Should the NFL get rid of divisions?

[Runwildboys]

At times you get rivalries, but unfortunately you also get one team destroying another team. I read that since 1992 the Bears are 15-50 against Green Bay. There are other examples. I wonder what our record against Washington has been since 2000. Rivalries require more give and take.

That's okay, the teams and especially the fans, still hate each other.

 

[TNCowboy]

Does the NFL actually need divisions or could they just do away with them in favor of two conferences (like the NBA does)? You could do more matchups with the best squads and do away with certain divisions that do not produce enough fierce competition. More matchups of the highest seeds would likely benefit ratings and attendance. Force teams to have a more comprehensive approach to team building. What say you?

NBA ratings are a fraction of NFL ratings. Their viewership is only a fragment of what it was 25 years ago. Why on earth would the NFL emulate another league, especially one in decline in comparison to itself?

 

[MetalMike]

The only thing I hate about divisions is that sometimes a mediocre team can win a weak division and get into the playoffs ahead of a great team in a tough division. Teams should be rewarded for winning regardless of what division they're in. Crappy teams shouldn't be rewarded simply because of their geographical location.

 

[Creeper]

I do favor this arrangement. Just two conferences, NFC and AFC. All the NFC teams face each other. All the AFC teams face each other. Then the top 4 teams in each conference face off in the playoffs. The two conference champs would play in the Super Bowl. This would make it so every team in each conference would have the same schedule and they would alternate home and away from year to year. None of this parity scheduling garbage. However, this would not work for the NFL unless they keep adding teams in each conference to get to the number of games they want. They would probably make it so 6 or 7 teams in each conference went into the playoffs.

I love this concept.

 

[jsb357]

Far better ways to tweak the league than to eliminate divisions.

 

[Diehardblues]

Far better ways to tweak the league than to eliminate divisions.

Right, eliminating divisions isn’t necessary. Just adjust seedings in playoffs based on records.

 

[mcmvp]

I would like to see two 8 team divisions in each conference.

That would be terrible. There would be less variety of opponents than there is now. 14 of the 17 games would be against 7 teams.

There is zero reason to change it from the way it is now. There may be too many playoff teams in the current format, but the divisions are fine.

 

[Diehardblues]

That would be terrible. There would be less variety of opponents than there is now. 14 of the 17 games would be against 7 teams.

There is zero reason to change it from the way it is now. There may be too many playoff teams in the current format, but the divisions are fine.

And you think the seedings are fine. An 8 win division winner should be seeded above a 12 win WC team.

 

[mcmvp]

And you think the seedings are fine. An 8 win division winner should be seeded above a 12 win WC team.

I don’t have a problem with the way the seeding is. An eight or nine win team can just as easily come from a very strong division, than a weak division. A very strong division could lead to teams beating up on each other and resulting in worse records than a similar quality team that played a weaker schedule. The AFC and NFC north divisions both appear to have well rounded talent now. Teams that win those divisions are not likely to have the best record in the league.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

No poopoo? I don't watch wrestling so I had no idea, but I thought you could bet on anything!!!!!!


Just looked it up, and the states have outlawed it, but you can bet on WWE. Bovada, and even Draftkings makes it possible.

I'm a huge wrestling fan and honestly I love that it hasn't been infected by the sports gambling industry yet. It's one of the final bastions left where the sportsbooks don't dominate the conversation.

Apparently certain sports books are offering "pools" and contests where you are not technically betting on the outcome of the match, so it somehow circumvents the law and makes for some form of legal wager, but it is not your traditional sports bet.

Either way, I'm not big on the new world sports gambling that has been thrown upon us. I have watched nearly every person I know that is even remotely interested in sports eventually get pulled into the in app sports gambling and yes, everybody loses. It is yet another scheme devised to suck every last dollar from every man's pocket.

It was one thing when you had to go to a physical location to place a bet, but when all of your vices are available to you 24/7 on your smartphone it is a whole other beast.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

I agree. And NFL can retain the divisions and rivalries. They just need to totally base seedings on total records not on division winners.

I would agree with you. I will say though, I like that the divisions actually mean something in the NFL. In the NBA people pretty much forget that they even exist because they have absolutely zero significance.

Something where the division champions are guaranteed a playoff spot, but final seeding is determined by record is what I would prefer. For example:

NFC East Champ: 11-6
NFC North Champ: 12-5
NFC West Champ: 10-7
NFC South Champ: 9-8
WC1: 11-6
WC2: 10-7
WC3: 9-8

Final seeding would be the following:

#1) NFC North Champ: 12-5
#2) NFC East Champ: 11-6
#3) WC1: 11-6
#4) WC2: 10-7 (assume they held some sort of tie breaker over the NFC West Champ)
#5) NFC West Champ: 10-7
#6) NFC South Champ: 9-8
#7) WC3: 9-8

I think this would be the best of both worlds.

 

[kskboys]

Right, eliminating divisions isn’t necessary. Just adjust seedings in playoffs based on records.

Nope. Best way would be to eliminate 2 divisions and spread the 8 teams into the remaining divisions. That would solve this problem completely.

 

[mcmvp]

Nope. Best way would be to eliminate 2 divisions and spread the 8 teams into the remaining divisions. That would solve this problem completely.

While creating new problems

 

[kskboys]

I'm a huge wrestling fan and honestly I love that it hasn't been infected by the sports gambling industry yet. It's one of the final bastions left where the sportsbooks don't dominate the conversation.

Apparently certain sports books are offering "pools" and contests where you are not technically betting on the outcome of the match, so it somehow circumvents the law and makes for some form of legal wager, but it is not your traditional sports bet.

Either way, I'm not big on the new world sports gambling that has been thrown upon us. I have watched nearly every person I know that is even remotely interested in sports eventually get pulled into the in app sports gambling and yes, everybody loses. It is yet another scheme devised to suck every last dollar from every man's pocket.

It was one thing when you had to go to a physical location to place a bet, but when all of your vices are available to you 24/7 on your smartphone it is a whole other beast.

Couldn't agree more. Tried it myself, and quickly learned that 1)I didn't know near as much as I gave myself credit for. 2)There are way too many variables in all sports that consistently sabotage your bet.

Only way to make money sports betting is to grind, and that's a full time job.

 

[kskboys]

While creating new problems

Like what?

 

[mcmvp]

Like what?

Teams in the same division have to do both home and away games. Otherwise it’s not considered fair. So 14 of the 17 games would be the same group of teams playing each other. Talk about boring

 

[Diehardblues]

Nope. Best way would be to eliminate 2 divisions and spread the 8 teams into the remaining divisions. That would solve this problem completely.

So both division winners would have highest seeds despite their records?

 

[JustChip]

Nope. Would take way too long. The nature of the game makes a single game elimination the best way to go. If an inferior team beats a better team, then they weren't so inferior after all.

Not a true d-e, but a modified d-e. Expand to 8 playoff teams per conference & no 1st round byes.

All teams go through to week 2 with the 4 winners play each other week 2. Same for the losers.

The 2 undefeated winners go through to week 3 and a bye.

The 2 losers in the “winners” bracket go through to week 3 as do the 2 winners in the “losers” bracket.

The 4 non-bye teams play each other in week 3. The 2 winners move on.

The 4 teams play week 4. The 2 winners play each other in week 5.

That expands the playoffs from 3 to 5 weeks. I would go back to a 16 week regular season and forego expanding to 18 games. The net would be the same plus you wouldn’t have a bunch of meaningless games between dog teams with no playoff chances.

 

[kskboys]

So both division winners would have highest seeds despite their records?

You mean all 6 divisions winners? Yes. W/ 5-6 teams in each division, you'd have to earn the best record. No more 8-8 crapp div winners.

 

[kskboys]

Teams in the same division have to do both home and away games. Otherwise it’s not considered fair. So 14 of the 17 games would be the same group of teams playing each other. Talk about boring

It's not.