Any interest in an "agent-run" league?

Moriarty9 · 11-16-2007, 06:24 PM

I've long toyed with the idea but haven't found the right combination of interest and circumstances to make this happen as of yet, but I was curious what OOTPers thought about joining a modern, real roster league in which the commish does not run a team but he (and ideally another non-team owner) does serve as the agent for the players.

Basically, the owners of the league would operate their teams as they normally do but rather than dealing with the AI for contract negotiations, all deals would be handled by the league's player agents (the commish and possibly another co-commish or other type of league official who has no interest in any team in the league). Owners would contact the agent regarding contract extensions, free agent signings, etc. -- and in some cases the agent would contact owners about those same things. The contract negotiations would include all that the game encompasses but would involved actual back and forth and, ideally, a better experience for those involved.

What, if any, kind of interest do you guys have in this sort of league?

darkcloud4579 · 11-16-2007, 09:41 PM

So long as the owners were active, it could be interesting....I think it could get stale in bad FA years. It would be more interesting to have an owner/GM type setup...

edddgar · 11-20-2007, 08:23 PM

I think that given the man power, this could be an awesome idea for a league. If there would be enough people interested, I think you could run a smaller league like this, but you'd be hard pressed to run a full 32 team league efficiently. If there would be a good enough starting ground, I'd be interested in at least pursuing the idea.

hays23 · 11-30-2007, 09:39 AM

If you are really curious as to how this actually works you should check out http://www.tmbu2.com.

We are an ootp 6.5 league that started with ootp5. We are about to start out 22nd season. The league formed in December of 2003, so we've been going for almost four years now.

Since the league's inception every contract extension and all free agent talks went through a 'player agent'. The player agent has never controlled a team. We have been through several player agents over the years because it can be a thankless job at times. It takes a person with thick skin who is able to take criticism with a grain of salt. Extension talks can be particulary heated when an owner and the agent differ greatly on the value of the player. Still that adds a fun element to the league and makes it tougher to maintain a solid major league roster for long periods of time.

We recently added a restricted free agency element that uses the in-game engine, but there is discussion about changing the rules a bit.

We have a fairly low turnover rate. We currently have seven original owners of 24 teams. We also have four or five guys who have been with their teams for nearly 20 seasons, and a handful of others who have been around for 10+. That said, there is an occasional opening. If you have the heart for a fictional, talent only, writing league this would be the one for you.

fhomess · 12-03-2007, 06:42 PM

I did this for the NABA for several years.

View Poll Results: What is your interest?
Where do I sign up?	3	30.00%
What a stupid idea!	4	40.00%
I may be interested but I need more details...	3	30.00%
Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll

11-16-2007, 06:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
Moriarty9 Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 318	Any interest in an "agent-run" league? I've long toyed with the idea but haven't found the right combination of interest and circumstances to make this happen as of yet, but I was curious what OOTPers thought about joining a modern, real roster league in which the commish does not run a team but he (and ideally another non-team owner) does serve as the agent for the players. Basically, the owners of the league would operate their teams as they normally do but rather than dealing with the AI for contract negotiations, all deals would be handled by the league's player agents (the commish and possibly another co-commish or other type of league official who has no interest in any team in the league). Owners would contact the agent regarding contract extensions, free agent signings, etc. -- and in some cases the agent would contact owners about those same things. The contract negotiations would include all that the game encompasses but would involved actual back and forth and, ideally, a better experience for those involved. What, if any, kind of interest do you guys have in this sort of league?

11-16-2007, 09:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: All over the place.. Posts: 4,592	So long as the owners were active, it could be interesting....I think it could get stale in bad FA years. It would be more interesting to have an owner/GM type setup... __________________ Omnivore rankR, my computer football ranking Front Office Offseason League (OOTP): St. Louis Terriers (1961-present) FOBL: Bantam Originals Baseball Club (2028-present) MarketCalc9, a market size mod for OOTP9 \| Older versions of MarketCalc

11-30-2007, 09:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
hays23 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 101	If you are really curious as to how this actually works you should check out http://www.tmbu2.com. We are an ootp 6.5 league that started with ootp5. We are about to start out 22nd season. The league formed in December of 2003, so we've been going for almost four years now. Since the league's inception every contract extension and all free agent talks went through a 'player agent'. The player agent has never controlled a team. We have been through several player agents over the years because it can be a thankless job at times. It takes a person with thick skin who is able to take criticism with a grain of salt. Extension talks can be particulary heated when an owner and the agent differ greatly on the value of the player. Still that adds a fun element to the league and makes it tougher to maintain a solid major league roster for long periods of time. We recently added a restricted free agency element that uses the in-game engine, but there is discussion about changing the rules a bit. We have a fairly low turnover rate. We currently have seven original owners of 24 teams. We also have four or five guys who have been with their teams for nearly 20 seasons, and a handful of others who have been around for 10+. That said, there is an occasional opening. If you have the heart for a fictional, talent only, writing league this would be the one for you. __________________ Clint Hays TMBU Georgia Rebels GM Last edited by hays23 : 11-30-2007 at 10:14 AM.

12-03-2007, 06:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
fhomess All Star Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,742	I did this for the NABA for several years. __________________ PBRL - New York Yankees - 1921 American League Champs - 1919, 1923, 1924 PBRL Champs TWB - Cleveland Indians - 1974, 1977 AL East Champs - 1965, 1981 TWB Champs You Pick Tourney - Champions (1940 New York Yankees)

11-20-2007, 08:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
edddgar Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 189	I think that given the man power, this could be an awesome idea for a league. If there would be enough people interested, I think you could run a smaller league like this, but you'd be hard pressed to run a full 32 team league efficiently. If there would be a good enough starting ground, I'd be interested in at least pursuing the idea.

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