The rule was voted in to make you try and win at least 40 games and not tank the season on purpose to get the 1st draft pick. If your team can't win 40 games then it is either really bad or you aren't trying to win the games. Not pointed directly at you Art, just at managers in general for the purpose of the rule. This was put in a few years back to try and make managers field at least a somewhat respectable team. Apparently it is not enough incentive to make everyone win 40 games. That is why there is talk of increasing the minimum number of wins to 50 games or some other agreed upon number.