Ending the League
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2024 6:04 pm
At some point, we're going to run out of "real" rookie classes as our clock "catches up" to real life. Rather than wonder what we're going to do when we get there, I'm going to propose we have the end goal in mind.
OPTION 1: Fictional Players
This would be what we did with the PBSL when we "caught up" to real life... we start introducting fictional players.
PROS: The league is able to continue past the "current season" and we don't have to figure out an "end." Also, "young" players at the end of the league get to see their whole careers play out.
CONS: People tend to lose interest when we shift to fictional players. Having no "end goal" in mind means the league activity peters out. Knowing when the "End Date" comes means that teams that are out of the running in the last couple of seasons give up and you get lopsided trades, quitting, etc.
OPTION 2: Pre-determined Ending Season into a Reset
A pre-determined season (e.g., 2020) is designated as the final season "prior to reset" in advance. In order to encourage people to compete to the end, some sort of priority in the "Reset" process is awarded based on performance. Specific suggestion here would be that the order of finish in the final season prior to the reset determines the order in which you select your team - not your creation draft position - upon reset (League Champion gets the first "Team Selection" so the league champion in the final pre-reset season gets to select their Team in the "Reset Season" even if that team already has an active owner; the other Finals Team gets the second pick, everyone else picks in order of record, so the owner of the team that finished the final pre-reset season gets last choice in Team Selection in the new league... i.e., they have to manage whichever team nobody else wants). This gives a "pride factor" of something to compete for, but gives no real advantage in the new league post-reset.
PROS: We have a plan for when to reset.
CONS: "Young" current players don't get to play out their whole careers. Having a definitive end season means draft picks past that season can't be traded, which means player movement late in the league will be difficult. Also, teams may choose to rack up huge luxury tax bills if they know those will reset. All of this means the last few seasons of the league are probably going to be a little warped.
OPTION 1: Fictional Players
This would be what we did with the PBSL when we "caught up" to real life... we start introducting fictional players.
PROS: The league is able to continue past the "current season" and we don't have to figure out an "end." Also, "young" players at the end of the league get to see their whole careers play out.
CONS: People tend to lose interest when we shift to fictional players. Having no "end goal" in mind means the league activity peters out. Knowing when the "End Date" comes means that teams that are out of the running in the last couple of seasons give up and you get lopsided trades, quitting, etc.
OPTION 2: Pre-determined Ending Season into a Reset
A pre-determined season (e.g., 2020) is designated as the final season "prior to reset" in advance. In order to encourage people to compete to the end, some sort of priority in the "Reset" process is awarded based on performance. Specific suggestion here would be that the order of finish in the final season prior to the reset determines the order in which you select your team - not your creation draft position - upon reset (League Champion gets the first "Team Selection" so the league champion in the final pre-reset season gets to select their Team in the "Reset Season" even if that team already has an active owner; the other Finals Team gets the second pick, everyone else picks in order of record, so the owner of the team that finished the final pre-reset season gets last choice in Team Selection in the new league... i.e., they have to manage whichever team nobody else wants). This gives a "pride factor" of something to compete for, but gives no real advantage in the new league post-reset.
PROS: We have a plan for when to reset.
CONS: "Young" current players don't get to play out their whole careers. Having a definitive end season means draft picks past that season can't be traded, which means player movement late in the league will be difficult. Also, teams may choose to rack up huge luxury tax bills if they know those will reset. All of this means the last few seasons of the league are probably going to be a little warped.
