I received an email this week from a reader Dennis as to what the proper amount to give your fantasy football commissioner as a thank you for running the league. Unfortunately, in my over twenty years of playing fantasy sports, I have never heard of a commissioner getting tipped out for all the crap he puts up with all season. I say unfortunately because this is a trend that is overdue, and I would not mind seeing grow. Dennis you are a better man than 99 percent of fantasy players.

For leagues for which I have been the commissioner, I usually consider myself lucky if I finish the season with as many friends as I had at the start of the season. Countless relationships have been damaged because of a trade gone wrong or waiver wire bids. Remember, it this is just a game and is not worth losing friendships over.

Being a fantasy commissioner is on the most thankless jobs I know. The main thing that drives people to actually do it is that they want to play in a fun, familiar fantasy sports league, and that is what it takes to get it done. The upside is, if you are a good fantasy commissioner, you can ensure that people are having fun and that your league will continue for years to come.

In reference to Dennis’ original question, I would recommend around half of the league entry fee for leagues with three or four top prizes and as much as the full entry fee for a league with only one or two top prizes. Other ideas I have heard about are putting some of the winnings towards a league happy hour, or purchasing a championship trophy for the league to pass around to the winner every season.

What are your thoughts on the topic?