Fairness? Waaaaaaaaaaa!

[Frimp]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-playoffdebate122408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Now, Patsie fans are saying that it just isn't fair that the Pats could miss the playoffs at 11-5. Ask the Rams and Panthers about what's fair. 

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Actually Patriot fans are not!

Jason Cole is.

It is actually quite humorous if you listen to the actual pressers when the media asks the same question four different ways trying to get the players and coach to complain about the situation and the Patriots keep saying it is outside out control we are focused on the Bills. 

The media has been in search of two stories this week.  That one and trying to get BB to say he is rooting for the Jets.  And the fact is they haven't been able to score either one. 

And BTW - distinct possibility that the Fish will sitting at home on a 10-6 record while two 8-8 teams go to the playoffs. 

[Frimp]

^^^

True, but we weren't 18-1 last year. We were 1-15. 

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^^^

True, but we weren't 18-1 last year. We were 1-15. 

Proud of that?   

[Frimp]

No, but 10-6 and having a chance at the playoffs from 1-15 is something to be very proud of.

[raptorsfan29]

No, but 10-6 and having a chance at the playoffs from 1-15 is something to be very proud of.

Also being the first one win team in NFL history to record double digits win the very next season is something to be very proud of

[Frimp]

^^^

Didn't the Colts do it too?

[raptorsfan29]

i heard from espn on one of those shows (i think it was first and 10, or something like that) that the dolphins are the first team to do it.

did some research at http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/

They went from 2-12 in 1974 to 10-4 in 1975, and 3-13 in 1998 to 13-3 in 1999.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

i heard from espn on one of those shows (i think it was first and 10, or something like that) that the dolphins are the first team to do it.

did some research at http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/

They went from 2-12 in 1974 to 10-4 in 1975, and 3-13 in 1998 to 13-3 in 1999.

Those were the best turnarounds of all time.  But the Dolphins have set the record for the best turnaround from a 1-15 mark the previous year.  Before that, both the Colts and the Jets finished 9-7 the following years.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

There has been some chatter about two possible oddities of our current playoff system. The possibility that an 11-5 team could be left out of playoffs while an 8-8 team makes it. And the possibility that the team with the second best AFC record could be the #5 seed and travel to play an 8-8 team they beat.

While I personally like the current format and am okay with those possibilities, I thought it would be interesting to play with the systems and see how theoretically odd it could get, even though all these possibilities are extremely remote.

Here is what I found:

A 3-13 team could win their division, go to the playoff, and host a game. This would require that all four teams in the division split the division games and lose all non-division games this would set up a four way tie. The tie breaker would be strength of schedule.

A 16-0 team could play the conference championship game on the road. This would require two teams in the same conf both go 16-0 in a year in which they don't play each other (say the Bills an Colts this year). The tie breaker would be SoV, which in this case is the same as strength of schedule.

A 15-1 team could be a wildcard team. This would require two teams in the same division spliting against each other and winning all the rest of their games. The tie breaker would be SoV.

A 14-2 team could miss the playoff all together. I am going to just do this by example:
Pats (14-2) win all except one to Jets and Dolphins
Jets (14-2) win all except one to Pats and Dolphins
Jax (14-2) win all except Huston (and one other)
Huston (14-2) win all except Huston and Dolphins
Dolphins (14-2) win all except Pats and Jets.
Depending on tiebreakers one of the 14-2 teams misses the playoffs.

Not only that but the 14-2 missing the playoffs or the 15-1 being the wildcard could occur in the same season as a 3-13 team making the playoffs.

Once again I am not complaining about the system, just thought it would be fun to test its limits.
__________________

[Defense54]

^^^

True, but we weren't 18-1 last year. We were 1-15. 

OUCH!  Go Shovel some snow ............Pats are DONE.   

[SportsChick]

The Pats are officially 11-5. If they miss the playoffs, it's just crappy luck. Nothing much you can do 'bout it.

[Defense54]

The Pats are officially 11-5. If they miss the playoffs, it's just crappy luck. 

Crappy Luck= Thats what happens when you can't cheat no more................

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Crappy Luck= Thats what happens when you can't cheat no more................

Dolphins in 2007 and Patriots in 2008 had the same problem- tons of injuries.  Patriots were able to still pull of a respectable 11-5, the Dolphins folded like a cheap lawn chair and went 1-15. 

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Dolphins in 2007 and Patriots in 2008 had the same problem- tons of injuries.  Patriots were able to still pull of a respectable 11-5, the Dolphins folded like a cheap lawn chair and went 1-15. 

Yeah... 11-5 and NO PLAYOFFS BITCH!!!!!!!