Magnus

Okay, I need to smack myself in the head because my first thought after reading DarkJourney's post was: "Because that's where most of the black people live anyway?" Besides, I totally forgot about Atlanta and Detroit.

Surprised nobody posted what was talked about on the latest Hotstove on Saturday night. a. PHI NYR NYI NJD | WSH CAR TBL FLA b. TOR OTT MTL (DET/CBJ) PIT BUF BOS ------------------------------------------------- c. WPG MIN CHI (DET/CBJ) DAL NSH STL d. VAN EDM CGY COL | ANA LAK SJS PHX So I took that and figured out the math for it, based on an 82-game schedule. 8-team divisions play 44 games out-of-division. In-division, 38 games: 4 teams 5 times, 3 teams 6 times. 7-team divisions play 46 games out-of-division. In division, 36 games (6 per opponent).

There have probably been at least six "final and ultimate" deadlines to secure ownership since this whole debacle started. And yet, here we sit. If the NHL doesn't get their owner by early '12, they'll set a new deadline for, say, June of '12. This is known in American slang as "kicking the can down the road." raising the debt ceiling.

MLB: 15 teams per league, 5 per division. Play 14 league opponents 9x apiece; also play one designated interleague rival 9x. (135 total) Featured interleague series marketed as "Interleague Series of the Week". Play the rest of the designated interleague rival's division 3x each, as well as one of the other two divisions 3x each. (27 total) Result is a 162-game schedule, with each team getting to play each other team over the course of 2 seasons. NHL/NBA: 6 divisions; 5 teams each. Play division rivals 8x; everyone else twice. (82 games total)

I'd say if it helps the Devils out of existence, then it's fine by me. I've been wondering for a long time though, why someone like Paul Allen hasn't offered to buy the Yotes and move them to Seattle (Tacoma Dome being the temporary venue) or Portland.

Yeah, damn. I guess I sacrificed them to the travel gods.

2012-13 season: Pacific: VAN SJS PHX LA ANA Northwest: EDM CGY WPG MIN COL Central: DAL CLB NSH CHI STL Northeast: DET TOR OTT MTL BUF Atlantic: BOS NYR NYI PHI NJD Southeast: PIT WSH CAR FLA TBL Reasons for moves: Vancouver goes to the right time zone. Central teams all in same time zone, even though travel from Dallas to Columbus will be a trip. Winnipeg gets in with some geographically appropriate buddies. Detroit gets to move back to the East, and terrorize a different conference. Boston, a city on the Atlantic, can be in the Atlantic division. The Pens and Caps can enjoy 8 games against each other in this season. Division 32 games; 50 games for other 25 teams. Easy-peasy.

Yeah, I know. I don't really like it either, on second thought. I was just trying to work out a 7-8 split for both conferences. I much prefer the (3 divisions of 4) and (3 divisions of 6) that keep teams all in their own time zones for divisional play. PACIFIC DIVISION: Vancouver, San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim MOUNTAIN DIVISION: Colorado, Phoenix, Edmonton, Calgary CENTRAL DIVISION: Minnesota, Winnipeg, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago NORTHEAST DIVISION: Detroit, Columbus, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec (NYI) ATLANTIC DIVISION: Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philly, Rangers, Jersey SOUTHEAST DIVISION: Washington, Carolina, Tampa, Florida

Northwest - VAN EDM CGY WPG MIN CHI STL Northeast - DET CBJ PIT BUF BOS TOR OTT MTL South - SJS LAK ANA PHX* COL DAL NSH Atlantic - WSH CAR TBL FLA PHI NYR NYI NJD SCHEDULE FORMAT: 7-team divisions: 24 DIVISION, 8-DIVISIONS 2X (24->56), 7-DIV (4x3, 3x4) (80) 8-team divisions: 28 DIVISION, 7-DIVISIONS 2X (28->56), 8-DIV 3X (56->80) PLAYOFFS: 4 spots per division with a caveat; if the 5th-place team in an 8-team division has more points than the 4th-place team in the 7-team division, they get that #4 seed. Also - no conferences. In the third round, the remaining 4 teams are seeded 1-4. This leaves open the (albeit slim) possibilities of a Final with two Canadian teams, or matchups like Wings-Rangers, Pens-Flyers, Hawks-Bruins - maybe even Jets/Coyotes. LOL

The Pistons beg to differ.

So that would have to format out like this, methinks: 8-team divisions 22 opponents*2=44 Division: (3*6)+(4*5)=38 (82) 7-team divisions 23 opponents*2=46 Division: 6*6=36 (82)

Not to nitpick, but it's mileage. M-I-L-E-A-G-E.

I think my only qualm about that kind of alignment is that it's slightly more likely (57% vs. 50%) that a particular team in a 7-team division can make the playoffs than one in an 8-team division.

3 missed home games won't hurt revenue that much. They can schedule more divisional games if they really need to. I always thought 82 was the weirdest number to pick though.

West Division: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, San Jose, Anaheim, LA, Phoenix, Colorado, Dallas, Winnipeg Central Division: Minnesota, St. Louis, Chicago, Bowling GreenNashville, Columbus, Detroit, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec. Atlantic Division: Buffalo, Rangers, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philly, Jersey, Washington, Carolina, Tampa, Florida. 36 divisional games, 40 non-divisional. Bracket-style playoff of top 16 teams. Have fun.

It's all the same to me.

I was contemplating the Winnipeg-Northeast scenario. Bump Boston to the Atlantic and Pittsburgh to the Southeast or something.

I pieced this together in the interest of keeping the teams in each division all in the same time zone, rather than worrying about travel distance disparities. PACIFIC: Vancouver, San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim MOUNTAIN: Colorado, Phoenix, Edmonton, Calgary CENTRAL: Minnesota, Winnipeg, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago NORTHEAST: Detroit, Columbus, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec (NYI) ATLANTIC: Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philly, Rangers, Jersey SOUTHEAST: Washington, Carolina, Tampa, Florida Now we have three divisions of 6 and three divisions of 4. Scheduling works this way: Divisional play can be 30 games for the divisions of 4 (3 opponents x 10) and 36 games for the divisions of 6 (5 opponents, 4x7, 1x8). (30) (36) 24 games are then played intradivisionally for the 4-team divisions against each other. (8x3) (54) The 6-team divisions do the same. (12x2) (60) The 4-team divisions play the three 6-team divisions once each. (18x1) | (12x1) (72) (72) -- Top 16 in the league make the playoffs, organized bracket-style. --

Yes, I think on a "similar state-wide cultures need to fit in the same division" basis, Nashville needs to be grouped with its Southern brethren. Columbus/Pitt/et al. should also stick together as much as is possible. It would be a little different if it were the Cincinnati Jackets, because I know they have strong ties to Kentucky sporting culture. I really think I should have just stuck the Preds in the Southeast, and Pitt in the Central just to screw with them.

Columbus' total: 2563 (average 641 mi) Nashville's total: 2191 (average 548 mi) But just looking at a map tells me that Nashville is closer. I've updated my latest to compensate for this.

Just a prediction for some time in the next couple of NHL seasons: WESTERN CONFERENCE PACIFIC: Vancouver(PAC) San Jose(PAC) Los Angeles(PAC) Anaheim(PAC) Phoenix (MTN) |4-1 split| NORTHWEST: Edmonton(MTN) Calgary(MTN) Colorado(MTN) Minnesota(CEN) Winnipeg(Thrash) (CEN) |2-3 split| CENTRAL: Dallas (CEN) Nashville* (CEN) St. Louis (CEN) Chicago (CEN) Detroit (EDT) |4-1 split| EASTERN CONFERENCE NORTHEAST: Quebec (or NY) Islanders*, Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, Ottawa |All EDT| ATLANTIC: Columbus*, Boston, Philly, Rangers, Jersey |All EDT| SOUTHEAST: Pittsburgh*, Washington, Carolina, Tampa, Florida |All EDT| (*given the option to switch with any other starred one if they prefer*) 15 opposite conference opponents: 20 games (One division on the road (5), one division home (5), one division 2x (10)) [i.e. Northeast faces Northwest on the road, Central home and away, and Pacific home] The division that will be played for 10 games will rotate each season. 10 same conference teams: 30 games 4 divisional rivals: 32 games TOTAL 82

Whatever actually happens, I just want the teams to remain solvent for a good number of years, whatever markets they may be in. While I'm here... it's an MLB realignment! (with some colour schemes borrowed off of other members' concepts). I also changed a couple of teams' schemes because there is way to much red-blue going on in baseball. Interleague play happens for the odd team out of 5 while intradivisional play is going on for the other 4, and is featured on TV as the Interleague Matchup of the Week.

Yeah, I flip-flopped on that one for a while. See, I don't really get that. Ohio seems like a more central state than Georgia, which has Atlantic coastline. Plus it would break up the geographical integrity to have Georgia shifted to the Central and Ohio stuck out with the Atlantic states. I get that maybe it would bring Cleveland in line with the other Great Lakes cities, but then I'd be moving Atlanta away from Florida and Carolina. To those teams: Suck it up, buttercup. This isn't high school basketball.

My NBA: West - Blazers, Warriors | Kings, Clippers | Lakers, Suns | Jazz, Nuggets | Thunder, Mavericks | (Most of these teams are in the Pacific or Mountain time zone. I didn't want to separate Dallas from Houston and San Antonio, but this was the best I could do.) Central - Spurs, Rockets | Grizzlies, Hornets | Wolves, Bucks | Bulls, Pacers | Pistons, Cavaliers | (Most are in the Central time zone.) East - Raps, Nets | Celtics, Knicks | Sixers, Wizards | Bobcats, Hawks | Magic, Heat | (All of these teams are in the Eastern time zone) SEASON Division opponents 4x (36), other divisions twice each (40), one rival four more times(4). (total 80) PLAYOFFS Top 5 in each division qualify, plus the best 6th-place team. All teams seeded 1-16. 4 rounds determine the league champion.

Moves: Atlanta to Winnipeg, Phoenix to Kansas City. Changes in division without team relocation: Colorado shifts to Pacific, Nashville shifts to Southeast. Northwest: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Minnesota, Winnipeg Central: Detroit, Columbus, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago Pacific: Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Dallas, Colorado Northeast: unchanged Atlantic: unchanged Southeast: Nashville, Washington, Tampa Bay, Florida, Carolina