Scrap divisions?

[TBieber]

 

 

 

This year is obviously (hopefully) an exception, but you would have three Eastern teams miss the playoffs, and no playoff revenue, considering the 4th would be on the road.

 

Two East Division teams probably miss the playoffs almost every year (3/4 when Ottawa was last in the league), and you may get one home game.

 

Further to that, while the Grey Cup is a Canadian celebration, are Eastern fans going to continue to have interest if the West starts to represent two teams each year.

 

I think you need the East Division to be alive to simply continue to generate some revenue there and have two teams hosting playoff games.

I see where you're coming from but... you're basing everything on the assumption that the eastern teams will always be bad.

 

The same number of teams will be without playoff revenue with or without a single division.  With a single division, it will always be the worst teams.

 

I don't think the East vs West is what makes the Grey Cup a national celebration.  I'd rather have the two best teams play.

 

I do believe that we need as many teams in the CFL as possible and that losing any would cause major concerns.  Giving the east free spots on the Bingo card might allow more of them to be viable.  Maybe it's one reason that the CFL has lasted so long.

 

 

The assumption is based off the fact that the East hasn't been the dominant division in 13 years. Yeah, teams would rotate missing the playoffs, but if it is continually two East and only one home game, they're going to start to lose money.

[17to85]

Change divisions for what purpose?  Because the last place team in the West being left out of the playoffs isn't fair?  Here's what's fair - don't finish last and then ***** about not making the playoffs!

 

The CFL is already somewhat of a regional sport, bolstered by massive popularity in the prairies.  If you think it's in the best interests of the league to deal another blow to the fanbases in the east, I'm going to outright call you short-sighted and naive.  The only team drawing loyal interest right now is the expansion franchise.  They have 1 win and don't play very entertaining football.  How long before these very important factors take the shine off the new toy in town?  Probably right around the time the temperatures drop.  Is the corporate sponsorship and big TSN deals going to continue once all the eastern teams are officially turned into third nipples?  Nope.

 

If you own a chicken, and every day that chicken gives you an egg to eat, and it will continue to do so indefinitely, why would you stick your hand up that chicken's butt and try to rip out the next day's egg?  Guess what, you just killed your chicken.  Enjoy that extra egg.

This might be my favourite analogy on all of the internet.

[Captain Blue]

 

 

 

 

This year is obviously (hopefully) an exception, but you would have three Eastern teams miss the playoffs, and no playoff revenue, considering the 4th would be on the road.

 

Two East Division teams probably miss the playoffs almost every year (3/4 when Ottawa was last in the league), and you may get one home game.

 

Further to that, while the Grey Cup is a Canadian celebration, are Eastern fans going to continue to have interest if the West starts to represent two teams each year.

 

I think you need the East Division to be alive to simply continue to generate some revenue there and have two teams hosting playoff games.

I see where you're coming from but... you're basing everything on the assumption that the eastern teams will always be bad.

 

The same number of teams will be without playoff revenue with or without a single division.  With a single division, it will always be the worst teams.

 

I don't think the East vs West is what makes the Grey Cup a national celebration.  I'd rather have the two best teams play.

 

I do believe that we need as many teams in the CFL as possible and that losing any would cause major concerns.  Giving the east free spots on the Bingo card might allow more of them to be viable.  Maybe it's one reason that the CFL has lasted so long.

 

 

The assumption is based off the fact that the East hasn't been the dominant division in 13 years. Yeah, teams would rotate missing the playoffs, but if it is continually two East and only one home game, they're going to start to lose money.

 

 

If the thinking of 'if you don't like missing the playoffs, don't finish last in the West' applies, as one poster suggested above, then why wouldn't that same theory apply to "East" teams when placed in one division? Maybe the East teams should step up their game...

[robynjt]

Why not... have divisions, but the top 2 teams from each get playoffs (to get home games) and the rest fight it out?

[mbrg]

 

Change divisions for what purpose?  Because the last place team in the West being left out of the playoffs isn't fair?  Here's what's fair - don't finish last and then ***** about not making the playoffs!

 

The CFL is already somewhat of a regional sport, bolstered by massive popularity in the prairies.  If you think it's in the best interests of the league to deal another blow to the fanbases in the east, I'm going to outright call you short-sighted and naive.  The only team drawing loyal interest right now is the expansion franchise.  They have 1 win and don't play very entertaining football.  How long before these very important factors take the shine off the new toy in town?  Probably right around the time the temperatures drop.  Is the corporate sponsorship and big TSN deals going to continue once all the eastern teams are officially turned into third nipples?  Nope.

 

If you own a chicken, and every day that chicken gives you an egg to eat, and it will continue to do so indefinitely, why would you stick your hand up that chicken's butt and try to rip out the next day's egg?  Guess what, you just killed your chicken.  Enjoy that extra egg.

This might be my favourite analogy on all of the internet.

 

 

Analogy.  Yeah, that's what it was, an analogy.

 

 

 

 

 

Sigh...for sale...one chicken...health failing...price negotiable...pm me...

[FrostyWinnipeg]

The only team drawing loyal interest right now is the expansion franchise.  They have 1 win and don't play very entertaining football.

One win which is good enuf for 2nd place atm.

 

Some people(ex. Bombers but not me) were happy that Bombers were back in the West. It's a better, stronger division and it would force them to become a better team. So why would that not apply to the teams in the East?

[rebusrankin]

This year is a little like 1981, Calgary went 6-10 that year and was 5th in the west. Ottawa was 5-11 and got 2nd in the East and the home playoff game. This was pre cross over so Saskatchewan went 9-7 and didn't make the playoffs but 3-13 Montreal did.

[road griller]

With 9 teams they need more divisions.  Central, East and West.  Three teams in each division, playoffs will be the same #1 gets a buy to the semi and #2 plays #3 at home for all three divisions.

 

Not exactly sure what happens then but it should work itself out in short order.  

[mbrg]

 

The only team drawing loyal interest right now is the expansion franchise.  They have 1 win and don't play very entertaining football.

One win which is good enuf for 2nd place atm.

 

Some people(ex. Bombers but not me) were happy that Bombers were back in the West. It's a better, stronger division and it would force them to become a better team. So why would that not apply to the teams in the East?

 

 

Ottawa is an expansion franchise.

 

Hamilton went to the Grey Cup last year.

 

Montreal's regular season record since rejoining the league in 1996 is 205-118-1.

 

Toronto has won 5 Grey Cups since we last did.

 

Going to have to be a man of my word - you are being short-sighted and naive.  Teams in the east had a meeting and decided not to bother winning because they don't need to?  Winning needs to be incentivized?  You think this temporary situation is a problem that has to be addressed?  And the "solution" is to add further incentive for fans in the east to stop caring about their teams?  So the goal in all of this is what - to eventually reduce the league to 5 teams with no TV deal and no national corporate sponsorship?  Back the hand away from the chicken's butt.

[Fatty Liver]

I would like to see a breakdown of the CFL TSN audience, as in who's watching, when.  Could well be that Easterners are making up the majority of the viewing audience and if that's the case as long as TSN is doing well with their braodcast numbers don't mess with success.

[JuranBoldenRules]

Too drastic of a reaction to a freak occurrence.  When the best 6 teams in the league by record don't make the playoffs under this format twice, then it's time to talk about changing the format.  We don't even know if that will end up happening in this season yet.

[Mark H.]

Too drastic of a reaction to a freak occurrence.  When the best 6 teams in the league by record don't make the playoffs under this format twice, then it's time to talk about changing the format.  We don't even know if that will end up happening in this season yet.

 

Precisely. Y'all should peruse the standings all the way back to 2000.  You'll find that the teams with the worst records...missed the playoffs...every bloody year.

[17to85]

 

Too drastic of a reaction to a freak occurrence.  When the best 6 teams in the league by record don't make the playoffs under this format twice, then it's time to talk about changing the format.  We don't even know if that will end up happening in this season yet.

 

Precisely. Y'all should peruse the standings all the way back to 2000.  You'll find that the teams with the worst records...missed the playoffs...every bloody year.

 

People are way too worked about about the standings after a heavy east vs. west schedule. It's going to change a lot as there are more divisional games. I worry about society sometimes with how short attention spans are. 

[Mark H.]

Oh, so now it's a societal problem. Then we would drink a lot of beer...

[mfranc]

Why not... have divisions, but the top 2 teams from each get playoffs (to get home games) and the rest fight it out?

Absolutely.  Division winners get first round byes while the four teams with the next best records get 3-6 regardless of division.  This still keeps divisions in play but ensures that the teams with the 6 best records are in the playoffs.

[17to85]

Oh, so now it's a societal problem. Then we would drink a lot of beer...

waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy ahead of you

[HardCoreBlue]

Change divisions for what purpose?  Because the last place team in the West being left out of the playoffs isn't fair?  Here's what's fair - don't finish last and then ***** about not making the playoffs!

 

The CFL is already somewhat of a regional sport, bolstered by massive popularity in the prairies.  If you think it's in the best interests of the league to deal another blow to the fanbases in the east, I'm going to outright call you short-sighted and naive.  The only team drawing loyal interest right now is the expansion franchise.  They have 1 win and don't play very entertaining football.  How long before these very important factors take the shine off the new toy in town?  Probably right around the time the temperatures drop.  Is the corporate sponsorship and big TSN deals going to continue once all the eastern teams are officially turned into third nipples?  Nope.

 

If you own a chicken, and every day that chicken gives you an egg to eat, and it will continue to do so indefinitely, why would you stick your hand up that chicken's butt and try to rip out the next day's egg?  Guess what, you just killed your chicken.  Enjoy that extra egg.

This might be my favourite analogy on all of the internet.

 

Analogy.  Yeah, that's what it was, an analogy.

 

 

Metaphor, no?

 

 

Sigh...for sale...one chicken...health failing...price negotiable...pm me...

[robynjt]

 

Why not... have divisions, but the top 2 teams from each get playoffs (to get home games) and the rest fight it out?

Absolutely.  Division winners get first round byes while the four teams with the next best records get 3-6 regardless of division.  This still keeps divisions in play but ensures that the teams with the 6 best records are in the playoffs.

 

It seems like an easy solution.  Is that not similar to have the NHL works?  Like two guaranteed in each division and two "wildcards"?

[AtlanticRiderFan]

 

 

You hate to see all those years of tradition of east vs. west thrown out. But you also hate to see a garbage team in the playoffs at the expense of a better team. Let's see how this season actually plays out before we make judgements on it. 

 

True day. But at this point it looks like every team in the West will finish ahead of the 2nd place team in the East.

 

yeah but what happens if the 2nd place team in the east stomps on the bottom 2 eastern teams and the west stomps all over the 5th place western team? Sure it looks lopsided now, but the western teams have picked up so many of their wins against the east, let's let the eastern teams beat up on each other and the western teams sort their ordering out first why not? It's not going to stay this lopsided all year simply because the schedule is back loaded with divisional games. 

 

 

Yeah, except that there are still more east vs. west games coming up. There is the possiblity of the bottom 3 teams being 1-7. I don't see any of those 3 teams getting to 500, divisional games or not if that happens.

[17to85]

 

 

 

You hate to see all those years of tradition of east vs. west thrown out. But you also hate to see a garbage team in the playoffs at the expense of a better team. Let's see how this season actually plays out before we make judgements on it. 

 

True day. But at this point it looks like every team in the West will finish ahead of the 2nd place team in the East.

 

yeah but what happens if the 2nd place team in the east stomps on the bottom 2 eastern teams and the west stomps all over the 5th place western team? Sure it looks lopsided now, but the western teams have picked up so many of their wins against the east, let's let the eastern teams beat up on each other and the western teams sort their ordering out first why not? It's not going to stay this lopsided all year simply because the schedule is back loaded with divisional games. 

 

 

Yeah, except that there are still more east vs. west games coming up. There is the possiblity of the bottom 3 teams being 1-7. I don't see any of those 3 teams getting to 500, divisional games or not if that happens.

 

But there are more east vs. east games and west vs. west games coming up. Things are going to change. Let it all play out before we get all worked up over an unbalanced schedule this far. 

[Captain Blue]

How much influence does one season have to have though?  I think this season has so far shone a light on the debate, but really, I think the argument could be made that in a 9 team league one superdivision just makes it more fair.  So regardless of what happens in the crappy East this year, I think this should definitely be looked at.

[Tracker]

 

 

Too drastic of a reaction to a freak occurrence.  When the best 6 teams in the league by record don't make the playoffs under this format twice, then it's time to talk about changing the format.  We don't even know if that will end up happening in this season yet.

 

Precisely. Y'all should peruse the standings all the way back to 2000.  You'll find that the teams with the worst records...missed the playoffs...every bloody year.

 

People are way too worked about about the standings after a heavy east vs. west schedule. It's going to change a lot as there are more divisional games. I worry about society sometimes with how short attention spans are. 

 

Ummmm...what were we talking about?

[KptKrunch]

Too drastic of a reaction to a freak occurrence.  When the best 6 teams in the league by record don't make the playoffs under this format twice, then it's time to talk about changing the format.  We don't even know if that will end up happening in this season yet.

 

Ok Juran - name me a sport that does? In Basketball the teams in the west are better. In the NFL - every year, there's usually one or two teams better than a wild card from the other league (AFC or NFC). In Hockey, West is much better than the east in the lower half and even mid-tier teams. It is what it is. Even in Baseball it's bad - so bad they adopted a 1 game playoff for four more teams (look at the Blue Jays Division where Boston/New York dominated for years - and look at what happened to the interest in the Jays). 

Just because we are not fans of Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal, or Ottawa doesn't mean we can close our eyes. These fans need a 'chance' and right now, despite all their injuries and struggles, all the Eastern teams are in it. If were an Al's fan for example, and it was a one division league, I'd already be saving my money for what Hab games I could attend. Think I'd go see the Al's play? Not a chance.

 

Leave it as it is - and I'd go one step further and eliminate the cross over - as if you want to know/understand why Ottawa 'started' failing (horrible owners were the final nail(s) for sure) it's because when they went to the cross over - no chance. This year you know it's second place race already and that's pathetic as it is. 

[JuranBoldenRules]

 

Too drastic of a reaction to a freak occurrence.  When the best 6 teams in the league by record don't make the playoffs under this format twice, then it's time to talk about changing the format.  We don't even know if that will end up happening in this season yet.

 

Ok Juran - name me a sport that does? In Basketball the teams in the west are better. In the NFL - every year, there's usually one or two teams better than a wild card from the other league (AFC or NFC). In Hockey, West is much better than the east in the lower half and even mid-tier teams. It is what it is. Even in Baseball it's bad - so bad they adopted a 1 game playoff for four more teams (look at the Blue Jays Division where Boston/New York dominated for years - and look at what happened to the interest in the Jays). 

Just because we are not fans of Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal, or Ottawa doesn't mean we can close our eyes. These fans need a 'chance' and right now, despite all their injuries and struggles, all the Eastern teams are in it. If were an Al's fan for example, and it was a one division league, I'd already be saving my money for what Hab games I could attend. Think I'd go see the Al's play? Not a chance.

 

Leave it as it is - and I'd go one step further and eliminate the cross over - as if you want to know/understand why Ottawa 'started' failing (horrible owners were the final nail(s) for sure) it's because when they went to the cross over - no chance. This year you know it's second place race already and that's pathetic as it is. 

 

 

Might want to read what I wrote again....

[AtlanticRiderFan]

Pretty even. Stay as is has the most votes, but yes to scrapping the divisions and double crossover combined have the same number of votes.

 

Basically 50/50.