Sub .500 teams that won championships

I just watched a rerun of the MLS championship game and I don't know how serious I can take a league that has a sub .500 team win the championship. On the other hand I think what a novel idea to include all teams in the play-off. From what I gather Salt Lake should have been in the western conference for the playoffs but there were no spots so they put them in the eastern bracket? Was there no eastern teams that could play? What if the NFL operated like this?

Originally posted by cheshirecatstevens
From what I gather Salt Lake should have been in the western conference for the playoffs but there were no spots so they put them in the eastern bracket? Was there no eastern teams that could play? What if the NFL operated like this?

The CFL operates like this. Like the MLS, it has a small number of teams. It's not really a big deal.

I see your point about the league being crap but isn't the beauty of some of these playoffs the fact that anyone can have a chance to win?

Originally posted by darvlay
The CFL operates like this. Like the MLS, it has a small number of teams. It's not really a big deal.

I see your point about the league being crap but isn't the beauty of some of these playoffs the fact that anyone can have a chance to win?

I guess thats what I'm not sure about. The saying "any given sunday" gives me warm fuzzies but in the same breath I like rewards for consistent good play. I like the thought of "Hey better luck making the play offs next year". Its a love hate with teams that get to play with nothing to loose. I love underdogs, but I also like great teams with great systems. Ahhh competition.
* BTW do most Canadian high schools play football? Do most play Canadian rules or are there some American style? I also watched part of the calgery sas game and they said that the CFL championship is the most popular pro sport in canada. What happend to hockey?

Originally posted by cheshirecatstevens
* BTW do most Canadian high schools play football? Do most play Canadian rules or are there some American style? I also watched part of the calgery sas game and they said that the CFL championship is the most popular pro sport in canada. What happend to hockey?

1. Yes
2. Most, if not all, are Canadian rules
3. Hockey is still most popular but in Saskatchewan, where there is no Hockey team, the Roughriders are pretty popular. Here in Toronto, no one cares about the CFL.

(Your questions are funny, by the way)

Originally posted by darvlay

I see your point about the league being crap but isn't the beauty of some of these playoffs the fact that anyone can have a chance to win?

You should qualify that statement.

Darv is a leaf fan, and they haven't made the playoffs in years!

Originally posted by cheshirecatstevens
I I also watched part of the calgery sas game and they said that the CFL championship is the most popular pro sport in canada. What happend to hockey?

I think you misquoted the announcer.

The championship game is called the Grey Cup game and that one particular game is watched by more canadians than any other individual game in any other sport.

Hockey is still the most "popular" but it is true that it is fading among younger canadians. This is due to factors such as the Local NHL team(s) consistently being losing teams, the high cost of equipment and ice time mean parents aren't putting their kids into hockey but rather to cheaper sports like soccer and baseball, and also the demographics of Canadian kids are changing slowly over time with immigration. Many new immigrant families do not take a shining to hockey so as hockey fans literally die off, they aren't being replaced like they used to be.

My money is on soccer supplanting hockey in Canada within the next 10-20 years....especially when hockey is eventually dropped from our publically funded television network called CBC. Hockey is dead once that happens.

MLS is a crappy league. End of story. Invaded by stupid ideas like anyone can win even with subpar play as long as they're hot for one game. What a joke! Competion, real one at least, leads to greatness, not what MLS puts out as alleged pro soccer. No MLS team could compete with the big boys. That's why the USA will nevr win the world cup! Pretty remarkable showing given the lousy talent pool. Most Team USA players cut their teeth in European play not in the MLS unless they are aging wuzzes!

Originally posted by scacchipazzo
MLS is a crappy league. End of story. Invaded by stupid ideas like anyone can win even with subpar play as long as they're hot for one game. What a joke! Competion, real one at least, leads to greatness, not what MLS puts out as alleged pro soccer. No MLS team could compete with the big boys. That's why the USA will nevr win the world cup! Pretty remark ...[text shortened]... Team USA players cut their teeth in European play not in the MLS unless they are aging wuzzes!

1/4 in japan/korea wasn't bad was it? for a nations 5th most popular sport i mean. confederations cup wasn't bad either... supposed to be the best few teams in the world in that one. i wouldn't say the us will 'never' win a world cup, actually they have already, a woman's world cup but still a world cup. i know the difference, girls play soccer and boys play football or basketball in high school but still, don't you think there's a possibility that soccer becomes more popular amongst boys with the success of the national teams?

re the mls, i actually watched that championship game and you really wouldn't have noticed that salt lake went under .500 for the season. kind of like the fa cup in england in a way. i don't mind a playoff system, that's what they do in the states (and holland) but there has to be a cap on the teams that enter the end of season playoffs and under .500 just shouldn't cut it. how disheartening for the other teams who played well during the regular season watching a team who stank up the place for the rest of the year having a good post season and ultimately lifting the title.

Originally posted by trev33
1/4 in japan/korea wasn't bad was it? for a nations 5th most popular sport i mean. confederations cup wasn't bad either... supposed to be the best few teams in the world in that one. i wouldn't say the us will 'never' win a world cup, actually they have already, a woman's world cup but still a world cup. i know the difference, girls play soccer and boys play ...[text shortened]... for the rest of the year having a good post season and ultimately lifting the title.

Mixed feelings indeed. I wish there were a better system for the MLS, but with so few teams it is hard. I tried supporting the MLS. My city's team had a really stupid name to start with. Dallas Burn? Thought of them more like an itch in the pudenda. Attended a few games but these games were so bad it was really boring. We have the Dallas Cup every year all under 17 teams from around the world. I have seen some players who later went on to star in pro fottie then their national teams. Really good football! Easter week every year!

Soccer is still the favorite amateur sport in the US yet it has no appeal as a pro sport. The women's world cup is hardly a sport. Too slow! I am proud of our women athletes but their team sports are slow, boring and moslty watched by their parents. WNBA gets propped up by special interest money otherwise it would have folded long ago.