data-mm-id=”_hbly10x1p”>Booger McFarland, ESPN's Monday Night Football color commentator, appeared on Get Up this morning to express his dismay at a seventh team making the playoffs in each conference. According to McFarland, this "rewards mediocrity." "You're rewarding mediocrity."@ESPNBooger is NOT a fan of the new expanded NFL playoff format ? pic.twitter.com/Hi3xdYMMsc— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 1, 2020So is it true? Here's a look at the theoretical seven seeds from each conference over the last five seasons: 2019AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)NFC: Los Angeles Rams (9-7)2018AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)NFC: Minnesota Vikings (8-7-1)2017AFC: Baltimore Ravens (9-7)NFC: Detroit Lions (9-7)2016AFC: Tennessee Titans (9-7)NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)2015AFC: New York Jets (10-6)NFC: Atlanta Falcons (8-8)Sure, some of those teams – like Duck Hodges' Steelers last season – look pretty mediocre, but in most cases, the would-be seven seed had a record as good or better than a team that made the playoffs. Going back one more year, in 2014 the 10-6 Philadelphia Eagles would have been the seventh seed. Instead they stayed home while the division-winning Carolina Panthers got in with a 7-8-1 record. As did the 8-8 San Francisco 49ers.If you're worried about rewarding mediocrity, then just take the four best teams by record. We haven't had a Super Bowl winner from outside that category since the '11 New York Giants went 9-7. Teams that just missed had a nearly-mediocre record. But the same can be said of some of the division winners or wild card teams. If anything, this punishes good teams, which the NFL also does already; in '14 the 12-4 Dallas Cowboys had to play on Wild Card weekend while the 12-4 Seattle Seahawks and 12-4 Green Bay Packers got byes. Under the new system the Packers would lose their bye. On top of that, the last two Super Bowl champions, the '19 Chiefs and '18 Patriots, were both two seeds. With the new system both those teams would have had to play an extra game. They likely still win their wild card games, but replacing that week of rest with an NFL football game might be the difference between a Super Bowl and something less. While this new system does reward lesser teams, the real danger is to the second-best teams.
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Chelsea would prefer to sell Abraham to sending the England international striker out on loan. The 2021 Champions League winners value the youngster at £40 million. London rivals Arsenal are claimed to be keen on securing the services of the striker.
Abraham struggled for playing time at Chelsea last season after Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as the club’s manager. The striker made and 10 substitute appearances in the league, scoring six goals and providing one assist in the process. Araham also made three starts and two substitu…
Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Ferreira Carrasco is eager to sign a new contract to keep him at the club beyond 2020.
The Belgium international, who joined from Monaco in July 2015, has established himself as a key component of Diego Simeone s side and scored his first goal of the season to give Atletico a 1-0 Champions League win over Bayern Munich last month.
Reports in England have suggested Chelsea are keen to strike a deal to sign the 23-year-old, who is understood to have a release clause of close to €40million in his contract.
But Carrasco claimed he has no interest in offers from elsewhere and wants to prolong his stay with Atleti beyond the expiry of his deal.
I m already here until 2020 and hopefully I can be here longer, he said. I m really …
A lawyer representing Antoine Griezmann has arrived at LaLiga headquarters to pay his Atletico Madrid release clause and start the process of his move to Barcelona.
A man identified as the France star s solicitor was filmed by Cope arriving at the league s offices in Madrid around midday on Friday.
Atletico are expected to make an announcement later to confirm the €120million buyout clause has been deposited, thereby releasing Griezmann from his contract.
The forward is then likely to finalise a move to Barca in the coming hours, with reports in Catalonia suggesting he will be presented at Camp Nou as early as Sunday.
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Pep Guardiola believes he should shoulder the blame for Manchester City s struggles earlier this season.
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Guardiola s side have been bolstered by a 13-match unbeaten run, spanning four competitions, and the sort of consistency that appeared beyond them as they spluttered through the opening weeks of 2020-21.
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The LA Galaxy and AC Milan announced an agreement late today which, among other things, will send England star David Beckham to the Italian club beginning January of next year.
In accordance with the new agreement Beckham will continue to practice and play with the MLS club for the 2009 season (not concurrent with European season).
Beckham has been a member of the Galaxy of MLS since January of 2007, and competed for the club in the past two seasons.
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…
Hatem Ben Arfa has described Newcastle as a beautiful club and claims everything is in place for them to win silverware.
Hatem Ben Arfa has described Newcastle as a beautiful club and claims everything is in place for them to win silverware.
The Frenchman has become a key member of Alan Pardew s squad since signing from Marseille for five million pounds in 2010.
Ben Arfa has not played since December due to a hamstring injury but is set to make an imminent return to action and has declared himself excited for the future at St James Park.
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Why not here? It s a beautiful club. There s everything her…
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His long wait for a Premier League appearance looks set to be over, though, with his season-long move to the Stadium of Light.
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West Bromwich Albion have rejected an improved bid from Tottenham Hotspur for striker Saido Berahino, .
The North London club, who saw an £18m offer for the England U21 international turned down earlier this month, have now had a £22m bid rebuffed by the Midlands outfit, who have no intention of selling.
Baggies manager Tony Pulis left Berahino out of the match-day squad for Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea, and the club have rejected the striker’s request to be transfer listed.
Since making his senior debut in 2013, the 22 year old has racked up eighty-three appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring twenty-nine goals.
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Maguire swapped Leicester City for Premier League giants United in a world-record deal reportedly worth £80million following months of speculation.
The England international, who signed a six-year contract with the option of a further season at Old Trafford, and his transfer to United is believed to have surpassed the £75m Liverpool paid Southampton for Van Dijk in January 2018.
Van Dijk, who led Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2018-19, knows the pressure associated with huge price tags and he had advice for Maguire.
Maguire acquired
Ole
— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
Good luck…
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