Expanded Playoffs are a "go"

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

Bah. Total myth. The 2011 Giants won the Super Bowl with the 10th best record in the NFL. The 2011 Cardinals won the World Series with the 8th best record in MLB. The 2011 Mavericks won the NBA Championship with the 5th best record in the NBA. The 2011 Bruins won the Stanley Cup with the 6th best record in the NHL. Since 1981 (the first year I started following pro sports): The team with the best regular season record in MLB has won 5 out of 30 championships. The team with the best regular season record in the NFL has won 9 out of 30 championships. The team with the best regular season record in the NHL has won 10 out of 30 championships. The team with the best regular season record in the NBA has won 13 out of 30 championships. While you're correct that more crappy teams make the playoffs in hockey and basketball (a necessity for the NHL because of how much they depend on gate revenue), how many truly undeserving teams have actually won titles in the NHL or NBA over the last 30 years? Can you name me a "luckier" team than say, the 2006 Cards or 1987 Twins, who both won titles (with home-field advantage!) while numerous teams with better W-L records missed the playoffs entirely?

Can't speak for the NBA, but in hockey, I look at some teams that went to the finals, or won it, that weren't even close to being the best team in hockey.
Off the top of my head:
'06 - Canes and Oilers
'09 - Pens (yes, I'm bitter, but wings were better but had more injuries)
'11 - Bruins (I'm a B's fan, but Canucks had injuries and with the style that is allowed in hockey today, a team like Boston isn't as good).
'93 - Habs. Heck, even the Islanders had no business being in the playoffs let alone knocking off the Pens.
'92 - North Stars. Really? NS in the Cup finals.

While your list points out the overall standings of those teams, that doesn't always tell the whole story.
The Giants had a lot of injuries but when they got healthy and gained their stride they were the best team in football.
It's not easy making the NFL playoffs yet they did it. It's not like you can be a .500 team like in the NHL or NBA and get to the postseason.

With this new system, there's going to be some upsets, but it's not like you're going to see an 81-81 team in that WC game. The Cards definitely deserved to be there over a lot of other teams.
In the NHL and NBA's 'every gets in' structure, you'd have a lot more undeserving teams getting in and possibly moving on, or winning the whole thing as compared to MLB and NFL.

I don't want to get off topic, but there's a reason why the NHL's first 2 rounds are the most exciting in playoff sports. It's because everyone knows an 8 seed can beat a 1 seed at any time.
And it's because the current state of hockey today is absolute garbage. It's nothing more than pin-ball hockey.
Skill gets you far in the regular season. Luck, goalies and lack of injuries wins you Cups.
/rant.

[ImTellinTim]

I don't get why it's such a big deal to add one game several months out "last minute." What difference is that going to make in any decisions that have been made by the teams?

[TracerBullet]

Quote: Originally Posted by ImTellinTim

I don't get why it's such a big deal to add one game several months out "last minute." What difference is that going to make in any decisions that have been made by the teams?

I agree, as long as it was done before any games have been played, its not a big deal really.

[umpire]

I don't mind it but i think they rused it way to quick we also have three game series and now only one???? i think they should of waited....

Quote: Originally Posted by ImTellinTim

I don't get why it's such a big deal to add one game several months out "last minute." What difference is that going to make in any decisions that have been made by the teams?

the problem is you play three game series and now it only matters who wins one game.... that the problem. so the three series thing is now just a joke.

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

'06 - Canes and Oilers

You might have a point if Edmonton won, but they didn't. Just like I'm not going to bring up the Arizona Cardinals. As for the Hurricanes, they had the 3rd-best record in the league and played the run-and-gun style you claim to love. Why the hate?

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

'09 - Pens (yes, I'm bitter, but wings were better but had more injuries) '11 - Bruins (I'm a B's fan, but Canucks had injuries and with the style that is allowed in hockey today, a team like Boston isn't as good). '93 - Habs. Heck, even the Islanders had no business being in the playoffs let alone knocking off the Pens.

All three of these teams would've still made the playoffs if the NHL had been reduced to an 8-team field. So a baseball team that finishes 8th, beats 3 teams with better records = legitimate, but a hockey team that does the same is a fraud? No. The Crosby/Malkin Pens are less worthy than the freaking Florida Marlins? No.

FWIW, I'm a Canucks fan, and they lost fair and square: as much as I didn't appreciate some of Boston's tactics, they were still a talented and deserving team. Were they any dirtier than the Islanders or Oilers from our era? God No. Were the Canucks missing any injured players who were better than Nathan Horton? No.

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

'92 - North Stars. Really? NS in the Cup finals.

'91. Again, they didn't win. Unlike the '87 Twins that finished 85-77 and had a hideous road record (29-52!), but were awarded home-field advantage over both the 98-win Tigers and 95-win Cardinals because "it was the AL West's turn"? The Twins would've finished 5th if they played in the AL East, yet rode homefield advantage (7-0 at home, 1-4 on the road) to a World Series championship. Totally fair, amirite?

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

It's not easy making the NFL playoffs yet they did it. It's not like you can be a .500 team like in the NHL or NBA and get to the postseason.

True. You can be worse than .500 and make the playoffs like last year's Seahawks, host the defending Super Bowl champions who have 11 wins to your 7, then beat them largely due to your undeserving homefield advantage. Does anyone think Seattle was winning in the Superdome last year? Yep, totally fair system there.

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

With this new system, there's going to be some upsets, but it's not like you're going to see an 81-81 team in that WC game.

The Padres made the 2005 playoffs with an 82-80 record. The Cards won the 2006 World Series with an 83-78 record, good for 13th in baseball. Worthy? Deserving? I'm guessing St. Louis fans think so.

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

And it's because the current state of hockey today is absolute garbage. It's nothing more than pin-ball hockey. Skill gets you far in the regular season. Luck, goalies and lack of injuries wins you Cups. /rant.

Goalies in hockey = pitchers in baseball. I see your Patrick Roy and raise you an Orel Hershiser. As far as luck goes: David Tyree. Scott Norwood. Lonnie Smith. Bill Buckner. Livan Hernandez & Eric Gregg. Nobody can convince me that World Series or Super Bowls never turn on luck.

I apologize for hijacking the thread, but I don't have a problem with any of the "Big Four's" playoff formats. Fewer playoff teams in baseball make sense. Its regular season needsto mean more, because it's double the length of hockey and basketball. I would never support a 16-team MLB playoff bracket, but that doesn't mean there's necessarily a problem with the NHL or NBA. Implying that the cream always rises to the crop in baseball and football, while hockey and basketball champions are lucky and undeserving, is total nonsense. If you want complete fairness, adopt a European soccer format (balanced schedule, no playoffs). All winners would be deserving; too bad nobody would be watching.

[rdnk]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

Can you name me a "luckier" team than say, the 2006 Cards or 1987 Twins, who both won titles (with home-field advantage!) while numerous teams with better W-L records missed the playoffs entirely?

The Tigers should have beaten both of those bums! Does that make us the unluckiest team?

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by rdnk

The Tigers should have beaten both of those bums! Does that make us the unluckiest team?

As a 15-year-old Blue Jays fan, my hatred for the '87 Tigers knew no limit.

[daflyboys]

Quote: Originally Posted by decga

Wow an addtl one game playoff. What a waste of time IMO? Any team can beat each other in one game. This doesn't benefit anyone. Now if it was a best of three I would be all for it.

This benefits the team that wins the division outright. This could conceivably play havoc with a team's desired playoff pitching rotation. And you can't do a best of three series as this is going to have the top seed waiting around for another week in a season that is far too stretched in time already.

I'd rather they do away with the dumb *** All-Star game home field advantage "rule".