Do you support expanding the playoffs to 14 teams?

[JDM]

The only illogical person here is you.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

The logical reason is that it waters down the regular season.


And that teams already have three opportunities to make the playoffs.


And that the 2 seed has earned a bye.


And that the number of quality late season games is cut by half, conservatively.


And that that added playoff game will be mediocre 90+ % of the time.

And all those points are 100% illogical,

Point 1. if the 2nd WC team deserves it then you can use that logic to show that the 3rd WC deserves it

Point 2. Why does the 2 seed deserve the bye?? just saying it does does not mean it does!!! and by using your logic the 2 seed was not the best team so how does it deserve anything???

3. How does the amount of quality games change?? It is very rare to see a team lose to lower their seed!!! and then the only teams games that are different from the current system is the 7th seed, if the others have clinched then they would have clinched in the current system... And the chances that the 7th seed has games where they can not improve their seed and they dont lose a playoff spot is very low!!! If anything this makes for more exciting late season games, because more teams may have the opportunity to make the playoffs...

4. the same problem can exist now!!!


So all your points are not valid...

 

[MilkSpiller22]

and to point 4 the 7th seed should be at least a .500 team using mathematics... they are an above average team!!!

 

[MilkSpiller22]

And heres the reason for 14 teams:

its a WIN, WIN, WIN

win for the owners- more owners make playoffs and make more money

win for the players- more players play in playoffs and make more money

win for the fans- 2 more games of PLAYOFF football.. and your team is more likely to make the playoffs... so you are more likely to watch your team in the playoffs...

 

[RoboticDreams]

And heres the reason for 14 teams:

its a WIN, WIN, WIN

win for the owners- more owners make playoffs and make more money
win for the players- more players play in playoffs and make more money

win for the fans- 2 more games of PLAYOFF football.. and your team is more likely to make the playoffs... so you are more likely to watch your team in the playoffs...

This is the only reason that it's being discussed and will inevitably happen. It wont stop with 2 extra teams, IMO. I think the end game is to get to 16 teams.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

This is the only reason that it's being discussed and will inevitably happen. It wont stop with 2 extra teams, IMO. I think the end game is to get to 16 teams.

I agree, that will obviously happen if this goes through... and i am not happy about it... but since i dont see any logical reason against it i can not be against it...

 

[SonnyCID]

I got to agree with your post here. One of the things that makes the NFL great is that to make the playoffs, you got to be good, actually very good. Watering it down to the point where weak ass teams can sneak in would suck.

Yeah, but every year there is a lower seeded road team that kicks a bunch of ass. It's the NFL, the line between the lowest seed and the highest seed is thin in single elimination. I dont think that will change drastically from a 6 to a 7 seed.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Yeah, but every year there is a lower seeded road team that kicks a bunch of ass. It's the NFL, the line between the lowest seed and the highest seed is thin in single elimination. I dont think that will change drastically from a 6 to a 7 seed.

Perhaps not , but I don't want the regular season to mean less then it does right now. Having some team sneak in with a 8-8 record and get hot entering the playoffs and actual winning the Superbowl would leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. I like it just like it is, if anything I rather see the wildcard go away.
However I'm sure the NFL see's it differently and I will adjust to what ever the new reality is.

 

[JDM]

And heres the reason for 14 teams:

its a WIN, WIN, WIN

win for the owners- more owners make playoffs and make more money

win for the players- more players play in playoffs and make more money

win for the fans- 2 more games of PLAYOFF football.. and your team is more likely to make the playoffs... so you are more likely to watch your team in the playoffs...

Lose for the owners- less revenue as a result of substantially less quality end of season games

Lose for the players - same reason results in less revenue to be split with them

Lose for the fans - we get half as much quality football after November, if we're lucky,

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

No way...all you have to do is remember the 7-9 Seahawks making the playoffs. Doesn't matter that they won the division, but we certainly don't need another team of that caliber making the playoffs again. The Arizona Cardinals got screwed out of the playoffs last year.

 

[JDM]

It does matter that they won their division. Winning their division means they earned a playoff berth.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

It does matter that they won their division. Winning their division means they earned a playoff berth.

Nope, especially considering how weak the NFC West was that year. I would love to see the NFL impose a rule where a playoff team has to be at minimum an 8-8 team.

 

[JDM]

If the division champion is legitimately winless at 0-14-2 (absurdly unlikely but theoretically possible), the still 100% earned their playoff berth by winning their division.


The division structure is a large part of why the NFL scheduling system and postseason is by far the best to ever exist in any sport at any point in time. You leave it alone.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

Nope, I would much rather see a rule in place where a division winning team with a sub .500 is replaced by a #2 division team with a .500 record or better.

 

[JDM]

That would be awful. If you win your division, you earned a playoff berth.

 

[LucklessPadresFan]

If you can't win at least half your games during the season, you need to stay home. Period.

 

[JDM]

Nope. Winning your division means you earned a berth, even if you did it without winning a game. You earned it, and you earned a home game.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Man, I just hate it when I agree with JDM, but I do in this case.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

I liked it best when it was 5 playoff teams. the wildcards eliminated themselves then played the Division Champs. I know that cant happen now with 4 divisions, but if I liked it with only 5 you know I am not liking 7 LOL

 

[JDM]

Man, I just hate it when I agree with JDM, but I do in this case.

Get used to it. It's a good thing.


Seriously, though, the division structure is the backbone of by far the best schedule in sports. SOS becomes essentially irrelevant to your ability to earn a playoff berth, because you play the same schedule. Seeding and wild card berths, it matters, but even if you get a brutal schedule, if you play it the best you have your spot. If you play it second best, you have stack up against the field, but that's your second and third chances. You're lucky to get those at all.


You couldn't improve on the current system if you tried.