Should the NFL get rid of divisions?

[Cowboys5217]

I still like the NFC East rivalries so I would want to keep divisions.

 

[links18]

Whatevernmakes the NFL more like a damn video game, I guess.

 

[StarLord]

I'd prefer we did away with divisions. Get the best teams in the playoffs. No 12-5, 13-4 paper tigers from weak divisions or 8-9 teams getting in while a 11-6 sit out.

 

[shabazz]

I'd like to keep the divisions.

The NHL lost a lot of legacy and nostalgia when it did away with the hallowed Norris, Adam's, Smythe and Patrick divisions

But everything must change....

 

[conner01]

with psl's all the tickets are already sold.
Rivalries arent what they used to be.

I like the idea of revolving new divisions each year.

Not all tickets plus there is the resale market

 

[StarChamber_33]

If it ain't broke why fix it?? THE NFL IS THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG.. It would be insane for the League to muck up the game even more than they already have!!

 

[kskboys]

More boring than watching Carolina or NE play anybody? Those Thursday night games are, by and large, unentertaining. At least, in this proposal, a playoff game is exchanged for a regular season game (or 2) and be meaningful vs. some or most no so.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m fine staying with the current playoff arrangement with the exception of eliminating the bye. That means the playoff teams would either have to expand to 8 or contract to 6.

Thursday night games are mostly unwatchable. Wish they'd go away.

 

[kskboys]

I think y'all are complicating this. Problem is that they went away from 3 divisions. That was the mistake. Simply go back to that, and it solves all the problems.

If a team in a 5-6 team division wins it at, say, 9-7, then they deserve a higher seed than a WC team. Don't like it, then win your division.

 

[kskboys]

If it ain't broke why fix it?? THE NFL IS THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG.. It would be insane for the League to muck up the game even more than they already have!!

It wasn't broke, and they went to 8 four team divisions. Just go back.

 

[StarChamber_33]

It wasn't broke, and they went to 8 four team divisions. Just go back.

Like I said, why muck up the game more than they have already!!

 

[triplets_93]

I like divisions, but they need to be strictly geographically based because familiarity breeds contempt. The oportunity for overlapping fan-bases is what fuels true rivalries. See Steelers v Browns.

Dallas should be in a division with Arizona, Houston and New Orleans

The Jets and Giants should be in the same division. Indianapolis and Cincinnati are about 100 miles apart, as are Buffalo and Cleveland. Let the 3 Florida teams and Atlanta and/or Carolina be a division. The West Coast teams can be one division....

St. Louis for Arizona...

Oh wait . . . .

 

[TequilaCowboy]

I think that at the current time, divisions are the least of the NFL problems. Officiating, softening play along with associating themselves with gambling are more destructive and dangerous enough to question the sport's integrity. All you're doing with divisions is rearranging the chairs you know where. Worry about the icebergs i mentioned above.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Now you are on to something

Eliminate the postseason all together- like the epl

We can’t win playoff games anyways! Get rid of all of them

Well this will mean that all that post-season revenue from playoff games gets eliminated. I doubt they would do it. But if they did go to this format they would need to add relegation rules as well to bump teams that ended up in the bottom of the league to a lower league and bring up the winners of that lower league to compete in the NFL. Naw, I don't see how that would even work for the NFL.

 

[JBS]

Well this will mean that all that post-season revenue from playoff games gets eliminated. I doubt they would do it. But if they did go to this format they would need to add relegation rules as well to bump teams that ended up in the bottom of the league to a lower league and bring up the winners of that lower league to compete in the NFL. Naw, I don't see how that would even work for the NFL.

Relegation is an entirely different subject. Has no bearing on eliminating playoffs. The bigger obstacle is scheduling and making it universal. It’s probably not practical

 

[VaqueroTD]

Teams playing each other twice a year, fighting for a division championship creates rivalries you wouldn't otherwise have. I like it the way it is.

Only pro sports league where divisions still matter. Baseball has some rivalries, but nothing like the NFL.

 

[Runwildboys]

I think y'all are complicating this. Problem is that they went away from 3 divisions. That was the mistake. Simply go back to that, and it solves all the problems.

If a team in a 5-6 team division wins it at, say, 9-7, then they deserve a higher seed than a WC team. Don't like it, then win your division.

32 isn't divisible by 3. Unless I'm misunderstanding you.

 

[kskboys]

32 isn't divisible by 3. Unless I'm misunderstanding you.

They don't have to be equal. Before they went to the 4 div's, some had 5 teams and some had 6, and it worked just fine.

 

[Runwildboys]

They don't have to be equal. Before they went to the 4 div's, some had 5 teams and some had 6, and it worked just fine.

I'm sure there were some mathematical gymnastics for the people making the schedules, plus, wouldn't some teams play 8 divisional games, while others played 6?

 

[mcmvp]

I'm sure there were some mathematical gymnastics for the people making the schedules, plus, wouldn't some teams play 8 divisional games, while others played 6?

Yes, changing the divisional format would create far more problems than it would solve

 

[Mr_437]

Keep divisions, but top 8 in the Conference makes Playoffs regardless of division...like Basketball.