Let’s get one thing straight, I do not live and die by what Berry has to say when it comes to fantasy. There are equally as significant (and even better) options out there if you need help drafting or setting your lineup. However, I do like to read what he has to say in his weekly Love/Hate column. With the ESPN standard league trade deadline next week, this weeks post touched on that very topic. Here is what he had to say about Trading and the Veto….

I hate, hate, hate the veto. It’s the coward’s way out. If I was suddenly made the ruler of all things fantasy, there would never be a veto except in cases of obvious, provable collusion. And in that case, only the commissioner or host website for the league should wield that power.

Understand these two key things: The art of negotiating is a skill in fantasy. That’s part of running a fantasy team. A huge part, in fact. It’s a skill that is admired and sought after in real-life general managers, so why should this be any different?

And second, it is not your job to coach someone else’s team. I don’t care if you think that tight end isn’t nearly enough for that quarterback/running back combo. The only thing that matters is that the guy getting the tight end thinks so. Everyone should be allowed — encouraged, in fact — to coach their own team. Even if it’s stupidly.Because I have news for you. No one ever knows. I remember one of the first email flame wars I got into about a trade I made just after the draft one year, still in the preseason. In my longtime league with all my college buddies (a dynasty league), I traded a package of players for, in essence, Brett Favre, then one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy. It was a depth-for-a-superstar deal, perfectly legit, but the league went nuts because the only quarterback the guy was getting back was a recently promoted backup who had just got the job because the starter had been injured in preseason.

I argued the point of the deal was to give him depth at running back and wide receiver, which is what the guy said he wanted. He was happy, I was happy, what’s the issue? On and on they complained. Until about Week 3 or 4, when they realized the backup quarterback I had dealt, Kurt Warner, was embarking upon his 1999 “Greatest Show on Turf” season, and would be better than Favre would ever be.

No one has argued about a trade in that league since.

I’ll say it again. As long as both teams feel the deal helps their team, regardless of whether you agree, it MUST GO THROUGH. I especially can’t stand the people who block a trade just because it doesn’t involve them or because it’s part of their “strategy” to block other teams from improving. That’s the coward’s way out and you’re a scummy, spineless punk if you do that.

I’ve said it before, will say it again. Win on the virtual field, not by manipulating the rules.

This is a very touchy subject in the fantasy world, but the way Berry puts it could not better describe how I feel about it. Numbers are one, future hopes are another, reports on playing time yet another. The list goes on and on, but the fact remains that nobody knows the outcome and nobody will ever know the outcome until it’s all said and done.
In my league, I believe that all 12 teams owners are well aware of situations that their own players and players they may be targeting are in. We are equally capable of turning on the tv/radio/computer/phone or reading the paper. We see the numbers. I also trust that nobody in my league cheats (colludes). However, I also think that the veto vote is abused. Not every time, but sometimes. Lastly, I feel that if we must have a vote, we do it the best way possible.
Anyways, just thought I’d share.