The NFL Needs a New Tiebreaker – Recreation
The NFL Needs a New Tiebreaker
Terry Mitchell
After enduring that disgusting final weekend of the NFL regular season, I have come to the conclusion that a new tiebreaker is needed. How a team performs during the final weekend should be the first tiebreaker, with all the current tiebreakers falling in line after that. A team that won its final game would hold the first tiebreaker advantage against a team theyre tied with that lost its final game. If they both lost, both won, or both tied their final game, then the current tiebreakers would take effect in the order that they currently exist. That would accomplish at least three of positive things.
First, a team with a one game lead for a playoff spot, headed into the final weekend, would have more difficulty "backing in" to the playoffs the way Minnesota did this year. By all rights, New Orleans should have made the playoffs instead of the Vikings. They finished with identical records. However, the Saints won their final game, while the Vikings lost theirs. In fact, under the NFLs current crazy tiebreaker system, the Vikings loss, while ultimately not damaging their own playoff hopes, ironically was one of the major factors that kept the Saints out of the playoffs! Under my proposed rule, the Saints would have been in and the Vikings would have been out.
Second, it would keep more playoff berths/positions open going into the final weekend and maintain more excitement and suspense all the way to the end. Currently, a team with a one game lead for a playoff berth, bye, home field advantage, and/or seeding can have that position clinched before the final weekend if they own the tiebreaker over the teams they lead. Under my proposal, that would not be possible. That position would still be open through the final weekend of the season. For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers would not have clinched the home field advantage in the AFC until they beat Buffalo in the final weekend, instead of having it already clinched going into that game.
Third, it would also keep teams with one game leads from having de-facto "byes" during the final weekend. Take Indianapolis for example. The Colts game against Denver this weekend was meaningless to them, even though it meant everything to the Broncos. Although the Colts had only a one game lead over San Diego for the number three seed in the AFC, they owned the tiebreaker over the Chargers. I dont care what anyone says, the Colts, with their lack of effort, effectively rolled over and allowed the Broncos to win, which wasnt fair to Jacksonville and Baltimore, the teams competing with the Broncos for the final AFC playoff spot. Under my proposal, the Colts would have had to win to maintain their third seed in the playoffs.
About The Author
Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, and trivia buff from Virginia, USA. He operates a website - http://www.commenterry.com - on which he posts commentaries on various subjects such as politics, technology, religion, health and well-being, personal finance, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media.
terrymitchell@verizon.net
Why Your Brick-and-Mortar Biz Needs A Website – Domain Name
Why Your Brick-and-Mortar Biz Needs A Website
Kelly Kyrik
The internet has taken over our lives with a vengeance, and has changed the way many of us do business. More and more consumers are now doing their shopping online and, unfortunately, some business owners have felt the pinch.
But there are many small businesses that have been virtually unaffected by the internet boom. Those professionals in the more service-oriented fields - veterinarians, chiropractors, beauticians, dentists and more - do almost all of their work in whats now affectionately know as the brick-and-mortar business, and as such can never be fully replaced by internet technology.
However, many of these businesses, from tiny mom-and-pop stores to small health care centers - have yet to merge onto the information highway, and its costing them plenty; of customers, that is.
Thats because, although traditional advertising phone books, flyers, radio ads, etc. are still widely used, there is no doubt that the most effective advertising now takes place online.
As our society becomes increasingly computer-savvy, consumers are turning more and more to the internet for information and advice on where to do their business. Your potential customers would much rather type your business name into a search engine than ferret out your phone number in some ratty, old phonebook.
And who can blame them
On the web, your potential clients can find out your hours and location 24/7, get a feel for your business philosophies and practices and can learn about your services and pricing without having to listen to annoying hold music or endless phone menus. Even better, they can get all the information they need at their own pace, taking breaks to feed the cat and burp the baby as needed.
Of course, they cant do any of the above unless your small business has its own website, preferably with a recognizable domain name YourBusinessName.com and Search Engine Optimization, which makes your business easier to find on the vast world wide web. Now that so many consumers are turning to the internet to find the services they need, its imperative that your small business has the same or better web presence than that of your competitors.
Luckily, web design now comes in all flavors and sizes, so you wont have to look far to find a designer and a site thats right or you.
Often a simple one-page website is enough for very small businesses; hours, location, contact information and basic services can all be presented in a professional way for your prospective customers. A medical professional may require more pages; perhaps choosing to explain particular procedures and detailing insurance information. And some small businesses prefer to put everything online, from articles and interactive forms to detailed descriptions of their personal business philosophies.
No matter which design and options you choose, your website will reassure and impress potential consumers, leading them directly to your brick-and-mortar door, and leaving you to concentrate on what you do best; running your small business.
About The Author
Kelly Kyrik is the owner of Tech-Know-Girl Web Design - http://www.tech-know-girl.com - which provides custom designed websites to meet all your small business needs. She can be reached at Kelly@Tech-Know-Girl.com or toll-free at 1-877-554-6500.