The major issues with the NBA, MLB, the NHL and MLS

[Jzero]

Biggest problem with soccer is they need to quit being nancy boys and pick the god damn ball up and run with it.

Then it would be rugby...which isn't necessarily a bad thing...would love to see rugby on non-premium TV.

Though I agree with you about the nancy boys bit...the one thing I really hate about soccer is all the dramatics trying to draw a penalty. It's kinda sad to see a professional athlete rolling around on the ground faking injury. Maybe the lure of getting getting a key player sent off for the rest of the current game AND suspended for the next game is just too great...maybe they should implement hockey-style time-out penalties for minor/major infractions and only resort to red-cards if something really over the top occurs.

 

[NoCreativity]

I think this is the best solution. 2 teams from each conference get byes and are actually rewarded for having the best regular-season records.

Unfortunately a great idea like this will never happen. In the league's eyes, Quantity >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Quality.

 

[IronWing]

1) Stop watching sports
2) Go outside and do stuff
3) ...
4) Profit

 

[shocksyde]

1) Stop watching sports
2) Go outside and do stuff
3) ...
4) Profit

1) No
2) I do
3) ...
4) Diminished Returns

 

[Blackjack200]

So you're saying you want 4 teams in the playoffs instead of 16? You're only saying that because NJ always gets knocked off by a low seed every year If anything, keep it the way it is now, but take the top 6 from each conference instead of top 8.

I can't deny that that's a component of it. When NJ was more successful in the playoffs, I didn't see what the big deal was. But it doesn't just impact NJ fans. San Jose fans, Detroit fans, Ottawa fans, and others have watched their team mop up the regular season and get bounced in the first round to a mediocre team that has a good streak.

Beyond that, I've talked to people in my office who told me that they used to follow hockey until the Flyers had a couple of strong seasons and got bounced early in the playoffs. They realized that the regular season meant nothing at all, and they just lost interest.

I honestly think 6 teams is too many, why should the sixth place team get anything at all? That's not a succesful season. I realize that my preference for top 2 in each conference would never be adopted, but I think anything more than top 4 would be a joke.

 

[oogabooga]

I can't deny that that's a component of it. When NJ was more successful in the playoffs, I didn't see what the big deal was. But it doesn't just impact NJ fans. San Jose fans, Detroit fans, Ottawa fans, and others have watched their team mop up the regular season and get bounced in the first round to a mediocre team that has a good streak.

Beyond that, I've talked to people in my office who told me that they used to follow hockey until the Flyers had a couple of strong seasons and got bounced early in the playoffs. They realized that the regular season meant nothing at all, and they just lost interest.

I honestly think 6 teams is too many, why should the sixth place team get anything at all? That's not a succesful season. I realize that my preference for top 2 in each conference would never be adopted, but I think anything more than top 4 would be a joke.

I think part of the appeal of the SC Playoffs is that it's 4 grueling 7-game series matches. You want to win? you're going to have to really fight for it. Plus upsets are generally fun to watch. Before they were the chokers they are SJ was running around upsetting better seeded teams. It's that fact that makes the playoffs interesting imo.

Though as a sharks fan... having to only win 1 series to get to the cup finals would be nice

I do agree though that the long regular season becomes slightly meaningless with the playoffs as is. No one really cares about division banners. But I sorta like the playoffs as is.

 

[Feneant2]

Here is my beef about the NHL :
- 2 points for an overtime win, are you kidding me? If you can't win in regulation, why would you get 2 points?

Either make it 1 point for overtime winner, 0 losers or switch to 3 for a regulation win. That would definitely help the standings so you don't wind up with 6 teams separated from the playoffs by 2-3 points.

Beyond that, I agree with removing the dirty hits and headshots. 2 games off won't stop anything from happening, they need massive suspensions on headshots or knee on knee collisions where you can clearly see a player is at fault. Heck, if it was up to me, I'd even remove hits off the boards like the one from Sutton to Leopold or even ones like Crosby on Alfredson (sic?).

As to having too many teams make the playoffs, I don't mind but I'd like to see the format changed. Either something like round robin where they play each team and the best records move on or have it like it is but cross conference so that #1 east plays #8 west. We've seen Montreal-Washington many times this season so why not have Washington-Colorado and Montreal-Chicago (Or the teams might be wrong, but that's how little I know about the Western conference).

 

[Gibson486]

Then it would be rugby...which isn't necessarily a bad thing...would love to see rugby on non-premium TV.

Though I agree with you about the nancy boys bit...the one thing I really hate about soccer is all the dramatics trying to draw a penalty. It's kinda sad to see a professional athlete rolling around on the ground faking injury. Maybe the lure of getting getting a key player sent off for the rest of the current game AND suspended for the next game is just too great...maybe they should implement hockey-style time-out penalties for minor/major infractions and only resort to red-cards if something really over the top occurs.

oh, you mean like basketball's Paul Pierce?

 

[uclaLabrat]

I think this is the best solution. 2 teams from each conference get byes and are actually rewarded for having the best regular-season records.

A bye in hockey is no reward....teams that have to wait a week or so between rounds usually get rusty and get shellacked by a team that's hot.

 

[Kntx]

NHL: What you said about offsides... You want something like a floating blue line? You have to cross the blue line to get into the attacking zone, but cross the centre line to exit it? No thanks!

If I were able to make a few changes to the NHL...

1) Remove the instigator rule.
2) No touch icing
3) Some sort of headshot rule (removing instigator rule would help here)
4) Shorter regular season. Less games and shorter duration.
5) First playoff round is 5 games. Maybe 1st place gets a bye.

 

[ElFenix]

designated hitter is ruining the game. the pitcher is a player on the field, he should hit. only a mickey mouse expansion league would advocate the designated hitter.

DH also makes the games take longer. want a shorter game? go back to making the pitcher hit.

 

[mugs]

Here is my beef about the NHL :
- 2 points for an overtime win, are you kidding me? If you can't win in regulation, why would you get 2 points?

Either make it 1 point for overtime winner, 0 losers or switch to 3 for a regulation win. That would definitely help the standings so you don't wind up with 6 teams separated from the playoffs by 2-3 points.

3-2-1 could be better than the current system, but I think you're crazy if you have a big problem with treating an overtime win the same as any other win. What other sports don't treat an overtime win the same as a regulation win?

I'm not sure that it would have a big impact on the standings. I saw an analysis of the current season using the old rules (a tie at the end of OT remains a tie) and the 3-2-1 system, and neither made much difference in the eastern conference. I don't know about the western conference.

 

[slayer202]

2/10

 

[x-alki]

I agree with all except the DH for the NL. I think the AL should get rid of the DH.

 

[D1gger]

NBA
-- eliminate 50% of the team time outs. I can't stand how long it takes to play the final 2 minutes of a game.

ALL PRO SPORTS
-- mandatory suspensions for all thugs, rapists, murderers, druggies, felons, misc creeps, dweebs and ne'r-do-wells.

 

[theknight571]

ALL PRO SPORTS
-- mandatory suspensions for all thugs, rapists, murderers, druggies, felons, misc creeps, dweebs and ne'r-do-wells.

Who'd be left to play the games? LOL

 

[Linflas]

I agree with all except the DH for the NL. I think the AL should get rid of the DH.

Here is one good example of why I don't like the DH.

Double switch hamstrings La Russa

Through all his double switches and late-inning maneuvers Saturday, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa voluntarily put himself in such a bind that he had to bat a pitcher with the bases loaded in extra innings.

And it happened twice.

 

[shocksyde]

Here is one good example of why I don't like the DH.

Double switch hamstrings La Russa

I watched that game. Yes, it was hilarious, but as a fan do you really want to see 2 position players throw 70mph fastballs 3 feet off the plate and lose the game because of it?

I get it... Not having a DH requires more planning and managing, but when you can almost guarantee that the pitcher will get out when he comes up to bat, it becomes a constant. Constants are BORING.

 

[Blackjack200]

How you plan/strategize for a 20 inning game? La Russa made all the right moves but lost because the game went an unforseeable length. He also risked injury to 2 of his position players because he had to have someone out there throwing the ball.

How in the world this is an argument against the DH is beyond me.

 

[brblx]

this can all be easily condensed.

professional sports
-quit sucking ass.

 

[TuxDave]

The only way that can happen is if the puck leaves the defensive zone and comes back in. Getting the puck out of the defensive zone is a pretty critical part of defense in hockey. Understanding the offsides rule is a large part of understanding why hockey players do what they do.

So the team is not being penalized for stealing the puck, they're being penalized for failing to keep the puck in their offensive zone.

This. As for goalie gear, lemme tell you what's the #1 thing I hate about Lacrosse. From what I see, the goalie has no chance at saving anything. It's basically a score fest. I would hate the NHL to turn into the same thing.

 

[sao123]

NHL -
Remove offsides rule alltogether... Trap is no longer a viable hockey strategy.
Every game of the playoffs should be nationally televised. No more regional blackouts in the first 2 rounds.

MLB -
Baseball should be disbanded. Replace it with televised Magic the Gathering season and playoffs...

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Fail.

You have the designated hitter debacle solution assbackwards. The real solution is, IT'S FUCKING BASEBALL, UNLESS YOU PITCH LIKE JESUS, YOU SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO BAT AT LEAST .225, and if you can't everyone should laugh at you (even if you pitch like Jesus). Eliminate replay (god what a fucking awful idea in every sport). Otherwise this game is perfect.

NBA - Remove the 3pt shot. The shot was introduced with the idea that it would increase scoring, and the overall number of possessions for each team, spread the defenses, and allow more penetration, leading to increased excitement. What it has lead to is a perimeter shooting game that makes defense and inside scoring far less of a factor, and as a result is boring.

NFL - The removal of all pussyfication rules. I also think the game would improve dramatically if the ball was always live until the whistle. By this I mean, there would no longer be such a thing as an incomplete pass; the ball is live on the ground. Remove replay.

NHL - Remove the lines. No more offsides, no more icing.

Soccer - Mass extinction of suck suck suck soccer fans would be nice.

 

[shocksyde]

Fail.

NFL - The removal of all pussyfication rules. I also think the game would improve dramatically if the ball was always live until the whistle. By this I mean, there would no longer be such a thing as an incomplete pass; the ball is live on the ground. Remove replay.

Calling Fail on my suggestions is fine. That is, until you say something as Failerific as the bolded statement above. FAIL.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

How you plan/strategize for a 20 inning game? La Russa made all the right moves but lost because the game went an unforseeable length. He also risked injury to 2 of his position players because he had to have someone out there throwing the ball.

LaRussa allowed his pitcher to bat with two outs and the bases loaded twice in the game. Not to mention unnecessarily sending a runner to second costing the Cards the game.