as absorbed in any league as much as I've gotten into this one (though of course that's not the only reason I like it).

So, sure there's a risk to taking on newcomers, and there's nothing wrong with screening your owners a bit or recruiting a few people you already know. But I think Portlander has a very good point... to which I would add that there's a sense of enthusiasm that is very important to any league, that you don't tend to find from the jaded-but-reliable OOTP veterans.

02-05-2003, 08:58 PM	#1
Goody Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: South Korea Posts: 3,530	The New Trend, "Invite Only" Leagues C'mon guys, what is this, a country club? I consider this one of the greatest communities associated with an online game or company. But what made it great, the sense of community...is slowly going down the wrong road. Well...I'm not impressed with this "Good ol' boy's club" business in the least. So don't expect me to be quiet about it. Not everyone discovered this game early on, and more will discover it when #5 comes out. Let's not portray ourselves as an elitist community that doesn't welcome newbies....and give everyone a fair chance. Invite only. Why even post the league on the general OOTP game board if you have your own "better" network? __________________ In the past: Laseron Baseball Association creator. Present: I am Rezulm on PT and OOTP Discord. Future: I wish it was the past.

02-05-2003, 09:28 PM	#2
woody5254 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hector, NY Posts: 6,130	Which league was invite only? __________________ Check out: You Pick Tourney Version 2.0 Standings Thread You Pick The Teams Tourney: Main Thread The Colossal 20th Century Tourney:Main Thread Chicago White Sox(Original Owner:2001-) Baseball Maelstrom -2001,2011,2013 World Series Champions -2002,2010 Maelstrom Tourney Champs Arizona Diamondbacks(2003-) NAHHBL Indianapolis Racers(Expansion Team:1993-)ABC

02-05-2003, 09:39 PM	#3
holyroller Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: OTBL Forums Posts: 3,532	I agree completely. Personaly, I find the whole idead of "elite" leagues and trolling for vultures to be absolutely disgusting. __________________ Back to work, but not drawing a paycheck. TonyJ et. al.'s alias “I confused it with the chicken’s neck,” Mocanu, who was admitted to the emergency hospital in Galati, was quoted as saying. “I cut it ... and the dog rushed and ate it.”

02-05-2003, 10:55 PM	#6
billycola Minors (Double A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: CA Posts: 171	Don't get personal. __________________ Bill Heckel Jr. NARBL-NL President/Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-90) 1985 NARBL Champs 1979, '83-84, '90 Wild Card 1981-82, '85-87 AL East Champs CIBA Houston Astros (1970-71) 1970 CIBA Champs CDL-AL Prez/Boston Red Sox (1969-01) 1973, '84, '00 AL Pennant 1971, '73, '76, '84-89, '98-00 AL East Champs NAHHBL-NL Prez/Chicago Cubs (1980-99) 1995 NL Pennant 1994-98 NL Central Champs UBL Boston Red Sox (1934-36) 1934-35 FL East Champs 1935 FL Pennant WLB Bogota Guerrillas (2014-15)

02-05-2003, 11:50 PM	#9
Killebrew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 3,326	Is this really a trend? I hadn't seen references to this yet, but maybe that's cause I'm not invited. Vultures and GM Asst's on the other hand are a great idea.

02-05-2003, 10:20 PM	#5
holyroller Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: OTBL Forums Posts: 3,532	Sounds like a personal matter. __________________ Back to work, but not drawing a paycheck. TonyJ et. al.'s alias “I confused it with the chicken’s neck,” Mocanu, who was admitted to the emergency hospital in Galati, was quoted as saying. “I cut it ... and the dog rushed and ate it.”

02-05-2003, 11:06 PM	#7
sixto Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,271	has anyone ever stopped to ask why the hell personally means personally?

02-06-2003, 12:00 AM	#10
Aussie Mark Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Downunder Posts: 489	I can understand perfectly why some long running Commish's would start up an invite only league. They are probably sick of running great leagues only to find that 25% of their owner base turns over constantly because of deadbeat owners. Considering the amount of time and effort that it takes to run a league, I won't blame any Commish who decides that he prefers to hand pick owners. In fact, many leagues take this a step further, by having existing owners recommend potential owners, or have existing ownres vote on which waiting list members should be admitted to the league. I see nothing wrong with this. As an owner, I hate to see my enjoyment of a league ruined by some newbie AOL punk who keeps trying to trade me Rey Ordonez for A-Rod, doesn't understand how team finances work, and whose message board posts consist of variants on the theme of "dudes, my team rools", or "everyone on my team is available for trade, I'll be on AIM for the next hour before I start my homework if you want to talk trades". If you've got a problem with invite only leagues, why don't you take it up with Steve and Markus, since the "official" OOTP league is also an invite only league. __________________ Cheers Mark

02-06-2003, 12:39 AM	#11
Goody Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: South Korea Posts: 3,530	The OOL is the only league that it seems appropriate to have an invite only policy. __________________ In the past: Laseron Baseball Association creator. Present: I am Rezulm on PT and OOTP Discord. Future: I wish it was the past.

02-06-2003, 12:44 AM	#12
UKSubs Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 272	There is obviously a place for elite and invite only leagues in the OOTP World. I think there are many people that prefer to play in leagues where they know the people and by far the easiest way to play in a league with people you know and like is to invite them. The only downside would be that there are new OOTP players everyday and I'm sure that some of them are great owners or will be great owners. Of course, if you close off your league to just people you know and the people they know, a league will get stale and perhaps someone who would be a great owner in an online league never becomes one because they never get to experience a good league. I would like to hope that most of the people who run very good leagues would take on a new owner who has never played in an online league and teach them what they need to know, so that they can get the experience each of us had when we found our first great league. On a somewhat related topic, I was curious as to why people think Assistant GMs is a good idea? I think that most leagues have enough chaos that having more than one person per team just makes things harder rather than easier for all parties. But perhaps other people have different thoughts on this matter. As to vultures, I think actively soliciting people to be a vulture is pompous, but they are a good idea if people see a league they like and want to be a part of it in any way they can. __________________ Counter Culture Baseball Commissioner/Houston Astros RANZBA Adelaide Crows

02-06-2003, 12:50 AM	#14
EagleEye_0 All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,426	Well, considering many people have developed friendly relationships with each other in online leagues, why should an invite league be any different than someone inviting a group of 15 or 20 friends over to his house for a party or something. And I dont see what could be wrong with vultures. Why not add someone who is already involved in the league to your owner list instead of some random person who applies.

02-06-2003, 12:54 AM	#15
Delgadodawg All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Vancouver Posts: 800	I figure if someone spends all the time and effort that it takes to setup and commish an online league, he/she has the right to make it invite only. Why not try to get owners who you know will make your league successful and then if it is not full open it up to everyone else. That is the route I would take if I were starting up a league.

02-06-2003, 01:02 AM	#16
statfreak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 2,434	Just for the record, I have no problem with invite only leagues. I do have a problem with people trying to tell other what they can and cannot do with their league. I also enjoyed the hypocrisy of the thread starter. Guess it's okay to have an invite only league as long as the right people are in it. __________________ Roll out the barrel!

02-06-2003, 01:07 AM	#17
SanDiegoPadres19 All Star Reserve Join Date: May 2002 Location: San Diego Posts: 937	I agree with Aussie Mark on this issue. I also see Portlanders standpoints. Both make valid points. A little boring background on my self, which will all make sense in the end. I have been a co-commish in FDBL since about 2000. One of my duties was to get new GM's once old ones left or quit. This is not an easy task. Basically pimping your league on the .400 boards for all to see. I probably did this twice a month, each time trying something new. It wasn't easy, nor fun. After awhile i started up my own league and decided it was going to be "invite only" Partly because i did not want to deal with stupid GM's out there who have no clue what they are doing, they take on 15 leagues and don't give a rats ass about anybody on thier team. They leave guys on the DL for weeks on end, and ignore all IM's to trade. I didn't want those types of guys in my leagues. That is baiscally why i wanted invite only. I personally know every GM in my league, thru other leagues, and i trust each and every one of them. Now, you make a valid point when you say you might be passing on a great GM, well for every one of those, there are 10 not so good GM's that i explained above. As they say, to each his or her own. __________________ Classic Jerry Colmanisms "Montreal leads Atlanta by three, 5-1." "They throw Winfield out at second, but he's safe." (As Matt Williams took a curtain call after hitting a home run) "Barry Bonds gets a standing ovation as he digs in." (Following the second out) ".. and the Padres win the National League Wes... oh, just got a little exicted." ************** Internet Sim Baseball League, Lo$ Angele$ Dodger$ ISBL Fictional Blog

02-06-2003, 01:11 AM	#18
LivnLegend Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: 100% pure adrenaline! Posts: 5,624	I agree with Kurtis in that most solid leagues out there are invite only. There are several leagues that are “first come, first served” and they often are coincidentally the ones advertising for owners every other week. Some day the USBA might have an opening (hey, work with me here, it could happen ) and the person that takes over that team will not necessarily be the first person that sends me email. It will be someone who has expressed some interest already and seems like a person who would make a great addition. I will "invite" the person I see as the best fit for the league. As Sean put it, a guy takes the time to start up the league, there is no reason why he should not be able to pick and choose who's in it, even if it is the "same old" owners that Commissioner is familiar with. I’m not saying it’s the best way, and not the only way, but I do not begrudge it. Of course there is a possible downside if you are not open to adding "fresh" people to your league. When the USBA expanded by four teams, I added two GMs I was very familiar with and two who I have never shared a league with. After doing some cursory reference checks, the relatively "unknown" guys seemed like good fits and have worked out extremely well! Playing with new people is often refreshing and invigorating for a league. __________________ Excess ain't rebellion. You're drinking what they're selling.

02-06-2003, 02:21 AM	#20
MannyTrillo All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 664	I think "invite only" can be a very bad idea. Most of leagues that I'm in benefit a lot from a few very active and enthusiastic owners. By and large, these owners do not tend to be the guys who are very well established and in tons of different leagues and whatnot. In fact, I would say just the opposite. For my own part, one of the first leagues I joined (So'49) is the one I enjoy the most and remain the most loyal to. If I were to tragically lose the use of my arms or something, I think I'd drop my other leagues- but I'd peck out my lineups & articles for this one using my nose, and with a smile on my face. The rebuilder team I got is finally ready to contend, and I'm so excited about it I actually went shopping on-line for a 1953 White Sox cap the other day. Part of the reason I enjoy this league so much is that the sense of excitement when you first find yourself in a really good league tends to sustain itself. Now that I've been playing on-line for going on a year, I really don't think I could get as absorbed in any league as much as I've gotten into this one (though of course that's not the only reason I like it). So, sure there's a risk to taking on newcomers, and there's nothing wrong with screening your owners a bit or recruiting a few people you already know. But I think Portlander has a very good point... to which I would add that there's a sense of enthusiasm that is very important to any league, that you don't tend to find from the jaded-but-reliable OOTP veterans. __________________ Poster emeritus "Not butchery, dining!!" obt sk cmh ct President, A-1 Aces OT Posting Club Click here to join