If you could re-align NFL divisions/conferences ... how would you do it?

[dave]

Just speaking as an Eagles' fan who thinks Pittsburgh is a natural rival and should be on the sked twice a year.
I'm sure Baltimore fans feel the same way about Washington.

Could the NFL undergo a complete realignment that somehow respects traditional rivalries, but creates new regional divisions?

IMO, the three Florida teams should be in the same division.

Houston and Dallas should be in the same division.

Could the NFL re-align to create true regional divisions but allow traditional rivalries to continue with one game a year?

 

[dave]

Frankly, I think Philly, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington is a better division than the current NFC East.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

You can't put all of the teams from the same regions like Jets/Giants or the Texas teams in the same division, because there would be scheduling conflicts with CBS & FOX. You need to split them up AFC & NFC for TV purposes.

If the Giants and Jets were both in the NFC, for example, CBS would throw a fit because they would lose the big ratings from the New York market every week.

The divisions/conferences are set up the way they are largely to maximize TV ratings and to keep the networks happy.

 

[Aso]

Get rid of two teams so the NFL has 30 again and have the divisions how they were between 95 and 98.

30 Teams, 6 Divisions, 5 Teams per division. With 5 teams per division I feel as if the whole league would be a little more competitive and most games would mean even more. Less 7, 8, and 9 win teams making the playoffs.

 

[dave]

You can't put all of the teams from the same regions like Jets/Giants or the Texas teams in the same division, because there would be scheduling conflicts with CBS & FOX. You need to split them up AFC & NFC for TV purposes.

If the Giants and Jets were both in the NFC, for example, CBS would throw a fit because they would lose the big ratings from the New York market every week.

The divisions/conferences are set up the way they are largely to maximize TV ratings and to keep the networks happy.

I'm not disagreeing with that ... I'm just asking you as a fan.

What would you do?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Get rid of two teams so the NFL has 30 again and have the divisions how they were between 95 and 98.

30 Teams, 6 Divisions, 5 Teams per division. With 5 teams per division I feel as if the whole league would be a little more competitive and most games would mean even more. Less 7, 8, and 9 win teams making the playoffs.

This would be the only way to do it. That set up was perfect.

Eight four-team divisions sucks for many reasons, most notably because it produces one or two really weak division winners every year.

 

[dave]

Get rid of two teams so the NFL has 30 again and have the divisions how they were between 95 and 98.

30 Teams, 6 Divisions, 5 Teams per division. With 5 teams per division I feel as if the whole league would be a little more competitive and most games would mean even more. Less 7, 8, and 9 win teams making the playoffs.

OK.

You're a fan.

Propose your setup.

 

[ram29jackson]

Just speaking as an Eagles' fan who thinks Pittsburgh is a natural rival and should be on the sked twice a year.
I'm sure Baltimore fans feel the same way about Washington.

Could the NFL undergo a complete realignment that somehow respects traditional rivalries, but creates new regional divisions?

IMO, the three Florida teams should be in the same division.

Houston and Dallas should be in the same division.

Could the NFL re-align to create true regional divisions but allow traditional rivalries to continue with one game a year?

and save on traveling expenses

NFC west

Niners
Raiders
Chargers
Cardinals...or Seattle and move the Cards back to the Cowboys division

 

[Len B]

Even thirty teams in the NFL is too many, look at how much shit is out there year after year.

The sport that had it right was baseball, specifically before 1994.

Four divisions, seven teams each. The only thing the MLB didn't do right, was allowing just four playoff teams.

Give me a league of 28 teams, 4 divisions, and 8 playoff teams and I'm happy.

 

[dave]

New AFC or NFC East:

Buffalo
New England
N.Y. Giants
N.Y. Jets

?????

 

[Maynard]

lol @ some of your opinions. moving old AFL teams out of the AFC west...or moving historic NFL teams out of the east. and LOL @ Eagle/Pitt being a rivalry. they play once every 4 years...that is not a rivalry. perhaps we should split up the NFC North too

even worse is the comment that 4 conferences is a problem. there is no other way to properly align 32 teams. Forget about the retraction to 30 or less. the nfl wants parody and is happy the league is more watered down. I suppose it would be better to go back to the days when the SB sucked and there was only 1 great team every year....yeah, that was exciting.

 

[ram29jackson]

lol @ some of your opinions. moving old AFL teams out of the AFC west...or moving historic NFL teams out of the east. and LOL @ Eagle/Pitt being a rivalry. they play once every 4 years...that is not a rivalry. perhaps we should split up the NFC North too

even worse is the comment that 4 conferences is a problem. there is no other way to properly align 32 teams. Forget about the retraction to 30 or less. the nfl wants parody and is happy the league is more watered down. I suppose it would be better to go back to the days when the SB sucked and there was only 1 great team every year....yeah, that was exciting.

at least the great teams were actually great...not like now where parity makes everyone suck and you just hope to suck less then others by the end of the season

 

[Goober]

Some really thoughtful drunk ramblings here on Dave's part.

 

[whuteva]

you could get those natural regional rivalries if the NFL went to 17 games, removing 1 pre-season game. that 17th game could be a regional rival played at a neutral site, preferably like a college stadium. for instance, pitt-philly could be played in Beaver stadium, dallas-houston could be played at DKR, st louis-KC could be played at Mizzou, oakland-sf at the Rose Bowl and so on. only worry would be the teams from ohio and others that don't have a really natural rival. have to figure out some more with those, but you get the concept/

 

[St. Francisco]

I've always been a fan of the idea of the NFL restructuring the league to accommodate geographical rivalries. If Madden had custom conferences and teambuilder, here's how I would do it: (St. Louis relocates to Los Angeles, Jacksonville relocates to Las Vegas or Portland, either is fine, Buffalo relocates to Toronto)

Now you get some pretty cool geographical rivalries twice a year:

Tampa Bay vs. Miami

New York vs. New York

San Diego vs. Los Angeles

Dallas vs. Houston

Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh

San Francisco vs. Oakland

Although I will say that the AFC North would be complete garbage.

 

[ThunderHorse]

I really didn't start watching (understanding) football until the late 90's/ early 2000's. Even though I watched a lot of the colts back in the mid and late 90's, I couldn't really tell you what the league looked like back then. All I could really tell you was Marshall Faulk was a monster in Indianapolis and Jim Harbaugh was quite a gamer, especially in 95.

Anyway, if I could change anything about the divisions it wouldn't be much. I wouldn't concentrate the leagues talent into 30 or 28 teams, the only thing I would do is switch around some individual teams. I'd put Miami in the AFC South, Baltimore in the East, and Indianapolis in the North.

I feel that a division makeup with Miami, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Houston in the south makes a little more sense.

In addition, Baltimore, New England, New York, and Buffalo in the east make more sense in my eyes

Finally, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.

 

[MrBill]

Get rid of two teams so the NFL has 30 again and have the divisions how they were between 95 and 98.

30 Teams, 6 Divisions, 5 Teams per division. With 5 teams per division I feel as if the whole league would be a little more competitive and most games would mean even more. Less 7, 8, and 9 win teams making the playoffs.

Agree completely...but which two teams to get rid of AND get LA a team in the next few years?

 

[Len B]

even worse is the comment that 4 conferences is a problem. there is no other way to properly align 32 teams. Forget about the retraction to 30 or less. the nfl wants parody and is happy the league is more watered down. I suppose it would be better to go back to the days when the SB sucked and there was only 1 great team every year....yeah, that was exciting.

You're right, the size of the league is the only thing that matters in "parody". "The days" had absolutely nothing to do with the NFL instituting a hard salary cap in 1994, right when dynasties fell off in the NFL.

 

[NAHSTE]

You're right, the size of the league is the only thing that matters in "parody". "The days" had absolutely nothing to do with the NFL instituting a hard salary cap in 1994, right when dynasties fell off in the NFL.

Amazed you avoided poking fun at "retraction" and "4 conferences"

Maynard asserts one should not be permitted to discuss football here unless he or she watches all of the games. I contend that one should not be allowed to type here unless he or she has attended all of his English classes.

:maynard:

 

[jms493]

New AFC or NFC East:

Buffalo
New England
N.Y. Giants
N.Y. Jets

?????

ugh I hate that