Crazy playoff thought -- let the highest seed pick its opponent

[QuantumMechanic]

Had a crazy thought the other day...

At the divisional round, let the #1 seed pick the team they want to play (other than the #2 seed, so the #2 seed still gets its home game). Could do the same thing at the WC round with the #3 seed picking which of #5 and #6 they want to play. (Again, leaving #4 out of it so they keep their home game).

It would increase the advantage of being the #1 seed (and the #3 seed, relative to the other WC round participants), which may or may not be a good thing.

It would also provide some interesting opportunities for gamesmanship, bulletin-board material, etc.

I know it'll never happen, but it's intriguing to think about.

 

[Ring 6]

It would make this board unreadable.

 

[dales804]

I would read Dikembe's list of TOP 10 BEST TEAMS TO PLAY IN PLAYOFF if that happened.

 

[New England Pride]

Not crazy at all. I've been saying that for years.

 

[Oswlek]

Talk about bulletin board material! "I want to play.....hmmmm... not them.... not those guys over there.... OK........... you."

 

[SacPete1]

Wow, that would be the ultimate disrespect card to the team chosen.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

No one would want a top seed.

 

[50-yard-line]

Crazy playoff thought: get over the fear of Baltimore. If you can't beat 'em, you don't deserve the Lombardi.

 

[Double TE]

Is this the Twilight Zone? Seriously?

Stop it!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Had a crazy thought the other day...
.

Fortunately there is medication you can take to suppress those crazy thoughts
Just check the Useful symbol

 

[Ivan]

Love the idea.

 

[IllegalContact]

the only change I would suggest is to have seeding and home/away be strictly by record and bag the whole division winner.....Carolina should have had no right to have a home playoff game

I would think that the league would still want a 1 seed versus 2 seed scenario for conf championships

 

[Ring 6]

Crazy playoff thought: get over the fear of Baltimore. If you can't beat 'em, you don't deserve the Lombardi.

The fear of fans has no impact on the game.

 

[TedyB54]

Crazy playoff thought: get over the fear of Baltimore. If you can't beat 'em, you don't deserve the Lombardi.

No kidding. I'm not sure what's happened to this board since the weekend, but I can't recall a time when so many people were this scared of a Pat's opponent.

Now we need to propose a change to the playoff format so a team can avoid having to play a tougher team? Amazing.

At least we can be confident that the coaches and players aren't cowering in the locker room. Something tells me Brady is pacing like a caged tiger just waiting to get out on the field and bury the Ravens.

 

[qbno12]

Weekend can't come soon enough.....

 

[james87654]

i like the idea of letting the higher seed choose their opponent

especially with the expansion of the playoffs to 7 teams per conference and only one "bye" team

need to keep the regular season important......dont want to become the NBA

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Well it would give the #1 seed an additional advantage as it could choose an opponent, start planning and then announce the opponent at a later time. Or, the #1 seed would have to play Sunday games and immediately announce the schedule.

Plus, it would actually be choosing the opponent for the 2nd seed team as much as who you get to play.

And when you get some crazy fans who are upset when you lose the coin toss, imagine all the 2nd guessing if the #1 chose an opponent and lost? It'd be something like Brazil-football (soccer) fans taking their pound of flesh out on the coach.

Keep it simple, play the teams on your schedule, win and move on to the next.

Now, if you wanted to let them choose the Ref crew I might be open to that (I kid...for the obvious reasons).

 

[Sicilian]

If I were the head coach in that scenario, I would very publicly flip a coin to decide. The last message I want to send my team (intentionally or unintentionally), is that team X is an easy game for us, and then the next round if they make it, team Y is the one I didn't want to face.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Well it would give the #1 seed an additional advantage as it could choose an opponent, start planning and then announce the opponent at a later time. Or, the #1 seed would have to play Sunday games and immediately announce the schedule.

Well, #1 can have some idea, but until the WC-round games are played the #1 seed won't know what teams have advanced to the divisional round and so can't really plan ahead.

But you have a great point with respect to doing this at the WC round, especially since seeds can sometimes be locked in before the regular season ends and then the #3 team could have the opportunity to start planning weeks ahead.

 

[Oswlek]

But you have a great point with respect to doing this at the WC round, especially since seeds can sometimes be locked in before the regular season ends and then the #3 team could have the opportunity to start planning weeks ahead.

That's precisely why NE lost to Miami in 2005, because that would give them the #4 seed and Jax had already been locked into #5 for a couple weeks at that point. It wasn't due to any bizarre nonsense about being afraid of the Steelers, which I still hear repeated to this day. Hell, the Steelers weren't even assured a playoff slot at the time of NE's game.

Prep time, not fear.