Jump to content

Any interest in NFL Divisional Realignment or Relegation?

Peevo

By Peevo
in The Stadium Wall Archives

 Share

Recommended Posts

Peevo Rookie

Peevo

Posted
Posted

I realize this will likely never happen, but does anybody out there think NFL relegation/promotion, or divisional realignment is a good idea?

 

The Bills, Dolphins, and Jets don't benefit from the NFL's parity system, because of the sheer dominance of New England over the last 15 seasons.

 

Could there be a way that division winners, and division bottom feeders rotate different divisions opposite conferences?

 

To make geographics easier, we could have the Bills say "relegate" to the NFC East, and swap with the lowest ranked team therein.

 

I'm certainly open to a more "top down" relegation model, where effectively two NFL leagues are created, but this would just give the best teams a chance to win the Superbowl every year, with the bottom teams a chance to get back into the league that allows you to win.

 

Teams wouldn't want to tank, cause you wouldn't want to relegate to the lesser "non SuperBowl" league.

 

I know, this would fundamentally change the scope of the league, and old time rivalries would cease to exist.

 

But is this such a bad thing?

 

If you remember those "great AFL 60's Bills," you're most definitely on the outside looking in of the NFL's desired "core demo" in the 21st Century.

 

I'm burnt out on the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots every year. The players themselves don't care about the "storied rivalries" of days past. They all come from the same three southern states anyway.

 

Most players talk about their college rivalries than anything that happens in the pros.

 

If the rivalries don't matter to the players, why not give the fans something fresh, something new? Plus, bad teams like the Bills can get out of a brutal schedule playing a dominant team like NE twice a year.

 

Plus, NE needs a tougher division, so they don't auto-win 5-6 conference games a year, skewing the top of the AFC standings every season.

 

The divisions need be seeded according to team competitive level, not necessarily history or geographics. I get it, this will never happen because it would be fun.

 

But what say you, are you guys not just burnt out on NE kicking the Bills' teeth in every season?

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
May Day 10 All Pro

May Day 10

Posted
Posted

Wouldnt work in the NFL.

 

 

I am in favor of realignment. I would like for there to be 4 conferences, no divisions. Current one is stale and boring. Sick of the Jets, Dolphins, and Pats taking up nearly 40% of the schedule every season.

 

 

 

I think relegation/promotion would be amazing for baseball and the sport would probably grow to mammoth proportions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KDIGGZ Hall of Famer

KDIGGZ

Posted
Posted

Bills belong in the AFC North. I feel like we have more in common with those teams and they are closer so it would be easier to travel to games. The reason we aren't is because the NFL likes the Steelers-Ravens rivalry and doesn't want to lose that and for some reason they still think Miami is our big rival. We haven't had a rivalry with them since Marino.

 

It could be worse though. If they did it geographically (like how it was intended) then the Dolphins would be in the South, the Colts would be in the North, and the Ravens would be in the East.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Peevo Rookie

Peevo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

What level do they drop down to...?

 

I think in essence, it would create a "lesser" league.

 

This could already be done via the current Conferences. One conference gets a shot to qualify for the Superbowl playoffs, while the other could have a tournament to decide who gets into the upper conference.

 

It's ironic, as a leftist, that I'm creating essentially the haves and have nots of the NFL. In a way, this system already exists. What teams have an honest, realistic shot at the SuperBowl every year? 3? New England, Seattle, Dallas, Pittsburgh?

 

So those teams would be the only ones consistently able to duke it out. The rest have to claw and scrape for the chance to get a chance. And yes, it would create a de facto minor league NFL. But isn't this already a thing? See: Cleveland, Buffalo, Jacksonville, LA, etc. Teams that have been consistently bad for years?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Santana RFA

Santana

Posted
Posted

Yeah I'd love to see a realignment. I think the Bills should switch places with the Ravens and Buffalo should be in the AFC North. Geographically it just makes sense. Highly doubt the NFL would split up the Steelers and Ravens rivalry though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Prickly Pete Veteran

Prickly Pete

Posted
Posted (edited)

I realize this will likely never happen, but does anybody out there think NFL relegation/promotion, or divisional realignment is a good idea?

 

The Bills, Dolphins, and Jets don't benefit from the NFL's parity system, because of the sheer dominance of New England over the last 15 seasons.

 

Could there be a way that division winners, and division bottom feeders rotate different divisions opposite conferences?

 

To make geographics easier, we could have the Bills say "relegate" to the NFC East, and swap with the lowest ranked team therein.

 

I'm certainly open to a more "top down" relegation model, where effectively two NFL leagues are created, but this would just give the best teams a chance to win the Superbowl every year, with the bottom teams a chance to get back into the league that allows you to win.

 

Teams wouldn't want to tank, cause you wouldn't want to relegate to the lesser "non SuperBowl" league.

 

I know, this would fundamentally change the scope of the league, and old time rivalries would cease to exist.

 

But is this such a bad thing?

 

If you remember those "great AFL 60's Bills," you're most definitely on the outside looking in of the NFL's desired "core demo" in the 21st Century.

 

I'm burnt out on the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots every year. The players themselves don't care about the "storied rivalries" of days past. They all come from the same three southern states anyway.

 

Most players talk about their college rivalries than anything that happens in the pros.

 

If the rivalries don't matter to the players, why not give the fans something fresh, something new? Plus, bad teams like the Bills can get out of a brutal schedule playing a dominant team like NE twice a year.

 

Plus, NE needs a tougher division, so they don't auto-win 5-6 conference games a year, skewing the top of the AFC standings every season.

 

The divisions need be seeded according to team competitive level, not necessarily history or geographics. I get it, this will never happen because it would be fun.

 

But what say you, are you guys not just burnt out on NE kicking the Bills' teeth in every season?

 

 

 

 

There is no team in the NFC East that would ever, ever, ever want to leave the division that has the largest TV demographics in the country.

Edited by HoF Watkins
Link to comment
Share on other sites
metzelaars_lives Veteran

metzelaars_lives

Posted
Posted

Nope. The divisions are perfect the way they are. The NFL, with all its faults, couldn't have done a better job with the divisions. The playoff system is perfect too. My only fear is that they add a wild card. This is a rare instance where the NFL has and should continue to leave well enough alone.

Yeah I'd love to see a realignment. I think the Bills should switch places with the Ravens and Buffalo should be in the AFC North. Geographically it just makes sense. Highly doubt the NFL would split up the Steelers and Ravens rivalry though.

That's the point. They did a perfect job of blending geography and rivalries. It's perfect. And it's not changing so moot point.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...