We left the hotel and walked to the train station. On the way Candace declared, "It's so stupid that the drive on the left here! You can't even turn right on red!" I replied, "You can go left on red instead." This baffled and angered her for some time until it hit her that I was right.
On the train, I whispered something about the guy sitting to our left. She looked right and disagreed with my assement. I asked her to look at towards her other left and then she agreed that he was hairier than I am (no small feat).
Now you have understand, Candace is not some ditz. She is far and away the smartest person I've ever met. That's why she'll never live these mistakes down!
We entered the train station and switched the scooter to push mode. We passed by two ticket taking guys without issues this time. We were early and hopped an earlier train in an unreserved car. We found seats, but the car was crowded. No one said anything about the scooter though.
We pushed out of the bullet train portion of the Shin-Osaka station and got some help purchasing our subway tickets. We got off the subway and figured out how to go to the hotel. Our maps haven't been great, but we've figured things out. Candace prpvided the research and steller eye sight and I have a good sense of direction and street smarts. Candace might laugh at that, but what about following the train tracks in Tokyo. Exactly!
In Osaka, we're staying in an area littered with Love Hotels. They each have rest rates and stay rates. They're essentially hourly motels, but some are pretty fancy. One was called Come on My House. There are also a ton of massage parlors in the area.
We walled to Dotombori, which was something like Times Square on whatever Roger Clemens was on towards the end of his career. There were so many shops and lights and people. And it went on for blocks. Giant octopi, giant dragons, and so and so forth.
It was too much for me. We ate udon noodles in a restaurant not too far from Dotombori, but off the main strip. Candace invented a new method of eating noodles with one chopstick. For my part, I wemt to the bathroom and violently relieved my bowels. Then I realized I had a problem. Nope, there was ample toilet paper. The problem was there were too many buttons and they were all in Japanese, specifically the Kanji script, which I happen not to understand. I didn't want to get sprayed with the bidet, so I closed the lid and pressed at random. I happened to be right and the toilet flushed.
In Dotombori, locals dressed up in interesting outfits. I couldn't belive what people were wearing and what they did with their hair. Speaking of which, many Japanese people wear doctor's masks out in public. Candace tells me people do it as a public service if they're starting to feel sick. I'm inclined to believe her. She also said that some young people wear it as a sign to leave them alone, which is the vibe I get from it.
Monday, April 04, 2016
Sunday, April 03, 2016
In Hiroshima
We saw all the memorials to the devastation the atom bomb caused. The museum was powerful in that it showed just how destructive the bomb was, but also brought it to a personal level. Random pieces of property belonging to victims helped to show that over a hundred thousand individual lives were lost.
The hall of victims wa powerful, especially the exhibit just outside that showed the names and faces of the fallen. I watched for awhile and the list didn't move from people whose last names started with O. In the hall, Candace overheard an American saying that Hitler's mother was Jewish. In case he reads this, no she was not.
The atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a horrible stain on American history. The decision to unleash these horrific bombs on hundreds of thousands of civilians is inexcusable. We as a country must express and admit more collective guilt than we currently do.
When you mention that you're going to Hiroshima or google the weather forecast there, the first thing that appears is the bombing. But Hiroshima is a vibrant city filled with huge shopping malls and their beloved baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp.
We ate burgers at Lotteria before going to the museum and Candace had noodles afterward. I had a chicken curry type thing. Then it started to rain and we headed back to the hotel to watch the Carp game.
Maru made a diving catch and the nats used some good pitching to get out of a scary bases loaded situation. But the network cut away with the score tied at 3. I later learned that the Tokyo Giants won in the 12th.
We also watched a Japanese magic game show and some weird celebrity panel ranking skit show.
The hall of victims wa powerful, especially the exhibit just outside that showed the names and faces of the fallen. I watched for awhile and the list didn't move from people whose last names started with O. In the hall, Candace overheard an American saying that Hitler's mother was Jewish. In case he reads this, no she was not.
The atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a horrible stain on American history. The decision to unleash these horrific bombs on hundreds of thousands of civilians is inexcusable. We as a country must express and admit more collective guilt than we currently do.
When you mention that you're going to Hiroshima or google the weather forecast there, the first thing that appears is the bombing. But Hiroshima is a vibrant city filled with huge shopping malls and their beloved baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp.
We ate burgers at Lotteria before going to the museum and Candace had noodles afterward. I had a chicken curry type thing. Then it started to rain and we headed back to the hotel to watch the Carp game.
Maru made a diving catch and the nats used some good pitching to get out of a scary bases loaded situation. But the network cut away with the score tied at 3. I later learned that the Tokyo Giants won in the 12th.
We also watched a Japanese magic game show and some weird celebrity panel ranking skit show.
Saturday, April 02, 2016
Tokyo to Hiroshima
We left our hotel room with the heated toilets and fog-prevention spot in our mirror and walked about 5 miles from Asakusa to Tokyo station with little direction. We were proud to have the station and we got to see some different neighborhoods. Kando was colorful in a cartoonish way. Around Tokya station, were sterile modern building signifying a financial district.
We became frustrated in the station when we saw miles of restaurants, but Candaxe wanted a bento nox for thevtrain. We finally decided to go to the train. An attendant stopped us and pointed to the scooter. He had such a pained look as he tried to muster up the English words to tell us something. Finally he called the big dogs, a man who pointed at Candace's scooter/wheelchair and said, "This, no."
We somehow convinced thwm that taking to scooter wouldn't be a problem. But Tokyo station, to get on the bullet train, was not handicap accessible. There were stairs and an escalator, but no elevator. I first took the luggage up the escalator and then ran down the stairs. I then grabbed Candace and made sure the escalator wouldn't decapitate her (a real possibility). Then I ran down the stairs again. When I went to bring up the scooter, our non-English speaking friend reappeared. He again tried to tell me something, but I was too busy positioning the scooter on the escalator to feign politeness.
We made it! We were at the track! Except that our same friend tried to tell us something else. We listened, but no English words came. So we walked and quickly realuzed there was an even larger set of stairs and escalator. So I did it all again. We mad e it and even found a stand selling bento boxes!
There was a handicap designator car, but our agent had put us elsewhere. It was four minutes before our train was to depart an the doors hadn't evn opened. When the opened, I scrambled to get all our stuff on board, but had no idea where to put the scooter. Candace suggested the seats behind us, which worked until the next stop. Then I took it out of our car just next to the trash can and that worked for awhile.
As we got closer to Osaka, our transfer point, the seat brhind us became empty, so I put the scooter back thrre. A worker onboard pointed to the scooter and crossed hand exclaiming, No!" He then wrote, "station staff" in English on a piece of paper.
When we got to Osaka, station staff escorted us to our next train. It was a whole production. It was nice to know the staff would make sure we got on the right train, but they really just slowed us down. I ha to wheel the scooter for some reason, which was extra annoying because it locks if you go too fast. The staff really looked out for us. They counted our luggage multiple times even though there is virtually no crime here.
When we got Hiroshima, the same the happened with fifferent staff. These stations were accessible. We're still not sure what the deal was. Maybe electric "vehicles" are not allowed in the station, but that would be ridiculois. This scooter/wheelchair can't go faster than a pedestrian. At the end, it seemed like the guy in charge of letting us leave had a problem with us not paying to bring the scooter, but a staff member set him straight.
It was an odd experience. We were accused of doing something wrong, which offended us, but were treated like VIPs at the same time.
We gound the right way to go in Hiroshima, but the scooter ran out if charge halfway on the two mile walk. So I pushed until we found an unattended outlet on the side of a building and clandettinely charged the chair.
We found the hotel, got some good curry for dinner, and bought candy from 7-11.
On the bullet train, which felt like we were on a plane on a runway about to take off, I noticed the constant stream of cities along the route. I also noticed a lot of solar panels on people's houses. I also saw the solar arc as we raced by Gifu. It was quite the site.
We became frustrated in the station when we saw miles of restaurants, but Candaxe wanted a bento nox for thevtrain. We finally decided to go to the train. An attendant stopped us and pointed to the scooter. He had such a pained look as he tried to muster up the English words to tell us something. Finally he called the big dogs, a man who pointed at Candace's scooter/wheelchair and said, "This, no."
We somehow convinced thwm that taking to scooter wouldn't be a problem. But Tokyo station, to get on the bullet train, was not handicap accessible. There were stairs and an escalator, but no elevator. I first took the luggage up the escalator and then ran down the stairs. I then grabbed Candace and made sure the escalator wouldn't decapitate her (a real possibility). Then I ran down the stairs again. When I went to bring up the scooter, our non-English speaking friend reappeared. He again tried to tell me something, but I was too busy positioning the scooter on the escalator to feign politeness.
We made it! We were at the track! Except that our same friend tried to tell us something else. We listened, but no English words came. So we walked and quickly realuzed there was an even larger set of stairs and escalator. So I did it all again. We mad e it and even found a stand selling bento boxes!
There was a handicap designator car, but our agent had put us elsewhere. It was four minutes before our train was to depart an the doors hadn't evn opened. When the opened, I scrambled to get all our stuff on board, but had no idea where to put the scooter. Candace suggested the seats behind us, which worked until the next stop. Then I took it out of our car just next to the trash can and that worked for awhile.
As we got closer to Osaka, our transfer point, the seat brhind us became empty, so I put the scooter back thrre. A worker onboard pointed to the scooter and crossed hand exclaiming, No!" He then wrote, "station staff" in English on a piece of paper.
When we got to Osaka, station staff escorted us to our next train. It was a whole production. It was nice to know the staff would make sure we got on the right train, but they really just slowed us down. I ha to wheel the scooter for some reason, which was extra annoying because it locks if you go too fast. The staff really looked out for us. They counted our luggage multiple times even though there is virtually no crime here.
When we got Hiroshima, the same the happened with fifferent staff. These stations were accessible. We're still not sure what the deal was. Maybe electric "vehicles" are not allowed in the station, but that would be ridiculois. This scooter/wheelchair can't go faster than a pedestrian. At the end, it seemed like the guy in charge of letting us leave had a problem with us not paying to bring the scooter, but a staff member set him straight.
It was an odd experience. We were accused of doing something wrong, which offended us, but were treated like VIPs at the same time.
We gound the right way to go in Hiroshima, but the scooter ran out if charge halfway on the two mile walk. So I pushed until we found an unattended outlet on the side of a building and clandettinely charged the chair.
We found the hotel, got some good curry for dinner, and bought candy from 7-11.
On the bullet train, which felt like we were on a plane on a runway about to take off, I noticed the constant stream of cities along the route. I also noticed a lot of solar panels on people's houses. I also saw the solar arc as we raced by Gifu. It was quite the site.
Friday, April 01, 2016
In Tokyo
We woke up early and walked to Ueno Park. We saw a cute tiny garbage truck slong the way. The park was packed with people gawking at the rows of cherry blossoms. Many tourists, local and foreign, stopped in the middle of the path to take pictures. It was infuriating to get around. We also saw the line for the zoo. It was ridiculously long.
We walked around the pond and grabbed some food. I got a stick of imitation crab meat. Candace got some noodles. We stopped 7-11 on the way back to the hotel and grabbed lunch with a bunch of Japanese businessmen there. The food was pretty good. We also got green tea kit kats. I liked it, but the matcha ice cream we were served on the flight over was better.
We rested for awhile and then walked back to Ueno train station yo get our JR train passes and make reservations. We grabbed dinner from... 7-11 of course! I had octopus balls. We've noticed that people here in Tokyo aren't always paying attention to where they're walking, or just don't care. We've already seen some people walk right into others.
Tokyo has been great in terms of wheelchair accessibility so far. At night we saw Senso-Ji, which are some temples in Asakusa, near our hotel. These ancient temples date all the way back to the late 1950s. My house is older than that. So is my mother! But the temples commemorate an ancient event. Our excursion was dampened by the rain and the fact that all of the stalls had closed up. But the lit up temples were cool.
Then we went back to the hotel and saw a ten minute video about a day in the life of Hachi the lucky cat with pronounced eyebrows.
We walked around the pond and grabbed some food. I got a stick of imitation crab meat. Candace got some noodles. We stopped 7-11 on the way back to the hotel and grabbed lunch with a bunch of Japanese businessmen there. The food was pretty good. We also got green tea kit kats. I liked it, but the matcha ice cream we were served on the flight over was better.
We rested for awhile and then walked back to Ueno train station yo get our JR train passes and make reservations. We grabbed dinner from... 7-11 of course! I had octopus balls. We've noticed that people here in Tokyo aren't always paying attention to where they're walking, or just don't care. We've already seen some people walk right into others.
Tokyo has been great in terms of wheelchair accessibility so far. At night we saw Senso-Ji, which are some temples in Asakusa, near our hotel. These ancient temples date all the way back to the late 1950s. My house is older than that. So is my mother! But the temples commemorate an ancient event. Our excursion was dampened by the rain and the fact that all of the stalls had closed up. But the lit up temples were cool.
Then we went back to the hotel and saw a ten minute video about a day in the life of Hachi the lucky cat with pronounced eyebrows.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
DC to Tokyo
We made it to Tokyo, but it wasn't a smooth trip. We decided not to sleep before the shuttle picked us up at 5:15. We hoped we'd fall asleep on the plane rides over.
We did fall asleep a little on the way to Denver. Those seats were a litlle cramped, which is saying a lot because we're tiny. The ride to Tokyo was far worse.
We got the last seats on the plane. This made it more difficult fir my wife to get to, but the was the least of our problems. The seats didn't recline far enough. We're short, so the seats' extra neck padding poked up in the back of the neck. There was constant chatter from the bathroom area. There was a dog in cargo that kept barking. And there were the babies.
Normally babies don't bothe me on planes. But these babies screeched constantly, whether happy or sad. The babies must have had a screech-like snore. The plane ride was not smooth. There a few moments when the plane shook wildly.
I couldn't sleep and felt worse and worse. I usually feel a little nauseous on flights, and this was no exception. Towards the end though, I motioned to my wife for the barf bag and repeatedly threw up a stomch-full of oranged juice.
Immigration was chaos. The line was so long. We went to a much shorter wheelchair line, got our, bag, and went through customs, accidentally smuggling a package of illegal cured turkey pepporoni.
We found all the right train stuff because my wife had done the research. We couldn't exchange our JR train voucher for the pass, because the line was too long. We saw the bamboo forests on the outskirts of Tokyo, but I still didn't feel well.
We found the hotel and had fun experiencing the bidet in our tiny souped up room. I've always talked a big bidet game, but this was my first experience. Then we slept for 8 hours, woke up and slept 5 more.
We did fall asleep a little on the way to Denver. Those seats were a litlle cramped, which is saying a lot because we're tiny. The ride to Tokyo was far worse.
We got the last seats on the plane. This made it more difficult fir my wife to get to, but the was the least of our problems. The seats didn't recline far enough. We're short, so the seats' extra neck padding poked up in the back of the neck. There was constant chatter from the bathroom area. There was a dog in cargo that kept barking. And there were the babies.
Normally babies don't bothe me on planes. But these babies screeched constantly, whether happy or sad. The babies must have had a screech-like snore. The plane ride was not smooth. There a few moments when the plane shook wildly.
I couldn't sleep and felt worse and worse. I usually feel a little nauseous on flights, and this was no exception. Towards the end though, I motioned to my wife for the barf bag and repeatedly threw up a stomch-full of oranged juice.
Immigration was chaos. The line was so long. We went to a much shorter wheelchair line, got our, bag, and went through customs, accidentally smuggling a package of illegal cured turkey pepporoni.
We found all the right train stuff because my wife had done the research. We couldn't exchange our JR train voucher for the pass, because the line was too long. We saw the bamboo forests on the outskirts of Tokyo, but I still didn't feel well.
We found the hotel and had fun experiencing the bidet in our tiny souped up room. I've always talked a big bidet game, but this was my first experience. Then we slept for 8 hours, woke up and slept 5 more.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Top 5 QBs, RBs, WRs Now
This list takes more into account than one pass, one game, or even one season. But it's not a list one the best who happen to be active. It also isn't a prediction of what will happen either. Injuries are not ignored. The previous list was posted on February 19, 2015.
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Quarterbacks
| Rank | David's | (PR) | Mike's | (Previous Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Brady | (2) | Tom Brady | (2) |
| 2 | Aaron Rodgers | (3) | Cam Newton | (NR) |
| 3 | Drew Brees | (4) | Carson Palmer | (NR) |
| 4 | Russell Wilson | (NR) | Russell Wilson | (NR) |
| 5 | Cam Newton | (NR) | Aaron Rodgers | (1) |
Running Backs
| Rank | David's | (PR) | Mike's | (Previous Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adrian Peterson | (NR) | Adrian Peterson | (NR) |
| 2 | Le'Veon Bell | (2) | Le'Veon Bell | (4) |
| 3 | Doug Martin | (NR) | Doug Martin | (NR) |
| 4 | Todd Gurley | (NR) | Todd Gurley | (NR) |
| 5 | Matt Forte | (NR) | Devonta Freeman | (NR) |
Wide Receivers
| Rank | David's | (PR) | Mike's | (Previous Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Brown | (2) | Antonio Brown | (2) |
| 2 | Julio Jones | (3) | Julio Jones | (4) |
| 3 | Calvin Johnson | (1) | DeAndre Hopkins | (NR) |
| 4 | A.J. Green | (NR) | Odell Beckham | (NR) |
| 5 | Odell Beckham | (NR) | A.J. Green | (NR) |
Friday, January 08, 2016
2016 NFL Playoff Predictions
AFC
3 Cin over 6 Pit 17-12
5 KC over 4 Hou 28-10
2 NE over 3 Cin 24-14
5 KC over 1 Den 31-28
5 KC over 2 NE 21-20
NFC
6 Sea over 3 Min 27-13
4 Was over 5 GB 17-14
1 Car over 6 Sea 23-17
2 Ari over 4 Was 31-7
1 Car over 2 Ari 24-20
Super Bowl L
Carolina over Kansas City 31-21
3 Cin over 6 Pit 17-12
5 KC over 4 Hou 28-10
2 NE over 3 Cin 24-14
5 KC over 1 Den 31-28
5 KC over 2 NE 21-20
NFC
6 Sea over 3 Min 27-13
4 Was over 5 GB 17-14
1 Car over 6 Sea 23-17
2 Ari over 4 Was 31-7
1 Car over 2 Ari 24-20
Super Bowl L
Carolina over Kansas City 31-21
Thursday, January 07, 2016
NFL's New Format Final Standings
If the NFL moved back to two divisions per conference, we would get fairer and more exciting playoff games.
NFC South and East
1) Carolina 15-1
2) Washington 9-7
3) Atlanta 8-8
4) Philadelphia 7-9
5) New Orleans 7-9
6) NY Giants 6-10
7) Tampa Bay 6-10
8) Dallas 4-12
NFC North and West
1) Arizona 13-3
2) Minnesota 11-5
3) Green Bay 10-6
4) Seattle 10-6
5) St, Louis 7-9
6) Detroit 7-9
7) Chicago 6-10
8) San Francisco 5-11
The playoff seeding would look like this:
1) Car, 2) Ari, 3) Min, 4) GB, 5) Sea, 6) Was.
The Wild Card round would look like this:
3) Min 11-5 vs. 6) Was 9-7; 4) GB 10-6 vs. Sea 10-6.
Instead of this mess:
3) Min 11-5 vs. 6) Sea 10-6; 4) Was 9-7 vs. GB 10-6.
AFC North and East
1) New England 12-4
2) Cincinnati 12-4
3) Pittsburgh 10-6
4) NY Jets 10-6
5) Buffalo 8-8
6) Miami 6-10
7) Baltimore 5-11
8) Cleveland 3-13
AFC South and West
1) Denver 12-4
2) Kansas City 11-5
3) Houston 9-7
4) Indianapolis 8-8
5) Oakland 7-9
6) Jacksonville 5-11
7) San Diego 4-12
8) Tennessee 3-13
The playoff seeding would look like this:
1) Den, 2) NE, 3) Cin, 4) KC, 5) Pit, 6) NYJ.
The Wild Card round would look like this:
3) Cin 12-4 vs. 6) NYJ 10-6; 4) KC 11-5 vs. 5) Pit 10-6.
Instead of this mess:
3) Cin 12-4 vs. 6) Pit 10-6; 4) Hou 9-7 vs. 5) KC 11-5.
NFC South and East
1) Carolina 15-1
2) Washington 9-7
3) Atlanta 8-8
4) Philadelphia 7-9
5) New Orleans 7-9
6) NY Giants 6-10
7) Tampa Bay 6-10
8) Dallas 4-12
NFC North and West
1) Arizona 13-3
2) Minnesota 11-5
3) Green Bay 10-6
4) Seattle 10-6
5) St, Louis 7-9
6) Detroit 7-9
7) Chicago 6-10
8) San Francisco 5-11
The playoff seeding would look like this:
1) Car, 2) Ari, 3) Min, 4) GB, 5) Sea, 6) Was.
The Wild Card round would look like this:
3) Min 11-5 vs. 6) Was 9-7; 4) GB 10-6 vs. Sea 10-6.
Instead of this mess:
3) Min 11-5 vs. 6) Sea 10-6; 4) Was 9-7 vs. GB 10-6.
AFC North and East
1) New England 12-4
2) Cincinnati 12-4
3) Pittsburgh 10-6
4) NY Jets 10-6
5) Buffalo 8-8
6) Miami 6-10
7) Baltimore 5-11
8) Cleveland 3-13
AFC South and West
1) Denver 12-4
2) Kansas City 11-5
3) Houston 9-7
4) Indianapolis 8-8
5) Oakland 7-9
6) Jacksonville 5-11
7) San Diego 4-12
8) Tennessee 3-13
The playoff seeding would look like this:
1) Den, 2) NE, 3) Cin, 4) KC, 5) Pit, 6) NYJ.
The Wild Card round would look like this:
3) Cin 12-4 vs. 6) NYJ 10-6; 4) KC 11-5 vs. 5) Pit 10-6.
Instead of this mess:
3) Cin 12-4 vs. 6) Pit 10-6; 4) Hou 9-7 vs. 5) KC 11-5.
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]
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.
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.
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