If You Could Re-Align Divisions...
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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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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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Edit- my mistake. I sometimes forget New York is actually a three team state.
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Edit- my mistake. I sometimes forget New York is actually a three team state.
Edit- my mistake. I sometimes forget New York is actually a three team state.
It is, if you discount the fact that those team actually play in New Jersey. Here are the multiteam states:
New York: Jets AFC/Bills AFC/Giants NFC
Penn.: Eagles NFC/Steelers AFC
Florida: Jags AFC/Dolphins AFC/Bucs NFC
Ohio: Browns AFC/Bengals AFC
Missouri: Chiefs AFC/Rams NFC
Texas: Texans AFC/Cowboys NFC
California: 49ers NFC/Raiders AFC/Chargers AFC
Maryland (if you count DC as part of it): Ravens AFC/Redskins NFC
Some state split their teams between conferences, some don't.
I tried to come up with a completely perfect geographical division setup. It can't be done,not with a 4 team divion setup. There is always an oddball out.
E.G.: Take the three Florida teams. They are a natural together. But who do you put in with them? Atlanta? Wouldn't ATL be better off with Carolina and Tenn.?
In the Northeast: Pats/Jets/Giants are a natural....but who with? Philly? Philly fits equally well with Balt./DC, even Pitt.
If you put the Cowboys and Texans together, who do you put with them? Denver? Arizona? New Orleans?
Like I said, it seems to be an impossible task. I have tried.
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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.
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.
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.
I agree, Baltimore belonged in the misfit division and I would prefer to have Indy or Buffalo in our division.
But Pittsburgh to Indy in 4 hours? I don't think so, not even with Big Ben doing 90 mph all the way on his rice burner.
Zombo
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