Postseason Meaningless Game Solution
by Picky on Jan 4, 2010 10:13 AM EST
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We all hate these late season games that mean absolutely nothing to our team. The Patriots had nothing to play for yesterday but seeding (and really, what's the difference between #3 and #4? Not much). And yet Welker is now done. The Colts had absolutely no reason to play for the past three weeks, and they showed it by sitting the starters, and giving the last two games away. I know Roger Goodell is trying to get the competition committee to tweak the rules so that there is some incentive for teams like the Colts (who lock up a playoff berth early). One thing mentioned was "draft picks." Doesn't that go against parity? Because if a team locked up a playoff berth early, do they really need MORE draft picks than the teams that are fighting for the post-season in week 17?
Here's my thought:
What if each team with a confirmed playoff berth had the option to "rest their starters" by forfeiting the entire game to their opponent? All the players and coaches on the forfeiting team would give up that portion of their annual contracted salary (or whatever) to the "home team" of that game. The "home team" would lose some money on concessions, but they would save money on salaries both of the workers at the game and personnel on the field. The "home team" would then use that money to refund the face value of every ticket that had been sold to that game.
This way no fan has to sit through a meaningless game like yesterday's Snow Bowl in Buffalo. No player has to worry about getting an injury in a meaningless game and missing the playoffs (as we have seen several do just yesterday). Coaches can concentrate on getting ready for the playoffs without wasting any brainpower in developing a half-hearted "gameplan" against the 2-13 team they are supposed to play in Week 17 (I'm looking at you, Detroit!).
So. Whaddya think?
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.
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My possible solution for meaningless games
I said this in another thread, so excuse me if you have already read this.
As far as making the last few games meaningful to most teams, there can be 2 possibilities, IMO, one drastic one and one feasible one:
1. Make the last 2 games in the NFL regular season for every team division games, this was proposed by a user on Mike & Mike in the morning show. This increases the likelihood of a division not being clinched by then and at least 1 if not both those games could become more meaningful. Based on history though, the Colts clinch their division by virtue of overall record more times than play within the division.
2. Merge both conferences and make homefield advantage an NFL thing and not a conference thing. For example, you have 12 teams in the playoffs, 8 division winners will now be guaranteed only a playoff spot but not the home game. Out of those 8 division winners, home field will be decided purely based on record across the conference, including 4 wild card teams across the NFL. If the AFC is stronger in a decade (this decade) or the NFC is stronger in a decade (probably the 80s and 90s possibly), you could have two of the best teams in the NFL meet up each other. Imagine a Colts vs Pats SB or Colts vs Chargers SB. Going based on that, in 2005, the Colts vs Seahawks game (13-1 vs 12-2 records) would be more meaningful for home field advantage. This year, the 14-0 Colts would not clinch home field till they got to 15-0 since the Saints were 13-1 at the same time the Colts played the 15th game.
I do think option 1 might be a more practical one than option two but option two would erase more meaningless games than option one, IMO.
I have advocated Option #1 over the past couple years, but...
…then I remembered that I attended this game…
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2007123006/2007/REG17/titans@colts#recap-channels:cat-post-recap-full-story
…where the Colts benched Peyton after the first quarter and pretty much let Tennessee waltz into the playoffs. Not only that, but I was sitting next to three annoying Titan fans who proceeded to jabber all game about how they were handing it to the Colts and how much better a team they were.
I feel that Goodell is on the right track with compensatory draft picks – elite teams will jump at the chance to bank extra choices.
"Elite teams will jump at the chance to bank extra choices"
I respectfully disagree. NFL teams are different from year to year (and with injuries, can be different week to week or even quarter to quarter). Those who make it far enough to be able to determine whether to sit or play know how unique it is to be in that spot. The certainty of where they are TODAY will outweigh any likelihood that one or two untested rookies might reinforce their position an entire YEAR. It’s the whole bird-in-the-hand-versus-two-in-the-bush argument.
Additionally, potentially making strong teams even stronger in the coming year goes against the drive towards parity. The only situation where I could see extra draft picks as compensation / reward is for teams well out of the playoffs and who could potentially tank games to move up the draft board or risk injury to key starters.
How can you not love a team that does this?
I agree in part, but...
…I feel it important to point out that teams at the top echelon of the league are literally forced to build through the draft, as salary cap concerns with most teams’ skill players make it impossible for talented teams to make a big splash in free agency. If that’s the case, an extra second or third round pick is a big, big deal.
I agree that this is an anti-parity move, but the whole concept of encouraging elite teams to play out and win more games is somewhat anti-parity, wouldn’t you say?
other possible incentives
1. Choose your opponent. The #1 and #3 seeds get to choose their opponent for their first game from among the playoff teams in their conference (#3 chooses between #5 and #6; #1 chooses between the two wild-card winners) if they have a longer winning streak to end the regular season than the #2 or #4 seed, respectively.
2. Coin toss privileges. In a playoff game, the team with the longer winning streak to end the regular season wins all coin tosses.
focus incentives on attendance and fans, not teams and gameplay
I don’t think teams should have any additional considerations other than what traditionally has gone into game strategy. Whether you agree with it or not (please, let’s not go down that road again!) it IS a strategy to rest starters prior to post-season games that have already been secured. Let’s not complicate the game anymore than we already have in the modern television era. Instead, I would focus on where the problem seems to be: the perception that the fans are being ‘cheated’ by a team that benches starters in favor of rest for a post-season game they’ve already locked. I personally don’t believe in a “meaningless game” (e.g., Painter, now our only backup QB, REALLY needed some game experience) but I understand not everyone feels that way, especially when they pay so much for tix. So make the incentives to keep fans and sponsors happy and butts in the seats, but don’t mess with the game. This is a ‘fan’ problem because there’s so much money involved – address the problem and don’t change the game. Last thing the history and record books need is more asterisks.
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