Thursday, December 31, 2015

Top 10 Pound-for-Pound List

Here is the updated version of my obnoxiously unnecessary and utterly superfluous list of the top 10 pound-for-pound boxers. The previous list was posted on November 16.

1. Roman Gonzalez (44-0, 38 KOs) [Previous Rank : 4]
2. Guillermo Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KOs) [PR: 2]
3. Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) [PR: 3]
4. Saul Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) [PR: 9]
5. Adonis Stevenson (27-1, 22 KOs) [PR: 6]
6. Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) [PR: 7]
7. Gennady Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs) [PR: 8]
8. Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) [PR: 5]
9. Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) [ PR: 10]
10. Erislandy Lara (22-2-2, 13 KOs) [ PR: NR}

Exiting the list
Wladimir Klitschko (64-3, 53 KOs) [Previous Rank: 1]

Thursday, December 17, 2015

New NFL Format Standings after Week 14

Current AFC Standings
1) NE 11-2
2) Cin 10-3
3) Den 10-3
4) Indy 6-7
5) KC 8-5
6) NYJ 8-5

AFC in New Format
1) NE 11-2 (up one game over NorthEast rival Cin)
2) Den 10-3 (leading SouthWest)
3) Cin 10-3
4) KC 8-5
5) NYJ 8-5
6) Pit 8-5

Simple math tells us that the current system doesn't work. A 6-7 team makes the playoffs because it is beating up on the other mediocre teams in its division while a n 8-5 team is out of the playoffs because it is in a tough division. There's no logic to it. There would be two out of two division races at the highest level. The 8-5 teams would be fighting for a home field game int he Wild Card round instead of the right to play the terrible AFC South winner on the road. The new format is a fairer and more exciting system.

Current NFC Standings
1) Car 13-0
2) Ari 11-2
3) GB 9-4
4) Was 6-7
5) Sea 8-5
6) Min 8-5

NFC in New Format
1) Car 13-0 (clinched the SouthEast)
2) Ari 11-2 (up 2 games over NorthWest rival GB)
3) GB 9-4
4) Sea 8-5
5) Min 8-5
6) Was 6-7

Instead of a race to see who wins the NFC East and gets a home game in the playoffs, every 6-7 team would have an equal shot at the last playoff spot. There are 5 6-7 teams in the NFC and 3 more 5-8 teams, but only 3 of those 8 teams have a legitimate shot of making the playoffs under the current format. If the NFL switched the new format (the AFC North and East are in one division and the South and West are in another; in the NFC the South and East are together and the North and West are together) all 8 teams would be playing for that last spot. The NFC would not only be more exciting, but fairer as well.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

New NFL Format Standings after Week 13

Current AFC standings
1) Cin 10-2
2) Den 10-2
3) NE 10-2
4) Ind 6-6
5) KC 7-5
6) NYJ 7-5

AFC in New Format
1) Cin 10-2
2) Den 10-2
3) NE 10-2
4) KC 7-5
5) NYJ 7-5
6) Pit 7-5

Three important differences if the new format was in place. The first is the teams that make the playoffs. Teams with better records would make the playoffs. The second is the playoff race. Right now there are two races: one for the AFC South and one for the final two wild card spots. Indy and Houston have a much better chance of making the playoffs than Pittsburgh and Buffalo even though Pitt's record is better and Buffalo's is the same as those two teams.

The third difference is the division races. Currently, the only division race in the AFC is in the mediocre south. The better teams have their divisions wrapped up. Under the new format, Cincy and New England would be tied for first in the NorthEast, a division race at the highest level.

Current NFC standings
1) Car 12-0
2) Ari 10-2
3) GB 8-4
4) Was 5-7
5) Min 8-4
6) Sea 7-5

NFC in New Format
1) Car 12-0
2) Ari 10-2
3) GB 8-4
4) Min 8-4
5) Sea 7-5
6) TB 6-6

Int he new format, teams would make the playoffs based on their record. A 5-7 team would not get a better seed than a 8-4 team simply because the other teams' in the 5-7 club's division are also terrible. 

Wednesday, December 02, 2015

New NFL Format Standings after Week 12

Here is the updated playoff picture if the NFL had two divisions per conference. In the AFC the East and North become one and the West and South. In the NFC, it's the East and South joining and the West and North.

Current AFC Standings
1. NE 10-1 (4 game division lead)
2. Cin 9-2 (3 game division lead)
3. Den 9-2 (3 games division lead)
4. Ind 6-5 (tiebreaker)
5. KC 6-5
6. Hou 6-5

AFC in New Format
1. NE 10-1
2. Den 9-2
3. Cin 9-2
4. KC 6-5
5. Ind 6-5
6. Hou 6-5

Int he AFC, the new format would make for an exiting division race in the AFC NorthEast. And it would the race would be between a 10-1 team and a 9-2 team (instead of the only division race being between some mediocre 6-5 teams).

Current NFC Standings
1. Car 11-0
2. Ari 9-2 
3. Min 8-3
4. Was 5-6
5. GB 7-4
6. Sea 6-5

NFC in New Format
1. Car 11-0
2. Ari 9-2
3. Min 8-3
4. GB 7-4
5. Sea 6-5
6. Atl 6-5

The new format makes things fairer for more teams. The NFC NorthWest divison would be competitive at a high level. The teams behind in the playoff chase wouldn't be penalized for being int he wrong division. The teams int he current NFC East would have to earn a playoff spot by winning mroe than the other teams in the conference, not by the luck of being in a weak division.