Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - To Make The Playoffs, Hockey Teams Play Not To Win

driveway · 04-01-2015, 10:22 PM

I'm opposed to the 3-2-1-0 system aesthetically. I recall the four-column standings days of 1999-2004 and simply loathed the look of them. I think it makes it extremely difficult for casual fans to easily understand who is doing well.

I never watch NCAA basketball, but if I flip open the paper and take a look at the rankings I can see Kentucky is 33-0 and Wisconsin is 30-3 and instantly I know what that means.

A person who is not specifically a hockey fan, but is happy to follow the sport from a distance because they are a sports fan, or maybe they live in an NHL city and the team starts doing well shouldn't have to do any math when they look at the standings.

Imagine the case of someone in Nashville. They aren't a hockey fan, but they know about the Predators and then, as the team and this new kid Forsberg start having success they start paying attention because they're a sports fan and are perfectly willing to give hockey a chance. They understand the season is almost over and they look at the paper and they see this:

Nashville 41-6-22-9 144pts
St. Louis 37-9-23-7 136 pts
Chicago___37-9-24-6 135 pts

Now what the heck is that poor sports fan supposed to make of those standings? We're eight points up on St. Louis ... but ... how many points is a game worth? And what's ... four columns? What he hell... I thought I heard that hockey didn't have ties? Didn't that game I go to end with a shootout or something. Stupid Canadian sport anyway, I'm gonna watch March Madness!!

I've always, and will always prefer a straight win-loss system. I understand some people hate the shootout. Their arguments don't hold any water for me, I think they are silly and facetious arguments.

St. Louis 46-30 .605
Chicago___46-30 .605
Nashville 47-31 .602

That is clear as day, immediately understandable to any sports fan anywhere in the world, regardless of if they've ever even seen a game of hockey played or not.

Also, in a straight win-loss system, the Flames would be three games above Winnipeg and five clear of LA, San Jose, and Dallas.

Simpler is better.

04-01-2015, 10:22 PM	#13
driveway A Fiddler Crab Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chicago Exp:	I'm opposed to the 3-2-1-0 system aesthetically. I recall the four-column standings days of 1999-2004 and simply loathed the look of them. I think it makes it extremely difficult for casual fans to easily understand who is doing well. I never watch NCAA basketball, but if I flip open the paper and take a look at the rankings I can see Kentucky is 33-0 and Wisconsin is 30-3 and instantly I know what that means. A person who is not specifically a hockey fan, but is happy to follow the sport from a distance because they are a sports fan, or maybe they live in an NHL city and the team starts doing well shouldn't have to do any math when they look at the standings. Imagine the case of someone in Nashville. They aren't a hockey fan, but they know about the Predators and then, as the team and this new kid Forsberg start having success they start paying attention because they're a sports fan and are perfectly willing to give hockey a chance. They understand the season is almost over and they look at the paper and they see this: Nashville 41-6-22-9 144pts St. Louis 37-9-23-7 136 pts Chicago___37-9-24-6 135 pts Now what the heck is that poor sports fan supposed to make of those standings? We're eight points up on St. Louis ... but ... how many points is a game worth? And what's ... four columns? What he hell... I thought I heard that hockey didn't have ties? Didn't that game I go to end with a shootout or something. Stupid Canadian sport anyway, I'm gonna watch March Madness!! I've always, and will always prefer a straight win-loss system. I understand some people hate the shootout. Their arguments don't hold any water for me, I think they are silly and facetious arguments. St. Louis 46-30 .605 Chicago___46-30 .605 Nashville 47-31 .602 That is clear as day, immediately understandable to any sports fan anywhere in the world, regardless of if they've ever even seen a game of hockey played or not. Also, in a straight win-loss system, the Flames would be three games above Winnipeg and five clear of LA, San Jose, and Dallas. Simpler is better. Last edited by driveway; 04-01-2015 at 10:40 PM.