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Omahan
Posts:3699
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| 02/08/2008 5:10 PM |
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Should we change the playoff structure?
By MJD
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2008
A small bit of news about the possibility of shaking up the NFL playoffs was buried, somewhat ironically, by the awesomeness of the playoffs themselves. To me, that suggests that the playoffs don't need changed, but what the hell, I'm open to new ideas.
Roger Goodell wants to make it so that in the first round of the playoffs, division winners wouldn't automatically have a home game. If they played a wildcard team that had a better record, the wild card team would get the game in their own crib.
The idea is that it gives teams more incentive to play hard throughout the end of the regular season, so we don't end up seeing something like a Charlie Batch vs. Jim Sorgi matchup in Week 17.
For example, this year, the Bucs couldn't have sat on their hands in weeks 16 and 17, knowing they had their division sewn up. If they wanted to play a home game in the first round, they'd have had to take the field in Week 17 with a line-up a with a little more firepower than was brought to the table by Luke McCown, Michael Bennett, and Chad Lucas.
I'm not opposed to this idea, necessarily. It makes perfect sense, and a team with a better record probably deserves a home game.
However, if it was put to a vote, I'd vote no, and here's why: If there's a coach out there who saw the Colts and Bucs tank the end of this season, and saw the Giants put forth a gargantuan effort with nothing to play for in Week 17, and then saw what happened in the playoffs, and that coach is still dumb enough to be letting his players collect rust over the last two weeks of the season, then I'm opposed to the league stepping in and saving this coach from his own idiocy.
If this year's postseason didn't hammer home the "tanking is bad" message for a coach, then he deserves a savage beatdown in the playoffs next year.
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This writers opinion make sense to me. While the playoffs this season were a rare and inspiring feat of underdog against all odds. I agree that more coaches would "tank" late season games even more so than what is already occuring.
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egami
Posts:5397
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| 02/09/2008 9:36 AM |
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I've said for years that playoff home field advantage should be determined by record. I forget if it was 2 or 3 years ago or so...it was mid-season and it was going to be feasible for New England to win the division with a losing record. Granted, they went on a tear so it was a non-issue, but it CAN happen.
I mean, in reality, is it fair to screw a team over for playing in a tougher division just because of some attraction to this on-going psycho experiment about teams that coast at the end of the season?
I've hated this for years. Not that this will totally resolve the problem, but I think it's the right thing to do at the end of the day regardless. Best team SHOULD be at home. Maybe even more so if they are a WC. |
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Posted By Omahan on 11/04/2008 2:24 PM
I've worked very hard to become your friend egami. |
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Omahan
Posts:3699
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| 02/09/2008 11:56 AM |
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| I don't think Goodell nor many others consider it an experiment. From everything I can gather, it was about to be brought to the table and then the Giants made their run and it was put on the back burner. |
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Bugeater
Posts:971
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| 02/09/2008 3:04 PM |
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| Anything that prevents teams from packing it in at the end of the season is good, I don't think that's fair to other teams when playoff berths are on the line. I recall a situation a few years back when the Packers and Vikings were fighting for a playoff spot, and Green Bay got to play a Denver team that couldn't improve their playoff position and easily won, locking up the berth and shutting Minnesota out. |
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egami
Posts:5397
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| 02/10/2008 9:02 AM |
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I didn't say Goodell or many others think it's an experiment, but from the context of that article and his reasoning it would appear that he would treat it as such.
That's a dumb reason, imo. |
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Posted By Omahan on 11/04/2008 2:24 PM
I've worked very hard to become your friend egami. |
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