NFL parity doesn't mean much, if you're a fan of a perennial loser.

[Still Benefited]

That's the grand illusion of parity. Fanbases holding on to the 2007 Giants improbable run as a measuring stick of what "any given sunday" can do for a team who sneaks in the Wild Card with a barely above .500 record. That's not ACTUAL parity. That's annual delusion. KC in their 5th in a row, and Philly is in their 3rd in 5yrs after switching off with the 49ers. Those "In The Hunt to Super Bowl" runs are RARE.

Using your logic, the 2023 Heats Finals run is PROOF that the NBA has more parity than the NFL. Miami was an 8th seed.

All you have to do is sneak into the playoffs and you'll get to the Finals.

Well if Jalen Hurts and Mahommes sat out for 4 or 5 games,maybe there would be more parity in the NFL to your liking.


Parity in NBA can't beat parity in the NFL. Simply based on the nature of 1 and done in the playoffs. Fanbases care about being in the hunt for the playoffs. Because we know if we get to the playoffs anything can happen. Obviously it hasn't recently,but luck, a timely injury,or your QB going Flacko mode,or the other teams QB choking CAN get you to the big game


Plus if your team makes it,fans think that means they are just a few pieces away.


In the NBA your team can make it to the playoffs. But you know damn well they probably ain't winning a best of 7 series


I get why NBA doesn't do it,it's not good if you want the best product and best teams to win. But one and done would give fanbases the same hope in the NBA too

 

[Biscayne]

I do think the NFL has more parity. To me parity isn't about who is in the finals or conference championship games. Parity is looking across the league and wondering how many teams have a realistic shot at a title. It's also about how fast can teams go from bottom feeders to contenders. In the NBA if you don't have one of the 5-10 best players then you really don't have a shot at a title. In the NFL with so much roster turnover and how impactful players straight out of the draft can be a team has a chance to go from shyt to playoffs to contending in just a few years.

This argument has been debunked in the last 5-6yrs, as we've seen NBA teams shift from Top of conference to bottom of conference, and we've witnessed an 8th seed get to the finals. The TWolves are currently at the bottom of the western conference playoff standings, despite being favorites in the WCF to beat Dallas last year. In the NFL, having a "realistic shot" doesn't reflect on the actual outcome and final product. Sure, teams can go from ashy to classy in one season in the NFL, but that's such a lowball and deceitful view of parity if, ultimately, we know the same 2-3 teams in the conference are gonna duke it out towards the end, and the same 2 teams are gonna duke it out in the SB. Sure, Jayden Daniels made it to the NFC title game...cool. But they got their ass DESTROYED by The Conference FAVEROTIES, who were only faveorited after the Detroit injuries towards the end. A healthy detroit beats The Commanders and we get a NFL Final 4 of the 4 teams with the best records from both conferences. It REALLY isn't that much different from the NBA. I'd argue the NBA has had slightly more parity the last half decade. It's just that parity is viewed alot tougher in the NBA because of the nature of the 82 game season and 7 game series. An 8th seed Heat team getting to the finals and beating 3 other better teams in long drawn out 7 game series is better indication parity than ANYTHING i've seen from the NFL in the past 5-6yrs.

 

[Biscayne]

The nfc has legitimate parity. Over the last 20 years, Dallas is the only team in the conference to not reach at least the conference title game and Detroit, Dallas, Minnesota, and Washington are the only teams to not reach at least one Super Bowl. 73% of the conference has reached a Super Bowl in the last 20 years. That’s excellent.

In the last 5yrs, this has not been the case as Philly and SF have been switching off. NFC parity was strong up until the turn of the decade in the 10s. NFC parity falling off is what really done the NFL in, in terms of parity vs the NBA. Because we've seen teams like Denver, Wolves, Mavs, Heat, make runs when they weren't necesarilly seen as upcoming faves. Jokic made the leap no one saw coming. Ppl judge parity differently between the two leagues. Except one league still has the illusion of parity attatched to it. But that's slowly fading with fans being pissed at Mahomes greatness.

 

[Biscayne]

Well if Jalen Hurts and Mahommes sat out for 4 or 5 games,maybe there would be more parity in the NFL to your liking.


Parity in NBA can't beat parity in the NFL. Simply based on the nature of 1 and done in the playoffs. Fanbases care about being in the hunt for the playoffs. Because we know if we get to the playoffs anything can happen. Obviously it hasn't recently,but luck, a timely injury,or your QB going Flacko mode,or the other teams QB choking CAN get you to the big game


Plus if your team makes it,fans think that means they are just a few pieces away.


In the NBA your team can make it to the playoffs. But you know damn well they probably ain't winning a best of 7 series


I get why NBA doesn't do it,it's not good if you want the best product and best teams to win. But one and done would give fanbases the same hope in the NBA too

So basically DELUSION? That's my point. If, you annually hope something can happen, that rarely happens, then that's delusion. It's like playing the lottery. The NFL isn't some magical special product. It's still SPORT. The best players, and best cordinators, and best QB's, usually win. And if you dont have that combo, then you usually LOSE. Plain and simple.

 

[Still Benefited]

So basically DELUSION? That's my point. If, you annually hope something can happen, that rarely happens, then that's delusion. It's like playing the lottery. The NFL isn't some magical special product. It's still SPORT. The best players, and best cordinators, and best QB's, usually win. And if you dont have that combo, then you usually LOSE. Plain and simple.

I think your just taking the anomaly of Mahommes and Brady and disregarding the parity. Is it really an illusion when Sanfrancisco,Philly,Buffalo,The Ravens all had chances to keep K.C from getting to Superbowls,or beating them in the Superbowl?

Atlanta could've easily beat Tom and the Patriots. The Rams had a chance to beat the Patriots. The Bengals had a chance to beat the Rams.


So maybe your right and it is an illusion. Maybe it would've looked lopsided if the falcons would've had to play the Patriots in a best of 5 series. But the nature of one and done makes it appear all these different teams had a GREAT chance of hoisting the Lombardi. That's parity

 

[FTBS]

Thing about this is that people shift their definition of what hitting on the right QB is. Like with Philly, if they lost any earlier in the playoffs people would be ready to shyt on Hurts and say that he is holding the team back. Or look at the treatment of Goff. Yet if Detroit wins Goff would be billed as the right QB. I think too often people are guilty of results based narratives when in reality there are still multiple routes to a winning formula. Detroit and Philly both took the path of building premier offensive lines and building around the run game to then make things easier on the QBs who are just good enough to make them contenders but probably not good enough to carry a stacked team.

I see your point and agree that a lot of discourse is result based. Then we spin our narrative based on that...gotcha. What Detroit and Philly have done is actually the harder way to get here. They stand as outliers. It takes patience and skill to build like they have. Most teams dont have that so they are waiting for their Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, or now CJ or Jayden. Even with Philly and DET success what do hear about the draft? What QB is going where.

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

In the last 5yrs, this has not been the case as Philly and SF have been switching off. NFC parity was strong up until the turn of the decade in the 10s. NFC parity falling off is what really done the NFL in, in terms of parity vs the NBA. Because we've seen teams like Denver, Wolves, Mavs, Heat, make runs when they weren't necesarilly seen as upcoming faves. Jokic made the leap no one saw coming. Ppl judge parity differently between the two leagues. Except one league still has the illusion of parity attatched to it. But that's slowly fading with fans being pissed at Mahomes greatness.

5 years is not that large a sample size for a 16 team conference. From 2010-19 we saw 12 different nfc teams reach the conference championship game too. That’s 75% of the conference.

2010: Green Bay vs Chicago
2011: New York vs San Francisco
2012: Atlanta vs San Francisco
2013: Seattle vs San Francisco
2014: Green Bay vs Seattle
2015: Carolina vs Arizona
2016: Atlanta vs Green Bay
2017: Minnesota vs Philadelphia
2018: New Orleans vs Los Angeles
2019: Green Bay vs San Francisco

 

[Dave24]

Theres parity because your team can be in the hunt for the majority of the season. Especially when your in a shytty conference. Which is why NFL will probably never just put the beat teams with the best records in the playoffs. That would potentially create more parity as far as winning titles. But its better for the league to have those fans of barely above .500 teams actively engaged for the majority of the season. In the NBA when your team has a horrible record early,its easier to check out and assume they will be garbage. Just come back if they manage to climb in the seeding after the next 20-30 games

@Still Benefited in your opinion what sports has the best playoff format?

 

[Dave24]

A black QB become the greatest of all time and leading the charge of all these mobile/"Black QB" being the face and idea of QB is a great win imo. I get it stinks that your team is trash and will mostly stay trash like the dolphins but i get solace from that black men will be the face of the nfl in due time.

I heard on the coli from several posters they don't consider Mahomes black.

 

[number21]

I heard on the coli from several posters they don't consider Mahomes black.

He is, especially with having a black father. They would be singing a different tune if he was a pro blackity black

 

[Biscayne]

5 years is not that large a sample size for a 16 team conference. From 2010-19 we saw 12 different nfc teams reach the conference championship game too. That’s 75% of the conference.

2010: Green Bay vs Chicago
2011: New York vs San Francisco
2012: Atlanta vs San Francisco
2013: Seattle vs San Francisco
2014: Green Bay vs Seattle
2015: Carolina vs Arizona
2016: Atlanta vs Green Bay
2017: Minnesota vs Philadelphia
2018: New Orleans vs Los Angeles
2019: Green Bay vs San Francisco

Again, the NFC has always had wild parity. But if you look at the turn of the decade(from the end of 10 til now) it's been the same top rotation of NFC teams playing in the title game and making the super bowl. Yeah Detroit and DC had a good run, but those kinda teams always fall short to SF-Philly combo A 6 plus year sample size is more than enough to identify a changing tide. Philly-SF and the Rams as a 3rd have dominated that conference. While Mahomes has dominated the AFC by himself. Comparatively, the NBA has had a rotation of conference champs not too dissimilar from the NFL(Heat and Celtics being the only two teams to make it back to the Finals twice). We saw Denver win a title, then lose in the semis. We saw a 2020 heat make it to the finals, and get swept out the first round the next year. We saw warriors win in 2022, and become insignifcant in 2023. Phx finals run, to insignifant next year. Bucks title run in 2021, to constatnly falling short for the 4next subsuquent years, and still struggling to assert dominance even with a "superteam". We're seeing a Wolves team who made the WCF last year, currently battling for the 7th seed right now. I don't see the gap between the two leagues over a 5-6yr span when it comes to parity.

 

[Still Benefited]

@Still Benefited in your opinion what sports has the best playoff format?

Thats tough, I want to say best of 7 series for the win. But i may only be saying that because I feel its the best way of deciding who the best team truly is.


But its hard for me to deny the excitement of March Madness. I just dont know if i would want single game eliminations in the NBA.


But its no question it would help with parity,or at least "the illusion of parity" lol. Not sure if I can honestly choose. Because i love the set up of all 3. But i dont think I would want to change the set up for either one. Whats your favorite? Do you think NBA could pull off a single elimination tournament for a chip?

 

[FlyBoy718]

He is, especially with having a black father. They would be singing a different tune if he was a pro blackity black

What's crazy is Saquon's wife/gf is as white as pure driven snow yet that never gets mentioned somehow. The hate is comical

 

[Dave24]

What's crazy is Saquon's wife/gf is as white as pure driven snow yet that never gets mentioned somehow. The hate is comical

@murksiderock what are your thoughts on this?

 

[Dave24]

Thats tough, I want to say best of 7 series for the win. But i may only be saying that because I feel its the best way of deciding who the best team truly is.


But its hard for me to deny the excitement of March Madness. I just dont know if i would want single game eliminations in the NBA.


But its no question it would help with parity,or at least "the illusion of parity" lol. Not sure if I can honestly choose. Because i love the set up of all 3. But i dont think I would want to change the set up for either one. Whats your favorite? Do you think NBA could pull off a single elimination tournament for a chip?

My favorite is single elimination like the NFL does it. I think the NBA could pull it off, it would definitely be interesting to see.