August 30, 2000
Tradition, Logic and NFL Realignment
by Dave Sabo
HoustonProFootball.com
With the city of Houston’s glorious return to the fields of the NFL, the League faces the not so simple task of realigning 32 teams into 8 divisions of 4 teams each. Barring some sort of radical plan that would completely ignore current Conference alignment and taking into account the NFL’s hotly debated (in Post Patterns, anyway) “promise” that Bob McNair’s new squad will reside in the AFC, only one team will have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, from the AFC to the NFC. After that, things are gonna get ugly.
Every owner realizes that some teams are going to have to change divisions. Unfortunately, every owner believes that those teams shouldn’t include his/hers. And whenever they begin to explain why, invariably, they’ll begin to talk about tradition. They’ll talk about rivalries and they’ll talk about giving the fans what they want. And all that IS important. Tradition, rivalries, the fans; they’re all important. The only problem is that when this talk comes form the mouths of owners, it’s all a crock. When it’s time to threaten to move a franchise, they stop talking about tradition and start talking bottom line. This is why, when it comes to realignment, the NFL must make some hard decisions based on logic while ignoring the false cries of “Tradition!” from self-serving owners.
Realignment should be based, primarily, on geography. Current alignment is a joke with Washington in the NFC East, four NFC West teams in the Eastern or Central time zones, both Baltimore and Jacksonville in the AFC Central, etc. I believe I’ve come up with a plan that makes the most sense, logically, while maintaining as many traditional rivalries as possible. This plan is based on what I’ve heard (take that for what it’s worth) the NFL is considering in terms of realignment, the geography of the League and which owners piss me off. This plan WILL force one team to move from the AFC to the NFC. That team is Seattle. This plan WILL piss off some owners, mainly, Jerry “Ol’ Yella Teeth” Jones and the Bidwell Family.
So
without further ado, I humbly present NFL 2002 Realignment: The Sabo Plan.
.
AFC Northeast Division
Baltimore
Buffalo
New England
New York South Division
Houston
Jacksonville
Miami
Tennessee Midwest Division
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Indianapolis
Pittsburgh West Division
Denver
Kansas City
Oakland
San Diego NFC Atlantic Division
Carolina
New York
Philadelphia
Washington South Division
Atlanta
Dallas
New Orleans
Tampa Bay Midwest Division
Chicago
Detroit
Green Bay
Minnesota West Division
Arizona
St. Louis
San Francisco
Seattle
With five AFC teams currently residing west of the Mississippi and only 3 NFC teams residing west of the Mississippi (plus St. Louis is technically ON the Mississippi), it becomes apparent that an AFC West team will have to move. I choose Seattle. Denver, Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego all have long and illustrious histories dating back to the early days of the NFL. The bitterness among these four rivals that of the NFC’s “Black and Blue” Central Division. Relative newcomer, Seattle’s long and illustrious history of gettin’ the beatdown from Denver, Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego; dates all the way back to 1977. Yeah, Seattle came into the League in ’76, but they didn’t make the AFC West home until the following season when they moved from the NFC West! It’s a no-brainer. Seattle goes.
Next week, I’ll rundown the individual Divisions and why each team was placed there. In the meantime, feel free to let me know how horrible this plan is and why. Don’t forget to ask how I could be so stupid as to put (insert city here) in the (insert conference here) (insert division here)!
Dave Sabo is an Archives Specialist with the National Archives and Records Administration. A native of Spring, TX and a life-long Oiler fan now languishing in the heart of Redskins country (Laurel, MD), Dave is utterly convinced that new ‘Skins owner, Daniel Snyder, is, indeed, the anti-Christ.
Bob McNair 
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