Christensen: Privileges of Parity
FacebookBy Todd Christensen
January 4, 2011
In 77 years of division play in the National Football League, there has never been a team with a losing record finish at the top of any division. That is until now.
With a 16-6 defeat of the St Louis Rams this past Sunday night, the Seattle Seahawks made dubious history by becoming the champions of the NFC West with a record of 7-9.
Naturally, there are those who are up in arms, particularly the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who both finished three games ahead of the Seahawks in the standings but will be forced to watch the post season at a distance while the Emerald City gridders not only make their way into the Big Dance but host a playoff game.
Against the defending World Champion New Orleans Saints, no less.
Many have talked about the need to rectify this statistical anomaly so that it never happens again but in truth, the NFL is just now catching up to the NHL and NBA where this is concerned. It's not uncommon for those respective leagues to have losing records in the playoffs, but most of that is due to the fact that more than half the teams make the post season.
You notice in this year of college football that with more than half of the teams (70 out of 120) making a bowl game, a considerable amount of teams that have been 6-6 and with bowl losses number themselves among those rewarded for actually finishing with a losing record.
The reality is that something like this was inevitable. Long-time commissioner Pete Rozelle of the NFL had established the rules of parity early on insomuch that it was his desire to have the playing field be as even as possible. And with continued expansion and the dilution of talent it was inevitable that there would be less cream to rise to the top albeit more money to be spread around.
Seattle is simply the result of the ongoing machinations of the league in which mediocrity is rewarded and truly great football teams are fewer and farther between.
ALL TIMES MOUNTAIN
