Why dont we recognize league play with a Trophy

[Ogaju]

That is why there should be a trophy for whoever wins the regular season. It takes a different skill set and team to win an 82 game season. We do not honor that in American sports.

League play and the knockout system are two different seasons why isnt league play recognized?

Perhaps if this is done, there will be less incentive for load management and therefore cheating paying fans of true competition across 82 games.

[Donoghus]

That is why there should be a trophy for whoever wins the regular season. It takes a different skill set and team to win an 82 game season. We do not honor that in American sports.

League play and the knockout system are two different seasons why isnt league play recognized?

Perhaps if this is done, there will be less incentive for load management and therefore cheating paying fans of true competition across 82 games.

They do in hockey.  It's called the Presidents' Trophy.   

Also, no one takes it seriously.

[PhoSita]

In theory, I like the idea of placing more emphasis on winning the regular season, even winning the division.  It provides a more realistic goal of achievement for teams / fans of teams that don't have a realistic chance of winning a title.

I just don't think US fans are wired like that, though.  At least not anymore. 

The teams we remember are the ones that go far in the post-season.  Great regular season teams that underachieve in the playoffs are uniformly considered disappointments (see: 2007 Mavericks). 

Meanwhile mediocre teams that overachieve in the playoffs, whether by playing well or just by luck, are remembered fondly (see: 2007 Warriors).

[ederson]

I don't think is an American fan thing... I ve never heard of a league with playoffs that the regular season winner means anything more than hca

[liam]

Arn't there banners for winning different division and conferences? 

[Somebody]

The only way that the RS cup doesn't become a tinfoil one in such a situation would be making the playoffs a separate competition ala the Champions League.

[PhoSita]

I don't think is an American fan thing... I ve never heard of a league with playoffs that the regular season winner means anything more than hca

I think the main comparison would be soccer, where teams can win their "league" but then you have cross-league tourneys / championships that matter more.  The way to "win" the league is to finish the season with the best record and thereby the most points. 

I confess I don't really know that much about how the premiership works though.


Main problem I see is that American fans don't see "leagues" in that way.  The AFC / NFC are just arbitrarily divided aspects of the NFL.  And in any case, the way to "win" your Conference / League has always been to win multiple playoffs games / series, not to finish the regular season with the best record.

[Ogaju]

looks like Kawhi load problem is a huge discussion this week....how do you solve that other than making the regular season more meaningful.

[fairweatherfan]

I don't think is an American fan thing... I ve never heard of a league with playoffs that the regular season winner means anything more than hca

Doesn't the NHL still have this? The President's trophy?

[Donoghus]

I don't think is an American fan thing... I ve never heard of a league with playoffs that the regular season winner means anything more than hca

Doesn't the NHL still have this? The President's trophy?

Yup.  And no one cares about it.  Because in US sports, a regular season trophy is rather meaningless to most fans.

[Somebody]

There's simply no American sports history for Americans to honour regular season success. People will always think of the regular season as an 82 game grind that you need to sand bag through before the second season starts.

[fairweatherfan]

I don't think is an American fan thing... I ve never heard of a league with playoffs that the regular season winner means anything more than hca

Doesn't the NHL still have this? The President's trophy?

Yup.  And no one cares about it.  Because in US sports, a regular season trophy is rather meaningless to most fans.

Yeah but it exists at least. But if the NBA did such a thing nobody'd care about it either.

It all seems like an artifact of the OG major sport baseball. The regular season WAS how you won your league, then you got to go to the World Series to try for the interleague title. Of course that eventually ended and now the regular season is just a gatekeeper for the playoffs there too.

[CptZoogs]

There's simply no American sports history for Americans to honour regular season success. People will always think of the regular season as an 82 game grind that you need to sand bag through before the second season starts.

I don’t think I entirely agree.  FWF mentioned baseball and for many years college football champions were awarded based off of the entire season.  Off course people eventually rejected it in lieu of a playoff.  My personal opinion is that playoffs are more entertaining but they don’t always result in the best team being crowned champion.

[nickagneta]

In baseball, teams in the American and National leagues compete for the championship pennant for each league.

The NHL has the President's Cup for the team with the most points in the regular season.

In football, you win the Lamar Hunt Trophy for winning the AFC championship and the George Halas trophy for winning the NFC championship.

In American sports, only the team or person that wins the last game, match, competition..... matters. Only they are champions. These other trophies have little meaning to either American fans or the players playing in the American sports leagues.

[SparzWizard]

Be like the Colts and hang participation banners for every accomplishment lol