Letter of Investigation

Dear eSFL Team Owners,

This is a notice from the commissioner regarding recent activities in the league.

Last week the league office convened to review a trade both team owners, Kav’s Kavanators and Team G Man, approved.

In accordance with standing guidelines ALL trades are reviewed by the commissioner for possible collusion or inappropriate activities, which may negatively or unfairly affect the majority of league owners. All trades are placed under a microscope using a ten item checklist to aid the commissioner in the decision making process. If the commissioner identifies five of these ten items as being applicable to the trade under review, he then request league presidents to send him their input on the decision of approval or denial.

In this case, eight of the ten checklist items were marked, thus the commissioner requested input from the league presidents via email and phone. In the eleven-year history of the eSFL there has never been a trade review that obtained more than five items being marked in this process. Therefore, this trade immediately became one of great interest.

To ensure all owners involved would not be negatively affected by a long drawn out process, the approval process was expedited and this trade was approved within two days.

Once the trade was approved it became public, meaning all owners throughout the league had knowledge of it, and more than one owner filed a collusion grievance, verbally and written, to the commissioner, after it was approved.

When arbitrators (League Presidents and the Commissioner) ruled in favor of trade approval additional evidence became available to them , as additional information was provided once it was made public. The additional information and input obtained in these grievances most certainly, in the commissioner’s opinion, could have effected the decision of the arbitrators; therefore the commissioner has ruled this case has been reopened and will be investigated further.

League officials are worried about collusion and its effect on the entire league; therefore this type of investigation is ongoing and complete only when the decision is without a doubt irreversible, as new information can change the approval or denial decision.

In this case, the commissioner, along with league presidents, using inputs from league owners, and sound unbiased judgment, must first decide whether this approved trade is without a doubt irreversible or not. If it is found to be, the league office may take no further action and the transaction in question will remain as previously decided upon.

However, if it is decided that the trade in question is reversible, using discussion topics such as game outcomes from the previous week, roster moves made since the approval, and any other area that are brought to the commissioners attention, then the trade approval process will be reopened. If the investigation is reopened, all roster moves made by involved owners, from the date of this notice, will be deemed as irrelevant to the case.

There are many things that need to be explained but cannot, and will not be made public because those issues could be used to affect the trade process in the future. In my experiences there are no coincidences in a situation that would lead owners and league officials to believe collusion may be a part of a personnel move or transaction.

Let me be as blunt as I can be without calling anyone a liar or cheater, this league will never tolerate any perception of any collusive activity, period. And I mean that very, very sincerely, as it is my responsibility to ensure every owner in this league has the same opportunity to succeed and fail on their own merits, in accordance with standing bylaws and guidelines, and with any that are not written but may be enforced for the better of the whole league.

Additionally, response to this action may bring accusations of a conflict of interest involving the commissioner and or league presidents. I assure all eSFL owners that this is not the case, and any accusations that will be or have been made will be proven inaccurate, without a doubt, as this office has only the best interest of the entire league in mind. Furthermore, if this trade is ruled as inappropriate and players involved are returned to their original teams, the commissioner and league presidents CANNOT acquire any of these players in any way for the remainder of the season.

Again, the trade between the Kav’s Kavanators and team G Man has been reopened for investigation for possible collusion or as inappropriate. This investigation will be concluded whenever the league presidents and commissioner decide the case can be closed, using info obtained by other league owners and any other means, regardless how long it may take or until it is deemed as irreversible.

All owners in the league feel free to provide your inputs on this case. I ask you send them to me via email at punchout@yahoo.com



T. Rhodes

Commissioner, eSFL