If DRE-LO Ruled the Sports World...
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by user DRE-LO
Today, the NCAA narrowly defeated a motion to increase the number of teams involved in the Big Dance from 65 to 128. Thus, it had me thinking what changes I'd make in the major sports in general if I had a say.
MLB
- I would shorten the MLB regular season from 162 games to 144 games.
- There would be 16 teams in the MLB playoffs just like the NBA and NHL. Because of my proposed shortened season, fatigue would become less of an issue coming down the stretch. By having 16 teams, you'd increase your ratings by increasing the chance of having more teams from major media markets. Not only does a 16-team playoff format make the playoffs more interesting, it will also be good for business. No reason to play so many games and then only have 8 teams. The Cleveland Indians won 95 games last year and still missed the playoffs. That is cause for alarm.
- I would get rid of the moronic stipulation put into the All-Star game by Bud Selig that gives the winning league home field advantage. It should go to the team with the best regular season record, period. It was Bud's silly idea just to make up for the stupidity of an All-Star game ending in a tie.
NFL and College Football
-THE NFL would have a prime-time game on Saturday Night, Sunday Night and Monday Night. No games on Thursday except for Thanksgiving Day of course. The game on Saturday Night would give the NFL momentum onto the big Sunday football schedule. Imagine a big time NFC East or AFC South divisional game on a Saturday Night.
- I would lower the number of preseason games from 4 to 2 and I would increase the number of regular season games from 16 games to 18 games. You'd play exactly the same amount of total games and you would start the season in late August. 4 games is more then enough time to evaluate talent. Not to mention all of the scrimmages, drills and 7-7s that you have to see who's the contender and who's the pretender.
- I would set up a good old fashioned playoff-system for Division I college football. Bowl games are becoming completely overdone with corporations throwing their money in the direction of hungry athletic directors. Division 1-A, Division II and Division III have playoff systems. I would put the top teams in Division I in a playoff system and let the teams who fell short play the corporate bowl games.
- There would be no contract with guaranteed money for first round draft-picks. I would require that you earn your money based on your performance and /or the fact that you show up to practice in one piece. I bet the Browns feel pretty crappy about giving guaranteed money to Kellen Winslow. Or the Detroit Pistons giving that guaranteed money to Darko Milicic. Worse yet, how about the Portland Trail Blazers giving that money to Joel Freeland?
NBA
-There would be no 2-3-2 format in the World Series or the NBA Finals. Stick with the 2-2-1-1 format throughout the playoffs and championship. It's simple. Nothing wrong with the 2-2-1-1 format, why change it?
-I'd get a new logo for the Atlanta Hawks.
-I'd undo the 6 division format that the NBA created a few years ago and change it back to 4 like the old days. Because of this realignment, 2 injustices occurred in this year's playoffs-
1. The Spurs took on the Mavericks in the 2nd round, although they had the 2 best records.
2. The Denver Nuggets were the "3" seed in the Western Conference. They played so poorly the Sonics could have beaten them in a 7-game series.
These two occurrences are enough to convince me that this realignment must end. Go back to the Atlantic, Central, Pacific, and Midwest. It wasn't broken and it didn't need to be fixed in the first place.
World Cup
- The World Cup finale would not be decided by penalty kicks after the initial first overtime is played. Let the two teams battle it out until a goal is scored. There is no right or wrong way to decide such an event. But imagine Zidane, Ronaldo, Beckham or Ronaldinho breaking away and scoring a game-winning goal to win the World Cup. Now That's drama.
Finally:
There would be a hostile takeover of the NY Knicks with the ouster of James Dolan. The ownership would be shared between me, Spike Lee and Stephen A. Smith.
Date
Fri 06/30/06, 6:32 pm EST
