I have a team in MFN-2 and admit I was the one who first questioned the trade Bling made. The issue involving the trade I think is well known at this point by most players. I tried not to call Bling a cheater [I don’t think he is] it did appear that there was some type of collusion that went into the trade. I asked JDB to look into it and he did and was ok with it and explained his thought behind it. [That was fine with me] The problem was while Bling defended himself the other owner remained silent for a very long time [but has since explained his thinking behind the trade. Did the owner have to explain why he made the trade? No. But this game besides being a game is also a social meeting place and owners who stay in a league long term by nature take an ownership in it. The two leagues I play in are difficult and have some very, very good GM’S so when I took over Cleveland which had massive financial problems and a decimated roster I knew it was going to be very difficult to become competitive to just give a player like Bling a competitive game when our teams played. [I use his team as a model of how I’m trying to build mine] Digging out of a hole and there are several teams in MFN-2 in the same boat is not an easy task.
The problem the trade has caused IMO is that the compeative balance in the league was affected greatly and still believe it will have ramifications for a minimum of the next 10 seasons. THE real problem is in RL that trade would affect how other trades are valued in the future. What is the real price of a number 1 pick now? Does it remain the same? Why should I trade my best player now for say just another first round pick when the real value is 3 future first rounds picks?
I strongly believe that the best way to keep the game [cheat free] is to have a commissioner that a GM or GM”S apply for with a statement on why and what they want the job for. Then the other GM’S vote. The commissioner position can be for a set time to be determined. If he is bad then vote him out the next time. These keeps any issue in the league and between the GM’S of that league. I really don’t believe that there are that many problems they would have to be involved in. This method would also free up JDB to continue development of all the other very good ideas that have been brought forward.
{To Bling, I understand that you are pissed at me and I offer my apology to you. I tried [maybe not well] to not call you a cheater. And when it started getting heated asked JB to look into it. Which I thought was the correct thing to do based on the game rules.] Now knowing what you said and what the other owner involved said I too would have approved the trade based on the rules we play under. I played in another online game that was decimated by cheating and would hate to see MFN go the same way. As I’m sure many of us feel the same way.

I am new to the game but have been fortunate to have had several players with a lot of experience give me their advice, knowledge, and experience about this game, and am very grateful for it. In addition, I took time to look at both my league and other leagues to see what I could learn from who was winning and losing and why. Teams & their owners that "dominate" have team rosters that are 50% or more 80 & 90 level players, plain and simple. The teams I looked at of that type were 16-0 and league champions. Not hard to spot.
I also noticed losing teams that appeared to not have an "active" owner. By that, I mean a team & owner who had 4 or more seasons experience that had 0, 1, or 2 wins per season, had traded away its 1st and 2nd round picks (usually to the dominant team), had extremely unbalanced rosters by position (like 8 DT's, 4 of them lower than 60 overall, 4 MLB's also under 60), had traded away 90+ rated players for 12 year vets rated high 70 to low 80 and draft choices that would be traded away later, and several other factors that would be considered beyond the extreme for bad decision-making. You cannot prevent an existing owner/player from setting up a "dummy" team in his/her league if they want to play that way. You can only observe it and report it. I highly doubt that anyone would want to play a game where they continually get fleeced on trades, get beat by 80 or more points in a game, and not improve one iota over 5 seasons or more. Not improving at all, getting worse instead, has to make you wonder whether or not that team owner is actually playing the game or not and if that team is being used by another to acquire high ranking players. You can say all you want about weights, and values, and how a player fits into that team, yadda yadda. The bottom line is to do a simple count of 80 & 90 level players on a team that is winning 15 - 16 games and dominating its league. Compare that to your team that you have spent 3 or more seasons improving and have half the number of 80/90's as the team that is dominating your league. Can that dominating team be beat? Yes, it can, if you can set the game plan, plays, and rules to give your team it's best chance to win. But its not a level playing field if someone can manipulate trades, plain & simple.

Just because someone has a dominating team doesn't mean he/she needed a dummy team to build it. Savvy drafting, especially in the original allocation draft, can help one build a dominating team quickly.

Accusing those with dominating teams of needing a dummy team to build one is an insult to our integrity and skill. I acknowledge that collusion may be an existing problem, but you act as though we can't build a team without colluding. Calling out the cheaters is good and I encourage it, but you might want to take the time to figure out how to build a dominant team yourself.

Apparently its not that hard if you can get other owners in your league to trade you a high 80 or 90 level for two low 70 levels and a number 2 draft pick that will be at are near the end of the round. There are plenty of examples of this BS, here's just one of many....

https://mfn19.myfootballnow.com/forums/thread/1/701?page=1#2976

for those who dont want to take time to review it, the deal is an average LT & CB plus end of round 2 pick for a SS who was a mid round one pick and is in his second season, 77/87.

and... check out the position of Seamons in the above referenced trade, he is listed in the trade as a DT, but he is actually a SS, a key defensive position. Hopefully that is a glitch?

Integrity? dont think so, but the trade is "legal". Skill at getting someone to make that trade?, maybe and maybe not. Cincinatti, who was the benefactor of this trade is 16-0 and about to win the league championship and is dominating the league, why? Look at the number of 85+ players on their roster. "You help me here and I will help you in the other league" ? sure, that goes on, along with a bunch of other "deals" that dont show up on a trade that is out of value balance. So it comes down to how you get the most first round draft pick level players, the 85s and up, not hard to figure that they are of "value", given that the ability to game plan and set rules is fairly even. The teams who have the most, by far, pull off these trades for mid level players or those about to retire and Round 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 picks. Round 4, 5 and 6 dont really matter when it comes to getting a good pick, an impact player. And once you get to halfway through Round 2, there usually isnt much left if anything either. They also trade 1st round picks if they are late round or they figure they will get a better pick through another trade with another owner who will happily give up the 1st round top ten pick for ...... ? You guessed it! 2 mid levels and a #2, #3, and oooh! a #4 thrown in there! Sweeet!

So, if thats the way the majority of players in this game want it, OK. But, apparently, and from what I have been reading posted by JDB and the interest level in the threads about this subject of late, I think there is a major concern.

Having a "dummy" team to fleece is not the only way to acquire the the "blue chips", its just one of several possible methods.

I didn't say that unbalanced trades aren't a problem. I said to not make the blanket assumption that all 16-0 teams with however many elite players were built because of unethical actions.

With the trade meter as it is now it's already very difficult for two good, legitimate owners to pass a trade that they both deem fair. There's no reason to make it harder for them to make trades. What we need is better identification of cheating/unfair practices and better enforcement of fair practices.

A top 10 pick for 2 mid levels and a #2, #3, and #4 isn't necessarily bad if the draft talent that year is particularly poor and the owner wants quantity instead of quality.

If I had a top 10 pick and I was loaded with young, starter quality players at every position but terribly lacking depth, I'd consider trading that top 10 pick for the ability to acquire depth players that can perform adequately if I think I will not need more elite young players anytime soon.

"however many elite players" ? That is a key factor in the team performance. The question is how did that team acquire that many in a short period of time? There are several ways, and some I havnt even thought of yet.

The trade meter can be beat, easily, by experienced players, especially for those who pull off the two mid levels and a 2nd round pick for a blue chipper, which is not uncommon, amongst several other formulas that work well to gain an mid 80s or higher player.

And I agree with you about not assuming that all 16-0 teams have done this, but so far, from the ones I have looked at, they all got several very favorable and questionable trades to do so, all involving gaining First round high in the order picks and 85+ rated players.

Here's one that took place in my league between the dominant 16-0 team going into the playoffs needing an elite SS. https://mfn19.myfootballnow.com/forums/thread/1/701?page=1#2976 The trade shows the SS as a DT! Glitch or a way to beat the meter?

Point was made that we will cannot get an accurate NFL simulation, but we can have a very good game (thanks JDB), which I agree. However, it would be nice to get as close as possible, which means 16-0 is very, very rare, not as common as it is currently in the game, and season stats closer to the real game. Not easy, I know, but a very desirable goal and getting close would be great.

I don't follow you here.

SS Jarrod Seamans is by far the best player in this deal.

It SHOULD take a One Trick LT (Can't Run Block) and a Fast but Average CB AND a Pick to get him.

Now, had this been a 1st Rounder... to much. Had this been a Complete LT, possibly to much. If that CB was just a bit better.

But they aren't.

However, what they ARE is Situational. Maybe Tennessee is a Pass Heavy team... so the LT is MORE valuable to Tennessee, since they don't Weight Run Blocking nearly as much.

Also, it seems Tennessee Drafted the S, didn't like his Speed and tried to make him a DT. He didn't 'fit' what Tennessee wanted... but Cincy will put him at SS, at if they Scheme him properly to stay on TEs and Short Zones he's going to be a stud.

Because the CB isn't special, just fast, and because the LT is only a One Trick, neither hold much value to Cincy. But they fit what Tennessee needs.

Tennessee doesn't care the SS was Pick 1.19, because he's to slow for Tennessee to consider him a SS and they had to try moving him to DT... they 'failed' their Pick, for Tennessee Seamans is a 'Bust' to get rid of, but to Cincy he's a Stud SS.

Tennessee is right to try to recoup as much as they can, and Cincy is right to get what should be a Star if schemed properly.

What's the issue with this deal?

Grandad, you are too much. Who appointed you as the compass for right and wrong. This game like RL has winners and losers. The object of a trade is to improve your team. Let the buyer beware. Enough with the Socialism, Bernie!

Ok this is funny cause you have no context and you are just slinging mud on owners in leagues you don't even play in. So with this trade in particular I was looking for some Safety depth and noticed that punisher(who is a very active owner) has certain players that he moves to DL that are better suited for DB in my system. His DT Seamens was 5th on his depth chart so I saw an opportunity to get a player that would help me while giving him a 2nd rounder and a couple players that he asked for in particular. I find it funny that you think it's your place to call out owners because of their success. I wish people would spend more time trying to game plan and get better at the game then complain and cry about others.