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Your Division Alignments

DolfanDuBbZ~ said:
With ATT acquiring the company, DirectTv will only fold because of their now terrible CUSTOMER Service.
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Heh, yeah, that's a distinct possibility. I'm guessing that to make DirecTV worthwhile they'll roll the services into one another and offer some form of the Sunday Ticket through other ATT services, such as a separate steaming license or included in a suit of services or something.

Anyway, back to realignment, it did happen fairly recently, so I don't think the owners are really open to it again so soon. With the movement by Kroenke to build his own stadium in LA and hold it hostage to force the NFL to approve his movement to LA, I think the main incentive to more alignment talks--potentially filling the 2nd largest market in the NFL--has been taken off the table. I don't anticipate the NFL opening up this Pandora's Box again anytime soon. Perhaps when they expand, potentially outside the US (London, Toronto, etc.) it will spur more realignment talks.
 
allsilverdreams said:
Why were the Dolphins put in that division when they first entered the league. Im sure other franchises we're not happy with that.so why wouldn't teams with higher clout not try to get into the leagues commissioner ear and convince him that changes are needed.
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Well remember, back then there were not nearly as many teams. In 1966 the Miami Dolphins were founded as an AFL team, in the Eastern Division of the AFL with the New York Jets, Boston Patriots, and Buffalo Bills, as well as the Houston Oilers. Once the NFL and AFL merged and started playing together in 1970, the AFL Eastern Division became the AFC East, and with the exception of Houston, those three teams have been together ever since. Now, the value of the NYC and Boston markets makes it imperative to the owners of the Bills and Dolphins to maintain those markets and rivalries. I imagine the owners of the Jets and Patriots would be perfectly happy adding major markets like LA or Chicago in place of Miami or Buffalo.

Now the financial hardship from change is so great the owners will throw a hissy fit if their billion dollar investment loses a few hundred million dollars of value. And, I can understand that.
 
Jimi said:
Dolphins
Bucs
Falcons
Jaguars

Seahawks
Raiders
9ers
Rams

Chargers
Broncos
Chiefs
Cardinals

Vikings
Packers
Bears
Lions

Patriots
Bills
Jets
Giants

Browns
Bengals
Steelers
Ravens

Cowboys
Texans
Saints
Titans

Panthers
Redskins
Eagles
Colts

That should be the divisions. It's geographically close and you keep most of the big rivalries with potential for very good new ones.

Of course it will never happen though.
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Dolphins
Bucs
Jags
Falcons

Bills
Patriots
Giants
Jest

Steelers
Bengals
Browns
Colts

Seahawks
49ers
Rams
Chargers

Raiders
Cardinals
Chiefs
Broncos

Vikings
Bears
Packers
Lions

Redskins
Eagles
Ravens
Panthers

Cowboys
Texans
Saints
Titans
 
My idea would be more radical. I'd have the AFC and the NFC, no divisions. Each team would play one game against every team in the conference, making up 15 of the 16 games. You could then have either one game out of league, or play another conference team twice that year and rotate that. The following year, you'd switch home and away. In other words, if Miami was home against the NY Jets in 2019 the Jets would be home in 2020.

What I like about that alignment is the purity of every team essentially having the same schedule, with the exception of the "16th" opponent. For playoffs, you take the top 4 or 6 teams from each conference. This does away with a team going 8-8, winning their division and making the playoffs. I've never liked that as each year there seems to be a few weak divisions and the playoffs aren't always representing the six best teams.

You could even take it one step further and go "cross-matching" once the playoffs begin. The 12 teams that make the playoffs, six from each conference, are seeded together allowing for the possibility that two NFC teams could meet in the super bowl, or two AFC teams could meet in the super bowl. I remember in the 1970's the three best teams were Miami, Oakland and Pittsburgh. The AFC championship, for a number of years, was really matching the two best teams. Same in the NFC in the 1980's with San Francisco, the NY Giants and Chicago.

Anyway, food for thought.
 
Vaark said:
In principal you're right cuz the difference is nominal.. but technically the flight time from Miami or Ft Lauderdale to NY is exactly 3.0 hours while the flight time from Dallas to DC is 2hrs 50 mins :)
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not on a charter
 
SF Dolphin Fan said:
My idea would be more radical. I'd have the AFC and the NFC, no divisions. Each team would play one game against every team in the conference, making up 15 of the 16 games. You could then have either one game out of league, or play another conference team twice that year and rotate that. The following year, you'd switch home and away. In other words, if Miami was home against the NY Jets in 2019 the Jets would be home in 2020.

What I like about that alignment is the purity of every team essentially having the same schedule, with the exception of the "16th" opponent. For playoffs, you take the top 4 or 6 teams from each conference. This does away with a team going 8-8, winning their division and making the playoffs. I've never liked that as each year there seems to be a few weak divisions and the playoffs aren't always representing the six best teams.

You could even take it one step further and go "cross-matching" once the playoffs begin. The 12 teams that make the playoffs, six from each conference, are seeded together allowing for the possibility that two NFC teams could meet in the super bowl, or two AFC teams could meet in the super bowl. I remember in the 1970's the three best teams were Miami, Oakland and Pittsburgh. The AFC championship, for a number of years, was really matching the two best teams. Same in the NFC in the 1980's with San Francisco, the NY Giants and Chicago.

Anyway, food for thought.
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Yeah, that is kinda what I think. Balanced schedule is needed. Best teams need to be in the playoffs regardless and you want the top two teams on different sides of the bracket so there is more of a chance of them meeting in the final (Super Bowl). I guess your 16th opponent could be based on where you placed in the conference the year before (The first place teams plays the first place teams, second plays second, etc...)
 
The Jets and Giants will never be in the same division.
 
Jimi said:
Dolphins
Bucs
Falcons
Jaguars

Seahawks
Raiders
9ers
Rams

Chargers
Broncos
Chiefs
Cardinals

Vikings
Packers
Bears
Lions

Patriots
Bills
Jets
Giants

Browns
Bengals
Steelers
Ravens

Cowboys
Texans
Saints
Titans

Panthers
Redskins
Eagles
Colts

That should be the divisions. It's geographically close and you keep most of the big rivalries with potential for very good new ones.

Of course it will never happen though.
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This makes a tons of sense

I really don't understand why its not like this
 
phins_4_ever said:
The only reason people want realignment is because we have done diddly squat in our division for the last 20 years.
I am not willing to give up solid rivalries with the Jets, Bills and Pats for some in-the-moment-feeling.
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That's not true at all for a lot of us. We're almost done with the Patriots reign so now wouldn't be a very good time to do it for that reason. I could actually attend some away games with this alignment for one thing. And the most southern team in the league having the potential for 3 extra snow games each year is just not right. Dolphins and Bucs/ Jags would instantly turn into great intrastate rivalries. It just makes sense.
 
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