If You Could Re-Align Divisions...
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What would they be? Doing all of them would be too much work for me right now so I'll just do a division for the browns that would make sense to me, a great lakes division:
Buffalo
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Or second choice:
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Green Bay
I've always lamented that Cleveland has little to no rivalry with Detroit. They're almost as close as Pittsburgh, and both Detroit and Buffalo are geographically closer than either Baltimore or Cincinatti.
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I personally think the NFC and AFC North divisions are perfect.
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What would they be? Doing all of them would be too much work for me right now so I'll just do a division for the browns that would make sense to me, a great lakes division:
Buffalo
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Or second choice:
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Green Bay
I've always lamented that Cleveland has little to no rivalry with Detroit. They're almost as close as Pittsburgh, and both Detroit and Buffalo are geographically closer than either Baltimore or Cincinatti.
What would they be? Doing all of them would be too much work for me right now so I'll just do a division for the browns that would make sense to me, a great lakes division:
Buffalo
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Or second choice:
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Green Bay
I've always lamented that Cleveland has little to no rivalry with Detroit. They're almost as close as Pittsburgh, and both Detroit and Buffalo are geographically closer than either Baltimore or Cincinatti.
When the NFL re-aligned, my prediction/desire was delivered (including the Seahawks move to the NFC), except for one thing. I was hoping for the Colts to be in our division with Pittsburgh and Cincy. That would have been, and would still be, a great division. It would have also put all the misfits (Baltimore, Tenn, Houston, and Jacksonville) together.
Even though Indy was the class of the NFL and a tough foe, consider what a great division we'd have. All four teams would be within a 4 hour drive of each other. Plus it would have been a great sucker punch to Baltimore.
All the rest of the NFL is terrific exactly the way it is.
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Well geographically it's always bothered me that Dallas is in the NFC East.
It'd make more sense to swap Dallas and Carolina, but then you'd lose the history / rivalries of that division, so I'm fine with it.
I love the AFC North how it is , just wish we'd win the god damn thing at least once this decade.
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My problem with cincinatti is why is Ohio the only two team state whose teams play in the same division? Philly and pitts don't. Neither do the nyj and nyg. Or Dallas and Houston. I think Cleveland and cinci should definately be broken up
Pittsburgh
Indy
Cinci
Kansas city
Would be fine to me. I'd send Baltimore to
Baltimore
Washington
Philly
New England
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What would they be? Doing all of them would be too much work for me right now so I'll just do a division for the browns that would make sense to me, a great lakes division:
Buffalo
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Or second choice:
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Green Bay
I've always lamented that Cleveland has little to no rivalry with Detroit. They're almost as close as Pittsburgh, and both Detroit and Buffalo are geographically closer than either Baltimore or Cincinatti.
What would they be? Doing all of them would be too much work for me right now so I'll just do a division for the browns that would make sense to me, a great lakes division:
Buffalo
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Or second choice:
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Green Bay
I've always lamented that Cleveland has little to no rivalry with Detroit. They're almost as close as Pittsburgh, and both Detroit and Buffalo are geographically closer than either Baltimore or Cincinatti.
agree with you 100% with the cincy cleveland thing...it worked out well for many years though since the Bengals were so bad...it was like a gimmie. I do like the Detroit Buffalo Cleveland Chicago division but i would hate not playing Pitt and Baltimore twice a year... Cleveland, Buffalo(probably will be gone in a few years)Pitt and Detroit would work...so with the buffalo thing I would probably just go with Detroit Cleveland Pitt and Baltimore though wouldn't mind swapping Baltimore for Chicago...so in the end knowing Buffalo is gone and as long as we played Baltimore once a year i would go with
Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
here is an interesting realignment map...would definitely benefit us since that would be a pretty week division for a few years.

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Well geographically it's always bothered me that Dallas is in the NFC East.
It'd make more sense to swap Dallas and Carolina, but then you'd lose the history / rivalries of that division, so I'm fine with it.
I love the AFC North how it is , just wish we'd win the god damn thing at least once this decade.
Well geographically it's always bothered me that Dallas is in the NFC East.
Well that's the thing. No real NFL fan would break up the great rivalries between all the teams from Dallas, Washington, Philly and the Giants. That would awful for the league. You cannot ignore tradition. Would you separate the Chiefs from the Raiders? Would you take away the Vikings from the Bears, Packers, or Lions? No way.
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Well geographically it's always bothered me that Dallas is in the NFC East.
Well that's the thing. No real NFL fan would break up the great rivalries between all the teams from Dallas, Washington, Philly and the Giants. That would awful for the league. You cannot ignore tradition. Would you separate the Chiefs from the Raiders? Would you take away the Vikings from the Bears, Packers, or Lions? No way.
Well that's the thing. No real NFL fan would break up the great rivalries between all the teams from Dallas, Washington, Philly and the Giants. That would awful for the league. You cannot ignore tradition. Would you separate the Chiefs from the Raiders? Would you take away the Vikings from the Bears, Packers, or Lions? No way.
Well you make it sound as if I said I was in favor of it, geographically speaking I am, but due to the tradition I am not.
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What would they be? Doing all of them would be too much work for me right now so I'll just do a division for the browns that would make sense to me, a great lakes division:
Buffalo
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Or second choice:
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Green Bay
I've always lamented that Cleveland has little to no rivalry with Detroit. They're almost as close as Pittsburgh, and both Detroit and Buffalo are geographically closer than either Baltimore or Cincinatti.
agree with you 100% with the cincy cleveland thing...it worked out well for many years though since the Bengals were so bad...it was like a gimmie. I do like the Detroit Buffalo Cleveland Chicago division but i would hate not playing Pitt and Baltimore twice a year... Cleveland, Buffalo(probably will be gone in a few years)Pitt and Detroit would work...so with the buffalo thing I would probably just go with Detroit Cleveland Pitt and Baltimore though wouldn't mind swapping Baltimore for Chicago...so in the end knowing Buffalo is gone and as long as we played Baltimore once a year i would go with
Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
here is an interesting realignment map...would definitely benefit us since that would be a pretty week division for a few years.

here is an interesting realignment map...would definitely benefit us since that would be a pretty week division for a few years.

Looking at it that way I'd say a couple expansions should be sent to Idaho,the Dakotas,Utah,Nebraska area.
I can't believe anyone is in favor of leaving the afc north, you guys are pussies.
We need to stay in this division and reclaim it, not run away ya pansies.
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Cleveland, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Cincinnati.
Cleveland-Cincinnati= Paul Brown tie.
Cleveland-Baltimore= Art Modell tie.
Baltimore-Indianapolis= I think we all can get this one.
That's some good history right there.
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I like the AFC North the way it is because there a ties between all the other 3 teams with the Browns. Paul Brown was fired from Cleveland and started the Bengals giving us the battle for Ohio, Ravens are the old Browns, and while the rivalry between the Steelers and Browns hasn't been great the past decade it is one of the richest rivalries in the NFL next to the Cowboys and Redskins.
I also don't want to move to a weaker division. I'll use the example of my high school team. Parkway Panther play in the toughest small school conference in Ohio, the MAC. We have had 1 winning season in the past decade and got screwed out of the playoffs after a 8-2 season and being ranked 3rd overall in Div 5. Everyone says they want us to move to a neighboring conference called the NWC. The conference holds weaker opponents and would allow us to easily at least go 5-5 ever season and make the playoffs more often. I am against this cause what is the point of playing weaker teams just so we can go to the playoffs and lose to a MAC school. Might as well play the toughest teams in Ohio (some years the MAC sends 3 teams to state titles in Div 4, 5, and 6) and beat them to prove that we deserve to be there. Same thing with the Browns. Why move to an easier division and make it to the playoffs more often to only then have to face both the Ravens and Steeler's in the playoffs most seasons.
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Put Baltimore in the AFC East.
Put Miami in the AFC South.
Put Indianapolis in the AFC North.
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I like the AFC North the way it is because there a ties between all the other 3 teams with the Browns. Paul Brown was fired from Cleveland and started the Bengals giving us the battle for Ohio, Ravens are the old Browns, and while the rivalry between the Steelers and Browns hasn't been great the past decade it is one of the richest rivalries in the NFL next to the Cowboys and Redskins.
I also don't want to move to a weaker division. I'll use the example of my high school team. Parkway Panther play in the toughest small school conference in Ohio, the MAC. We have had 1 winning season in the past decade and got screwed out of the playoffs after a 8-2 season and being ranked 3rd overall in Div 5. Everyone says they want us to move to a neighboring conference called the NWC. The conference holds weaker opponents and would allow us to easily at least go 5-5 ever season and make the playoffs more often. I am against this cause what is the point of playing weaker teams just so we can go to the playoffs and lose to a MAC school. Might as well play the toughest teams in Ohio (some years the MAC sends 3 teams to state titles in Div 4, 5, and 6) and beat them to prove that we deserve to be there. Same thing with the Browns. Why move to an easier division and make it to the playoffs more often to only then have to face both the Ravens and Steeler's in the playoffs most seasons.
I like the AFC North the way it is because there a ties between all the other 3 teams with the Browns. Paul Brown was fired from Cleveland and started the Bengals giving us the battle for Ohio, Ravens are the old Browns, and while the rivalry between the Steelers and Browns hasn't been great the past decade it is one of the richest rivalries in the NFL next to the Cowboys and Redskins.
I also don't want to move to a weaker division. I'll use the example of my high school team. Parkway Panther play in the toughest small school conference in Ohio, the MAC. We have had 1 winning season in the past decade and got screwed out of the playoffs after a 8-2 season and being ranked 3rd overall in Div 5. Everyone says they want us to move to a neighboring conference called the NWC. The conference holds weaker opponents and would allow us to easily at least go 5-5 ever season and make the playoffs more often. I am against this cause what is the point of playing weaker teams just so we can go to the playoffs and lose to a MAC school. Might as well play the toughest teams in Ohio (some years the MAC sends 3 teams to state titles in Div 4, 5, and 6) and beat them to prove that we deserve to be there. Same thing with the Browns. Why move to an easier division and make it to the playoffs more often to only then have to face both the Ravens and Steeler's in the playoffs most seasons.
Because an easier division means easier playoff chance. It is more difficult to get to the playoffs then get through the playoffs. To win the AFC/NFC championship, u just need to get lucky for 2 games. Not the same when u need to win 10 games right?
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Swap Buffalo for the Ratbirds.
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Nah, the NFC North is good just the way it is. If we ever went to 5 team divisions again I'd like to add Philadelphia to our division. If a team had to leave our division, I think Cincinnati should be realigned, because then the fortunes of the state of Ohio won't be tied to one division.
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Swap Buffalo for the Ratbirds.
Swap Buffalo for the Ratbirds.
Exactly- the NFL didn't want to break up the AFL/interstate rivalry of Buffalo & the Jets, and thought the Browns/Ratbirds would be appealing.
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My problem with cincinatti is why is Ohio the only two team state whose teams play in the same division? Philly and pitts don't. Neither do the nyj and nyg. Or Dallas and Houston. I think Cleveland and cinci should definately be broken up
Pittsburgh
Indy
Cinci
Kansas city
Would be fine to me. I'd send Baltimore to
Baltimore
Washington
Philly
New England
My problem with cincinatti is why is Ohio the only two team state whose teams play in the same division? Philly and pitts don't. Neither do the nyj and nyg. Or Dallas and Houston. I think Cleveland and cinci should definately be broken up
I disagree....I think those teams that are in the same city/state should probably be aligned together.
Pittsburgh
Indy
Cinci
Kansas city
Would be fine to me. I'd send Baltimore to
Baltimore
Washington
Philly
New England
In reality, the divisions, geographically should/could look like this:
AFCE: NE/NYJ/Balt/Buff
AFCN: Pitt/Cle/Cin/Indy
AFCS: Miami/Jax/Tenn/Hou
AFCW: Oak/SD/Den/KC
The problem with the NFC is that Dallas and St. L. are in oddball geographic situations. The NFCN and NFCS are fine as is in my opinion.
And in the NFCW you need to have San Fran/AZ and SEA in there. But what about St. Louis and Dallas. One has to go one way, and one another.
Edit: But honestly, I think the AFCN is just about perfect.
Clear natural rivalries exist with the Browns bastard step childre...Bengals/Ravens....and with their turnpike rival Pittsburg.
Pittsburgh has the River Rivalry, the Turnpike rivalry...and Baltimore is the next closest NFL town to Peetown behind CLeveland. (about equidistant with Buffalo).
Baltimore's more natural geographic rivalry location would be to be in the NFCN with DC and Philly....but we would then be talking about moving a team between conferences.
Cincinnati's actual closest NFL team is Indy. But they too are one of the bastards...so they have that going with Baltimore....and of course they have the River Rivalry and the Battle of Ohio rivalry.
All in all, probably best to leave as is. Though I do think the DC/Balt/Philly thing is really more of a natura.
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I personally think if a state has two teams one should be in either conference to set up a possibility of an interstate super bowl. That's how it mostly is with, if I'm not mistaken, Ohio being the sole exception. What's up with that?
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Definitely a conspiracy
Miami and Jacksonville both AFC as well *
Forgot about Tampa
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Including Washington and Baltimore, (D.C. sits on what was originally Maryland land), that makes four sets of two team states whose teams play in different conferences and one state whose teams play not only in the same conference but the same division. I get it, history, but its just weird. And when both teams have a similar color scheme its a bit much. It almost detracts from the identity of the other team.
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