Dave2112
Level of Cherry Feather
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2001
- Messages
- 10,292
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As is usual in the NFL, the knee-jerk reactions are being bandied about as the 7-9 NFC West Champion Seahawks prepare for their first playoff game.
"We need to change the system!"
"We need 20 teams in the playoffs!"
No, we need to take a chill and realize that this is an abberation that is unlikely to be repeated. Division winners go to the playoffs, or else there's no meaning to divisional games other than ultimate record.
Does it suck this year? Yes. The Giants and Bucs stay home with 10-6 records. Like that's never happened before...winning-record teams missing the playoffs. That's why we even HAVE tie-breakers. Hell, the Patriots became the first 11-win team to ever miss the playoffs a couple years ago and no one was calling for a new system. In the history of the playoff system since the merger, only two 8-8 teams have won their divisions. This is the only time a losing team has done so. Out of how many years?
Hell, I even remember a Sports Illustrated article from the early-ish 90's about re-doing the system so the NFC and AFC teams were intermingled by record so we could get the Niners and Cowboys to play a Super Bowl. The cover story was "Should the NFC Dump the AFC?" because the NFC was on a long streak of Super Bowl wins and blowout games. Imagine if that had happened?
(And really guys...even if they were let into the playoffs, does anyone really see the Giants going anywhere the way they're playing? 😉 )
I guess the bottom line is this. If no one wants Seattle in the playoffs....then beat them and get them out. If New Orleans loses to Seattle...maybe they DO deserve it. Just sayin'. I mean...this game is probably going to be a 42-10 shellacking, but what if?
Now, if only the BCS had knee-jerk fixes for a broken system.... 😀
"We need to change the system!"
"We need 20 teams in the playoffs!"
No, we need to take a chill and realize that this is an abberation that is unlikely to be repeated. Division winners go to the playoffs, or else there's no meaning to divisional games other than ultimate record.
Does it suck this year? Yes. The Giants and Bucs stay home with 10-6 records. Like that's never happened before...winning-record teams missing the playoffs. That's why we even HAVE tie-breakers. Hell, the Patriots became the first 11-win team to ever miss the playoffs a couple years ago and no one was calling for a new system. In the history of the playoff system since the merger, only two 8-8 teams have won their divisions. This is the only time a losing team has done so. Out of how many years?
Hell, I even remember a Sports Illustrated article from the early-ish 90's about re-doing the system so the NFC and AFC teams were intermingled by record so we could get the Niners and Cowboys to play a Super Bowl. The cover story was "Should the NFC Dump the AFC?" because the NFC was on a long streak of Super Bowl wins and blowout games. Imagine if that had happened?
(And really guys...even if they were let into the playoffs, does anyone really see the Giants going anywhere the way they're playing? 😉 )
I guess the bottom line is this. If no one wants Seattle in the playoffs....then beat them and get them out. If New Orleans loses to Seattle...maybe they DO deserve it. Just sayin'. I mean...this game is probably going to be a 42-10 shellacking, but what if?
Now, if only the BCS had knee-jerk fixes for a broken system.... 😀
