NFL realignment

[USCDoom]

The are multiple major issues facing the NFL
1. No Rivalries
2. They want an 18 game schedule
3. Travel expenses
4. Glut of Worthless games in the Regular season
5. Games NO ONE will ever watch

I can solve Every problem with one simple solution. Realignment.

Under this system, there will be 2 Conferences, 4 Divisions, and 18 games played. The 4 Division winners will have a 1st round bye. The 2nd and 3rd place teams in each division will play in the Wild Card round with the winner playing the Division winner. Then the 2 best teams from each division in the conference will play for the Conference Title. Then the Super Bowl.

Here are the new conferences and divisions.

AFC (for lack of better term, as of now)
West
1. San Fransisco 49ers
2. Oakland Raiders
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. Denver Broncos
7. Kansas City Chiefs
8. Dallas Cowboys

South
1. Houston Texans
2. Miami Dolphins
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Tennessee Titans
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. St. Louis Rams
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Jacksonville Jaguars

NFC
Midwest
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Chicago Bears
5. Minnesota Vikings
6. Detroit Lions
7. Cleveland Browns
8. Cincinnati Bengals

East
1. New York Giants
2. New York Jets
3. New England Patriots
4. Buffalo Bils
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Washington Redskins
7. Philadelphia Eagles
8. Carolina Panthers


Each team will play 14 Division games (7 home and 7 road) and 4 games vs the other Division in conference (1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th play each other, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th play each other).

 

[USCDoom]

For Example...
Lets say these are the 12 team that finished 1st-3rd in their divisions.

West
1. Den
2. SF
3. Sea

South
1. Atl
2. Hou
3. NO

East
1. NE
2. NYG
3. Balt

Midwest
1. GB
2. Pitt
3. Minn

Wild Card round would be
Minnesota At Pittsburgh
Baltimore At New York (G)

New Orleans At Houston
Seattle At San Fransisco

Every Year the Wild Card and Divisional Round will be played IN DIVISION. So Regular Season Rivalries will be played out in the first 2 games of the Playoffs.

This ALSO will allow MULTIPLE football schemes and teams. The AFC and NFC would NOT be the same exact football teams, just with different players...

This could allow the West to be a Run and Gun division while the South could be a ground and pound division. Culminating in a CCG of Complete Opposite Styles...

 

[SFNL]

Wouldn't be a fan of giving up the Steelers-Ravens rivalry & adding Philthy would be excellent... Swap the Bills (since they are the Bills) and the Steelers and I'm good. They aren't that much farther East anyway.

 

[TexasMan]

And the Texans and Cowboys still wouldn't be in the same division?

 

[Golden Spur]

And the Texans and Cowboys still wouldn't be in the same division?

Seems like the Cowboys and Rams should be switched there.

 

[StateoftheSport.com]

I don't understand how anyone could think that there are no rivalries in the NFL right now. I live in Denver and I can tell you that the Raiders are hated here and the feeling is mutual. The entire NFC East hates each other. Being a Giants fan I can say for certain that the Eagles and Cowboys are heated rivalry games. Green Bay and Chicago, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. There are plenty of rivalries the way things are.

I don't understand how adding 2 more games is a strain on the leagues travel expenses. They are currently a $9 billion industry and adding 2 more games will add to that pot. I think they could afford one more flight per team a year.

I hate the idea of an 18 game season. I feel like the NFL would be doing it just for the wrong reasons. I don't see how it can make the game better and it puts players at greater risk later in the season. The game is great now, leave it alone.

 

[bone3421]

no rivalries........are you kidding??????

fuck the eagles,giants and 'skins