Should the NFL and MLB Really Expand Their Playoffs?
Playoff expansion adds drama at the cost of rewarding the most deserving winners. Is it worth the trade-off?
FEBRUARY IS NORMALLY A PRETTY SLOW SPORTS MONTH. It’s the dregs of the NBA season and college basketball promotes rivalries and conference play but everyone’s just waiting for March, while the NFL and MLB are typically still in hibernation mode much of the month.
Not so this February. Both the NFL and MLB made major waves by introducing new playoff formats that would expand the playoffs for football and baseball, giving more teams a chance and changing the playoffs as we know them. And, predictably, people are in an outrage.
Neither the NFL or MLB has actually accepted the new playoff proposal yet. Both are still in discussions between players, owners, commissioners, and collective bargaining agencies. But it sure looks like there are changes on the horizon. So is playoff expansion actually worthwhile, and what are the ripple effects for football and baseball if either proposal passes?
