The NFL needs serious help for it's playoff/SB games....

[RoadLizard 73]

Have you noticed that seemingly almost every year the NFL playoffs and Championship games are the WORST of the 4 major sports? Sure the regular season is great because of the limited number of playoff teams and short schedule. The other sports play too many games and too many teams make it ( at least in Hockey and Basketball ) but after that, the other sports KILL the NFL for quality of playoff matchups and Championship games.

 

The playoff games in the NFL get progressively worse as the playoffs go along. This is the ONLY sport where this happens. There is little or no tension, it's just sh!tty game after sh!tty game between a bunch of nobody's. Blowouts are all too common and many games are over before the ball is even kicked off. Of course there have been some classics, we know that, but the ratio is definitely weighted towards awful games. The hype doesn't help either.... the NFL fools people into thinking that they should set aside Sunday afternoon to watch their blowouts and pointless games when things like raking the yard could be tended to. The media machine swallows up the sucker-ass fans and sponsors like plankton!

 

I think part of the problem is that the other sports get to play a series against the other teams instead of one game. This way, one bad game does not end your run. In a 7 game series an undeserving team cannot get lucky 4 times and steal a series.... the better team usually wins out. I know, you cant play 7 games in football.

 

Seattle against Pittsburgh? Those were the two best teams in the NFL this year? Ummm OK. Whatever. They both played like crap.... that was one of the worst displays of football I have ever seen. And these are the TOP two teams.... yeah..... solid. Oh I know, noone else was much better but how lame can you get? Indy CHOKING as usual.... Pitt taking out Palmer essentially knocking out the only really interesting team in there, The Seabags winning a conference by default only because they suck the least, Several .500 teams disguised as contenders when in reality they were gonna be "One and OUT" pretty much gauranteed. Nice playoffs....really intriguing.....

 

Sure, the other sports have their issues as well but at least their playoffs and big games are actually good matchups and keep people glued to their seats. The SB in almost every season is whatever team gets lucky and shoots their wad the most.... then they play another "wad shooting entity" in what ends up being a lousy, over-hyped Stupid Bowl game with shoddy play, bad officiating, and anonymous players that noone cares about. Throw in the loser-azz halftime shows and you have completely ruined postseason play. Nice job jerk-offs.

 

Just remember:

 

NFL - Fantasy Football = ZERO fan appeal

 

[Taylor36 0]

I couldnt disagree more.

[RoadLizard 73]

I couldnt disagree more.

 

Well, why? Did I miss something?

 

That's cool and all but 'splain it to me....

[George Carlin 1]

I'll have to mull this over, but you very well may be onto something.

 

if the refs hadn't of jobbed the Patriots against the broncos, they would have been in the superbowl.

[Darb33 0]

Well, why? Did I miss something?

 

That's cool and all but 'splain it to me....

 

 

Well realistically, what can they change on the current format to please you? What you are saying doesn't make much sense. What do you want a best of 3 every weekend to see who advances? That is never gonna happen. When it's a one and done scenario the best team doesn't always win. I think that is why the NFL Playoffs are the best post-season of the 3 major sports.

[TIKI-BARBERS-BARBER 0]

Seattle against Pittsburgh? Those were the two best teams in the NFL this year? Ummm OK. Whatever. They both played like crap....

 

Maybe they was both good because they both had better then average deffense? Although Imo the best two teams in football last year was Pitt and Indi and that was also the best game I seen this year.

[lennie75 0]

I couldn't disagree more. The NFL has the best playoffs and championship game of any sport. did you watch the NCAA tournament. That was just awful...we ended up watching two teams who weren't even in the top 10 play.

 

How did the Patriots get jobbed??? They were completely worked over by the Broncos!!!

 

And yes Seattle and Pitt were the best two teams. Seattle was the best team in the NFC all year...and Pitt beat all the top seeds to win it all. Quit your crying and start watching Tennis if you don't have anything else to complain about.

[TIKI-BARBERS-BARBER 0]

Also you want to watch good playoffs send Indi and Denevr to the Nfc to even the league out. I gurantee the Superbowl would be better.

[lennie75 0]

Also you want to watch good playoffs send Indi and Denevr to the Nfc to even the league out. I gurantee the Superbowl would be better.

I kind of agree but this year if you take away Indi and Denver what does the AFC have besides Pitt??

KC?? SAn Diego--how will they do w/out Brees??? The next best team may very well be Miami. I think both sides are pretty equal THIS year...but I agree that may have helped last year!!!

[Hagy34 0]

I think the NFL playoffs are the single greatest month of sports. Far and away the best time of year in my mind.

[TIKI-BARBERS-BARBER 0]

I kind of agree but this year if you take away Indi and Denver what does the AFC have besides Pitt??

KC?? SAn Diego--how will they do w/out Brees??? The next best team may very well be Miami. I think both sides are pretty equal THIS year...but I agree that may have helped last year!!!

They Still have the Superbowl winners of the last 3 years in the Pats & Pitt,. Cinci, San Diego, Jags, Kc and a up incoming Miami. To many good teams in the AFC that this would actually be a good move even though it won't happen.

[n_omarley 11]

you think series-based playoffs are better than one game?

 

have you ever seen the NCAA B-ball tournament?

 

NBA playoffs =

[t.j 35]

The NFL has by far the best regular season in any sport. That's because the regular season games are so critical. After all the regular-season drama, the playoffs lose some luster when your team isn't in them. But when your team is alive, the playoffs are exciting as hell.

[t.j 35]

After all the regular-season drama, the playoffs lose some luster when your team isn't in them. But when your team is alive, the playoffs are exciting as hell.

 

To expand on this point, I think one thing that can be a buzzkill about the playoffs is that only 4-8 teams (out of 32 total teams) win any playoff games in a given year. Compare that to the other major sports. In the NCAA tournament 32-33 teams win games, in the NBA and NHL about 14 teams win games, in MLB about 7 teams win games, and in college football there are again about 30 teams that win games in the postseason.

In the NFL, out of 32 teams, 20 don't even get to play in the playoffs, the 4 teams who play road wild card games (usually) can be pretty sure their participation will be short-lived, and of the other playoff teams you usually have 2 or 3 who have a great regular season ruined by an early playoff exit, 3 or 4 who win a game or two but end in heartbreak, and only 1 that gets satisfaction. So probably about 90% of the fans end up not happy with their team's playoff results. You really have to be able to enjoy them from an NFL Fan standpoint, and appreciate them for the high level of football that is being played (if I hear one more time that Seattle and Pittsburgh played like crap, I am going to puke ), and the suspense for these guys who may become legends, or may never return to contend again...

 

So, the 12-team, single elimination format is pretty unique, and certainly isn't designed to appease most of the fans from a homer standpoint. But I wouldn't want them to change it.

[kiwimango 0]

I think that is a bad blanket statement to say that the other 3 major sports have better playoffs than the NFL. That just isnt true. Are you telling me that watching the Angels vs White Sox & Cardinals vs Astros and then the World Series was great?

 

Or maybe The Spurs vs Pistons was fantastic???

 

Nobody even watched these games as evident by the ratings. In the NFL you may not get the 2 Best teams every year, because it is one and done, but the drama is much bigger and better. You are playing for your life every game and that is why the NCAA Tournament is great. You have to watch what happens.

 

I tell you what, in June, the Spurs will be playing the Pistons in the NBA finals and whomever has home court and it looks like it will be Detroit up 2 with 8 games to go, will be the winner. How much drama and how exciting is that?

[Phurfur 70]

Also you want to watch good playoffs send Indi and Denevr to the Nfc to even the league out. I gurantee the Superbowl would be better.

 

This makes no sense unless you want to realign the conferences every year. The balance of power in the NFL shifts back and forth over time. Between 1985 and 1997 the NFC won 13 SBs in a row. Between 1969 and 1981 the AFC won 11 out of 13. So moving these teams might make sense next year but it will not accomplish anything in the long run.

[jocstrap 8]

I disagree - Football is a one game sport - not a 3 out of 5 series or a 4 out of 7 series.

 

Leave it alone.

[TIKI-BARBERS-BARBER 0]

This makes no sense unless you want to realign the conferences every year. The balance of power in the NFL shifts back and forth over time. Between 1985 and 1997 the NFC won 13 SBs in a row. Between 1969 and 1981 the AFC won 11 out of 13. So moving these teams might make sense next year but it will not accomplish anything in the long run.

Well when the Collts and Denver suck again we can just move them back to the Afc. I'm telling you its fool proof Jerry.

[Phurfur 70]

In the NFL, out of 32 teams, 20 don't even get to play in the playoffs,

 

That's what makes the regular season so exciting.

[Stars 0]

I disagree - Football is a one game sport - not a 3 out of 5 series or a 4 out of 7 series.

 

Leave it alone.

I'm with you. It is what it is, and it's fine.

 

It wouldn't work as a series - because it's such a punishing game, they simply can't play three times in a week. Unless you want the playoffs to last three months, it's not feasible.

 

I have to admit to sometimes enjoying regular season match-ups more than the postseason - but that's just because we can pick and choose the best ones. And because of fantasy football, of course.

 

Doesn't make the postseason invalid or in need of an overhaul, though.

 

That's what makes the regular season so exciting.

Yes, and without it the regular season would be practically worthless. imho enough teams go to the playoffs already.

[slash 0]

Well, why? Did I miss something?

 

That's cool and all but 'splain it to me....

 

thats why its been said that on any sunday anyteam can beat any other team.

 

2ndly, last time i checked the march madness which is a similar system works pretty damn well. and no, not the best team through out the year ends up winning. If thats what you wanted, then why not give them the trophy at the end of the season, or just take the best two teams and have a one game playoffs?

 

The reason that the most talented teams dont always win the sb is because of coaching. I know its not the most enjoyable part of the game to watch for an avg fan, but i think its the best part to watch for a football fan.

The bears should have beat carolina in the playoffs, but the difference in that game was not SS, but it was the coaching, chicago got totally outcoached by carolina and to the defense of the seahawks, holmgrem watched and learned and schemed a defense and out coached carolina. I think the same thing happened with pitt played indy, Indy got out coached. When you get these top caliber teams, it usually not the play of a player or two that make a difference but its the coaching decisions that put a player or two in position to make special plays that make the difference.

That being said having a even a 3 game series can take away and can enhance that, but logistically, it sounds impossible.

[shovelheadt 71]

Although Imo the best two teams in football last year was Pitt and Indi and that was also the best game I seen this year.

 

IMO, the only reason it was the best game is becaue, once again, the refs decided to get involved. Jerome just took it a step further.

[listen2me 23 1,873]

I disagree with this totally.....

 

Quickly...

The NBA has the series format for the playoff....the 8th seed has never beaten a 1 seed....

 

so going into the playoffs as a 8 or 7 is just stupid......its all about the potential for an upset, that keeps fans intrested....i would not want my team going into the playoffs as a wildcard becuz they would have a horrible chance of advacing....

 

Everyone that makes the playoffs should have a resonable chance of winning it all.....if your the best team prove it!...you lose that one game than you were not the best team!....end of story...

 

this format is the best...

[t.j 35]

the 8th seed has never beaten a 1 seed....

 

Yes they have, several times.

 

Otherwise, I agree with the rest of what you said.

[GobbleDog 996]

I love it. One and done!

 

You might not end up with the two best teams like you would with a best of 3 or whatever, but they have to be pretty damn good just to make the playoffs (top 12 in the NFL), let alone survive all the way through the SuperBowl.

[JetsFan28 0]

The only thing better than the NFL Playoffs is March Madness. The NBA should think about the one and done format, because it works damn well. Unfortunately, it'll never happen because of MONEY. Baseball is meant to be a series and hockey, well nobody cares about hockey.