I was looking at the NFC West earlier and shaking my head. Then I headed over to TSN and found out this could be the first time in the history of the NFL that we see a sub .500 team in the playoffs. That's bad... In the CFL, with only 8 teams, seeing a sub .500 team in the playoffs makes sense. But in the NFL with 32 teams and only 12 making the playoffs? Yikes... Shows you how truly sad that division is... :?
http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/story/?id=343512No kidding Chief, and I am hardly the only one to hate that whole sorry division for this reason too.
Then we take ourselves back just two years to 2008 when the Arizona Cardinals won their division at only 9-7, and I was amongst those who advocated for the future to just seed the playoff teams 1 through 6 regardless of which teams were the divisional winners and which were the wild card teams.
Then when especially Kurt Warner's playoff experience paid off, I was amongst those who had advocated that idea who had to eat crow.
Kurt Warner is not around any more for such miracles in the playoffs considering all those in the heavily vocal majority who picked against those Cardinals even with the points. Mind you such loudmouth vocals were re-inforced by living in Philadelphia at the time.
On the plus side, I had picked the 2008 Cardinals to win two of their three of their playoff games (my bet on them in the second playoff game was real and covered, but I stayed away from the pick against the Eagles altogether), and then later my bet on them covered for the SB they almost won against the Steelers too.
We'll see what sorry team in this division gets a chance to pull the playoff upset this postseason and how wide the spreads look as well.
the possibility of a sub 500 team making the playoffs is what keeps more teams trying to play their a game til the end. Its better for competitiveness.
Its important if for instance, philly is playing seatle and giants are playing the rams on the last week. It is better that all teams are still trying their hardest to win.
Week 17; St. Louis at Seattle wins the division?..Show it to me…GO RAMS :rockin:
Chris Collingsworth sees this as a positive in that anything can happen in the NFL with it being very unpredictable. What we've been saying about a plus for the CFL for years. I tend to agree.
I don't see it as a plus. As I said, with a small league like the CFL, it's expected. But the NFL has 32 teams!!! Are you telling me they can't get 12 teams with a plus .500 record? That's sad...
Chief, why doesn't the league then just say unless you have a record better than 500 then you don't make the playoffs, period. Of course they aren't going to do that. Intrigue, a sub par 500 team one year winning the SB. That's what Collingsworth is saying adds to the excitement, unpredictability. This isn't and never should be, sports that is, some equation like 1 + 1 = 2. I watch sports for the exact opposite of that matter of fact. The unknown, or possible unknown factors.
Chris Collinsworth, with occasional sound insight on such matter, for sake of any matter of NFL policy debate always goes with the league’s coached position for the hack and shill and douchebag that he is with also training as an attorney.
If Collinsworth like the great Al Michaels would stick to announcing and X’s and O’s, which he does very well, and just stay off his predictable policy analysis it would be great.
Mike Tirico of ESPN has the same exact glib “diplomatic” role as do Joe Buck over at Fox and Jim Nantz over at CBS.
That Cuthbert seems to be your man in that regard up there too.
Mike Tirico for example was so bad on ESPN radio with Scott Van Pelt that they took him off air.
Tirico has always been the two-faced SOB diplomat that he is to this day anyway but only fatter. :lol:
Amen Chief. Such a hack position as adopted by the wily likes of Collinsworth is not a plus for the league as a whole at all.
On the other hand, Pat Kirwan did offer in this fine article a great solution that still would not eliminate this possibility of loser teams for sake of the terrible divisions but otherwise would reward teams with better records overall even more:
[url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81cb02ca/article/planting-the-seeds-for-reseeding-the-playoffs]http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8 ... e-playoffs[/url]And to heck with fairness for the sake of “unpredictablity” and “excitement” as well Earl?
To heck as well with the best on the field playing each other instead of the divisional consolation prize? :roll:
To each his own here, but I’m calling a spade a spade and damn the crap about any additional “excitement” the current policy generates.
That has absolutely nothing to do with the NFL’s playoff format… 
I’m not saying the NFL needs to shake up its playoff format. This is the first time it’s going to happen, and the NFL’s been around for what, 50 years, give or take? I just think it’s sad that the NFC West can’t field a team with a winning record. Hell, the chances of one of those teams finishing at .500 aren’t even that great. That division is a joke right now.
Al Michaels is super sick.
I hear you guys about the sub .500 team making the playoffs. Everyone wants to see the "best" teams play in the postseason but just changing the system overnight isn't always the best idea. Is is sad Chief? Maybe but as you say, very unusual. Stuff happens. Milt Stegall never winning a Grey Cup in an 8-9 team league for a long career. Stuff happens.
is it me or did Earls posts just kinda "talk in circles" in this thread? like he wasn't even paying attention to himself or the other posts ..lol sorry Earl you are just confusing in this thread
Anyone else cheering for the Rams so that this does not happen?
Yup!
SEAHAAAAAAAAAAAAWKS!!!
Yeah!!!
Here's hoping they get bounced in the first round.
I sure hope not. That would mean Im out 20 bucks and a whole lot of embarrassment.
:lol: If you bet $20 on them advancing, then you should be embarrassed, :lol: