Look, I’ll be the first one to admit that the Baltimore Ravens probably don’t deserve a playoff spot. When you start the season 7-3, and then find yourself at 9-7 hoping for a playoff spot depending upon the results of 3 other games, it can be fairly said that you stumbled when it counted down the stretch. Be that as it may, the rules are what they are, and as of this moment, the Ravens are still alive for the last spot in the playoffs, depending on the outcome of the Indy/Denver and Jax/Oakland games. It’s exciting. It’s January football. It’s everything football’s supposed to be.
Except for one thing: Denver isn’t playing Indy, they are playing the Irsays’ taxi squad. Payton Manning took 3 snaps, and then hit the showers. Ditto for Edgerin James. Marvin Harrison hung around long enough to catch a TD pass before he took a powder, and Brandon Stokely didn’t play at all (ETA-My bad, I see him in there now). Right now it’s…hmm 20-14 at halftime. The scrubs are doing better than I thought.
OK, forget the teams. It’s the situation that bugs me. Playoff seedings should be determined by the results of the games in the regular season, with each team playing to the best of it’s ability. I’m not counting injuries, but if a player is healthy, he should be playing. Does anyone here truly believe that this is a Denver team that (assuming they win today) will do anything other than get blown out next week against the Irsays starters, just like last year? By rolling over in this game, the Irsays are effecting the playoff destinations of 4 other teams: Baltimore, Buffalo, Denver and Jax. If Denver can’t beat the full strength Irsays, it doesn’t deserve to go. Buffalo wet the bed itself, but had the Bills won, Indy’s craven strategy would have cost them a playoff spot. Ditto for the Jags. Baltimore’s at the bottom of the pile here, but if the Jags lose than Indy’s strategy will have cost the Ravens their rightful spot.
I know, it’s a 6 point game, with a whole half of football to go, and the Irsays may win after all, but it’s the principle of the thing that bugs me. It means the playoffs are decided no by the results of two teams giving it their best on the field, but by something else, and IMO, that cheapens the whole thing. I think there should be a rule that after a team has clinched, the season starters play unless they are hurt. That would make the whole playoff selection process a lot more honest.
Teams like Indy really are in a no-win situation. If they sit their stars, they get this kind of criticism. If they don’t sit their stars, they get criticized for taking needless risks.
Having seen few live Colts games this season, I was hoping Manning would play more than three snaps today, but I didn’t exactly expect it. I’d love to see Dungy say “Hey, Peyton, go in there, toss a few TD passes so we can give #49 to the NFL Hall of Fame and keep 50 and 51 here,” but I don’t think Dungy’s going to allow for the possibility of Peyton Manning suffering anything more than a papercut from handling play sheets or a sore ear from calling offensive plays.
This sort of thing isn’t restricted to football, either.
[sub]Not even touching the Irsay business. I know better.[/sub]
Each orginization has only themselves to blame as to whether or not they make the play offs.
They play in the way that benefits themselves. Period. They only time they would do any different is if the game that week affected a different playoff match up that was greatly in their favor.
Remember several years ago when the Cowboys had to out score the last team played by something like 28 points to host the wild card instead of traveling? And how they tried super hard but ended up winning by only 3 TDs? Remember how hapy the other team was and how annoyed Dallas fans were? Has nothing to do with this thread, I just like the story.
I remember way back in the 70s, when Houston tied Pittsbuguglies and Cincinasty at 10-4 yet missed the playoffs because of head to head tie breaker. Man, how I wish Pitt or Cin had lost their last game! But, Bradshaw wasn’t playing for the Oilers.
Same thing here, Baltimore’s standing is a result of their own Win/Loss record. If they had won one more game…
So, why should Indy play for the Raven’s benefit?
Still bites in general priciple to see an 8-8 team go to the playoffs while while a 9-7 team stays home. I feel for ya, Local Sports Team Lover, but those are the rules everyone agreed to. Here. Have a brewski on me. (in spirit)
But I said that. The Ravens have sucked it up over the last 2 months, and thus they are where they are. It’s not about the Ravens or the Broncos or the Jags or the Cowboys or anybody else. It’s about playing the game honestly, and that means putting your best 11 players on the field. Indy’s not doing that, and that’s what I’m pitting. If the Broncos beat Manning, James, Harrison and company today, I’d be the first to say they deserve the playoffs and Baltimore doesn’t. Denver never got the chance to earn that, it’s being gifted to them. Right now Jax is up on Oakland, so it isn’t even Baltimore that Indy is screwing, it’s Jacksonville.
But, Indy IS playing honestly. They are doing what’s best for their team.
Don’t you think Philly wants TO back?
Or would Tenn have not wanted to lose Air McNair? (true, that is almost a non issue, but if they had a chance, they would sit him if their place was a lock.)
The situation allows for teams that excell to gain even more of an advantage. Like Ken Jennings on Jeopardy, you may not like the situation, but it is as fair as the system allows.
From a place I really like.
I understand you, and it is indeed annoying. But it’s still what everyone signed up for. I’m just glad my fantasy league ended last week. 2nd place, baby!
Perhaps to you. I’d rather see the Colts beat Denver next week than risk anything this week. Meanwhile where is your anger at the Eagles, who did this last week and again this week? No, this is exactly about the Ravens going 2-4. Blaming the Colts for doing the smart thing the last week of the season seems a little misplaced. The Colts put themselves in a position not to have to rely upon the kindness of strangers in week 17.
That being said, if last year’s first-round playoff game is any indication of what to expect next week, I’d rather see the Ravens than the Broncos. That Sunday Night game a few weeks ago was a lot of fun to watch. Playoff football shouldn’t be a joke (Broncos’ secondary during that Marvin Harrison reception, I’m looking at you).
I doubt the coaches, owners or players would go for this. YMMV. I think a team that puts itself in a good place has earned the ability (right? privilege? Iunno) to do as it sees fit with what games it has that will not affect its playoff goals. Watch it come back and hurt the Colts in the future.
Or, actually, remember a game between the Rams and Washington a year ago or so? The score was close (tied? Rams down by 3? I don’t quite remember), IIRC, and the Rams were deep in DC territory with not much time to go. Rather than going for the field goal, Martz elected to take a shot or two at the end zone and Bulger (I’m fairly sure it was Bulger, anyway) got picked off. Game to the Redskins.
Oh, it applies to the Eagles, but this year they didn’t hurt anyone but themselves. They lose their offensive sparkplug, and instead of using 2 meaningless games to polish his replacement, they run out the Pop Warner team. It’s gonna bite them in the ass for sure.
Hell remember last time Indy was in the playoffs? They’re 13-3, rest their starters the last week of the season, and then get punked when they play again. Not only is it a poor move for the game in the name of fair competition, it’s a poor tactical move, unless the starters are banged up (Rothlisberger in Pittsburgh for example).
Bob Irsay trucked the Colts out of Baltimore in the middle of the night 2 weeks after giving a press conference in which he said he wasn’t going to move the team. After all this time I really don’t care, Indy is welcome to the team, I’m perfectly happy with the Ravens, but the name, colors and legacy of the Colts belong here in Baltimore. Indy should rename their team with a nickname that represents their city and their state (whatever that may be. The Racers comes to mind. That or the Corn Fields) and let us retire the Colts name back here where it belongs. So, to answer your question Colts=Baltimore, Irsays =the same team in Indy.
The hell they did. Last year they lost in the AFC Championship game. I think you’re remembering '99, when they had a first-round bye and then didn’t bring it in their second-round game. I’ll in return give you the '91 Washington team who played practically nobody against the Falcons in the last game of the season, then went on to win the Super Bowl.
Kel, Irsays refers to the move in the dead of the night of the team by its owner (a man named, coincidentally enough, Irsay) - from Baltimore to Indianapolis. It appeared in one of ESPN’s Top 25 lists, and not a happy one, though which one in particular escapes me right now.
It always seems that the teams that have absolutely nothing to play for give their best at the end of the year. Remember the Cardinals last game a year ago where they beat the Viqueens to knock them out of the playoffs?
Yeah well, when my boys slaughter the Colts next week, y’all can blow it out your ass. The Broncos have had a fine, if not great or perfect, season, with a respectable record, and I think they got a real shot. So fuck the Colts, fuck the Ravens, and fuck anybody who thinks that the Ravens or the Jags are better suited for the playoffs, and especially fuck the Chargers just because.
Fuck 'em a lot.
(By the way, I’m going to be in Europe for the duration of the playoffs. So this is mostly pre-emptive anger, since I won’t be around to post when I really need to be angry. See y’all for the Superbowl! GO BRONCOS! WOOO!)
Dave, I’ve got to disagree. I grew up just outside Baltimore, and I hate the Colts as much as anyone else alive, but they’re doing the right thing for their team. The point of the season isn’t to win all the games; it’s to win one particular game. To get to that game, you’ve got to have your best players on the field when it counts. That means protecting them when it doesn’t count.
I wish the Ravens were preparing for the postseason, but it’s not the Colts fault. Unfortunately, I’m left in the position of vehemently hating both teams in that game next week (the Broncos hatred is explained here). Can I root for the earth to open up and swallow all involved?
