Why NFL playoffs are the best in pro sports

[Rolling Thunder]

When my teams get knocked out of the playoffs in the NBA, MLB and the NHL I usually watch the playoffs as a distraction to my everyday life. But in the NFL it gets more interesting week by week for me.

After watching the Seahawks win tonight I can't help rooting for them to run the table. Same with the Niners and Packers.

I have no interest in watching Manning and Brady win another title. And there is little chance that either of those teams won't make the super bowl. One of them will represent he AFC for sure.

I'd like to see a team like the Seahawks or the Niners win it all. The Packers can certainly do it but we've seen this before very recently.

Since our Jets aren't going to acquire the equivalent of a Manning or Brady any time soon I'm hoping that a team that changed management like those two NFC teams did it gives me hope that a turnaround is possible in the near future.

Go Niners and go Seahawks and lets see a new generation of teams besides the usual candidates win it all.

[JetsCrazey]

there's something about single elimination. that's why NFL playoffs and NCAA bball tourney are the best.

[jetstream23]

I'd like to see a Broncos - 49ers SB.

[Sanchez 3:16]

I like the Niners, and I get what you're saying... but a potential 6th Superbowl wouldn't necessarily make me say, "finally! someone new won!"

Go Seahawks.

[iahawkeyejet]

So you are rooting for 3 seperate NFC teams to run the table.

If I were a gabling man, I'd take the under.

[JB1089]

I despise single elimination with all of my being.

The first 2 days of the NCAA tournament are great, my favorite two days of the year in fact. But then it really falls off until at least the elite 8. And if too many of the good teams get knocked out, the final four winds up being a snoozefest. And that's what I really care about at the end of the day. I want to see the best teams playing each other, that's the whole point of having a playoff in the first place.

I view sports as performance art. I want to see the best perform. I already know who the best are, I just don't get the opportunity to see them play each other all that often. This is especially true in the NFL, where all of the teams don't play each other every year.


The matchup I most want to see is Manning/Brady vs. Rodgers. If someone else winds up in the Super Bowl, I'll be a little disappointed, because that's the game I really want to see. 2 all-time great quarterbacks facing each other with the championship on the line. If I had my way, that's what I'd be watching in the Super Bowl every year.


If the plucky underdog isn't my team, then I want that plucky underdog squashed.

[Zarathustra]

I love single elimination. Think about the baseball play offs, you already know who won before they won. When a team is up 3 nothing on another team you're just waiting to collect a trophy. Boring.

[AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite]

Just curious... When was the last boring final four in your eyes... You pretty much see a steady dose of MSU/Duke/NC/UConn/Syracuse/etc and fun out of the blue teams like Butler bring that surprise factor to the tournament...

[JB1089]

Originally Posted by AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite

Just curious... When was the last boring final four in your eyes... You pretty much see a steady dose of MSU/Duke/NC/UConn/Syracuse/etc and fun out of the blue teams like Butler bring that surprise factor to the tournament...

2 years ago was bad, the year before might have been even worse. The opening weekend is almost always great, but that's not what you remember years later. It's the last couple of games, and those Butler games were nearly unwatchable.

The most recent great finals were Kansas-Memphis, Florida-Ohio St, and UNC-Illinois. Last year had the potential to be as good as those, but the level of play just wasn't high enough. It was a close game, but I didn't think either team played to their potential.

[Flaming Mo]

Arguments can be made for both. It's hard not to enjoy an immensly physical, hated seven game series in the NBA between two rivals. NBA has taken a huge step back since the 90s but the playoffs can still be special at times. Usually they are way too long though.

Single elimination is great considering the weight that hangs on every play. NCAA Tourney is THE best sporting event out there.

[McGinley]

NHL Playoffs > NFL Playoffs.

That's just the straight up truth. Especially after this terrible wild card weekend.

[ytfootballfan]

Originally Posted by JB1089

I despise single elimination with all of my being.

The first 2 days of the NCAA tournament are great, my favorite two days of the year in fact. But then it really falls off until at least the elite 8. And if too many of the good teams get knocked out, the final four winds up being a snoozefest. And that's what I really care about at the end of the day. I want to see the best teams playing each other, that's the whole point of having a playoff in the first place.

I view sports as performance art. I want to see the best perform. I already know who the best are, I just don't get the opportunity to see them play each other all that often. This is especially true in the NFL, where all of the teams don't play each other every year.


The matchup I most want to see is Manning/Brady vs. Rodgers. If someone else winds up in the Super Bowl, I'll be a little disappointed, because that's the game I really want to see. 2 all-time great quarterbacks facing each other with the championship on the line. If I had my way, that's what I'd be watching in the Super Bowl every year.


If the plucky underdog isn't my team, then I want that plucky underdog squashed.

Couldn't agree with you more. I share the exact sentiments and would love to see a different format for the wildcard and divisional rounds where all the best wildcards and divisional champions play each other once, before going to single elimination ONLY for the Championship games and Superbowl.

[124]

There's nothing better than single elimination, indeed. I agree with the NHL, NBA and MLB playoffs mantra - if my team isn't in it, I could give two ****s. The NHL is the only one of the three where I'll watch a little bit of it if my team is out. I'll watch every second of the NFL playoffs and when it comes to NCAA basketball, I watch about 2% of the Regular Season before watching almost every second I can of March Madness.

[DDNYjets]

This was a bad Wild Card weekend. The last game was easily the best although Washington basically played the game with one arm tied behind their back.

I love the NHL playoffs but IMO the NHL and NBA playoffs are too long, too many teams.

The NFL playoffs are great but sometimes you are going to get bad games. It happens with football. There is nothing you can do about it.

The sport that is the most dramatic in the postseason is MLB. Every walk or base hit is a rally. We have gotten spoiled the past couple of years with play-in games and comebacks.

[Bhoys in Green]

Originally Posted by McGinley

NHL Playoffs > NFL Playoffs.

That's just the straight up truth. Especially after this terrible wild card weekend.

It's true, but they both need to lose one round of playoffs. Maybe two.

[McGinley]

Originally Posted by Bhoys in Green

It's true, but they both need to lose one round of playoffs. Maybe two.

I think the issue is just how much the teams play, you know? With all the teams playing at minimum 4 games a round, it gets a little long-winded if your team isn't in the postseason. On the flip side, the NFL playoffs are kind of a drawback because you can be the 2011 Packers and be the best team in the NFL and then be 1 & Done in a loss to the 9-7 Giants.

Both have their drawbacks, I suppose. Still, playoff hockey in general is a great thing.

[scott dierking II]

Originally Posted by McGinley

NHL Playoffs > NFL Playoffs.

That's just the straight up truth. Especially after this terrible wild card weekend.

+10000000000000

[Bay Ridge Jet]

Originally Posted by McGinley

I think the issue is just how much the teams play, you know? With all the teams playing at minimum 4 games a round, it gets a little long-winded if your team isn't in the postseason. On the flip side, the NFL playoffs are kind of a drawback because you can be the 2011 Packers and be the best team in the NFL and then be 1 & Done in a loss to the 9-7 Giants.

Both have their drawbacks, I suppose. Still, playoff hockey in general is a great thing.

Agreed. To add to your point, NHL playoff series are absolute wars. You have the same 2 teams playing each other possibly 7 times in 2 weeks. They grow to hate each other and it's reflected in the play. Plus, a long playoff series develops fan base rivalries that never could exist geographically. I never cared about the Senators before last year. Then if you win a round, you get thrown into another series 2 days later. It's draining physically and emotionally. When you account for playoff parity, it makes the playoffs that much better (and the regular season that much worse).

Only playoff without a ton of excitement in my view is the NBA. You get some great games but usually the playoffs go to chalk.

[McGinley]

Originally Posted by Bay Ridge Jet

Agreed. To add to your point, NHL playoff series are absolute wars. You have the same 2 teams playing each other possibly 7 times in 2 weeks. They grow to hate each other and it's reflected in the play. Then if you win a round, you get thrown into another series 2 days later. It's draining physically and emotionally. When you account for playoff parity, it makes the playoffs that much better (and the regular season that much worse).

Only playoff without a ton of excitement in my view is the NBA. You get some great games but usually the playoffs go to chalk.

Absolutely. Hockey itself has some of the most passionate and tough players as it is, but you put it in a sold out stadium filled with screaming fans with teams who are sick of seeing each others faces? Yes, sign me up. It's just unreal.

NHL Playoffs, like any sport that isn't single loss elimination, sets up for some incredible comebacks over the course of an entire series. Like the 2010 series between Philly and Boston where Boston had a 3-0 series lead and Philly came back to win it. You just don't get anything better than that.

[ASH_1962]

Originally Posted by McGinley

NHL Playoffs > NFL Playoffs.

That's just the straight up truth. Especially after this terrible wild card weekend.

There is nothing better than the NHL playoffs, and, the Cup is the hardest trophy to win in all of sports. It is night after night after night of fight to the death for everything.

See Rangers last season, unbelieveable 3 series.