Picture of the Day May 27, 2009
Memorial Day 2009
The picture was taken Monday.RELEGATIONImagine, if you will, that American sports leagues operated like all leagues around the world.
Take baseball.
What if the teams didnot have a farm system like they do now. That all minor league teams were individually owned, and sought players for their teams instead of being supplied to them by the major league clubs.
Then imagine that the way the system worked was as such:
When the major league season ended, the three teams at the bottom of the standings would be sent to the International League, otherwise known as Triple A. After a check of the standings, and let's say the season ended today. Washington, Oakland, and Baltimore would no longer play in the major leagues. The top three teams in Triple A would move up and play Major League Baseball next year.
Imagine some years, the Red Sox were bad enough that they got relelgated to AAA. They would not play the Yankees, or the Mets, or any other MLB club, until they finished in the top 3 in AAA. But at the same time, the bottom 3 teams AAA would get sent down to Double A ball, and the top 3 AA teams would play AAA.
Through the years, the Vermont baseball team would probably move up and down. As they move up, you have a better chance of getting better players.
Or the Mountaineers, who play down in Montpelier, might have moved up to A ball by now.
This is how leagues play in other countries.
Soccer, for instance.
Margie watches the English Premier League. 20 teams. Every year, 3 get sent down to the Coca Cola Championship league, while 3 teams get promoted to the Barclay's Premier League.
Margie's team is Newcastle.
Sunday, Newcastle finished 18th out of 20 teams. They got relegated.
Next year Newcastle will not play Manchester United. Or Arsenal, or Chelsea, or Liverpool. They will play teams like Cardiff. Or Sheffield Wednesday. Or Bristol City.
Players' salaries will be cut. Some will not want to play Championship soccer and will want to leave.
Imagine the Red Sox, or Yankees having to spend a season playing Rochester, or Toledo, or Pawtucket. Would Derek Jeter want to stay with the Yankees? Would Dice-K take a pay cut to stay with the Sox, or would he want out?
Margie is not happy. She's worried about her team. About who wants out, and who wants to stay. Some players are already committing themselves to the team to get them back up to the Premier League.
Leeds United was once one of the top teams in the WORLD. After having a bad season and being relegated, things got worse, and I think they are now in the equivelent of Double A, or two leagues down from the Premier League.
So think about the football for a sec. Instead of finishing last and getting the first pick in the NFL draft, the Detriot Lions would not be playing in the NFL, but get sent to play in the Canadian Football League, instead.
Better yet, remember the Boston Celtics when they finished last, got Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, and then went out the next year and won the championship? Instead, after finishing last, the Celtics would have spent a year playing teams like the Vermont Frost Heaves.
Think Paul Pierce would have hung around for that?
