Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Random
Going back a few years, here's the number of teams that were +40 or more:
2014-15: 4
2015-16: 2
2016-17: 4
2017-18: 6
2018-19: 3
2019-20: 4 (prorated for GP)
2020-21: 11 (prorated)
2021-22: 10
2022-23: 9
2023-24: 10 (prorated)
Low numbers up to 2020, then a sharp spike, and high numbers ever since. The change happened precisely when the flat cap was introduced on account of COVID.
It seems like a reasonable guess that the flat cap, and the ability of some teams to finagle it by spending big on LTIR, has introduced a new class of ‘haves’ to the league. At the other end, we are seeing teams at –100 or worse almost every year, which also used to be quite rare.
Something, beginning about 2020, definitely messed with the competitive balance in the league.
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You are measuring competitive balance based on goal differential, not winning or losing.
Isn't that around the time when teams showed the proclivity to not care so much about allowing ENGs when losing?