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Rajmahal33 · 12-13-2007, 01:43 PM

I think parity is one of the most misused terms in the sports vocabulary...

I think ppl associate it with competitiveness, when in actuality it means equality. A league that is competitive is MUCH better than a league in which every team is equal.

I think a competitive league (like the NFL) in my mind is a league:
-in which a team can turn around from bottom of the barrel to contender in a short amount of time (1-2 years)
-dynasty's are hard to come by and even harder to sustain
-the best team throughout the season doesn't necessarily get a pass or automatically win, but rather the best team at a given time wins (like the NFL playoffs or March Madness).
-the talent level is spread around such that no one player can make or break a team.

If all teams were perfectly equal, then football would be boring. It would by like watching a pickup bball game at a rec center. There would be no favorites or underdogs. There would be no push for the playoffs or blowout scores. Players would have nothing to be inspired for b/c even if they lose a game, they could be back in it with a win. The whole season would have a flat sort of feeling until the last few games (much like an MLB or NBA season).

12-13-2007, 01:43 PM	#28
Rajmahal33 Special Teams Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 478	Re: Has Parity Really Worked In The NFL? I think parity is one of the most misused terms in the sports vocabulary... I think ppl associate it with competitiveness, when in actuality it means equality. A league that is competitive is MUCH better than a league in which every team is equal. I think a competitive league (like the NFL) in my mind is a league: -in which a team can turn around from bottom of the barrel to contender in a short amount of time (1-2 years) -dynasty's are hard to come by and even harder to sustain -the best team throughout the season doesn't necessarily get a pass or automatically win, but rather the best team at a given time wins (like the NFL playoffs or March Madness). -the talent level is spread around such that no one player can make or break a team. If all teams were perfectly equal, then football would be boring. It would by like watching a pickup bball game at a rec center. There would be no favorites or underdogs. There would be no push for the playoffs or blowout scores. Players would have nothing to be inspired for b/c even if they lose a game, they could be back in it with a win. The whole season would have a flat sort of feeling until the last few games (much like an MLB or NBA season). __________________ McNasty FTW!