Divisional Alignment

[Doomsday101]

I'm not looking for an easy road, either. For all we know, years from now the NFCW could be the premier division of the conference. This is about the difference in weather and how it impact's the game and how a team approaches a game. I, personally, don't think it's all that fair that the Eagles, Giants, and Commanders experience relatively the same weather at each of their games, whereas, the Cowboy's game's (when playing away) experience a huge change. And I don't buy the idea that the Commanders, Giants and Eagles are also at a disadvantage, because there are few games where the heat becomes that much of a factor for one team over another. This will be especially true now that the Cowboy's play in a dome.

Jerry likes being in the NFC East it is good for ratings. We have built strong rivalries over the years it is good for Dallas and the NFL.

 

[Sammy Baugh]

Jerry likes being in the NFC East it is good for ratings. We have built strong rivalries over the years it is good for Dallas and the NFL.

I understand the argument about weather/geography and think it is a good one. However, it would be a shame to lose divisional rivalries.

 

[Doomsday101]

I understand the argument about weather/geography and think it is a good one. However, it would be a shame to lose divisional rivalries.

I agree. I like being in the NFC East and I expect it to remain. Last time the NFL did realignment the NFC Remained as is other than the Cards moving but the 4 top teams remained. It is good for the league, why change it?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Oh good Gawd.

Maybe we should just have two leagues, domed and non-domed.

Only a week until camp starts.

 

[fgoodwin]

Can anybody lend perspective on this obvious misalignment? Where would one begin in petitioning such a change? Would you be in favor of the change or are you happy with the way things are now? Just curious...

This ought to be in a FAQ someplace. It seems like a new fan brings this up every couple of years.

When the Cowboys were granted their franchise in 1960, they were placed initially in the NFL Western Conference; they switched to the NFL Eastern Conference in 1961 when Minnesota joined the West.

The NFL split the two conferences into four divisions in 1967 when New Orleans joined. The Eastern Conference consisted of the Capital and Century Divisions; the Western Conference consisted of the Central and Coastal Divisions.

When the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, major realignment had to occur because three teams had to move from the old NFL to the new AFC to balance the conferences. With an odd number of teams (13 each), there weren't enough to create four divisions in each, so the NFL decided there would be two four-team divisions, and one five team division in each conference. Each conference would have an East, West and Central division, but how the teams were assigned to divisions was a thorny issue (as you might guess).

As one of the two architects of the merger (Lamar Hunt was the other), Tex Schramm insisted that Dallas remain in the same division as its eastern rivals, the Giants, Commanders and Eagles. Ever the marketer (pre-saging Jerry Jones), Schramm knew that exposure to eastern TV markets was important to the popularity of the Cowboys.

There were many proposed NFC-AFC alignments; all were put into a hat and one was picked at random, which was the alignment we knew back in 1970. The NFL realigned once again in 2002 with two conferences of four divisions each, our present configuration.

Fans are always calling for geographic realignment; I think its pointless. With franchises moving as often as they do (LA Rams to St. Louis, Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis, Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, St. Louis Cardinals to Phoenix, etc.), any geographic alignment would only be as good as the next franchise move.

I guess I don't understand this constant fascination with geography -- I enjoy the rivalries we have and wouldn't trade them for any other, weather be d*mned!