When Al Gore lost to George W. Bush in the 2000 Presidential election, I wrote about his concession speech in this column. Yes, that means I've been writing it for a long time.
But it also means we could learn a lesson in humility by the way Gore conceded, even after one of the most disputed elections in American history. Decorum and class were still traits found in politics, at least to a degree.
Boy, how times have changed.
These days, if you're not throwing political punches, you're considered weak. If you're not counter-attacking twice as hard, you're soft. And if you even think you might be going too far, you obviously don't want it badly enough. Finally, you better not even think about apologizing, because that's weak, too. Losers are losers, and winning is all that matters.
It might be that way in an election year, but it shouldn't be that way in your fantasy league.
Despite all the good-natured ribbing, the trash-talking, the draft-day insults and the mockery at every setback, your league is made up of friends. At the very least, it's a group of like-minded people who enjoy the same hobby with a healthy dose of competition. And after a full season of battles, the playoffs are over and there's only a champion left standing. Or, if you play in week 17, the fat lady is about to sing. Your season is almost over.
That means it's time to congratulate your league champion. No matter how poorly your season went, or how agonizingly-close you were to a title, it's the right thing to do. Even if the champ is the luckiest person you've ever met who stumbled their way to a championship, they deserve your acknowledgement.
Unlike politics, they're not your bitter enemy. They're your league mate, and they're probably one of the better owners you have. Even if you don't agree with their fantasy decisions, they probably work the waiver wire, field and make trade offers and remain active in the league. They pay attention. They care. And in a time when people have no problem ditching teams or leagues if they lose interest, they provided quality competition throughout the year. That's what makes a league fun.
Winning your league should mean something apart from a few bucks. You need to offer sincere congratulations. And I don't mean "liking" their Facebook status. I don't mean a Tweet or an e-mail. If you know the person, I'm talking about a phone call.
You see, that device in your hand also makes calls. And you should use it for that purpose. Even if you hardly ever talk to them, taking a few minutes to verbally congratulate the champ is a classy move. You don't have to talk for hours. Just chat about the league, talk about how things went during the season and let them know they did a good job. This is a "do unto others" moment. You'd want to be congratulated if you emerged as the winner, so you should do it if you fell short.
While doing the right thing should be its own reward, I have to admit there are other benefits as well. You might rekindle an old friendship that lost its way over the years. You might find you actually have things in common with a cool person you never really knew. Either way, you're now on good terms with another league owner. You were probably the only person with enough class to make that phone call. And that never hurts during trade negotiations next year, or the year after that. And when you win the league, odds are they'll make that same call to you.
I understand that you might not want to do it. Maybe you won last year and nobody called you. Maybe your league isn't like that. Well, so what? Politics has become a race to the bottom, but candidates don't have to follow suit. They choose to do it. And you can either ignore the champ and disappear until next year, or do something different this time. I hope you choose the latter.
Finally, if you're the champ, then congratulations! But please, don't be a jerk about it. The time for talking trash is over. You won the league, and that should speak for itself. If an owner takes the time to congratulate you in any way, be gracious. After all, they're one of the good owners, too. They understand how to compete and not lose their dignity in the process. They're the people who make the league worth winning. So don't act like a loser, especially after you win. Return a class act with some of your own class.
Look, nobody likes to lose. I get that. Politicians pour their lives into campaigns, and fantasy football can take a lot of time over the course of several months. Who puts in all that time to watch someone else succeed?
Believe it or not, you're not defined by how many titles you win or how much money you get from your fantasy winnings. You're defined by how you carry yourself throughout your wins and losses. That's what people remember. So leave this season on a good note, and I promise it won't hurt you next year. And if you still have one more game to play, good luck this week.
Do you congratulate your league champ? Do your fellow owners recognize you when you win? Or does everyone go into hibernation when they're eliminated? Share your thoughts below.
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