Football (american football to those across the pond!)

[Wiglaf]

Well, maybe a wildcard will win it this year. Total wins vs losses aren't everything as each team plays different opponents. At playoff time it all comes down to desire and injuries.

If it makes you feel better though, our record would be 8-7 if not for an incompetent ref.

[pyan]

Why not get rid of the NFC/AFC, and have a straight League system?

4 divisions of 8 teams each, they play each other within the division twice in a season, 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie: two promoted, two relegated every year, except for the bottom of Division 4, where the team that finishes last is replaced by the College Bowl champions.

Have a straight knockout competition between all 32 teams, the winners of that play the winners of the League for the Superbowl...?

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by Wiglaf

Well, maybe a wildcard will win it this year. Total wins vs losses aren't everything as each team plays different opponents. At playoff time it all comes down to desire and injuries.

If it makes you feel better though, our record would be 8-7 if not for an incompetent ref.

Not a lot better. Our record would be around 11-4 if not for an incompetent defense.

I don't begrudge the teams that make it - it's just luck of the draw. This year's hardest division can easily end up next year's softest. I just figure there must be a better way. But with thirty-two teams and only sixteen games, you can't implement a system like you see in the English Premier League with a true home and away season. Even our National Rugby League with only sixteen teams and twenty-six rounds can see certain teams with much harder draws than others...

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by pyan

Why not get rid of the NFC/AFC, and have a straight League system?

4 divisions of 8 teams each, they play each other within the division twice in a season, 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie: two promoted, two relegated every year, except for the bottom of Division 4, where the team that finishes last is replaced by the College Bowl champions.

Have a straight knockout competition between all 32 teams, the winners of that play the winners of the League for the Superbowl...?

But there's no second tier competition - you couldn't promote college teams to the NFL - as professional as they are, that's still a huge gulf...

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Wiglaf

...our record would be 8-7 if not for an incompetent ref.

Originally Posted by Culhwch

Our record would be around 11-4 if not for an incompetent defense.

And ours would be 15-0 if we'd won every game...

[Cayal]

Originally Posted by Wiglaf

Hey, I just want a chance to beat the Titans in the post season. I like taking the joy from teams that stomp on other teams emblems, make rude gestures, and say things about other people's mother.

1. It's a towel.

2 & 3. You'd hate every team in the NFL.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

But there's no second tier competition - you couldn't promote college teams to the NFL - as professional as they are, that's still a huge gulf...

What about the team that finish last lose the first draft picks, then?

All I'm saying, is that the present, highly compartmentalised system will always throw up anomalies like a 9-7 team going to the post-season ahead of a 10-6...

[Cayal]

Originally Posted by pyan

Why not get rid of the NFC/AFC, and have a straight League system?

4 divisions of 8 teams each, they play each other within the division twice in a season, 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie: two promoted, two relegated every year, except for the bottom of Division 4, where the team that finishes last is replaced by the College Bowl champions.

Wouldn't make sense anyway.

Theoretically the college bowl champion will have players drafted or finished their 4 years so they automatically lose 1/3 of the team.

Plus they still have schooling to do.

[Cayal]

Originally Posted by pyan

What about the team that finish last lose the first draft picks, then?

But the point of the draft is to even out the competition by the team with the worst record getting the *best* player via the draft (in theory).

[pyan]

Yes, Cul pointed out the flaw there, too.

But that's a detail...at least my system gives a ladder all the way from the bottom to the top, without the problems with the present system pointed out by Cul in post #267

Originally Posted by Cay

But the point of the draft is to even out the competition by the team with the worst record getting the *best* player via the draft (in theory).

And does that work in practise? Being rewarded for being bad? Isn't there a tempation to throw the last couple of games in an indifferent season, to ensure you get a good draft pick?

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by pyan

And does that work in practise? Being rewarded for being bad? Isn't there a tempation to throw the last couple of games in an indifferent season, to ensure you get a good draft pick?

I figure it's more equitable and more likely to even the playing field than football (forgive me, Py, for using the following term but I do mean soccer here), where the cashed up teams get whoever the hell they want, and the minnows remain the minnows....

[Grimward]

Woo-hoo!

So what if we're eliminated (Sephy and Parson had a sizable task against the Falcons); we held the lately high-flying Eagle offense without a touchdown, and finally stopped someone to win a game again. Any self-respecting Skins fan who remembers the body bag game against Buddy Ryan will ALWAYS cheer for a gutty effort like that. Shades of Ken Houston and Walt Garrison, although against the Eagles this time.

You're welcome, Urse and J; Christmas may have come a few days early!

And, regarding the playoff system, no division stays that way (ie, full of teams with losing records and a stinker making it to the playoffs) year after year. Having the draft when you do the worst insures that there's always a shot to improve your talent pool next year. It also reveals where good ownership and management are, and where they're not in some cases....

Everyone knew the NFC East was going to be tough this year, so why should it be a surprise that it has 2 teams still vying for the last wild card spot going into the final week of the season, or that ALL of its teams could have winning records? With even less of a change here and there than described earlier, the NFC East could have had BOTH wild card slots! Hell, if the Eagles weren't playing the Cowboys next week, a win would still have put them there if both Tampa and Chicago lost (and yet might, although Dallas won't be going if that happens)....I don't think they'll beat the Cowboys, but ya gotta play the game....

[Wiglaf]

Originally Posted by Cayal

1. It's a towel.

2 & 3. You'd hate every team in the NFL.

Trash talk is one thing,but Mamas are off limits. Besides they have been known to make late hits. However, I will admit it is a fine line and that a couple of games from last season against us might influence things from my point of view. Besides I am in search of a team of bad guys; beating up on the Raiders has become so routine that it is almost no longer fun, almost.
PS I do hate nearly every team in the NFL. At least I do during the weekend we play them.

[Cayal]

Originally Posted by Grimward

And, regarding the playoff system, no division stays that way (ie, full of teams with losing records and a stinker making it to the playoffs) year after year.

Except the Texans....

[Grimward]

Originally Posted by Cayal

Except the Texans....

And here I thought you were going to say the Bengals....I give the Texans better odds of figuring their way out of a wet paper bag than I do for Cincinnati....not only that, but the Texans are relative newcomers to any kind of playoff picture, so this must be divisional hating, oh King of the Hill...