NFL Realignment.

So, it's a slow time of year for sports blogging. It's time for me to manufacture some news. Similar to the National League style of baseball, I have to bunt the runner over, steal third base and sacrifice fly him home. So here's something a little different.

So what would happen if the NFL adopted the NBA's alignment strategy? Just throw teams in the East or West with no regard to historic rivalries? It would look a little something like this.

Standings based on how the teams are doing this year.

East

Northeast

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Giants
3. New York Jets
4. Buffalo Bills

Wouldn't have to do much traveling in this division. You already have three teams in one division. The Jets, Giants and Pats could develop a Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders like triangle rivalry.

East Coast


1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Washington Redskins

Baltimore vs. Washington could turn out to be a pretty good natural rivalry, and you also have the Skins vs. Eagles still. As usual, the Panthers are left without a real rivalry. Just like it seems to be in real life.

Mideast

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns

You still have the three teams that are in the AFC North, and also the Colts, who don't really have a natural rivalry anyways.


Southeast

1. Miami Dolphins
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As a Dolphins fan, I would like this division, right now at least. It is extremely winnable. Four teams from three different conferences.


West

Northwest


1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

Do these teams belong in the West? Maybe not, but we know there are always more sports teams in the eastern part of the country. Other then that, this is the one division that remains completely unchanged.

West Coast

1. San Diego Chargers
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Oakland Raiders

Four teams on the West Coast and none in Los Angeles? Still, the Niners and Raiders are a natural rivalry. The Chargers should own this division for right now.

Midwest

1. Denver Broncos
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. St. Louis Rams
There is a long way between Denver and Nashville, but as always, there is one division that kind of gets the leftovers. At least the Missouri teams can form a rivalry. If you call two horrible teams who happen to play in the same state a rivalry. This can also be called the I-70 division.

Southwest

1.New Orleans Saints
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Houston Texans
There is also a long way between Phoenix and New Orleans. This is probably the biggest hodge podge of all the divisions. Houston and Dallas could form a rivalry, but other then that, nothing really here.

And to be an even bigger nerd, here's the hypothetical playoff and Super Bowl predictions!

East

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. New England Patriots
4. Miami Dolphins
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. New York Giants

Wild Card

New England Patriots over New York Giants
Miami Dolphins over Cincinnati Bengals

Divisional

Indianapolis Colts over Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots over Philadelphia Eagles

East Championship


Indianapolis Colts over New England Patriots


West

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Denver Broncos
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. Green Bay Packers


Wild Card

San Diego Chargers over Green Bay Packers
Arizona Cardinals over Denver Broncos

Divisional

New Orleans Saints over Arizona Cardinals
San Diego Chargers over Minnesota Vikings

West Championship

San Diego Chargers over New Orleans Saints

Super Bowl

San Diego Chargers over Indianapolis Colts

Okay, extreme nerd moment over. Please come back to my blog one day!