The NFL is a formidably effective business, but its executives can seldom resist the temptation to try breaking what is working extremely well.
The Lions’ proposal to seed the seven playoff teams in each conference without regard to division championship wasn’t something the Lions formulated during a brainstorming session at team headquarters. The suggestion to make the suggestion came from 345 Park Avenue.
Here’s how it happened, as explained by Jeremy Reisman of PrideOfDetroit.com.
As the winner-take-all, regular-season finale between the 14-2 Vikings and 14-2 Lions approached, Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown spoke out about the unfairness of the loser having to go on the road to face a division winner with a lesser record.
“It’s crazy,” St. Brown said at the time. “I think the rule should be changed. Obviously if you win the division, you should obviously make a playoff spot, but having a 14-win team having to go on the road is kind of crazy. But I guess I don’t make the rules.”
No, St. Brown doesn’t make the rules. But his comments could have a hand in changing them.
As St. Brown’s remarks went viral, NFL executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent took notice. And, instead of adding the possibility to the agenda of the Competition Committee for the usual bill-becomes-law protocol, Vincent made a phone call to Lions president Rod Wood.
“Troy Vincent from the league reached out to me and said, ‘I tend to agree with [St. Brown],’” Wood said this week at the league meetings. “‘Would you mind partnering with us on making a proposal on that?’ So we made a proposal.”
Basing playoff seedings on overall records instead of division championships is abysmally retarded. The NFL benefits by strengthening divisions; it made the season ends more exciting when the big division clashes were reserved for the final week, thereby keeping the playoff race alive for the entire season. It’s not as if the outcome was unfair for the Vikings, who were blown out in the first round by the Rams after choking against the Lions.
If divisions don’t matter, if records are the only thing that are important, why play the playoffs at all? Isn’t it unfair for a 15-2 team to have to play a 11-6 team in the playoffs too? Does the NFL really think that imitating the European football leagues, where the title is all but determined weeks, if not months, before season end? I stopped paying attention to the Premier League three months ago, when it became obvious that no one could keep up with Liverpool.
The system works. Divisions matter. If you want a home playoff game, then win your division. Period.