Column: Losing teams do not deserve playoff bids

Some loud discussions occurred concerning the Seahawks’ advancing to the playoffs and whether they deserved a chance at the Super Bowl. The argument against the Seahawks’ advancing to the playoffs is that they only made the playoffs off of a technicality instead of winning games. The fact that they had a chance at winning the title is an insult to the two other NFC teams with better records that did not make the playoffs.

The defense of the Seattle’s advancing to the playoffs is that it’s not easy to win games in the NFL. Although the Seahawks did not finish as well as other teams in the conference, they beat out the other three teams in their division in order to make it to the playoffs. They accomplished one of the ways to make it to the playoffs and should therefore be allowed to compete without an issue.

Although both arguments are interesting, I tend to agree with the former. A team with a losing record during the regular season should not be given a chance at the title. Championships are for teams that have worked hard, and I do not think a losing record indicates hard work.

The problem here, though, is how you fix the issue. Divisions try to split the teams into groupings that make geographic sense to create rivalries and make it easier for teams to travel at least eight games of the year.

Theoretically, the idea that the best team of each division should be given an automatic bid into the playoffs is a good one because it gives each of the teams something to shoot for within their own groupings, but what if the divisions are so bad that winning does not really mean anything? Do you include a clause that says the best team in each division can only advance if they have a .500 record or better? I would like to reward the efforts of teams who put in the effort to at least eke out an 8-8 record and nothing less.

This phenomena has also taken place in basketball over the past few years. Since 2003, eight teams have advanced to the playoffs with a sub-.500 record. This wouldn’t be an issue if there were not any good teams to replace them with, but each year the teams that have advanced to the playoffs have been from the NBA Eastern Conference.

In the 2008-09 season, the Detroit Pistons made it to the playoffs with a 39-43 record, while the Phoenix Suns were snubbed in the West with a 46-36 record. The Pistons were seven games behind the Suns, but grabbed the last playoff spot in because they had the eighth best record in the Eastern Conference. Do they deserve a chance at the title with a sub-.500 record? As of right now the ruling bodies of the NBA think so.

An argument at letting them continue might be that they don’t really have a shot at winning the title and only serve as a soft team for the better teams in the playoffs to beat up before moving on. This theory was shaken up a bit when the 10.5-point favored New Orleans Saints lost to the Seahawks 41-36 on the Seahawks’ home field. Obviously the Seahawks came to play and did not plan on going out quietly. After the game, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll gave an impromptu speech about how no one believes in them but that they can go all the way.

Pete, it’s not that no one believed in you. It’s just that people didn’t want you sneaking into the playoffs and messing up the hard work other teams put in since the opening snap of the season.

There probably will not be any rule changes, and sub-.500 teams will continue to have the chance to make it to the playoffs. Maybe people like it because it gives those who doesn’t have a team left an underdog to root for. Reaching the playoffs in any sport should be a privilege, though, and teams should have to prove they are the one of the best teams in the league before they are allowed to compete for the title of league champion.