timeEd32

Not one bit, imo. Seen too many top seeds get wiped off the floor in US sports to think that it does. I missed this. This is crazy talk. The Warriors and Spurs are without question the two best teams in the NBA this season. If they both lost in Round 1 of the playoffs you would take that to mean they weren't actually the best teams? Of course. That's ridiculous. I think I'm done here. tbf though that's a best of 7, a mini-season, which you'd expect the better team to win much more often than not. Any team can beat any other team in a one-off, which is fine for cups but I wouldn't like to help determine a league winner. Yes, but even then it's random. One game only makes it worse.

Not one bit, imo. Seen too many top seeds get wiped off the floor in US sports to think that it does. I missed this. This is crazy talk. The Warriors and Spurs are without question the two best teams in the NBA this season. If they both lost in Round 1 of the playoffs you would take that to mean they weren't actually the best teams? Of course. That's ridiculous. I think I'm done here.

Not one bit, imo. Seen too many top seeds get wiped off the floor in US sports to think that it does. I missed this. This is crazy talk. The Warriors and Spurs are without question the two best teams in the NBA this season. If they both lost in Round 1 of the playoffs you would take that to mean they weren't actually the best teams?

$$$ The only sport that needs the longer schedule is baseball (although it could lose 8 or so games) because without the larger sample size you might as well flip a coin.

We haven't won 90 games in three years and refuse to spend money for another year or two. You're 12 years late on that.

Revenue sharing maybe, although Mike Ashley doesn't even want to share revenue with f***ing NUFC. They'll never implement a cap, imo. Agreed, nor should they. It'd be the quickest way to not be the most high profile league in the world anymore. Some would argue revenue sharing already exists since the TV contract is paid out evenly (with rewards for performance) unlike La Liga. The additional CL money is becoming less important, although the allure of the competition itself is a major recruiting tool. Face it, you're trying to mess with something that is pretty f***ing great. You're just sick of supporting shitty teams in every sport. It's not great at all, though. Again, playoffs have been the source of every bit of my sports misery. If someone wanted to remove playoffs from Baseball tomorrow I'd be 100 percent in because the Yankees print money and it would be like the f***ing 20's again. But playoffs are the reason the Yankees are f***ing s*** and if I step away from how bemused it makes me it's outstanding that the f***ing Royals are the champs. The Royals had the best record in American League. The three teams with a better record were all in the NL and all had their seasons ruined in a 2 week stretch by each other and a freak performance by an above average player (total randomness). The Royals ended up playing none of them. How is that better? Last season was a perfect example of what playoffs gives a sport, man. The Cubs coming from the wild card to make the NLCS, the friggin Mets went to the World Series, ffs. Everything that happened in Toronto after the trade. The Yankees turning into s***. Take away the playoffs and the f***ing Cardinals are champs, meanwhile they couldn't even beat the wild card team when it mattered. I'm not denying the drama, it was incredible. But your first post made it seem like the Royals didn't deserve to be champs and wouldn't have been without playoffs. In the 50's they would have won the pennant and gone to the WS to play the Cardinals, which would have been great too and I still think they would have won. That's misleading as well. Damn it all. (and I'm a Yankees fan as well)

I need to spend more time in the US sports threads. You guys are out of control. Dave is going to block all US IP addresses.

I think it gives a better indication of who the richest teams are. Yes, but again that is a different problem. The format is as fair as it gets. The finances and aspirations of individual billionaires is what creates the monopoly at the top.

Revenue sharing maybe, although Mike Ashley doesn't even want to share revenue with f***ing NUFC. They'll never implement a cap, imo. Agreed, nor should they. It'd be the quickest way to not be the most high profile league in the world anymore. Some would argue revenue sharing already exists since the TV contract is paid out evenly (with rewards for performance) unlike La Liga. The additional CL money is becoming less important, although the allure of the competition itself is a major recruiting tool. Face it, you're trying to mess with something that is pretty f***ing great. You're just sick of supporting shitty teams in every sport. It's not great at all, though. Again, playoffs have been the source of every bit of my sports misery. If someone wanted to remove playoffs from Baseball tomorrow I'd be 100 percent in because the Yankees print money and it would be like the f***ing 20's again. But playoffs are the reason the Yankees are f***ing s*** and if I step away from how bemused it makes me it's outstanding that the f***ing Royals are the champs. The Royals had the best record in American League. The three teams with a better record were all in the NL and all had their seasons ruined in a 2 week stretch by each other and a freak performance by an above average player (total randomness). The Royals ended up playing none of them. How is that better?

If every team is taking the field week in and week out fully aware that it's realistically possible for them to actually win something, do you think the top teams would have as easy a time of things? Does anyone honestly think the top clubs play 38 competitive matches per year? You've got managers saying they'd take a draw days before the match and we're supposed to think the current system tells us in any way which team is best? It tells us which team is best better than any other format I can think of and the threat of relegation ensures that teams try to win far more than bad teams in US sports.

Revenue sharing maybe, although Mike Ashley doesn't even want to share revenue with f***ing NUFC. They'll never implement a cap, imo. Agreed, nor should they. It'd be the quickest way to not be the most high profile league in the world anymore. Some would argue revenue sharing already exists since the TV contract is paid out evenly (with rewards for performance) unlike La Liga. The additional CL money is becoming less important, although the allure of the competition itself is a major recruiting tool. Face it, you're trying to mess with something that is pretty fucking great. You're just sick of supporting shitty teams in every sport.

I don't know why random is necessarily seen as a good thing. The NBA and NHL playoffs are fun, but the regular seasons are largely meaningless. What you really want is revenue sharing or a salary cap. The huge influx of TV money to the PL clubs is leveling the playing field a bit and you're seeing a really interesting season. Also, in all of the American sports the only thing that matters is who wins the championship (and who will get the #1 pick). In the Premier League, you have the title race, the top 4 race, the other European places, relegation (which is often times just as interesting as anything else), plus the cups.

It's going to be hilarious when this board is arguing about Colo's WAR and Colback's VORP. That day is coming.

There's a lot to like about it if you ignore the 100+ years of history and the fact it's a solution to a problem that could be solved in other (off field) ways that maintain the current format. But while we're creating formats, I think I'd prefer a six team playoff with the top two getting a 'bye' to better reward the full season performance. Also, if we're getting rid of the LC then let's add more fixtures (because really that just equals more money and that would be the reason this would happen - nothing to do with improving competition) ... each round should be two legs with both legs at the higher seed (no away goals). Limits the randomness a bit.

What a magnificent sight with no Sports Direct shit. Great picture.

And then someone else says one of those deals may be done. No one knows what's true, including the reporters getting "info."

Some stats to ridicule/ignore... We are in the top 3 in the league for shots inside the box in the last four gameweeks. We have allowed the second most shots from inside the box in the last four gameweeks (Leicester the most). We have 68 shots from counter attacking moves, 9th most in the league. Conversely, we only have 15 shots from established possession in the opposition's half, which is tied for second fewest with West Ham. Crystal Palace and Leicester have the fewest with 11, which shows that Pardew is still a c*** but you can be successful this way (with a couple incredibly in-form players). We've conceded the most shots (355) and the second most shots on target (116). Only Sunderland is worse with 134. 141 of those shots have come from the "danger" zone, which is basically the middle of the penalty area (from goal line to 18 yard line and the width of six yard box). That's second worst in the league behind West Ham. We have the worst differential between shots taken and shots allowed (-132) and the second worst for on target (-35). And, finally, our expected goal difference (xGD*) is -13.1, the worst in the league. * xGD combines expected goals and expected goals conceded, which take into account shot type, assist type, shot location, speed of attack and some other things. Here's a full explanation: http://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2015/10/19/9295905/premier-league-projections-and-new-expected-goals

Yeah, it's the worst year in recent memory for this argument. In Mike's defense, this thread is a few years old.

It's one article with no quotes. People need to take it easy.

Sounds more like a quote he copied and forgot to attribute to someone. Nobby?

Yeah, seems like a lot of speculation.

I think there's going to be 22 Petr Cech's running around on an NFL field in our lifetimes.

Saw what Antwaan Randle El said today? Yeah. 36 and can't go up stairs right, forgetting stuff. The money's great if you can handle it, which is tough for young kids to do, but not at the expense of your health for the rest of your life. I'm not sure it will die off as soon as he speculated, but when players are saying they wouldn't play if they had it to do over again, that's something. It's a great player saying it too. There's definitely a change coming. Your definition of great is really generous. Shola was really good too. Notable? I feel like he was s*** hot on kick returns for a while there. From great to shit hot on kick returns "for awhile."

Saw what Antwaan Randle El said today? Yeah. 36 and can't go up stairs right, forgetting stuff. The money's great if you can handle it, which is tough for young kids to do, but not at the expense of your health for the rest of your life. I'm not sure it will die off as soon as he speculated, but when players are saying they wouldn't play if they had it to do over again, that's something. It's a great player saying it too. There's definitely a change coming. Your definition of great is really generous. Shola was really good too.