With each week's passing for soccer and football, the excitement builds to a crescendo until a champion emerges, regardless if its the winner of the Super Bowl (NFL) or a 30+ game marathon of a season (i.e. English Premier League).
Each season, top teams' fans in either football or soccer, fans cheer their clubs to the end. New England Patriots fans experienced nothing but good times during the 21st century. For of the Big-Four in England (Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal), happiness dominates.
For fans of the Detroit Lions or Oakland Raiders, what about them? Or the fans of Fulham, Wigan and West Ham United in the EPL? Do these fans have anything to cheer for? Soccer fans cheer to the very end for their clubs.
In America, we know only of one football league worth anyone's dime. Relegation doesn't happen for a team like the Oakland Raiders. Plus, no team from Sacramento, Omaha, or some other outpost can take their place with the elite teams of the NFL. So, what's a fan to do?
Without relegation, a bad NFL team really plays for nothing. With a 1-5 record to start a season, players start to think about vacation. The players suddenly have no interest and the fans just go along for the ride (taken for a ride by the owners anyway, especially Al Davis) almost rooting for the season to get worse so they qualify for the top choice in the draft (who may, or may not sign, i.e. JaMarcus Russell, good choice).
In most European soccer leagues, the bad teams (usually the last 3 teams) drop a division level, the equivalent of the minor leagues. In turn, the leagues moves the same number of teams from those minor leagues. For the bad teams (Fulham, West Ham United and the like), although they struggle for position with no hopes of winning the title, the fans root just as hard for their clubs as if they sat in first place. Anything lower than a 17th place finish would be cause for being sent to the "minors."
Suddenly, a game featuring the 18th and 17th placed teams means a lot for the players and fans. The ensuing result usually decides each team's fate for next season.
For the Raiders and Lions, the matchup yields few possibilities or excitement. The games becomes meaningless as the worst teams go head to head with each other.
In the 1990’s, before parity, the NFL could’ve easily been setup in such a way. The NFC dominated those years. People laughed at the Super Bowl. Typically, the NFC Championship game was the best game of the postseason leaving fans of the Super Bowl to beg for more and better commercials because that 55-10 rout drew yawns.
In this theoretical NFL, most teams' fans would root for something meaningful all season long. Interest would've been high for the 14th placed team as they played to keep in the top league (the NFC), instead of just playing out the stream and boosting some joker's fantasy stats.
It could've worked for the NFL then, and could work now. Suddenly there's something to cheer about in Miami.
Jarah Mariano
Lucia Dvorska
Yankees World Series Parade
Notable Cuban Defectors 
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Hm, no...this makes sense in theory, but doesn't really work. EVERY NFL fan (whether it be a Raiders fan or a Patriots fan) will cheer with undieing love for their favorite team. If any fan ever sits down and says they don't want to watch or cheer for their team whether going through a 2-14 season or a 14-2 season should immediately dispose of ALL pieces of team merchandise and never watch football again. Love for football (the REAL football not soccer) should not be measured on team success (though it is important in the long run), but on the tradition of that team as well as players on that team along with growing up loving that team. I've been a Redskins fan since I can remember. I was only alive for ONE 'Skins Super Bowl, but was only one year old. So I never got to watch that game. I've lived through 6-10, 5-11, and 8-8 seasons with only a couple of 10-6 seasons. I've seen the endings of Redskins greats (Darrell Green for example). I STILL love my team and will ALWAYS love my team...if they were removed from the NFL just for being the worst or one of the worst teams, would be stupid. The NFL isn't like other sports because it is BETTER than all the other sports...
Big Ben68
Total Comments (20639)
You think a team that goes 2-14 but still gets to play in the highest league the next season is taking fans for a ride?
While I do see what is interesting about regulation, the end of a bad season resulting in my team either being the worst team in the best league or a good team in a bad league is not something to cheer for.
In fact, it could be the reason rioting and a general lack of safety for innocent fans are such major concerns in soccer.
Steelercooz
St. Paul, MN
Total Comments (3566)
Uh, I dont know what to say. I really dont. Maybe it's because I just got done watching 7 innings of a Red Sox/Yankees game that lasted 3 1/2 hours. Or, maybe it's because a soccer fan is making his best effort to knock a truely great sport in football.
Either way, Im not impressed at all. The NFL does have its moments where it does seem pointless and just a joke, but the NFL still shells out the most exciting sporting matches around. Im Bears, Panthers, and Saints fan. Guess how many Super Bowl wins they've had while I've been alive much less been watching the NFL? Zero. Guess how many times I've had to sit and wallow in defeat as my team loses in the Super Bowl? Twice. My Panthers went through a 1-15 season, and I stuck with them even as a kid who didnt know much about football just yet. I dont think it would EVER be a good idea to bump a team out of their conference due to a bad season. You know why? Because just a few seasons after that 1-15 debocle the Panthers made an apearance in the Super Bowl. Yeah they lost, but they put on a show. I will forever be a Panther, Bears, and Saints fan. I will forever be a fan of the NFL, REGARDLESS if there are a few franchises that purposely tank at the end of the season to get a big time QB like "JAMARCUS" Russell.
Case and point, the FOOTBALL is better than FUTBOL. That wont ever change. And in the words of many FanNation users and probably some old guy I've never heard of..."If it aint broke, dont fix it."
Mac is the Demon of…
Fort Hood, TX
Total Comments (9404)
And now that I look back at my comments, and before Ben corrects me...
Insert "a" after "Im" and before "Bears". And then omit "the" that is before "FOOTBALL".
I cant type tonight!
Mac is the Demon of…
Fort Hood, TX
Total Comments (9404)
LQTM...
Big Ben68
Total Comments (20639)
well, wouldnt relegation make the league so much better and exciting. i think so. im a diehard fan of both. and pleasssseeeeee dont call football the real football. u barely use ur foot. and dont gimme that field goal crap. it's like 1 min of the game. they should cahnge the name to bodyball or something. lmao
jeevs BS
Schenectady , NY
Total Comments (4139)
I wish americans cared little enough about football to stop endlessly attacking the world greatest team sport.
I would never imagine journalists in the uk creating gridiron sucks or baseball sucks websites, we are far more secure.
I just wish americans would get over their inferiority complex and leave football alone. They tried to usurp football with their own steroid enhanced mediocrity and have failed big time, get over it. You clearly have lost.
ruggedstud
Total Comments (6)
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