Fairness being raised over divisional alignment

[RoughingthePasser]

Fairness being raised over divisional alignment - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

 

[blackglass3]

I am doubting that "one Patriot" was making all of those statements.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

It is what it is. Last year the Patriots had the benefit of a cupcake division.

If the Patriots don't make the playoffs it won't because an 8-8 team made it, it will because we didn't beat that 8-8 team.

If the Patriots had taken care of business against the Chargers none of this would matter.

 

[Patriots Nation NY]

Those statements from the "Pats Players" sound like some horse crap to me .. No way ..

 

[BionicPatriot]

I am doubting that "one Patriot" was making all of those statements.

Thank you. I hope if that's true, Bruschi or someone grabs a hold of him and smacks the crap outta them. Enough with this crying. If they feel like they belong in the playoffs, they lost 5 games. I'm not dissapointed, I'm just saying they could have won one of those games. Crying over divisions is crying over spilt milk. It's funny how no one complains until it gets them. We say if it keeps happening change it, well its happen all decade usually with an NFC team limping in with an 8-8 record. If it's the same now, it'll be the same then.

 

[spacecrime]

Fairness being raised over divisional alignment - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

This is a Yahoo sports article. That means it has nothing to do with anyone in anyway connected with the NFL raising a question, and is solely the opinion of a guy who happens to own a keyboard.

Nothing is wrong with the playoff format.

 

[jmt57]

I call B.S. on this writer. The three quotes don't sound like the type of things Pats players say, given how the organization schools the players on what to say or not say to the press. It doesn't matter whether or not it is true, Pats players simply don't say things like "Arizona didn't even show up" to a reporter. All of the comments were off the record, anonymous quotes? When was the last time a Pats playerdid that? Sorry, I don't buy it; this story is a complete work of fiction based on imaginary quotes.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Anyone else find it a little suspicious that multiple Patriots would suddenly break script for some random Yahoo columnist? I'm a little skeptical, to say the least...

 

[Cashman]

I'm totally content with the system of the NFL. It is as fair as you can get and puts emphasis on division rivalries. Just be glad this isn't college football where style points and how well your fans travel are the determining factors for which bowl game you play in. Oh, and if you finish undefeated you still don't get a ticket to the big game. (I'm an Auburn alumni)

 

[PatsFan2]

When we take in consideration three winnable games we lost this season, one can't argue about the possible outcome.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

One of the reasons the eastern division of the AFC looks relatively stronger is that the teams got to feast against the NFC west. I'm ok with the division format.

What I don't love is the tie breakers. Head to head is fair, but after that, there's such a wide variety in scheduling the two non-common games that it ends up being mildly unfair. If Miami had played the Steelers and the Colts and we had played the Ravens and the Texans, I think we would have had a much better chance of being plus one on those non-common opponents, yet there is no way for division tie breakers to take that into account.

That's ok, I guess. I suppose some day we'll be the beneficiary of a relatively weaker schedule and it all balances out over time.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

One of the reasons the eastern division of the AFC looks relatively stronger is that the teams got to feast against the NFC west. I'm ok with the division format.

What I don't love is the tie breakers. Head to head is fair, but after that, there's such a wide variety in scheduling the two non-common games that it ends up being mildly unfair. If Miami had played the Steelers and the Colts and we had played the Ravens and the Texans, I think we would have had a much better chance of being plus one on those non-common opponents, yet there is no way for division tie breakers to take that into account.

That's ok, I guess. I suppose some day we'll be the beneficiary of a relatively weaker schedule and it all balances out over time.

Huh?

1st tie breaker head to head

2nd div record (which is a subset of common)

3rd tiebreaker is common games (which gets rid of Steelers/Colts)

4rd tiebreaker is conf record (the first time the non common games come into play)

And the fact miami lost both of their two non-common games.

If we beat the Bills and don't win the division it will be because Mia beat chargers and we didn't.

 

[Mike the Brit]

One of the reasons the eastern division of the AFC looks relatively stronger is that the teams got to feast against the NFC west.

Bingo!

I think the NFL format is brilliant. I'm not happy with flexing only two of three important games that have a bearing on one another, but that's another matter.

What's sad is that this team has integrated a new quarterback and now, so far as we can judge from the last three weeks, is on an upward trajectory that would make them a dangerous opponent in the play-offs. But the record is the record.

If the team lose out, I'll have no complaints about the system.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Huh?

1st tie breaker head to head

2nd div record (which is a subset of common)

3rd tiebreaker is common games (which gets rid of Steelers/Colts)

4rd tiebreaker is conf record (the first time the non common games come into play)

And the fact miami lost both of their two non-common games.

If we beat the Bills and don't win the division it will be because Mia beat chargers and we didn't.

I agre with the last sentence. Under current tie breaker rules, yes, that is why they will make the playoffs and we won't. My point was that if we had played their schedule and they had played ours, there are reasons to believe we would be 11-4 right now and they would be 10-5. That was my point -- I think if you swapped Steelers/Colts for Ravens/Texans, the Patriot would have gone at least 1-1 and the Fins would likely have gone 0-2.

 

[lamafist]

I call B.S. on this writer. The three quotes don't sound like the type of things Pats players say, given how the organization schools the players on what to say or not say to the press. It doesn't matter whether or not it is true, Pats players simply don't say things like "Arizona didn't even show up" to a reporter. All of the comments were off the record, anonymous quotes? When was the last time a Pats playerdid that? Sorry, I don't buy it; this story is a complete work of fiction based on imaginary quotes.

So basically you're saying you find it more likely that a life-long sports reporter with 15 years at major newspapers and a member of the Pro Football Writers Association would totally fabricate quotes and put his entire career at risk, all for a "scoop" so innocuous that it probably won't be discussed outside this board?

THAT is more likely than some 21-year-old kid (one of the many, many rookies we have getting serious PT these days), frustrated at the prospect of missing out on his first NFL playoffs, saying a little more to a reporter than maybe he intended to?

I think you're maybe a little too defensive of our guys.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

I agre with the last sentence. Under current tie breaker rules, yes, that is why they will make the playoffs and we won't. My point was that if we had played their schedule and they had played ours, there are reasons to believe we would be 11-4 right now and they would be 10-5. That was my point -- I think if you swapped Steelers/Colts for Ravens/Texans, the Patriot would have gone at least 1-1 and the Fins would likely have gone 0-2.

Yeah, but that is part of they parity plan. I like the fact that unlike in baseball, teams have an equal footing. And several things are done to equalize.

1) Miami who last year went 1-15 had a slightly easier schedule than AFC Champion 16-0 NEP.

2) Miami who last year went 1-15 go the first pick in the draft and than AFC Champion 16-0 NEP had the 31st spot (forgetting the spygate issue)

3) we have a salary cap.

And I think this is one all part of what makes football better than baseball where teams like the Redsox and Yankees can buy a shot at the playoffs.

If Miami wins the division, I will be disappointed as a NEP fan, but as a fan of the NFL it is phenomenal. From the joke of the league to contender. It also gives hope to Lions fans that next year could be different.

The only thing I really see as a flaw: Is I think this year the Giants should have played the 1st place schedule and the Cowboys play the 2nd place schedule. If you make it to the SB as a wild card you should have to play the harder schedule next year.

 

[jmt57]

So basically you're saying you find it more likely that a life-long sports reporter with 15 years at major newspapers and a member of the Pro Football Writers Association would totally fabricate quotes and put his entire career at risk, all for a "scoop" so innocuous that it probably won't be discussed outside this board?

THAT is more likely than some 21-year-old kid (one of the many, many rookies we have getting serious PT these days), frustrated at the prospect of missing out on his first NFL playoffs, saying a little more to a reporter than maybe he intended to?

I think you're maybe a little too defensive of our guys.

Chris Landry was "highly respected" until a few weeks ago also. On a local level, there was a time when Ron Borges was too.

If a person has an axe to grind (i.e., the player complaining), they are far more likely to let anybody and everybody know. There's not one single other media outlet, locally or nationally, running a column with a similar quote from a Pats player. Yet they only talked to one columnist about this perceived slight? And the person they talked to is neither a beat writer that has gained the trust of the players over the course of the season, nor a national network (espn, fox, cbs, nbc) that would get his message out to a larger audience?

One last thing to consider is this: the quotes were all anonymous. So the player(s) knew they shouldn't be saying those things (i.e., 'don't use my name') yet made those comments anyways?

Sorry, but yes, I do have serious doubts as to the authenticty of those comments regardless of Cole's resume.

 

[JoeSixPat]

The NFL owners - as reaffirmed by Polian and McKay - made a decision years ago that they weren't interested in reserving the playoffs for the best teams.

They'd rather have a mediocre division winner than a very good wild card team.

They made that decision for monetary purposes and it will only change if havin mediocre teams in the playoffs limits the income for the owners.

I'm not going to bemoan yet another unfair or stupid NFL rules - there'd be no time to watch and enjoy football if I did.

 

[wdkantro2]

I love how whenever there is an article that's even slightly anti-Pats, you all start "calling BS on the writer."
Who the hell cares if a player talked or not? It wouldn't surprise me, given that Ty Warren told the media exactly what's wrong with his groin, and it really is not a big deal at all.
I think in a perfect/consistent world, the format should be changed...but there is too much turnover every year where a team who sucked last year is great the next year and creates a logjam at the top....and there are years where good teams being terrible and there is a logjam in the middle at the 8-8 or 7-9 range.

 

[BradyBranch39]

For the record, before that plagiarism thing, I'd never heard of Landry. I have definitely heard of this guy.