NFL realignment makes too much sense

Simple plan would stir division rivalries,
stimulate college-like regional support

WINDERMERE — While driving around town today, I was listening to the Orlando Sentinel's sports talk show, "Keepin' Score," and columnist Mike Bianchi was ranting about realigning the NFL so the three Florida teams could be in the same division and play each other twice a year.

I not only agreed with him, I came up with a plan to do it.

Here's the e-mail that I sent to Mike:

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Mike,

I almost fainted while driving this morning — I actually agreed wholeheartedly with your notion to realign the NFL.

It makes too much sense for it to actually happen, but you are 100 percent correct.

Attached please find two charts:

* A realigned league, by division (click)
* A map showing the geographic logic of the whole thing (click)

And there is a very simple solution to the “rivalry” problem — each team can work out an annual-game contract with ONE other, nondivisional opponent.

So Dallas and Washington can play each other once a year, until either team decides to quit the rivalry. Sort of like the home-and-home agreements in college football.

If a team can’t reach agreement with a favored opponent, the league just makes its schedule, as usual. (Oakland might negotiate a home-and-home against Denver for 2006-07, and then a home-and-home against Kansas City for 2008-09, etc.)

Each team would then play six games in their division and as many as one “rivalry” game.

To take it several steps further ...

* All division winners make the playoffs, but based solely on their DIVISIONAL record. So, Cleveland could win all six of its division games, but lose its remaining 10 games, and still go to the playoffs. Ties within the division are first broken by record against all common opponents, and then by overall record. This adds MAJOR importance to the division games, building new regional rivalries and making existing rivalries (i.e., Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh) even more heated/hated. (In 2005, there was only one tie for a division title ... In 2004 there was none ... In 2003 there were two.)

* Then eight of the remaining teams with the best overall records get the other playoff spots. In theory, all four teams in a division could make the playoffs.

* Teams are then seeded No. 1 through No. 16, regardless of conference, based on record. If the two best teams are in the same conference (or same division), one gets the No. 1 seed, the other gets No. 2, etc. (Nos. 1 and 2 get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.)

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Week 1 = 8 games (4 on Saturday, 4 on Sunday ... 10 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 8 p.m.) The nation shuts down for a weekend!

Week 2 = 4 games (1 on Saturday, 8 p.m.; 3 on Sunday, 1:15 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 8 p.m.)

Week 3 = 2 games (Sunday, 4:15 p.m. and 8 p.m.)

Week 4 = Super Bowl (two teams from the same division could wind up here ...)

I’m working on Major League Baseball ... It’s a little trickier without adding two new teams, so Charlotte and Orlando are getting franchises!

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Let me know what YOU think — click on COMMENTS below and express your views!