[Preds]

Originally Posted by Nittany Dodgers

Throwing my two cents into the ring, as much as it pains me to say it, I agree 100% with what Mike has said here.

The divisions serve a number of purposes in my mind. #1 is scheduling. How else do you schedule a 12 team league to end prior to week 17 without divisions? An unbalanced schedule without divisions doesn't make sense. So that's one reason. Next, it builds rivalries. Playing the same team multiple times in a season naturally builds rivalries. That adds to the fun and enjoyment of the league. It also aids in determining who the playoff teams are since we are forced into an unbalanced schedule.

That all said, let's not get so married to the idea of divisions that we are locked into seeding the playoff teams based on them. They are there to serve a purpose, but not to restrict the fairness of the playoffs. Mike has done an excellent job of illustrating the historical unfairness of assigning the wildcard to the #4 seed. The only situation responses have been hypothetical "what ifs" and whatnot. When the two best teams, or two of the three best teams, come from the same division, they should not be forced to play each other again for a shot at the championship. A team that wins the "weak" division (there's one every year, and you know who you are) should play no one but the best in order for a shot at the championship to prove they belong.

:agree

VERY :GoodPost