Originally posted by NoRespect I am still having trouble with the whole parallel universe feeling of reading from the newsgroup. It is almost as if the are part of the bulletin board but no one can "see" them.
You are not alone (so to speak)....I'm getting an eerie feeling about it too.
This format is almost certain to prevent the two best teams in the league from playing one another (although they MIGHT play in the conference championship).
It wasn't designed to be that way although it looks like it. I'm sure it will look different over the next few years.
For instance, the Patriots have played the Broncos almost every year in the past decade....Why? This will change that.
The parity in my mind is caused not as much by free agency, but the fact that there are now too many divisions. Half of the current schedule is played against just three teams. I understand that it exists to promote rivalries but it is -- as the name implies --divisive. The current format favors teams that play in weak divisions, and compounds the error by the chance that the interconference opponents could also be from a weak division.
Good point here but those teams that win the 'weak' divisions will usually flop in the playoffs.
I wouldn't like a 4 divisions x 8 teams division (only other option, really)because there's only a 16 game schedule and I like the 2 games per division rival....which would account for 14 of those games.
Strength of schedule arguments are bunk. The only way you can evaluate strength of schedule is through hindsight.
As Troy Brown would say....Bingo.
They should tournament seed all 32 teams an let them have at it. And now like the guy yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre, I will sit back and watch the resulting melee....
That would be interesting, for sure.