NFL owners to discuss playoff expansion

[The_Philster]

PHILADELPHIA (May 19, 2003 4:04 p.m. EDT) - When NFL owners think about expanding the playoffs, they don't see a dilution of the product. They see two more postseason games, two more sold-out stadiums and two more television dates.

The owners meet in Philadelphia on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss adding two more teams to the playoffs, one in each conference. That would mean only the club with the best conference record would have a bye, and there would be six games on the first weekend of the postseason.

Several league executives fear one bye would be too much of a competitive advantage, one reason a decision was not made at the March winter meetings. Instead, the issue was tabled for further study, and a determination should come this week.

One big fear is that having 14 playoff qualifiers in a 32-team league could lead to a sub-.500 team making it. ...
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[madness]

I just think the AFC East needs another playoff spot.

Hate to be bias, but we're just too damn good. The whole division should of been in the playoffs. LOL

[lordofgun]

They should just go to 16 with no byes.

[madness]

If a decision is made to expand the playoffs, when will the setup change?

[imbondz]

I like the byes. It gives the best teams a derserved week off and gives games more meaning at the end of the season to teams who've already won the division early, and are playing for home field and a week off-

[Turf]

They should have thought about this before they went to 4 divisions. Everything was fine the way it was. This 4 division format with only two wild cards is bad.
I think they would be better off going back to 3 divisions, but it will never ever happen.
One extra wild card team I think is OK. Two is too much. But how you add only 1 team is beyond me.

[Typ0]

They need to add another wild card for each conference.

[Turf]

I agree typo, but how would you tier a playoff schedule with 7 teams?

[Earthquake Enyart]

The problem with going to 16 is that there would have to be 8 games on the first weekend. It would be too hard to space for TV.

If they added one more team per conference, there would have to be 6 games that first weekend, which would be doable, since playoffs has been creeping into prime time anyhow.

[Dozerdog]

Just take the top 6 teams in the conference .

Screw ya if you win your division but are only 8-8.

However, if there are a group of teams that are tied for the last spot, if you won your division that should be the first tie breaker.

[lordofgun]

Originally posted by Travis Hunter
I agree typo, but how would you tier a playoff schedule with 7 teams?

You only give 1 bye per conference. There's 3 wild card games on both saturday and sunday. Teams with the bye play the lowest seed to advance.

[Stewie]

I like Dozer's idea. If everyone plays 66% of games against other AFC teams, then that means any division winner will pretty much get in guaranteed 'cause of the tiebraker.

[lordofgun]

Originally posted by Dozerdog
Just take the top 6 teams in the conference .

Screw ya if you win your division but are only 8-8.

However, if there are a group of teams that are tied for the last spot, if you won your division that should be the first tie breaker.

Then we might as well do away with divisions. I don't like it.

[HenryRules]

I know it won't work with the tv schedule but I'd like to see them semi-revamp the scheduling process, and have the top 2 teams in each division make the playoffs (similar to how the NHL used to work). The first round of the playoffs would be division championships and then you'd have some sort of seeding of the 8 remaining teams. The schedules would have to be reworked so that instead of the bottom teams playing an easier schedule, everyone would have the same schedule, so that the best teams in each division made the playoffs (I don't like the ideas of softer schedules anyway).

This way, divisions would really mean something, unlike now where they sort of do and sort of don't. And there's still an opportunity for a team to make the playoffs if they have a tough division. The first round of the playoffs could also be thought of almost as a championship game instead of a first round of the playoffs so I don't think it would really cheapen the postseason either.

[ryjam282]

I think it is a good idea. One more team per conference would make it a little more interesting. I am for it.