(Taken from Blitzsports)

'Think of the movie Bull Durham.  There's a point in the movie where Kevin Costner's character Crash Davis turns to Nuke Laloosh (Tim Robbins) and says, "There's fungus on your shower shoes.  You can't have fungus on your shower shoes.  When you make it to the bigs, you can grow as much fungus as you like and the media will think you are a character.  But for now, you're just a slob."' On Being a Player
jasontudor 7.26

What the hell are we calling ourselves this week?  Coach?  General manager?   Owner?  I suppose we are all those things in the micromanaged world of Football Pro that we play.  However, it goes without saying that although we may have the title, we may not earn the respect we'd like when we play these games.

In a previous write up, I talked about commissioning and its pitfalls. It's just as difficult to be an owner.  Sometimes harder.  Your the guy (or gal)   responsible every week for running that set of pixels up and down the field and gaining results.   And, for what reward?  Ultimately, it goes toward respect and reputation.   After all, in this game, the winners get all the glory.

Because you want to win and because you to gain that respect within the FBPro community, there are a few rules of the road you may want to follow.  These are not play making or play calling tips.  These are more like etiquette tips, most of which you already are familiar with in other parts of your life.  These are rules of the road to just being that good league member that every commissioner appreciates.

First, and maybe foremost, play your game.  Nothing is more important to keeping you status as a credible owner.  Be play, I mean either playing your home game or providing plans for someone else to play or sim a game.  It's always important make your plans available when needed. if you are playing online, be on time for your game and be ready to play.  it's also important you provide as many details as possible about the game to your opponent.  In fact, it's rude to just provide them a [play.log] file in an e-mail where the only words you've written are, "here."  Unless the opponent wants it that way.  Even then, it's up to you to give some idea of how the game went.  Stats, VCR files, Screen captures and other components add to the realism and fun of game day, too.

Second, be courteous.  Regardless of how poorly you may have been beaten or to what degree a victory you may have scored, it's always important to face adversity with your finest face on.  That means always attempting to be positive.  It also means before you sit down to write the mail flaming an opponent, a fellow league member or someone within the FBPro community, think.  Take a walk, get away from the computer and just take two second to think before you press that 'send' key.  Any damage you may cause cannot be undone.

Third, be social.  At least, as much is as feasible.  You may not like everyone in your league; you may like no one, but that doesn't mean you should be an online hermit.  Think of the movie Bull Durham.  There's a point in the movie where Kevin Costner's character Crash Davis turns to Nuke Laloosh (Tim Robbins) and says, "There's fungus on your shower shoes.  You can't have fungus on your shower shoes.  When you make it to the bigs, you can grow as much fungus as you like and the media will think you are a character.  But for now, you're just a slob."   Unless you plan to make playing FBpro a career or to somehow "turn pro" (no one, at least officially, has "gone pro" by playing FBPro to my knowledge, yet), clean the fungus off your shower shoes, be a good citizen, get out there and do something positive.

Fourth, respond to e-mail.  Many leagues live on e-mail as a system of communication.  Simply put, if someone asks you a question, answer it.  Respond in a rational amount of time -- within 24 hours -- unless you absolutely cannot.   Then, try to get to it as quickly as possible.

Finally, and this maybe the most obvious, don't cheat.  There are obvious AI flaws in the game and the flaws are all well known.  Some leagues are better than others at policing themselves and others are not.  So, it's up to you to have the integrity, guts and resolve to not cheat, take one on the chin every now and then and accept defeat until you can hone a good, legal game plan.

Putting all of these things together seems like a lot of work, but in general, these are things you do every day in different situations.  Take some time and apply them to the hobby you spend so much time with anyway.  And enjoy the game!

That's why you play it.