One of the worst things for a fan of a team like, say, the Lions or the Nets is having to watch your insufferable team throw games at the end of the season in order to get a top draft choice. The NBA has tried to incorporate a lottery, but it doesn’t mean that New Jersey or Minnesota aren’t trying to lose games at the very end of the year to increase their chances at getting the top overall pick. I remember a few seasons ago when the 49ers and Texans in the NFL had a late season game, with the loser having a better chance at the top overall pick.
This is terrible. How awesome would it be if a team actually had the chance to be kicked out of it’s league if they were terrible? It would make those late season games meaningful, and our top college athletes wouldn’t necessarily go to the dregs of the league. Better still, if we had leagues to relegate to, imagine how much more popular that would make, say, minor league baseball, who could get promoted to the majors after a particularly excellent season.
Alas, this is just a pipe dream. There is simply way too much money in pro sports for any self respecting owner to allow a system that could see his team relegated to a minor league. But just think if you are a Detroit front office employer. Winning promotion back to the NFL after being relegated would be the closest you would ever get to the Super Bowl!
I think this is probably the best thing about soccer. Every team has something to play for, right down to the end of the season.
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