I keep getting amused by some of the realignment plans out there in the media, as well as the ones some owners are actually proposing. For those who are not aware, the NFL will go to four four-team divisions in each conference beginning in 2002. This much is known, the expansion Houston Texans will be assigned to the AFC, necessitating the move of an existing AFC team to the NFC. What might happen after that is anyone’s guess.
At recent owner meetings in New York discussing realignment, no less than 20 different plans were trotted out. Apparently, a division consisting of the Packers, Lions, Vikings, and Bears is not even a lock. There are those out there firing away with the old Bud Selig “radical realignment” plan – the Eastern teams in one conference and the teams out west in the other. What really scary is Redskins owner Dan Snyder supposedly doesn’t have a clue of what’s going on in the meetings – one would hate to see his realignment plan.
Let’s make things easy for the multi-millionaires who can’t agree on the time of day – let alone realignment. Here’s how the NFL should be in 2002.
NFC –
East : Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Giants
Central: Green Bay, Minnesota, Detroit, Chicago (what did you expect???)
South: Atlanta, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Carolina
West: San Francisco, Arizona, St. Louis, Seattle
AFC –
East: Jets, Miami, New England, Buffalo
Central: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Houston (like in the day)
South: Indianapolis, Baltimore, J’ville, Tennessee
West: Denver, Oakland, San Diego, Kansas City
Notice the emphasis on maintaining long-standing traditional rivalries. None of this “let’s have the Jets and Giants in the same division crap”. The Jets are from the AFL and the Giants are a charter NFL team, you don’t change that, you don’t mess with traditional wherever possible. Also, don’t ruin the great rivalries the Cowboys have with the Giants, Skins, and Eagles. Same with the divisional foes the Chiefs have been knocking heads with since 1960. Travel should not be a concern in a league where teams play once a week. And in the divisions I threw together (NFC West, AFC South), I think most would agree the teams involved will develop plenty of venom for their new rivals (SF-SEA, STL-AZ, BAL-IND) in no time.
So someone please memo my plan to the league office so the poor owners don’t have to spend 20 hour days fillabusting over this…
Is there something with Buffalo Bill fans that I am missing. A Yahoo poll asked the following, “do you think the Bills would have made the playoffs with Doug Flutie at QB”, 81 percent said yes!!!!! No wonder Hillary won that state so easily (all right, I’ll knock off the political commentary).
If it were Aaron Brooks behind center, yes your Bills would be in the playoffs. But Buffalo blew their chance to trade a third-rounder and a schmuck linebacker for him, so the choices are either Rob Johnson, who seems to think that he can watch his 401K mature while finding a receiver, or the million-year old Flutie. But your coach (who ought to be coaching Arlen High, not an NFL squad) couldn’t decide between the two and let a fill-blown QB controversy developed that kept the sports radio shows going all season.
But then again, it was Flutie and Johnson—that’s like deciding between Bush and Gore. The Bills should either entrust themselves to RJ or look elsewhere…
Going to my picks, 12-3 last week (only 2-2 on my wonderful locks though). Incidentally, I have taken over first place (out of a couple thousand participants) in the Against the Spread contest on www.slam.ca with a 124-79 overall record. My so-called locks:
BAL –15 @ AZ – Ravens want that fifth shutout, which would mean the team would only 16 to get the cover… Pick Ravens
@MIN –8 over GB – Vikes coming off a downer, Pack off a high, and MIN is after revenge, and owns GB in the dome, any other reasons…
@NO –10 over ATL – Anywhere selling those cool black and gold AB #2 jerseys???
DET +6.5 @ NYJ – The last time the two teams played featured a memorable performance by one of my all-time favorites, Barry Sanders. Barry rushed for 164 yards in the final QUARTER, to get to 2053 for the year, the final 53 coming on his last carry where a loss would have put him under 2K. Game also remembered for Reggie Brown’s near-fatal neck injury and some stupid officiating that cost the Jets. This time around, Testeverde is dinged, so DET looks like a good cover in a game they must have…