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Da
Last Word on Sports...with da Jack: NFL Realignment Done
Right
By Jack Kearney
Everyone
has their own ideas as to whether or not the National Football
League should realign the conferences. The current timetable
for such realignment will be 2002 when the new Houston Texans
join the league as the 32d team. And don't get me started
on which ever moron allowed just one team (the Cleveland
Browns) to enter the league) creating an odd number of teams
(31). This effectively forces one team to sit out every
single week of the year (not including their normal off
week in a 17-week schedule).
I'm not even going to address those purists who say it shouldn't
happen; because, it's almost written in stone. There's a
better chance of President W deciding to protect the environment
than any chance the NFL is going to bail out on their planned
realignment. The only question now is-which plan?
As always, I have an opinion. Five years ago, I drew up
a realignment plan on the basic principle of all the new
expansion teams and the relocation of no less than 5 teams
to new cities this past decade. (Not including the Raiders
"we're the LA Raiders, wait no, we're still the Oakland
Raiders" crap.) I realized then, that realignment would
be a good way to instill more fervor for the game.
The basis to my realignment is simple. Who do you want to
see play each other twice a year: A) your team and some
other team across the country; because, hey, that's the
way the league drew it up, or B) your team and an opposing
team from as little as one hour away? Unless it's the playoffs,
I want to see my boys play those knuckleheads right down
the road. Not only will it raise the rivalry level, but
also allow you the opportunity to see your boys on the road
without buying a plane ticket.
First of all, the plan for four division in both the AFC
and NFC is moronic. What then--eight playoff teams from
each conference? One of the saving graces of the NFL is
that its playoffs work well. Division winners get in; six
others, by their record only, get to go to the postseason
dance. If they go with four divisions, it will make the
NFL playoffs as pathetic as the NBA's and NHL's. In both
leagues, they play all season and eliminate as few as one
team per division from the playoffs. The NBA and NHL might
as well skip the regular season and start with the playoffs.
The three-division setup is the best for the NFL (and I'm
praying they keep it) because with a realignment, the NFL
is going to be nothing but grudge matches.
Here's the new NFL as I see it:
AFC-East
Miami Dolphins-Jacksonville Jaguars-Carolina Panthers-Atlanta
Falcons-Tampa Bay Bucs
AFC-Central
NY Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills-Cleveland Browns-Cincinnati
Bengals-Tennessee Titans
AFC-West
Seattle Seahawks-San Diego Chargers-Denver Broncos-Oakland
Raiders-San Francisco 49ers
NFC-East
NY Giants-Philadelphia Eagles-Washington Redskins-Baltimore
Ravens-New England Patriots
NFC-Central
Chicago Bears-Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions-Green Bay
Packers-Indianapolis Colts
NFC-West
Arizona Cardinals-Dallas Cowboys-St Louis Rams-New Orleans
Saints-Kansas City Chiefs-Houston Texans
Now
before you start whining in disbelief, look at this alignment
again. Yes-several teams have not only jumped divisions-but
from one conference to another; however, let's look at the
proximity of the teams now.
How long will it take Miami fans to forget about their old
rivalries with the Bills and the Pats, when they have to
play the Bucs and the Jags twice a year? So there's no more
cowboys and Indians with the Redskins and Cowboys, but how
about the Skins playing Philly and Baltimore twice a year?
(They're all less than two hours apart?) The Cowboys can
now hate nearby Houston and New Orleans. (Besides…after
their pathetic draft, the Cowboys are lucky they're not
demoted to the XFL.)
I know moving the 49ers to the AFC will irk most of you,
but the 'bay battle'of San Fran and Oakland will be a game
worth watching twice a year, even if you hate both teams.
It was hard to resist the temptation of both NY teams in
the same division, but the NFL would never allow that one.
The Jets could go to the AFC central along with Buffalo
(less than two hours from Cleveland and Pittsburgh) which,
other than moving out the Jags and Baltimore, would remain
the same.
The NFC central is almost intact, except for moving Tampa,
but the closest team to the existing division is Indianapolis
(roughly two hours from Chicago by car?)
In five years, you'll forget about the realignment and be
digging the new setup. My alignment will guarantee, with
the exception of the two NY teams, that no Super Bowl will
ever be played by two teams from the same area of country,
and that's got to appeal to the NFL's bottom line (i.e.,
broadcast numbers-same thing.)
Will
the NFL realize my brilliance and install my plan? Probably
not-but let me say this: every plan I've seen so far has
been pretty darn close. What's the difference? I say make
the real rivalries happen. Group the teams as geographically
close as possible, and then watch the sparks fly!
Sports
Shorts: Super Bowl 2005 Who Pays? By R. A. Pearson
Back
to top
The powers that be in the NFL recently voted to allow Jacksonville,
Florida, to host the 2005 Super Bowl (Super Bowl XXXIX)
provided that Jacksonville makes certain "improvements"
to Alltel Stadium. Alltel Stadium was totally rebuilt in
the early 1990's, but to host this game the NFL insisted
upon and Jacksonville agreed to make multimillion-dollar
improvements on a virtually new and perfectly good stadium.
Almost without thinking, the fans and citizens of Jacksonville
held a big celebration without realizing they will have
to pay for these imposed improvements; moreover, the regular
fans will never be able to get a ticket to this big game.
A look at the "improvements" demanded by the NFL,
reveals the addition of more seats to Alltel Stadium. Even
more costly will be the addition of 70 more sky boxes at
an estimated 15 million dollars for- you guessed it- the
extremely wealthy NFL big wigs and the CEOs of large corporations.
Jacksonville even had to promise to bring in cruise ships
to house the rich and famous because the hotel rooms around
town were too small. Jacksonville taxpayers must now foot
the bill to build new docks downtown for these the cruise
ships.
The question remains who will pay for the NFL's big party?
Ticket prices are sure to go up. Jacksonville fans already
pay some of the highest ticket prices in the NFL, including
full price for the pre-season games. The costs of concessions,
which are truly outrageous, are sure to go even higher.
The recently approved 2.2 billion dollar Better Jacksonville
Plan will certainly be pillaged to pay for the "improvements",
leaving the taxpayer to shoulder the burden for the NFL's
party pen. Also the city plans new parks and other areas
for Super Bowl parties; the price will be announced later.
Included in the Better Jacksonville Plan were new and improved
roads into and out of the stadium area. These new roads
are sure to be moved up on the itinerary while improvements
to library and other services included in the plan (and
voted for by the taxpayers) are moved to the backburner.
All of this so Jacksonville can be a show place for the
NFL's big game and party.
After all these "improvements" are made, who will
get a ticket to the big game? The mayor, his cronies and
hacks, local politicians, and important business leaders
are sure to get a ticket or two. Florida political leaders
such as Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris will get a ticket.
Movie stars, sports figures, famous singers and musicians,
and many of the rich and famous will get to see the Super
Bowl while loyal Jaguar fans and Jacksonville taxpayers
who footed the bill for this party will have to watch from
home or a sports bar.
So
Jacksonville celebrate. Celebrate while you pay for the
NFL party of the year. The NFL will take most of the money
from the sales of tickets, concessions, NFL merchandise,
and TV time and put it into its coffers. The final insult
will be that you the loyal fan and taxpayer, which had to
watch the Super Bowl on TV, will get the bill for the clean
up.
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