Die Macht » The art of negotiation is a skill. Its part of fantasy footb

This past Wednesday night, I was in Philadelphia for a live taping of the Fantasy Focus 06010 podcast. It was another sell-out night in front of a few hundred raucous Philly fans, and it was an absolute blast. I cannot tell how grateful I am for the fans of that podcast -- among the best and most dedicated anywhere.Anyway, the travel back and forth has put a dent into an already narrow window I have in any given week to write the column, so theres no crazy long intro this week, as something had to give, and it wasnt going to be the research.I had an entirely different intro planned, but at the Philly show, a young man got up and asked a simple question. He described a scenario in his league in which a trade had been submitted and the commissioner had accidentally vetoed it. After the weeks games, the value of the players changed. The commissioner said if the guy could get the other owner to agree to it again, he would put it through, but now, a week later, the second owner was having misgivings and didnt want to do the deal.His question was, should the trade stand, and I said yes. I then went on a rant about the veto. It is a subject I have discussed many times before. But as I open my inbox this morning, I have four emails from the past week specifically about vetoes. I get a few tweets a day asking whether particular trades are fair.It is clear, despite how many times I feel I have written or spoken about it, there are still questions. So with the trade deadline for ESPN standard leagues less than a week away, I want to be as clear as possible on this.You should not veto.Much like a break glass in case of emergency, the veto should be used only when there is a clear and provable case of collusion between two owners in which one owner is aware the trade is terrible but is doing it for reasons other than trying to improve the fantasy team.Other than rare instances, every trade must go through. You hear me? Must go through. Must.Look, Ive been there. I was in a league last year in which someone traded newly appointed Chiefs starting back Charcandrick West for the Miami Dolphins defense. And that person then waived the defense the next week. So I get it. You see the email notification as it comes across your screen and you roll your eyes. You smack your head. What was that person thinking?But it doesnt matter. Owners must be allowed to coach their teams.Even if its done badly.Look, part of the fun of fantasy football is that we all have different opinions on players. And no one can predict the future. In Week 1, a Todd Gurley-for-Jay Ajayi trade would have had people screaming obscenities from the rooftops. And yet, as those two face off in Week 11, youd much rather be on the Ajayi side of that trade, and some could argue its now unfair to the person getting Gurley, not Ajayi.Whenever I discuss this, I always get the same response, Yeah, but what about ... ? And the answer is no. There are no, Yeah buts ... There just arent.You have no idea how a trade will ultimately turn out. None. Suggesting Brandon Marshall for Melvin Gordon would be laughed at today. Suggesting it before Week 1 would inspire laughter the other way.But lets pretend you have a crystal ball. And you know, I mean you know this deal is terrible. It still doesnt matter. There is no gray area. You still dont veto.Its not your job to manage someone elses team. You dont think he got nearly enough for his star quarterback? So what? Not your team, not your quarterback. I thought West for the Miami D was ridiculous. But the guy getting Miami needed a defense, really liked the Dolphins that week and had a surplus at running back. Could he have gotten more for West? I think so. But whatever -- not my team. Hes allowed to run it any way he wants, be it into first place or right into the ground. I didnt say anything.As long as the two people making the trade want to do it and think they are improving their chances of winning, thats the only thing that matters.Maybe its a bad deal, maybe it isnt. Time will tell. But its not your team or your job. Manage your own team. Period. The art of negotiation is a skill. Its part of fantasy football, just like drafting, waiver wire pickups, making starting lineup decisions. Its a skill and part of what you need to be a successful owner.And it should be rewarded, not punished or neutralized.Theres a special place in hell reserved for the people who veto just because its a deal that didnt involve them or because its part of their strategy. Thats not strategy, thats being a jerk. Its being a coward. Its, frankly, not being good enough to win on your own. Someone beat you to a good deal? It is what it is -- part of the game, same as beating another player to the waiver wire or getting a win with the second-lowest score of the week because you happen to face the lowest scorer.And if you are a commissioner and you dont enforce this rule -- you allow vetoes to happen, or worse, you veto them yourself -- you wipe away any of the good you have done by being a commissioner.Win on the virtual field, not in some technocratic loophole. And dont argue with me about this because there is no argument. Youre wrong. A fantasy league is not an autocratic country. It is made up of individuals wit