Bringing Competition Back to Sports

So I have recently witnessed my friend AJ's rant on why the Kansas City Royals suck to the point that his is no longer a fan (AJ, do you have a new team yet?). I have also witnessed a day full of soccer on TV. It got me thinking. And now I have the answer to the major issue in sports-- competitive balance. Hate soccer all you want (I love, I played in HS-- set a state record for saves in a season, though it has since been broken), but they have it done right. The answer is the same in soccer and most international sports: relegation.

We need to restructure the five major sports in North America (baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer) to a relegation/promotion-based system. For those of you not familiar with the system, here is how it works. The best teams in the nation (we'll call it the nation-- I know North American leagues cross international borders, but bear with me) are placed in the top division-- Division 1 of you will. The next group of teams (usually the same number of teams) make up the second division, and so on and so forth. The teams play within their divisions-- though I'm sure they can schedule exhibitions outside of them. At the end of the season the top team (sometimes two) is promoted to the next level up, with the exception the top division whose winner is the league champion. The last place team in each division is relegated to the next division down. Sometimes the team being promoted plays the team being relegated for the right to play in the higher division.

Now there are a ton of details that would need to be sorted out, like the absence of a draft, and player transfers. But who gives a damn about that?

I am just so tired of Bill Wirtz and the Chicago Blackhawks pinching pennies, and not facing any punishment. In fact, they way things are, they stand to be rewarded by having top prospects available to them in the draft. Screw that-- make Wirtz get off his fat ass, and dig his wallet out of the fat roll to sign a 16 year old-- you know, the way the Blackhawks got Bobby Hull. Could you imagine the embarrassment for Wirtz when the Chicago Wolves beat the Blackhawks to move up a level?

This is also good for expanding the sports into new markets. I am still not a fan of "sun coast" hockey. But if they can bring in fans and be competitive-- fine, welcome to the show. But what about some markets consistently overlooked? Edmonton, Calgary, Hartford-- places we know can handle top level teams, they just don't get the opportunity (except for the one team they have. Better yet, could you imagine a team from Bangor fighting their way from the lowest level to the top? Who would have thought about a major sports team in Bangor flippin' Maine?

Let's bring sports into a similar system. 16 teams in the top division-- the Premiership, if you will. Maybe 20 teams for every level below that.

Better yet-- use it for college sports. It is flippin' assinine for the Nebraska Felons (Cornhuskers) football program to schedule Division 1-AA Maine, just so they can make money off of a walkover. The game won't be competitive-- but wouldn't it be great if they lost to the Black Bears? Screw that... you have to play a team you can be compared to. And all those precious bowl games you have? Fine... your Five major bowls can stay for placement purposes. But those minor bowl games-- those are your battles to move up.

Nebraska (0-15) in Division 3, plays Wartburg College (15-0) in Division 4 in the Tidy Bowl at Tacoma, Washington (to those of you from Seattle, you're welcome). Or Illinois Wesleyan (13-2) in Division 6 plays Temple (5-10) in the Humanitarian Bowl (yes, on the blue turf of Boise State).

It allows for bad teams like Temple and Nebraska to play in the occaisional meaningful game.

It is a great system, and opens the games on so many levels. With the non-existence of the NHL, hockey has a chance to start over, and to do it right. For soccer (MLS), it's been a rumour, and may not be very long off in the future. It makes sense for everyone involved-- teams, players, fans. I see no loss-- at least under this format we'll have an excuse to only see 5 teams on ESPN.