Did not know this...Miami Dolphins were given the option of joining the AFC South during realignment

[Big Turk]

During realignment in 2002 when Houston became the 32nd NFL team, Wayne Huizenga, then Dolphins owner, was given the option to join the AFC South to make it more geographically sensible, but he chose instead to maintain the old AFL Rivalries...

 

So Indianapolis got moved instead. It was bad enough to have Tom Brady in the division all those years...could you imagine if Miami left and we had to deal with Peyton Manning too??

 

https://phinphanatic.com/2019/08/08/miami-dolphins-looked-like-moved-afc-south/

[BuffBillsForLife]

In a different timeline, we play in the rustbelt division with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit.

[uninja]

  On 10/3/2022 at 7:57 PM, Big Turk said:

During realignment in 2002 when Houston became the 32nd NFL team, Wayne Huizenga, then Dolphins owner, was given the option to join the AFC South to make it more geographically sensible, but he chose instead to maintain the old AFL Rivalries...

 

So Indianapolis got moved instead. It was bad enough to have Tom Brady in the division all those years...could you imagine if Miami left and we had to deal with Peyton Manning too??

 

https://phinphanatic.com/2019/08/08/miami-dolphins-looked-like-moved-afc-south/

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Instead of beating each other up in the regular season they just did it in the postseason. 
 

Wouldn’t have made a difference for the Bills. We were objectively terrible for a solid 15 years. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

We were "dead" anyway with Brady era so what difference does it make.  I would have liked to see 2 contests each seasons between Brady and Manning and the Pats would not have been able to treat the AFC East like their playground.

[Warcodered]

  On 10/3/2022 at 7:57 PM, Big Turk said:

During realignment in 2002 when Houston became the 32nd NFL team, Wayne Huizenga, then Dolphins owner, was given the option to join the AFC South to make it more geographically sensible, but he chose instead to maintain the old AFL Rivalries...

 

So Indianapolis got moved instead. It was bad enough to have Tom Brady in the division all those years...could you imagine if Miami left and we had to deal with Peyton Manning too??

 

https://phinphanatic.com/2019/08/08/miami-dolphins-looked-like-moved-afc-south/

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Peyton Manning and Brady in the same division, sucks for everybody else in it, but that would have been some great football.

Edited October 3, 2022 by Warcodered

[Bongo]

  On 10/3/2022 at 7:59 PM, BuffBillsForLife said:

In a different timeline, we play in the rustbelt division with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit.

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I always thought it made sense for Baltimore to go AFC East (then all 4 would be on the East coast) and we go to AFC North. Seems to make more sense.

[WhoTom]

If I remember correctly, Mr. Wilson declined a move to the AFCN, also citing the desire to maintain rivalries.

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by WhoTom

[dollars 2 donuts]

  On 10/3/2022 at 7:59 PM, BuffBillsForLife said:

In a different timeline, we play in the rustbelt division with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit.

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I have always been a proponent of a Bills-Pitt-Cleve-Cincy division, myself.  

 

The longest driving distance traveled in that new division, 6.5 hours to Cincy, would be the closest opponent we have if they were in the AFC East between Miami, NY, Buffalo, NE and Cincy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by dollars 2 donuts

[Bongo]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:09 PM, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

I have always been a proponent of a Bills-Pitt-Cleve-Cincy division, myself.  

 

 

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Exactly

[UConn James]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:06 PM, Bongo said:

I always thought it made sense for Baltimore to go AFC East (then all 4 would be on the East coast) and we go to AFC North. Seems to make more sense.

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It would have made geographic sense. Absolutely.

 

But it wouldn’t have been right in any other sense.

[fasteddie]

It's like having the Cowboys in the NFC east. I guess they had to put them somewhere. 

[Big Turk]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:09 PM, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

I have always been a proponent of a Bills-Pitt-Cleve-Cincy division, myself.  

 

The longest driving distance traveled in that new division, 6.5 hours to Cincy, would be the closest opponent we have if they were in the AFC East between Miami, NY, Buffalo, NE and Cincy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Interestingly enough it would be shorter than any drive in the current division setup.

[Simon]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:09 PM, dollars 2 donuts said:

I have always been a proponent of a Bills-Pitt-Cleve-Cincy division, myself. 

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Yeah, having us flip places with Baltimore would be great for everybody, imo.

[dollars 2 donuts]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:36 PM, Big Turk said:

 

Interestingly enough it would be shorter than any drive in the current division setup.

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Exactly.  Turk, can image every road division game is same day driveable.

 

 

[Billz4ever]

  On 10/3/2022 at 7:57 PM, Big Turk said:

During realignment in 2002 when Houston became the 32nd NFL team, Wayne Huizenga, then Dolphins owner, was given the option to join the AFC South to make it more geographically sensible, but he chose instead to maintain the old AFL Rivalries...

 

So Indianapolis got moved instead. It was bad enough to have Tom Brady in the division all those years...could you imagine if Miami left and we had to deal with Peyton Manning too??

 

https://phinphanatic.com/2019/08/08/miami-dolphins-looked-like-moved-afc-south/

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The Bills might as well have not existed through most of the Brady/Manning Era anyway.  We were that bad.

[Big Turk]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:58 PM, Billz4ever said:

The Bills might as well have not existed through most of the Brady/Manning Era anyway.  We were that bad.

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Except that we really weren't. We only finished with 5 wins or less 3 times over that period and finished with 7, 8 or 9 wins 9 times.  We finished with a net point differential of more than -100 only 3 times, and a positive point differential 4 times.  That isn't "bad" in a traditional sense, that is just mediocre.  Which may explain why we were so mediocre for so long...we always were picking outside of the area where you could get can't miss QB prospects.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by Big Turk

[The Red King]

People are drifting from the OP.  Miami leaving would have made more sense then Indy.  It shouldn't have even been a choice.

[Warcodered]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:22 PM, fasteddie said:

It's like having the Cowboys in the NFC east. I guess they had to put them somewhere. 

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This wouldn't have worked?

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by Warcodered

[frostbitmic]

  On 10/3/2022 at 8:22 PM, fasteddie said:

It's like having the Cowboys in the NFC east. I guess they had to put them somewhere. 

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Atlanta used to be in the NFC West

[Billz4ever]

  On 10/3/2022 at 9:01 PM, Big Turk said:

 

Except that we really weren't. We only finished with 5 wins or less 3 times over that period and finished with 7, 8 or 9 wins 9 times.  We finished with a net point differential of more than -100 only 3 times, and a positive point differential 4 times.  That isn't "bad" in a traditional sense, that is just mediocre.  Which may explain why we were so mediocre for so long...we always were picking outside of the area where you could get can't miss QB prospects.

 

 

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Mediocrity is the same or worse than being bad in my book.  You're either a playoff team or you're everyone else.  Being mediocre is worse than being bad because you're not a playoff team and you're not going to get great draft picks either, which I think was part of your point there at the end.