4 ms·

> most teams can find these archetypes and build rosters that get you to the playoffs Not really, it's still 16/30 (I don't like playoff formats btw, so Americ

> most teams can find these archetypes and build rosters that get you to the playoffs Not really, it's still 16/30 (I don't like playoff formats btw, so American).

mopenstein 2y ago
My country of Smugistan solved playoff problem years ago. Very simple: every Smugball team makes playoffs. If Americans and Europeans weren't so far behind Smugistanian education system, they would have figured it out too.
- epolanski 2y ago
  It's not about being smug: 1) playoff format rends 6 months of games not very important, the biggest difference is in your seeding. That's..all? 2) another way it makes the previous 6/7 months pointless is that your entire season is based on a single set of games. You can be the best team in the league by far, but then if one player gets injured or you're out of form or unlucky it's over I just don't like leagues with a playoff system, you either have a league or you have a round robin, both seem directed toward squeezing tv rights, not awarding the best team of a season.
  - ghaff 2y ago
    Most sports pretty much have a playoff system to a greater or lesser degree. That said, basketball has pretty much always been one of the major US sports that can rely on a fairly small number of really good players and the rest don't matter nearly as much. Stars (pitchers, QBs, receivers, etc.) matter elsewhere but probably not individually as much as they do in basketball.
    - bdangubic 2y ago
      the most popular sport on the planet - soccer - doesn't have playoffs anywhere except USA
      - ghaff 2y ago
        I mean there's the World Cup though that's a bit different. The US (or US + Canada) is big enough that having large leagues of top-level teams makes some sense to have playoffs.
        epolanski 2y ago
        The world cup is not a league, it's a tournament. My point is towards the regular season + playoffs which is imho lame. Imagine a formula 1 season where you watch 20 races and then the best teams play it out in the last 4. That's a giant nonsense in most sports but somehow it spread even to European basket and volley in the 80s, I guess under the American influx. I just don't like it.
        ghaff 2y ago
        That's your choice of course. I suspect that a lot of casual fans (raises hand) may largely ignore the regular (long) season but get more engaged in the payoffs, especially if they have a team they care about involved which has obvious financial implications for the teams involved.
        rectang 2y ago
        > payoffs Exactly. ;) (Per cogent upthread analysis about maximizing revenue.) But even casuals may get excited about e.g. the last few games of the Premier League season which determine the league winner (as well as who survives the relegation battle, which is a whole 'nuther drama).
        bdangubic 2y ago
        may largely ignore the regular (long) season but get more engaged in the playoffs you are saying exactly the right words but arguing the wrong side. that is exactly why shit stinks, make the season ALL there is to it, then see whether it is long / boring / … :)
      - rectang 2y ago
- TMWNN 2y ago
  >My country of Smugistan solved playoff problem years ago. Very simple: every Smugball team makes playoffs. Not that I disagree with the intent/target of your sarcasm, but there are US leagues where every team makes the playoffs. The Pac-12 did this with its conference tournament for most of its history, for example. One can argue that such is the logical conclusion of separately rewarding the winner of the regular season and tournament.
- happycube 2y ago
  Ah, just like the Participation Trophy Bowl games in early December.

> most teams can find these archetypes and build rosters that get you to the playoffs Not really, it's still 16/30 (I don't like playoff formats btw, so American).

mopenstein 2y ago

My country of Smugistan solved playoff problem years ago. Very simple: every Smugball team makes playoffs. If Americans and Europeans weren't so far behind Smugistanian education system, they would have figured it out too.

epolanski 2y ago
It's not about being smug: 1) playoff format rends 6 months of games not very important, the biggest difference is in your seeding. That's..all? 2) another way it makes the previous 6/7 months pointless is that your entire season is based on a single set of games. You can be the best team in the league by far, but then if one player gets injured or you're out of form or unlucky it's over I just don't like leagues with a playoff system, you either have a league or you have a round robin, both seem directed toward squeezing tv rights, not awarding the best team of a season.
- ghaff 2y ago
  Most sports pretty much have a playoff system to a greater or lesser degree. That said, basketball has pretty much always been one of the major US sports that can rely on a fairly small number of really good players and the rest don't matter nearly as much. Stars (pitchers, QBs, receivers, etc.) matter elsewhere but probably not individually as much as they do in basketball.
  - bdangubic 2y ago
    the most popular sport on the planet - soccer - doesn't have playoffs anywhere except USA
    - ghaff 2y ago
      I mean there's the World Cup though that's a bit different. The US (or US + Canada) is big enough that having large leagues of top-level teams makes some sense to have playoffs.
      - epolanski 2y ago
        The world cup is not a league, it's a tournament. My point is towards the regular season + playoffs which is imho lame. Imagine a formula 1 season where you watch 20 races and then the best teams play it out in the last 4. That's a giant nonsense in most sports but somehow it spread even to European basket and volley in the 80s, I guess under the American influx. I just don't like it.
        ghaff 2y ago
        That's your choice of course. I suspect that a lot of casual fans (raises hand) may largely ignore the regular (long) season but get more engaged in the payoffs, especially if they have a team they care about involved which has obvious financial implications for the teams involved.
        rectang 2y ago
        > payoffs Exactly. ;) (Per cogent upthread analysis about maximizing revenue.) But even casuals may get excited about e.g. the last few games of the Premier League season which determine the league winner (as well as who survives the relegation battle, which is a whole 'nuther drama).
        bdangubic 2y ago
        may largely ignore the regular (long) season but get more engaged in the playoffs you are saying exactly the right words but arguing the wrong side. that is exactly why shit stinks, make the season ALL there is to it, then see whether it is long / boring / … :)
    - rectang 2y ago
TMWNN 2y ago
>My country of Smugistan solved playoff problem years ago. Very simple: every Smugball team makes playoffs. Not that I disagree with the intent/target of your sarcasm, but there are US leagues where every team makes the playoffs. The Pac-12 did this with its conference tournament for most of its history, for example. One can argue that such is the logical conclusion of separately rewarding the winner of the regular season and tournament.
happycube 2y ago
Ah, just like the Participation Trophy Bowl games in early December.