Listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning today, I heard a series of very interesting statistics on the subject of parity in sports.
When you stop to think about the subject, on the surface, it seems that there is more parity in the NFL rather than in Major League Baseball. When you think baseball, you immediately think “Yankees” and that brings certain connotations: dynasty, high payroll, luxury tax, rich.
I could go on.
And, most of that would be true. But, Yankees aside, the argument Mike and Mike made quite eloquently this morning is that you have a greater chance to win the World Series if you are an average franchise in the MLB than does an average NFL team of winning the Super Bowl.
The notion of a small club of elite teams in the NFL is spotlighted by the impending rematch between the New England Patriots and New York Giants.
Check out these stats rattled off by the Mikes:
In the NFL, during the Super Bowl era (the last 46 years), a total of 27 of the championships (59%) have been won by six teams. If you’re not part of that elite crowd, your chances aren’t great. Those teams include: Steelers (6), Cowboys (5), 49ers (5), Packers (4), Patriots (3) and Giants (3). One of those last two teams, obviously, will win their fourth Lombardi Trophy.
That ‘inner circle’ represents 19% of the league. The Mikes didn’t mention the Raiders who, also, have won three titles. But, the fact is they haven’t won a title in more than 20 years. So, I guess their 'membership’ in the inner circle has lapsed.
The NFL markets itself, partially, based on the notion that a bad team this year can be great next year. And that’s really true. The 49ers, for example, barely missed going to this year’s Big Game. Last year they were horrible. The Lions, perennial doormats, had a great 2011 season and made the playoffs. The Houston Texans had never before been to postseason but they won the AFC South Division this year.
Who knows which bad team from 2011 will make it to the playoffs next year? But going to the playoffs, alone, doesn’t translate into titles. The Lions were one-and-done; the Texans lost in the AFC Divisional Playoffs and, of course, the 49ers lost that heartbreaker in the NFC Championship Game in OT just the other day.
Now, compare those numbers to the numbers in Major League Baseball.
During the modern era (starting with the advent of free agency, which began in 1976), there are only TWO teams (the Yankees, with seven, and the Cardinals, with three) who have won more than two World Series titles. And, going a bit further, during those 34 years, a total of 20 different teams have won the World Series.
Let’s see if I can remember them by heart: Reds ('76, '90), Yankees ('77, '78, '96, '98, '99, '00, '09), Pirates ('79), Phillies ('80, '08), Dodgers ('81, '88), Cardinals ('82, '06, '11), Orioles ('83), Tigers ('84), Royals ('85), Mets ('86), Twins ('87, '91), A’s ('89), Jays ('92, '93), Braves ('95), Marlins ('97, '03), D'backs ('01), Angels ('02), Red Sox ('04, '07), White Sox ('05), and Giants ('10).
:-) Proud of myself.
But you can see from that long list of World Series Champions, that there is a tremendous chance we’ll see a different champ from one year to the next. Would anyone be surprised to see the Rangers win it all in '12? Or perhaps the Tigers?
The point made on Mike and Mike is a good one. And they really brought out some numbers that really make you stop and think.
Right now, there’s more turnover from year to year at the top in the MLB than in the NFL. Don’t get me wrong? I love the NFL and I know you probably do, too, But honestly, unless you’re a fan of the Giants…Patriots…Steelers…et al…don’t you get a little tired of seeing the same teams at the top over and over?
In the NFL, what are the odds we’ll see someone new at the top next year? Seahawks? Chargers?
Or wouldn’t it be great to see OUR Tennessee Titans hoisting the Lombardi Trophy a year and two weeks from now?
JG
(Source: ESPN)
Originally posted 1/24/2012
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