This is an open message to all WANNABE Sports Members (current AND prospective)
-- Welcome to the HOME of WANNABE Sports' Online Fantasy Sports -- Providing franchise-style
fantasy sports entertainment with quality Seasonal and Keeper Fantasy Football Leagues and
Fantasy Baseball Leagues to individuals and pre-formed leagues. Even FREE Seasonal Leagues.
This IS a company by strict definition. It is NOT a faceless, soulless corporate entity, though. Rather, WANNABE Sports IS the individual you have or will come to know as the Commissioner. Just the one guy. No one else. There are no other employees or officers, etc. No one else involved other than you, the members. Your job is to participate honestly and enjoy the competition. Everything else that transpires is performed by, and at the discretion of, one individual within the boundaries provided by common sense (and where necessary, the law). WANNABE Sports offers Fantasy Sports in the form of 'FREE' Seasonal Franchise Leagues supported by advertising and user donations ...and... low-cost, user-supported Seasonal and Keeper Franchise Leagues with additional features and WANNABE Points where applicable. Small Leagues in the franchise format, intimate competition, and decent odds where luck's involved. No profit has been withdrawn from the company. To date, ALL funds collected have been reinvested into continuing operation and improvements. (Anyone thinking I'm in this to get rich needs to know there's probably a better chance of wealth in a state lottery. --and I DON'T buy lottery tickets because I don't like the odds-- But that really isn't the idea. Some return of the vast investment in time and resources some point in the future would be welcomed but it is NOT the motivation for WANNABE Sports' existence.)
WANNABE Sports does not promote million dollar contests with odds similar to the aforementioned state lotteries. It's just here to provide a fun hobby in an intimate, competitive, easily accessible environment. Many sports enthusiasts enjoy WANNABE Sports once exposed to it. I also believe any honest individual who wants to compete should be able to play. When I first wanted to play, there wasn't anywhere to go and I had to start my own League just to play. Then I found the advantages of first computers and later the internet in running fantasy leagues. When I realized I could do the same for others and combine two things I was very interested in (computers and fantasy sports) it seemed the natural course to follow.
I chose the franchise format for the original League because it is well suited to friendly competition. Fun, competition, friendship, and above all fairness are ingredients intended as the basic make-up of WANNABE Sports. The franchise method of fantasy sports administered by an honest, reputable source provides these ingredients to the largest possible audience through the internet. Other on- and off-line services may provide similar offerings. But in most every case, the motivation for their existence is MONEY, not the game. Sample WANNABE Sports' Fantasy Leagues yourself and form your own opinion.
I feel strongly that it is important to offer 'FREE' Leagues with a small Champion's award when possible. Not because I expect to make money, but to provide an opportunity to play franchise fantasy sports to the largest possible audience. So, I operate as many 'FREE' Leagues as I can and try to supplement the cost of providing them with the annoying banner and pop-under advertisements everyone is subjected to when viewing FREE League pages. Small donations from satisfied participants also help to cover expenses.
The advertising model alone just doesn't provide sufficient funds to cover the costs. Advertising was originally incorporated into the site to keep the Leagues FREE. Advertising income diminished with the overall tech industry decline. But FREE Leagues have remained. And advertising is still used as a supplement even though the methods employed by some advertisers is less than desirable. Pop-ups are avoided, but pop-UNDERS and larger banners are necessary. Some income is a neccessity with benefit of continued operation as the only asset. Of course, no one wants to be inundated with offers for items and services they have no interest in anyway. After all, you come to WANNABE Sports to manage your fantasy team(s). Not to browse through a mall. If members voluntarily support the service, perhaps there's a better way...
But there will always be a minimal cost involved that adds up over time and with increased capacity requirements. So, the current plan is to keep offering the Leagues for 'FREE' but to solicit your donations and trim services or increase advertising as necessary. The advertised FREE Leagues remain Free to join by any and all. The advertisements will continue and members will occasionally see requests to donate any amount from $1 on up.
Of course, there is still only one team allowed per person in any single League. I make every effort to keep it fair. But there is no longer any restriction on owning teams in OTHER Leagues of the same sport. (Example: One person can have only one team in the Silver-A League but could also have one team in the Silver-C and another one in the Silver-S and so on.)
So, what do you think? Is it worth a buck or two, maybe $5 to play in WANNABE Sports 'FREE' Fantasy Leagues? It seems like a small price for the service rendered but if you don't think so, it is still FREE. And new people need not donate right away. Play awhile and see for yourself if it's worth a donation or not. It's better than a money-back guarantee. If you don't like it, you never paid in the first place. When you do pay, you already know what you're getting. And if you don't want to pay, YOU CAN STILL PLAY. There just aren't many deals more fair than that. However, those that do see the value and have the means can help insure WANNABE Sports continues to offer the same and even better fantasy sports for many seasons to come.
It really comes down to your support. If you think it's worthwhile, we can reduce advertising to nil with minimal expense on the part of any one individual. But if the participants overwhelmingly indicate the service is not worth consideration of minimal financial support, perhaps it shouldn't waste the bandwidth. I encourage responses to the Commissioner with your opinions or send your donation today by check or credit card through PayPal or wrap a dollar or two in a sheet of paper and send it postal mail.
Many participants complimented the FREE Leagues and a few members commented they preferred a few added features but didn't mind a small fee. Hence the creation of a modified FREE League at only a few dollars per team per season known as Plus Leagues. These Leagues are based on their FREE predecessors while including added features and better rewards and are NOW FREE!!.
Of course, as in all WANNABE Sports Leagues, only one team is allowed per person in any single League. We have to make an effort to keep it fair. But there is no restriction on owning teams in OTHER Plus Leagues (or Free or Keeper Leagues) in the same sport. (Example: One person can have only one team in the S*Plus-A League but could also have one team in the S*Plus-C and another one in the Silver-S, one in the Gold Kappa League and so on.)
So, what do you think? Looking for something a little more involved?
Keeper refers to the ongoing nature of these Leagues as teams (franchises) save (or keep) players from one season into the next. Only a few players are saved preserving the draft each season for a mix of carry-over and new players to enhance the management experience.
These Leagues provide not only the challenge of head-to-head competition but an added challenge of trying to compete for free or at a reduced cost. A franchise fee is required each season but can be offset by WANNABE Points which are won througout the season and explained in more detail below and on the WANNABE Points page.
Keeper Leagues include additional features not found in 'FREE' Leagues. Increased numbers of waivers and trades (transactions) conducted in a more Major League fashion. League bulletin boards specific to each League. The keeper aspect itself, allows the saving of players from one season to the next. Injured reserve provides for additional management options as do specific features of Keeper Leagues in each sport. A LIVE, real-time, on-line draft each season (ex. info). Dedicated web page for EACH team and the ability to supply your own unique logo for your team. Some sports have even more features such as emergency waivers in Gold Football Leagues. There's no question, Keeper Leagues are loaded with features and well worth the extremely inexpensive franchise fee.
Keeper Leagues are actually intended for the fantasy sports enthusiast. The first-timer or curious seeker may find the 'FREE' or Seasonal Leagues a more suitable first experience. The keeper aspect implies ownership for more than a single season. Of course, owners are free to quit at any time. But the concept is more like joining a club with yearly dues. The dues being the franchise fees. Anyone is welcome, but a small comittment to more than a passing interest is appreciated.
c. WANNABE
Points are redeemable for franchise fees and redeemable for prizes in the WANNABE Store. The WANNABE Store is very modestly stocked with a small assortment of sports memorabilia and WANNABE paraphenalia (t-shirts, etc.) Only rarely do the offered items change with the idea that most winners will use WANNABE Points to offset future franchise fees. However, it is possible for a big winner to accumulate more Points than necessary for that task and, therefore, a small alternative is provided. Another outlet for reedeming excess Points. (Remember, one guy does everything around here. So, don't raise the bar too high before you take a look.) WANNABE Store
WANNABE Points are earned by a Keeper League team scoring in the top 3 each week and for winning play-off and Championship games. Number of Points awarded varies in the different sports. This difference is necessary due to variables among the sports, namely length of season, number of teams per league, and franchise fees. All Keeper Leagues return to the winners roughly %50 of the franchise fee income in WANNABE Points while the rest is used to support ongoing operations. (Just more evidence to support above claims about the vacant likelyhood of your Commissioner getting rich... -from this, anyway-)
WANNABE Points are also offered in small quantities as awards to Champions in some Seasonal Leagues. The Champion of each Seasonal League is usually offered a WANNABE T-shirt and WANNABE Points (options may change). The distribution of WANNABE Points in Seasonal Leagues is a way to win your way up, so-to-speak, and graduate from the minors to the majors (that's the way someone once described it to me). WANNABE Points may also be given away in FREE Leagues or other WANNABE sponsored contests or events. However, WANNABE Points have no value outside WANNABE Sports (zero, zilch, nil, nada, none what-so-ever... get it?). And they CANNOT be transfered or traded from one individual to another. Accounting for all Points is electronically computed and stored online with all access to account balances provided online. Passwords are needed to view more than seasonal accumulations.
There is NO HIGHER PRIORITY THAN FAIR PLAY at WANNABE Sports. Sometimes fair is a judgement but at WANNABE Sports judgements are made with total impartiality. Efforts are made to keep individuals honest and prevent owning of multiple teams in a single League. Collusion is also watched for even when ownership is not in question. Transactions that even border on unfair are questioned by the Commissioner (and turned down if not adequately explained.) Some have actually responded with incredulity that anyone would dare interfere. But I do if it seems necessary (AND ONLY if it seems necessary - and then with full disclosure and efforts to insure fairness, not just my opinion). Some people understand and appreciate efforts to maintain high standards of competition. Others just play elsewhere.
You may find communications with the Commissioner, me, short and, hopefully, to the point. There is no effort to try to make friends or encourage relationships quite simply because the Commissioner WILL remain impartial. I often wish most everyone good luck in off-handed closings. But that's all you will get. When it comes to judgements on my part, you are referenced as a number. And numbers are unique to each event. I'm only human. The more I can remove even the possibility of impartiality, I do. Fair... it's got to be fair.
To this end (maintaining Fair Play), your help is also important. As the number of Leagues continues to grow, my ability to manually review every possible detail becomes severely limited. But your attention is more concentrated in one or just a few Leagues. When you see something questionable, WANNABE Sports wants you to make it known to the Commissioner. Don't expect merely questionable circumstances to result in action. But all advisements will be investigated and if collusion of any sort has occurred, the source(s) will be removed. Each member DESERVES the right to compete in a FAIR environment.
