max

I think there are plenty of Tech blogs that have established within the past few weeks that the words "big data" and "troll" are not to be used ever again. Do you blame me for delivering the data poorly? That is my fault. Fact is, it's data that myself or one of the teams of trolls I have working for me across the globe have collected. It is free. I am sorry for not making sense, but there is only so much that I can convince myself that I can explain thoroughly.

Haha! This is what I have discovered using simple math: Theoretically, one or two divisions in a league with ten divisions will be much larger than the rest, and there will be one or two divisions that have the least amount of teams as possible to make a "division" (there can't be a division with one team). The question is how to group teams into divisions. If a group is two teams, and if a league NEEDS divisions, they inherently exist in geographic rivals. I am showing the unevenness of "divisions" based on the one rule that one team must be in the same division with its closest geographical rival would be arranged. Of course there are sports fans that are willing to fly from Arlington to East Rutherford twice a year. The Avalanche and the Red Wings are obviously bigger rivals than the Red Wings with their closest rival (the Blue Jackets) and the Avalanche with theirs (the Coyotes). Microsoft Excel and "distancefromto.net." The only divisions that exist between NFL, MLB, and NHL cities are these: -a Florida division (Sunrise, Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville) -a Bay Area division + Seattle - San Jose (Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland) -The Rest of the United States and Canada (Dallas, St. Louis, Denver connect the East to the West) Divisions of countries grouped by the neighbor with whom they share their largest land-based border (islands have no land-based borders): Russia Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Ukraine Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan Belarus Finland Georgia Moldova Lithuania Latvia Estonia China Mongolia Burma Thailand North Korea South Korea Hong Kong Macau United States Canada Mexico Guatemala Belize Brazil Bolivia Peru Colombia Venezuela Guyana Ecuador Suriname Uruguay French Guiana India Bangladesh Pakistan Afghanistan Tajikistan Nepal Bhutan Sri Lanka DemrepCongo Angola Zambia Rep Congo Central African Republic Namibia Gabon Equatorial Guinea Argentina Chile Paraguay Mali Mauritania Guinea Burkina Faso Senegal Sierra Leone Gambia Guinea-Bissau Western Sahara Sudan South Sudan Chad Egypt Libya Algeria Morocco Tunisia South Africa Botswana Lesotho Swaziland Niger Nigeria Cameroon Benin Iran Iraq Kuwait Ethiopia Somalia Djibouti Eritrea Laos Vietnam Cambodia Mozambique Malawi Zimbabwe Saudi Arabia Yemen Jordan Oman UAE Qatar Turkey Syria Lebanon France Spain Portugal Belgium Luxembourg Andorra Monaco Gibraltar (UK) Tanzania Kenya Uganda Burundi Rwanda Germany Czech Republic Poland Austria Netherlands Denmark Malaysia Indonesia Papua New Guinea Brunei East Timor Cote d'Ivoire Liberia Norway Sweden Romania Bulgaria Serbia Greece Macedonia Albania Kosovo Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina Slovenia Montenegro Hungary Slovakia Ghana Togo Azerbaijan Armenia Nagorno-Karabakh Italy Switzerland Liechtenstein San Marino Vatican City Honduras Nicaragua El Salvador Israel Palestinian territories Costa Rica Panama United Kingdom Ireland Dominican Republic Haiti Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK) Cyprus Northern Cyprus Saint Martin (France) Sint Maarten (Netherlands) I am glad this thread is pointless. Belize is naturally connected to the United States by sharing its largest land-border with Guatemala and Guatemala sharing its largest with Mexico (Mexico's largest land-based border is with the United States, but the Mexican border is not the largest - although more people pass through this border every day than any other in the world; the largest land-based border in the world separates the United States and Canada, Canada's only international border). Pointless, until you get real deep...about "neighbors"...and what they did to become "neighbors" from "the people over there." Let's talk about our sports obsessions. Favorite rivalries: 1. Raiders-Chiefs (notice I put the Raiders first, I love the Chiefs, but life wouldn't be as awful if we didn't lose to the nasty Raiders every once in a while - winning isn't as good as losing is bad, I guess. A rivalry built totally on divisional alignment, the Raiders are way to far away from the Chiefs to play in the same "regional division" 2. Flyers-Penguins (again, didn't mean to put the Flyers ahead of the Penguins. Pennsylvania rivalry. Perhaps state pride matters a little bit in the creation of a league group) 3. Royals-Twins (relaxing day in the middle of summer, dirty Twins jerseys at the beautiful Kauffman Stadium)

NFL divisions ! : Division names are based on the theoretical center of each division。。。 Indianapolis Division Kansas City (St. Louis) St. Louis (Indianapolis) Denver (Kansas City) Cincinnati (Indianapolis) Indianapolis (Cincinnati) Chicago (Indianapolis) Green Bay (Chicago) Pittsburgh (Cleveland) Cleveland (Detroit) Detroit (Cleveland) Buffalo (Pittsburgh) Minnesota (Green Bay) Oakland Division Oakland (San Francisco) San Francisco (Oakland) Seattle (Oakland) Yuma Division San Diego (Arizona) Arizona (San Diego) Fort Meade Division Baltimore (Washington) Washington (Baltimore) E. Rutherford Division New England (NY Jets) NY Jets (NY Giants) NY Giants (NY Jets) Philadelphia (NY Jets) St. Petersburg Division Miami (Tampa Bay) Tampa Bay (Jacksonville) Jacksonville (Tampa Bay) Atlanta Division Tennessee (Atlanta) Atlanta (Tennessee) Carolina (Atlanta) Houston Division Houston (Dallas) Dallas (Houston) New Orleans (Houston)

Ha! This actually makes sense. Your favorite team is in the division with their closest geographical "rival." I took a look at the Royals' schedule this year and it really angered me. It seems the MLB is moving to a schedule format in which teams from the AL Central will play primarily NL East teams in 2013. I imagine that in 2014 the Royals will play primarily AL Central or NL West teams...this means that the schedule makes a full turn (becomes "complete") every three years! It's similar to the NFL schedule. The 2013 Royals schedule breakdown AL Central games: 76 AL East games: 34 AL West games: 32 NL Central games: 4 NL East games: 16 NL West games: 0 WTF! Posted again with closest geographical rivals attached to each team: 9 playoff teams, 9 divisions, 9 players on the field Division headings list the city theoretically "in the middle of the division:" New York Red Sox (Yankees) Yankees (Mets) Mets (Yankees) Baltimore Orioles (Nationals) Nationals (Orioles) Phillies (Orioles) Fort Myers, Florida Rays (Marlins) Marlins (Rays) Cleveland Indians (Tigers) Blue Jays (Indians) Tigers (Indians) Reds (Indians) Braves (Reds) Pirates (Indians) Chicago White Sox (Cubs) Cubs (White Sox) Twins (Brewers) Brewers (Cubs) Kansas City Royals (Cardinals) Cardinals (Royals) Rockies (Royals) College Station, Texas Astros (Rangers) Rangers (Astros) Oakland Athletics (Giants) Giants (Athletics) Mariners (Athletics) Anaheim Angels (Dodgers) Dodgers (Angels) Padres (Angels) Diamondbacks (Padres)

How did you map those points on that map? P.S. I'll do an NFL one later today and explain it better then.

same idea for MLB: Real divisions (two things: if you can't beat your neighbor, you don't go to the playoffs, and no excuse for not making the playoffs because your team had to travel too much). 9 playoff teams, 9 divisions, 9 players on the field Red Sox Yankees Mets Orioles Nationals Phillies Rays Marlins Indians Blue Jays Tigers Reds Braves Pirates White Sox Cubs Twins Brewers Royals Cardinals Rockies Astros Rangers Athletics Giants Mariners Angels Dodgers Padres Diamondbacks

Tell me how to post spreadsheets or parts of spreadsheets. The other half of the forum, the left brain.

2 0 1 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 ana bos buf cgy car chi col cbj dal det edm fla la min mtl nsh nj nyi nyr ott phi phx pit sj stl tb tor van wdc wpg anaheim x 2583.79 2186.19 1206.17 2219.87 1734.38 823.24 1964.14 1220.61 1971.68 1380.47 2302.38 24.12 1524.61 2460.52 1763.72 2428.43 2458.9 2439.04 2356.39 2379.36 330.3 2123.18 329.9 1575.13 2126.53 2164.74 1099.77 2291.71 1532.59 51001.86 vancouver boston 2583.79 x 399.48 2093.24 610.4 849.48 1767.18 642.86 1550.84 612.27 2075.3 1236.71 2593.74 1113.45 250.8 942.7 196.35 174.22 185.66 313.48 270.84 2300.51 482 2681.52 1036.9 1200.59 430.25 2503.4 394.59 1345.81 30254.57 philadelphia buffalo 2186.19 399.48 x 1734.59 492.27 452.34 1368.09 294.23 1198.9 215.58 1735.02 1159.91 2195.78 721.37 320.23 627.05 284.54 311.62 291.88 235.91 279.79 1907.43 178.76 2282.39 661.55 1066.43 58.82 2135.99 292.38 993.32 23895.65 philadelphia calgary 1206.17 2093.24 1734.59 x 2041.17 1399.39 896.24 1672.59 1536.13 1575.49 174.52 2470.6 1194.12 1053.3 1878.55 1693.92 2109.06 2045.55 2026.11 1788.21 2007.17 1214.63 1779.99 1023.22 1440.91 2294.19 1685.71 419.58 1970.21 747.44 43965.83 san jose raleigh 2219.87 610.4 492.27 2041.17 x 642.11 1461.19 374.92 1056.89 511.57 2076.9 672.18 2234.34 989.06 724.04 456.64 420.26 437.27 429.46 684.97 345.78 1905.77 331.25 2384.77 666.32 601.09 546.57 2409.97 233.29 1347.53 27087.98 new jersey chicago 1734.38 849.48 452.34 1399.39 642.11 x 918.97 275.93 805.48 237.3 1436.41 1164.92 1744.26 347.03 746.22 397.67 702.96 733.25 712.96 644.76 664.45 1455.74 409.64 1840.23 262.6 1015.46 436.18 1774.15 594.55 718.15 23382.59 nashville denver 823.24 1767.18 1368.09 896.24 1461.19 918.97 x 1164.69 662.71 1155.36 1035.2 1704.81 831 706.03 1637.41 1021.04 1620.11 1650.53 1630.37 1533.27 1576.35 585.77 1318.86 928.37 795.54 1521.65 1344.08 1106.12 1490.71 800.43 34232.08 winnipeg columbus 1964.14 642.86 294.23 1672.59 374.92 275.93 1164.69 x 913.56 163.97 1703.45 967.55 1975.84 619.32 613.69 333.65 468.17 498.36 479.17 529.16 415.29 1669.22 162.07 2092.37 396.23 843.31 316.11 2049.97 326.92 972.61 22935.21 toronto dallas 1220.61 1550.84 1198.9 1536.13 1056.89 805.48 662.71 913.56 x 1000.35 1655.66 1093.21 1238.91 865.18 1517.44 616.98 1364.25 1392.75 1375.56 1423.54 1299 891.65 1070.37 1450.81 548.35 913.03 1204.68 1768.68 1183.21 1184.3 32782.42 minnesota detroit 1971.68 612.27 215.58 1575.49 511.57 237.3 1155.36 163.97 1000.35 x 1592.57 1129.68 1981.51 534.05 521.05 470.95 472.28 502.13 481.73 423.94 442.11 1691.85 205.3 2073.78 455.07 1007.27 206.61 1966.07 394.88 852.41 22877.13 chicago edmonton 1380.47 2075.3 1735.02 174.52 2076.9 1436.41 1035.2 1703.45 1655.66 1592.57 x 2544.81 1368.25 1090.17 1849.67 1758.39 2017.55 2042.58 2023.78 1764.85 2012.44 1385.3 1797.84 1190.83 1508.12 2372.22 1682.97 509.41 1986.4 742.68 45133.29 minnesota sunrise 2302.38 1236.71 1159.91 2470.6 672.18 1164.92 1704.81 967.55 1093.21 1129.68 2544.81 x 2322.07 1482.22 1389.5 791.47 1067.62 1076.73 1074.67 1356.58 998.87 1972.15 988.14 2543.95 1037.34 183.16 1211.28 2781.7 901.06 1871.7 39194.59 columbus los angeles 24.12 2593.74 2195.78 1194.12 2234.34 1744.26 831 1975.84 1238.91 1981.51 1368.25 2322.07 x 1530.53 2468.4 1778.43 2439.49 2469.97 2450.07 2364.26 2390.96 349.97 2134.54 306.16 1587.78 2145.88 2173.74 1081.12 2296.77 1532.24 51180.13 vancouver st. paul 1524.61 1113.45 721.37 1053.3 989.06 347.03 706.03 619.32 865.18 534.05 1090.17 1482.22 1530.53 x 950.09 691.76 1000.12 1029.02 1008.75 846.87 975.55 1286.68 734.07 1580.15 462.23 1320.63 683.61 1434.52 924.15 390.91 26370.82 columbus montreal 2460.52 250.8 320.23 1878.55 724.04 746.22 1637.41 613.69 1517.44 521.05 1849.67 1389.5 2468.4 950.09 x 944.73 331.62 332.6 327.46 104.14 392.92 2195.56 478.41 2530.24 975.6 1324.27 314.46 2293.55 490.9 1133.72 29037.27 ny rangers nashville 1763.72 942.7 627.05 1693.92 456.64 397.67 1021.04 333.65 616.98 470.95 1758.39 791.47 1778.43 691.76 944.73 x 751.74 779.42 763.03 862.57 684.19 1449.16 472.12 1936.38 253.34 629.25 649.28 2030.64 566.64 1082.28 25435.42 detroit newark 2428.43 196.35 284.54 2109.06 420.26 702.96 1620.11 468.17 1364.25 472.28 2017.55 1067.62 2439.49 1000.12 331.62 751.74 x 30.48 11.31 333.14 75.28 2136.79 306.52 2543.18 864.3 1017.74 334.6 2420.29 198.38 1276.79 26794.92 washington uniondale 2458.9 174.22 311.62 2045.55 437.27 733.25 1650.53 498.36 1392.75 502.13 2042.58 1076.73 2469.97 1029.02 332.6 779.42 30.48 x 20.4 343.41 97.67 2167.12 336.83 2573.48 894.42 1031.67 360.16 2447.6 221.52 1302.44 27303.2 washington manhattan 2439.04 185.66 291.88 2026.11 429.46 712.96 1630.37 479.17 1375.56 481.73 2023.78 1074.67 2450.07 1008.75 327.46 763.03 11.31 20.4 x 332.45 85.41 2147.65 317.45 2553.18 875.33 1026.19 341.04 2427.85 208.94 1283.35 26891.21 washington ottawa 2356.39 313.48 235.91 1788.21 684.97 644.76 1533.27 529.16 1423.54 423.94 1764.85 1356.58 2364.26 846.87 104.14 862.57 333.14 343.41 332.45 x 379.28 2091.99 407.41 2426.94 878.99 1278.95 219.03 2201.48 456.61 1041.61 27267.8 ny rangers philadelphia 2379.36 270.84 279.79 2007.17 345.78 664.45 1576.35 415.29 1299 442.11 2012.44 998.87 2390.96 975.55 392.92 684.19 75.28 97.67 85.41 379.28 x 2083.79 257.49 2502.15 809.16 944.67 335.86 2403.82 123.93 1269.97 26124.19 pittsburgh glendale 330.3 2300.51 1907.43 1214.63 1905.77 1455.74 585.77 1669.22 891.65 1691.85 1385.3 1972.15 349.97 1286.68 2195.56 1449.16 2136.79 2167.12 2147.65 2091.99 2083.79 x 1830.3 606.61 1274.94 1796.23 1891.16 1223.54 1983.6 1367.09 44862.2 dallas pittsburgh 2123.18 482 178.76 1779.99 331.25 409.64 1318.86 162.07 1070.37 205.3 1797.84 988.14 2134.54 734.07 478.41 472.12 306.52 336.83 317.45 407.41 257.49 1830.3 x 2244.85 558.25 889.09 224.43 2168.23 190.4 1057.27 23331.88 toronto san jose 329.9 2681.52 2282.39 1023.22 2384.77 1840.23 928.37 2092.37 1450.81 2073.78 1190.83 2543.95 306.16 1580.15 2530.24 1936.38 2543.18 2573.48 2553.18 2426.94 2502.15 606.61 2244.85 x 1721.74 2363.75 2252.97 826.89 2418.77 1502.45 53382.13 colorado st. louis 1575.13 1036.9 661.55 1440.91 666.32 262.6 795.54 396.23 548.35 455.07 1508.12 1037.34 1587.78 462.23 975.6 253.34 864.3 894.42 875.33 878.99 809.16 1274.94 558.25 1721.74 x 868.16 661.26 1778.51 709.6 851.22 24833.76 minnesota st. petersburg 2126.53 1200.59 1066.43 2294.19 601.09 1015.46 1521.65 843.31 913.03 1007.27 2372.22 183.16 2145.88 1320.63 1324.27 629.25 1017.74 1031.67 1026.19 1278.95 944.67 1796.23 889.09 2363.75 868.16 x 1113.32 2600.66 834.23 1711.38 38041 columbus toronto 2164.74 430.25 58.82 1685.71 546.57 436.18 1344.08 316.11 1204.68 206.61 1682.97 1211.28 2173.74 683.61 314.46 649.28 334.6 360.16 341.04 219.03 335.86 1891.16 224.43 2252.97 661.26 1113.32 x 2089.32 350.97 942.31 24060.78 montreal vancouver 1099.77 2503.4 2135.99 419.58 2409.97 1774.15 1106.12 2049.97 1768.68 1966.07 509.41 2781.7 1081.12 1434.52 2293.55 2030.64 2420.29 2447.6 2427.85 2201.48 2403.82 1223.54 2168.23 826.89 1778.51 2600.66 2089.32 x 2358.49 1160 52371.55 anaheim washington, dc 2291.71 394.59 292.38 1970.21 233.29 594.55 1490.71 326.92 1183.21 394.88 1986.4 901.06 2296.77 924.15 490.9 566.64 198.38 221.52 208.94 456.61 123.93 1983.6 190.4 2418.77 709.6 834.23 350.97 2358.49 x 1244.84 25346.94 ny islanders winnipeg 1532.59 1345.81 993.32 747.44 1347.53 718.15 800.43 972.61 1184.3 852.41 742.68 1871.7 1532.24 390.91 1133.72 1082.28 1276.79 1302.44 1283.35 1041.61 1269.97 1367.09 1057.27 1502.45 851.22 1711.38 942.31 1160 1244.84 x 31726.25 colorado

Realignment based on math. Detroit is about 20,000 miles from every other team. San Jose is about 55,000 miles from every other team. I think Detroit could be placed in the Western Conference to offset this. Otherwise, I think a PCHL is viable (think of the farthest western teams re-forming the old Pacific Coast Hockey League): 2 new concepts for Wolf Blitzer: #1. PCHL - San Jose Anaheim Los Angeles Phoenix Calgary Edmonton Vancouver (Colorado and Florida have the about the same amount of distance to cover in a balanced schedule, so if Colorado wants to play in the PCHL, there would be no reason to have a PCHL...basically a West of The Rockies Hockey League) #2: the "screw Detroit" format - Western Conference Anaheim Los Angeles Phoenix San Jose Colorado Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Nashville St. Louis Dallas Chicago Minnesota Winnipeg Detroit Eastern Conference Columbus Pittsburgh Florida Tampa Bay Buffalo Toronto Montreal Ottawa New Jersey Rangers Philadelphia Islanders Washington Carolina Boston

Double Dip

I have figured out the logical solution to the NHL divisional alignment problem. This could work well this year if the league takes it up... It's based on a simple concept: the division consists of teams grouped with their closest geographical rival. "Closest Geographical Rival" in parentheses (8 divisions consisting of 3 2-team divisions, 2 3-team divisions, 1 5-team division, 1 6-team division, and 1 7-team division): (western conference) Pacific Division (5 teams) Anaheim (LA) Los Angeles (ANA) San Jose (LA) Colorado (PHX) Phoenix (ANA) Northwest Division (3 teams) Calgary (EDM) Edmonton (CGY) Vancouver (CGY) Midwest Division (3 teams) Nashville (STL) St. Louis (NSH) Dallas (STL) (either conference) Central Division (6 teams) Chicago (DET) Minnesota (CHI) Winnipeg (MIN) Detroit (CBJ) Columbus (PIT) Pittsburgh (CBJ) (eastern conference) Southeast Division (2 teams) Florida (TB) Tampa Bay (FLA) Mideast Division (2 teams) Buffalo (TOR) Toronto (BUF) Northeast Division (2 teams) Montreal (OTT) Ottawa (MTL) Atlantic Division (7 teams) New Jersey (NYR) NY Rangers (NJ) Philadelphia (NJ) NY Islanders (NYR) Washington (PHI) Carolina (WDC) Boston (NYI) Perfect concept, I think I'll be doing more of these. Seems to work, who knows what will happen. Can I say that these are "real" divisions?

As of December 21, 2012 North Dakota NCAAD1 11750 Quebec Ramparts QMJHL 10492 Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAAD1 9771 Wisconsin Badgers NCAAD1 9419 Hershey Bears PA 9209 London Knights OHL 8962 Calgary Hitmen WHL 8286 Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL 8173 Fort Wayne Komets IN 7476 Kitchener Rangers OHL 7171 Hamilton Bulldogs ONC 7067 Providence Bruins RI 6950 Colorado College Tigers NCAAD1 6940 Lake Erie Monsters OH 6911 Ontario Reign CA 6760 Vancouver Giants WHL 6751 Boston College Eagles NCAAD1 6672 Edmonton Oil Kings WHL 6634 Houston Aeros TX 6566 Chicago Wolves IL 6518 Grand Rapids Griffins MI 6492 Rochester Americans NY 6294 St. John's IceCaps NLC 6287 Orlando Solar Bears FL 6265 San Antonio Rampage TX 6221 MN-Duluth Bulldogs NCAAD1 6200 Toronto Marlies ONC 6188 Spokane Chiefs WHL 6038 Victoria Royals WHL 5845 Bridgeport Sound Tigers CT 5827 Ottawa 67's OHL 5686 Michigan State NCAAD1 5650 Toledo Walleye OH 5603 Windsor Spitfires OHL 5553 New Hampshire NCAAD1 5503 NE-Omaha NCAAD1 5429 Norfolk Admirals VA 5413 Charlotte Checkers NC 5386 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins PA 5381 Saskatoon Blades WHL 5372 Missouri Mavericks MO 5320 Michigan NCAAD1 5315 Denver NCAAD1 5308 Colorado Eagles CO 5289 Syracuse Crunch NY 5268 Kelowna Rockets WHL 5162 Umass-Lowell NCAAD1 5063 Red Deer Rebels WHL 5056 Evansville IceMen IN 5030 Boston University NCAAD1 5008 Stockton Thunder CA 4950 Gwinnett Gladiators GA 4923 San Francisco Bulls CA 4823 Manchester Monarchs NH 4814 Notre Dame NCAAD1 4790 Texas Stars TX 4749 Florida Everblades FL 4728 Wichita Thunder KS 4693 Bakersfield Condors CA 4675 Everett Silvertips WHL 4631 Rapid City Rush SD 4620 Alaska Aces AK 4606 Peoria Rivermen IL 4556 Utah Grizzlies UT 4555 Las Vegas Wranglers NV 4425 Maine NCAAD1 4385 Sault Ste. Marie OHL 4375 Umass NCAAD1 4333 St. Cloud State NCAAD1 4274 Cornell NCAAD1 4252 Milwaukee Admirals WI 4238 Rockford IceHogs IL 4161 Portland Winterhawks WHL 4085 Fresno Monsters CA 4076 Allen Americans TX 4033 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 4006 Tulsa Oilers OK 3990 Abbotsford Heat BCC 3958 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 3942 Tri-City WHL 3933 Sioux Falls Stampede SD 3916 Portland Pirates ME 3905 Saint John QMJHL 3900 Seattle WHL 3853 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 3847 Kamloops Blazers WHL 3841 Lincoln Stars NE 3805 Fargo Force ND 3778 Regina Pats WHL 3767 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 3752 Ohio State NCAAD1 3672 Sudbury Wolves OHL 3666 Vermont NCAAD1 3658 Idaho Steelheads ID 3648 Minnesota State NCAAD1 3585 Worcester Sharks MA 3578 Fayetteville Fire Antz NC 3541 Knoxville Ice Bears TN 3519 Reading Royals PA 3498 Oklahoma City Barons OK 3496 Sarnia Sting OHL 3494 Springfield Falcons MA 3473 Western Michigan NCAAD1 3444 Binghamton Senators NY 3442 Albany Devils NY 3440 Guelph Storm OHL 3440 Cincinnati Cyclones OH 3421 Connecticut Whale CT 3420 Adirondack Phantoms NY 3413 Oshawa Generals OHL 3376 Saginaw OHL 3355 Barrie Colts OHL 3329 Shawinigan QMJHL 3258 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 3175 Omaha Lancers NE 3174 Michigan Tech NCAAD1 3144 Kalamazoo Wings MI 3139 RIT NCAAD1 3139 Northern Michigan NCAAD1 3052 Miami NCAAD1 3040 Rimouski QMJHL 3019 Dartmouth NCAAD1 3002 Blainville-Boisbrand Armada QMJHL 2976 Yale NCAAD1 2975 Trenton Titans NJ 2969 Corpus Christi IceRays TX 2969 Bemidji State NCAAD1 2963 Denver Cutthroats CO 2927 RPI NCAAD1 2889 South Carolina Stingrays SC 2877 Huntsville Havoc AL 2847 Niagara OHL 2817 Erie Otters OHL 2787 Northeastern NCAAD1 2766 Quinnipiac NCAAD1 2755 Alaska NCAAD1 2751 Kootenay Ice WHL 2738 Greenville Road Warriors SC 2729 Wenatchee Wild WA 2721 Alaska-Anchorage NCAAD1 2721 Kingston OHL 2685 Cape Breton QMJHL 2670 Pensacola Ice Flyers FL 2652 Owen Sound Attack OHL 2636 Quad City Mallards IL 2625 Elmira Jackals NY 2610 Victoriaville Tigres QMJHL 2535 Chicoutimi QMJHL 2504 Clarkson NCAAD1 2486 Sioux City Musketeers IA 2455 Air Force NCAAD1 2454 Odessa Jackalopes TX 2441 Bloomington Blaze IL 2440 Waterloo Black Hawks IA 2415 Wheeling Nailers WV 2375 Columbus Cottonmouths GA 2367 Belleville Bulls OHL 2360 Arizona Sundogs AZ 2351 Peterborough Petes OHL 2338 Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL 2335 Gatineau Olympiques QMJHL 2330 Mississippi RiverKings MS 2329 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders IA 2314 Merrimack NCAAD1 2293 Green Bay Gamblers WI 2286 Prince Albert WHL 2283 Dubuque Fighting Saints IA 2280 Des Moines Buccaneers IA 2260 Harvard NCAAD1 2238 Prince George WHL 2223 Bowling Green NCAAD1 2218 Johnstown Tomahawks PA 2217 Alabama-Huntsville NCAAD1 2199 Fairbanks Ice Dogs AK 2180 Baie-Comeau QMJHL 2179 Mississauga Ice Dogs OHL 2161 Princeton NCAAD1 2145 Swift Current Broncos WHL 2135 Lake Superior NCAAD1 2134 Louisiana IceGators LA 2120 Danbury Whalers CT 2114 Amarillo Bulls TX 2099 Tri-City Storm NE 2096 Plymouth OHL 2088 Muskegon Lumberjacks MI 2073 Augusta Riverhawks GA 2045 Mississippi Surge MS 2032 Providence NCAAD1 2032 Penn State NCAAD1 1982 Indiana Ice IN 1920 Ferris State NCAAD1 1887 Union NCAAD1 1867 Wichita Falls Wildcats TX 1855 St. Lawrence NCAAD1 1765 Brampton Battalion OHL 1756 Val-d'Or Foreurs QMJHL 1684 Topeka Roadrunners KS 1658 Army NCAAD1 1607 PEI Rocket QMJHL 1589 Texas Tornado TX 1546 Acadie-Bathurst Titan QMJHL 1475 Fort Worth Brahmas TX 1469 Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL 1432 Chicago Steel IL 1354 Holy Cross NCAAD1 1294 Austin Bruins MN 1256 Youngstown Phantoms OH 1226 Colgate NCAAD1 1222 Aberdeen Wings SD 1218 Williamsport Outlaws PA 1206 Bismarck Bobcats ND 1163 Brown NCAAD1 1145 Dayton Demonz OH 1113 Niagara NCAAD1 1094 Robert Morris NCAAD1 992 Minot Tauros ND 988 Kenai River Brown Bears AK 974 1000 Island Privateers NY 974 Connecticut NCAAD1 943 Mercyhurst NCAAD1 842 Canisius NCAAD1 826 Michigan Warriors MI 805 Janesville Jets WI 779 Springfield Jr. Blues IL 731 Brookings Blizzard SD 727 Soo Eagles MI 670 Jamestown Ironmen NY 627 Port Huron Fighting Falcons MI 619 Coulee Region Chill WI 569 Bentley NCAAD1 527 Cape Cod Bluefins (Central NY) MA/NY 452 Danville Dashers IL 442 Sacred Heart NCAAD1 433 Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings MI 404 Team USA MI 310 American International NCAAD1 186

The current USA/Canada hockey to-date attendance rankings (this includes these leagues: FHL, USHL, NAHL, SPHL, CHL, ECHL, AHL, NCAA Div. I, WHL, QMJHL, OHL, -of 236 junior, college, and minor league hockey teams included in the 11 leagues listed above, the average home attendance was 3,480 fans per game. -the team with the lowest attendance (#236) currently is "American International," an NCAA Division I hockey team averaging 186 fans per home game. 5 Standard Deviations Away From the Mean: 1. North Dakota - NCAA Div. I - 11,750 fans per game 4 Standard Deviations Away From the Mean: 2. Quebec Remparts - QMJHL - 10,492 fans per game 3. Minnesota Golden Gophers - NCAA Div. I - 9,771 fans per game 3 Standard Deviations Away From the Mean: 4. Wisconsin Badgers - NCAA Div. I - 9,419 fans per game 5. Hershey Bears - AHL - 9,209 fans 6. London Knights - OHL - 8,962 7. Calgary Hitmen - WHL - 8,286 8. Halifax Mooseheads - QMJHL - 8,173 2 Standard Deviations Away From the Mean: 9. Fort Wayne Komets - ECHL - 7,476 10. Kitchener Rangers - OHL - 7,171 11. Hamilton Bulldogs - AHL - 7,067 12. Providence Bruins - AHL - 6,950 13. Colorado College Tigers - NCAA Div. I - 6,940 14. Lake Erie Monsters - AHL - 6,911 15. Ontario Reign - ECHL - 6,760 16. Vancouver Giants - WHL - 6,751 17. Boston College Eagles - NCAA Div. I 6,672 18. Edmonton Oil Kings - WHL - 6,634 19. Houston Aeros - AHL - 6,566 20. Chicago Wolves - AHL - 6,518 21. Grand Rapids Griffins - AHL - 6,492 22. Rochester Americans - AHL - 6,294 23. St. John's IceCaps - AHL - 6,287 24. Orlando Solar Bears - ECHL - 6,265 25. San Antonio Rampage - AHL - 6,221 26. MN-Duluth Bulldogs - NCAA Div. I - 6,200 27. Toronto Marlies - AHL - 6,188 28. Spokane Chiefs - WHL - 6,038 29. Victoria Royals - WHL - 5,845 (this is the attendance figure from 2011-12, the CHL junior leagues are tough to track) 30. Bridgeport Sound Tigers - AHL - 5,827 31. Ottawa 67‘s - OHL - 5,686 32. Michigan State Spartans - NCAA Div. I - 5,650 33. Toledo Walleye - ECHL - 5,603 34. Windsor Spitfires - OHL - 5,553 notables: 39. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - AHL - 5,381 41. Michigan Wolverines - NCAA Div. I - 5,315 44. Missouri Mavericks (highest-rated CHL team) - 5,276 52. Gwinnett Gladiators (Atlanta-based) - 4,923 53. San Francisco Bulls (some current San Jose Sharks participate w/ this ECHL team during the lockout) 4,823 62. Alaska Aces (Alaska's highest-level professional team) 4,606 102. Springfield Falcons (average attendance per game - closest to mean) - 3,473 131. Huntsville Havoc (Huntsville, Alabama SPHL team) - 2,847 136. Alaska U - NCAA Div. I - 2,751 140. Alaska-Anchorage - NCAA Div. I - 2,721 158. Arizona Sundogs (CHL team located in Prescott Valley, AZ) - 2,351 173. Alabama-Huntsville - NCAA Div. I (Huntsville's college team) - 2,199 189. Penn State Nittany Lions - (university's new hockey team, started this year) - 1,982 198. Army Cadets - NCAA Div. I - 1,607 1 Standard Deviation Away From the Mean (below average): 202. Fort Worth Brahmas - CHL - 1,469 209. Aberdeen Wings (wow, that little town in South Dakota has a junior hockey team!) - 1,218 (and draws 1,218 fans per game!) 231. Cape Cod Bluefins (FHL team that has moved mid-season to 'Central New York') - 452 233. Sacred Heart - NCAA Div. I - 433 234. Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings - USHL - 404 235. Team USA - NAHL - 310 236. American International - NCAA Div. I - 186

This is where all of the problems lie: Blame the Pittsburgh Penguins. Toronto Maple Leafs Quebec EXPANSION Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Toronto EXPANSION Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Pittsburgh Penguins

Post-Apocalyptic NHL -2 conferences (East/West) -8 divisions -62, 77, 80, or 81 games (balanced schedule, balanced schedule +conf opponents, b.s.+conf/div opponents, b.s.+conf/div/rival) -divisional playoff round (top 2 from each division face each other in first round of the playoffs - Kings vs. Sharks, Oilers vs. Flames, etc. every year) -divisional round winners re-seeded using some new method other than total points -Stanley Cup Western Conference Los Angeles Kings San Jose Sharks Anaheim Ducks Arizona Coyotes Vancouver Canucks Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Winnipeg Jets Minnesota Wild Colorado Avalanche St. Louis Blues Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Chicago Blackhawks Columbus Blue Jackets Nashville Predators Eastern Conference Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Florida Panthers Carolina Hurricanes Philadelphia Flyers Brooklyn Islanders New Jersey Devils New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs Quebec EXPANSION Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Toronto EXPANSION Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Pittsburgh Penguins

Houston is a much better expansion option than Portland, however, there are some cities that I think would be better. My favorite two options will appear at the bottom: Based on current attendance averages per game of all current domestic hockey leagues, these are the teams that rank the highest (the Canadian Hockey Leagues attendance statistics are taken from last season...I can't find the attendance figures ANYWHERE!). Includes AHL, ECHL, CHL, SPHL, QMJHL, WHL, OHL, NCAA Div. I, USHL, and NAHL teams (the Federal Hockey League, NCAA Div. III, and Canadian Interuniversity Sport college teams are not listed) 1. North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND) 11,750 2. Quebec Remparts (Quebec City, PQ) 10,525 3. Minnesota Golden Gophers (Minneapolis, MN) 9,771 4. Wisconsin Badgers (Madison, WI) 9,419 5. Hershey Bears (Hershey, PA) 9,085 6. London Knights (London, ON) 8,859 7. Fort Wayne Komets (Fort Wayne, IN) 7,829 8. Calgary Hitmen (Calgary, AB) 7,428 9. Lake Erie Monsters (Cleveland, OH) 7,184 10. Providence Bruins (Providence, RI) 7,076 11. Hamilton Bulldogs (Hamilton, ON) 7,067 the list above is all of the teams whose per game attendance is above 7,000. 2. Quebec Remparts (Quebec, PQ) 10,525 16. Houston Aeros (Houston, TX) 6,370 38. Missouri Mavericks (Independence, MO) 5,335 62. Las Vegas Wranglers (Las Vegas, NV) 4,514 72. Portland Winterhawks (Portland, OR) 4,085 the list above includes most of the cities commonly thrown around as potential NHL franchises The 229-team list I have compiled so far (without NCAA Div III, FHL, and CIS teams) is a pretty good representation of a city's hockey appreciation during the NHL lockout (the Canadian Hockey League's 2011-12 attendances may be higher than average considering that playoff hockey reports are usually higher than mid-season per-game averages). Some of my conclusions: This list of 229 teams ranked in the order of per-game attendance averages is, if nothing else, probably a great representation of which cities should have AAA (AHL) teams. Have a look: "2nd tier North American pro hockey league" Western Conference Ontario, CA Victoria, BC Kelowna, BC Calgary, AB Grand Forks, ND Denver, CO Houston, TX San Antonio, TX Minneapolis, MN Duluth, MN Madison, WI Chicago, IL Fort Wayne, IN Grand Rapids, MI Toledo, OH Eastern Conference London, ON Toronto, ON Windsor, ON Kitchener, ON Hamilton, ON Orlando, FL Cleveland, OH Rochester, NY Hershey, PA Bridgeport, CT Providence, RI Quebec, PQ Boston, MA Halifax, NS St. John's, NL USING CURRENT "MINOR LEAGUE" (NO NCAA/JUNIOR) TEAMS Eastern Conference Northeast Division St. John's IceCaps WPG Providence Bruins BOS Bridgeport Sound Tigers NYI Toronto Marlies TOR W-B/Scranton Penguins PIT Atlantic Division Hershey Bears WDC Syracuse Crunch TB Rochester Americans BUF Hamilton Bulldogs MTL Lake Erie Monsters COL Southeast Division Orlando Solar Bears NYR Norfolk Admirals ANA Charlotte Checkers CAR Gwinnett Gladiators PHX Florida Everblades NJ Western Conference Central Division Toledo Walleye CHI Fort Wayne Komets OTT Grand Rapids Griffins DET Evansville IceMen PHI Chicago Wolves VAN Midwest Houston Aeros MIN San Antonio Rampage FLA Texas Stars DAL Missouri Mavericks STL Colorado Eagles NSH Pacific Utah Grizzlies CGY Ontario Reign LA Stockton Thunder EDM Bakersfield Condors CBJ Alaska Aces SJ *I tried to keep all of the current affiliations for the current teams The best choices for NHL expansion are suburban Toronto and Quebec City (the NHL is really undervaluing Canadian cities) *does anyone have the 2012-13 CIS/Canadian Hockey League per-game attendance figures or know of where I can at least begin looking? Go Mavs

I think pro sports teams should reflect their hometowns. The Pittsburgh Pirates should be from Pittsburgh. The New York Yankees should be from New York.

I have discovered the most perfect tournament format ever, it came to me in a dream. It looks like this and reminds me of the zodiac and some international, neutral-site, soccer tournaments: Conference ABCDEF Division ABC Team A Team B Team C Division DEF Team D Team E Team F Conference GHIJKL Division GHI Team G Team H Team I Division JKL Team J Team K Team L In this tournament format, one team must face the other two teams in its division once (2 games) and the best goes on to play in the Conference Finals (1 game) and then the Finals (1 game). This is the best tournament format because the number of regular season games are equal to the number of playoff games and the schedule is balanced. The format is similar to the organization of the zodiac signs: Masculine Conference Fire Division Cardinal-Aries Fixed-Leo Mutable-Sagittarius Air Division Mutable-Gemini Cardinal-Libra Fixed-Aquarius Female Conference Earth Division Fixed-Taurus Mutable-Virgo Cardinal-Capricorn Water Division Cardinal-Cancer Fixed-Scorpio Mutable-Pisces I do not know why this arrangement is so prevalent in my life right now, but I can say that the format has limited characteristics and intriguing. 12 teams 2 conferences 4 divisions 3 teams per division *each team plays its divisional opponents twice, the best play the same amount of games in regular season as in the postseason Are there any tournaments which have this particular format that anybody can think of? It would interesting to know. I think the Cuban Baseball League has 16 teams in 4 divisions, which would require the first and second place teams to advance from each division to ensure that the same amount of postseason games equal the amount of regular season games (theoretically), but the second placed team in the division is not the best, so... It's something that interesting to me.

Throw you in the Atlantic. Sincerely, Max

There is no way to keep even conferences of 15-teams in each and keep the farthest west teams from the eastern time zone in the "eastern" conference. Eastern Time Zone (16) FLA, TB, BOS, NYI, CAR, NYR, NJ, PHI, WDC, MTL, PIT, OTT, BUF, CBJ, TOR, DET Central Time Zone (6) NSH, STL, CHI, DAL, MIN, WPG Mountain Time Zone (4) COL, PHX, CGY, EDM Pacific Time Zone (4) LA, ANA, SJ, VAN 2 conferences of 15 teams will leave one team from the Eastern TZ to play in the Western Conference. Fact. Detroit should be that team, but the division should also include the Maple Leafs, which would allow the Predators to play in the Eastern Conference against teams in the Southeastern United States. This is a favor for Wings fans. A TOR-MTL Stanley Cup? This idea is unimaginable!

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION Florida Tampa Bay Boston NY Islanders Carolina NY Rangers New Jersey Philadelphia (the most crowded geographic cluster of teams join the remnants of the Southeastern Conference, South Florida already has a few major sports rivalries with teams from NY/NJ area and are often put in the same conference as teams from New England in other sports) EAST DIVISION Washington Montreal Pittsburgh Ottawa Buffalo Nashville Columbus (essentially the "Midwest Division" of the Eastern Conference, Capitals-Penguins, Blue Jackets-Penguins rivalries, 7-team division including MTL and OTT provides space for Quebec City franchise) WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION Toronto Detroit St. Louis Chicago Dallas Minnesota Winnipeg (Maple Leafs played in the Western Conference with Wings, Blackhawks, and Blues before NHL moved to 6-divisions; Wild and Stars compete in same division with Jets, 7-team division including STL provides space for Kansas City franchise) WEST DIVISION Colorado Phoenix Los Angeles Anaheim San Jose Calgary Edmonton Vancouver ("the real western conference," Minnesota and Winnipeg should be included in this division, other than that, a pretty easy job with this one) I hope the Red Wings will like this plan. They'll be upset playing in the West, but I gave them the Maple Leafs, Stars, Jets, Wild, all of their divisional foes from the Central Conference and banished the Blue Jackets and Predators. Detroit isn't in the Eastern Division/Conference of any major sport. The NHL has a geographic center for its franchises the farthest east of all of the major sports. Detroit has 15 teams to its east and 14 teams to its west. However, Columbus practically shares the same 83rd longitudinal degree with Detroit, but I think the Red Wings would be happier playing their old foes in the Western Conference than deal with the Senators, Sabres, Predators, Blue Jackets, Capitals, Canadiens, and Penguins on a regular basis. Any Red Wings fans on here?