[FlamingHomer]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well...with relegation in hockey I acknowledge that there are fundamental problems. The Talent-Gap between AHL and NHL is VAST.



You cant just bump an AHL team into the NHL and say 'go for it.' They'll get killed.



The talent-gulf in soccer tends to be a lot smaller and more manageable and at the same time, no salary cap and you dont need to trade for players, you just buy them. If you have the money you just buy them. Its a very different system.



Not to mention, in most places in soccer, the ownership of teams are Wealthy people with their Toys. Some are run as businesses, but thats started sliding away. So with few limits some spend more than others and....its not a level playing field.



So, no, as much as I'd like to see it, I dont think relegation would realistically work in North America.



Like an AHL team playing in the NHL, a College Basketball team playing in the NBA? A second tier football team making it to the NFL? A lower tier baseball team in the MLB.



In my opinion the talent-gap is just too vast for that to be practical and...the revenue gap is similarly vast. North American sports team owners want certainty, its crucially why there are salary caps. The possibility of relegation is the consummate definition of uncertainty.



Thats sort of why I did the 'Heathen, get him!' Joke. North American owners would never support that under any circumstances.

Very well explained but I was referring to the 4 Nations. Not sure how Finland was selected but I thought if they had a bad showing there are a few other countries who could give it a shot next time.