Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

I'm not going to debate you if you can't find enough proper grammar to communicate a message. Furthermore, I will not debate with you unless it deals with the topic at hand. There are a number of ways that we may want to change the playoffs, but the topic at hand is the new ten team playoff.

[Braves Fan 21]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

Obviously my point deals with the topic at hand since under the new 10 team format 2nd place teams are at a distinct disadvantage to division winners who won less games and in the old format this wasn't true; if the playoffs started today the A's would have to win to get in and the winner of the AL Central would get in automatically even though they won less games than the A's, last year the A's would also get in automatically via the wild card. I really don't see how this doesn't have anything to do with the topic at hand. The new and old format are clearly different in this regard and it is why I dislike the new format. Obviously I don't expect you to agree with me on which format is better but you have to admit what I said obviously has a ton to do with the new playoff format.

It has been great debating with you and I am sorry if I offended you with my 2nd post in which I clearly went a little to far.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

I really don't see how this doesn't have anything to do with the topic at hand.

This has been proven.

[Braves Fan 21]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

This has been proven.

How has it been proven that the 10 team playoff doesn't make division winners more important than wild card teams? Since I am a very stupid person would you mind explaining the proof to me since I obviously missed it.

Also remember that you said this " Personally, I don't mind it if it means that there is only one game for a wild card birth. It actually makes it worthwhile to win the division outright, and there can now be some justification for a "wild card champion.""

So please explain to me how division winners having an advantage over the wild card teams(only under the new 10 team system) has nothing to do with the new 10 team system(which you said you like specifically because it makes the division more important than the wild cards)?

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

Debate without denigration. Thanks.

[Perfect Zero]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

How has it been proven that the 10 team playoff doesn't make division winners more important than wild card teams? Since I am a very stupid person would you mind explaining the proof to me since I obviously missed it.

You stated that your argument did not deal with the topic at hand, and I agreed with you. I never said you were a "stupid person" either.

Also remember that you said this " Personally, I don't mind it if it means that there is only one game for a wild card birth. It actually makes it worthwhile to win the division outright, and there can now be some justification for a "wild card champion.""

Although I can not verify it, that does sound like a true statement and one that I would make.

So please explain to me how division winners having an advantage over the wild card teams(only under the new 10 team system) has nothing to do with the new 10 team system(which you said you like specifically because it makes the division more important than the wild cards)?

I never said that. What I stated was that you were in wishful thinking mode with what you think should be done. You were not debating on the topic at hand.

[Braves Fan 21]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

I know that you never said I was stupid I just stated that I was stupid myself.

From my point of view I definitily thought that you said that "So please explain to me how division winners having an advantage over the wild card teams(only under the new 10 team system) has nothing to do with the new 10 team system(which you said you like specifically because it makes the division more important than the wild cards)?".

If you are saying that you didn't say this than I am fine with that. I agree with you that what I think is wishful thinking, like I said earlier we both just have opposite opinions on the same topic and neither is right or wrong

[Cardot]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

This is my point with division exactly is that since the AL Central and AL West play different schedules it's doesn't necessarily mean that the 2nd place AL West team should have it harder come playoff time than the 1st place AL Central team.

It seems like your main objection is the number and size of the divisions creating inequity. I agree with you here and I would not mind seeing them reducing back to 2 or even no divisions. But it doesn't seem that is on the table now. So based upon the division format we have, I believe this playoff system is fair. Yeah the top wild card is worse off than they were before....but far better off than they would have been 15 or so years ago.

I am not sure how it creates less excitement. Winning the division means something now. A few times in recent memory teams have given up on winning thier division because they had the wild card locked up....that was very lame.

[Braves Fan 21]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

My only problem is I have never understood the logic of a 1st place team getting better seeding than a 2nd place team if the 2nd place team wins more games. Oakland has won 4 more games playing a harder schedule than the White Sox but the White Sox get an advantage in the playoffs. I just don't think this makes sense logically because sports is about competition, therefore if 1 team wins more games than another while also playing a harder schedule than they clearly played better ball and should be rewarded for it. Oakland has obviously beaten the White Sox by winning more games and since it is a competition the White Sox should not profit from this. The new format makes this much more likely and is why I do not like the new format. It should also be mentioned that I am 28 years old and started watching sports when I was 8, therefore I have never ever for 1 second in my entire life thought that winning a division should count for anything(total wins is what matters to me), therefore my point of view is obviously going to be different because I don't have a sentimental attachment to the division meaning something.

The excitement part I cannot really argue, it's really going to take 3-5 years to properly judge the impact of this, therefore neither opinion has been proven right or wrong yet, we'll just have to wait and see on this one.

As far as teams tanking games late in the season this happens in every sport no matter the system in place. Any way you slice it there are always going to be teams that will be better off strategically if they tank games in the regular season to save themselves for the playoffs. I could be wrong but I don't think the system makes a difference as far as tanking is concerned, teams have been tanking regular season games in every sport for at least 20 years no matter the system.

[Cardot]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

My only problem is I have never understood the logic of a 1st place team getting better seeding than a 2nd place team if the 2nd place team wins more games.

Again, I think your issue is with the existence of division to begin with. I and tend to agree with you on this. But if we are stuck with divisions, then they have to mean something.

As far as teams tanking games late in the season this happens in every sport no matter the system in place. I could be wrong but I don't think the system makes a difference as far as tanking is concerned, teams have been tanking regular season games in every sport for at least 20 years no matter the system.

True....the Indianapolis Colts proved that when they balked at 16-0 a few years ago. But I will disagree with you a little bit in that the new system has multiple layers of incentive. Last year, the only thing that mattered was 4th vs. 5th....there really wasn't much difference between 1-4. But with the new system, you have the battle to be in the top 5, but then they added incentive of winning the division.

[Braves Fan 21]

Re: Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

I would be fine with next years division system(19 games vs. division plus Astros in AL West) if the seeding was just done 1-5 in the entire league with 4 vs. 5 playing the 1 game wild-card. This way wins would rain supreme, the schedule would still be unbalanced but it would still make division rivalries important because even if your team is way out you could still knock off your rivals since you play them so often. I don't think this system is perfectly fair because of strength of schedule but it would be somewhat of a compromise for both sides. Wins would count the most but division rivalries would still be in play because you'd still play 76 games within the division, the division winner wouldn't get in automatically but probably still would get in at least 80% of the time, so the division would still be fairly important, while wins would matter a lot more.

I see what you're saying about having more incentive but a lot of years I don't think it will matter. If you look at the standings right now it looks to me like the top 4 NL teams(Reds, Nationals, Giants and Braves) are all going to probably punt the final 7-10 games. If Texas gets hot or the A's get cold the Rangers will probably punt the last 3-5 games to, same thing goes with the White Sox and Tigers. No matter the system teams will almost always be enough ahead/behind that they can tank. I hate tanking as much as the next guy just don't see how you can stop it.