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Originally Posted by Resolute 14
The historian in me wants to get super pedantic about this, but it's not germane to the point you were making. And in response to that, I'll just note that those championships were decided in a fashion where everyone knew the rules from day one. It wasn't changed up at the last minute.
Also, I do not see an equivalence between the number of eligible teams and completely changing how the sport is played on a temporary basis, just to decide a champion.
I don't agree. Nobody from Europe can get in. Maybe you convince Canadian and American officials to classify athletes as "essential traffic" and allow Canadians to go south or Americans to come north - but you're opening yourself up to significant criticism if you do. Regardless, you would end up with significant players left off of some rosters while other teams are left much closer to whole. So in your scenario, you're not only altering how the game is played, but crippling some teams and buffing others. You just can't award a legitimate championship under such circumstances.
But, you can have a little fun, whet the appetites of the fans and make a little money. There's nothing wrong with that.
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Fair - I hadn't really considered the Europe factor. I know many have gone back, but I'm curious as to how many.
I think the challenge is in branding - how many will watch if it's clear that it's just a sideshow? It's kind of pointless if it isn't for the big prize, but I also have mixed feelings about the whole 'legitimacy' argument...part of me buys into it, but the cynic in me says it's all a bit contrived anyways.