[Notary Sojac]

Beat me to the punch. I'm not a big fan of soccer on the field but I do think the tiered leagues are a great innovation.

If the bottom four teams in the NFL got dropped to a minor league, you sure would get rid of a lot of complacency and nepotism in front offices.

[Colonel_Flagg]

I do think the tiered leagues are a great innovation.

The English have been doing it since 1888. It's a good system and not only does it reward excellence and punish poor play, it's also not the end of the world for a competently run club to be relegated.

[Dr. Sivana]

Beat me to the punch. I'm not a big fan of soccer on the field but I do think the tiered leagues are a great innovation.

If the bottom four teams in the NFL got dropped to a minor league, you sure would get rid of a lot of complacency and nepotism in front offices.

I agree 100%, but mainly for baseball, because

1. It already has a healthy minor league system.

2. Baseball has way too many playoff teams. Football has a 16 game schedule, so a lot of times the best team is NOT the one with the best record. Baseball has 162 games. If that is not enough to pick your representative, what is?

The relegation business keeps interest in cellar dwelling teams to the end of the season, where the fans will go to try to keep them out of the cellar, or maybe to taunt them into it, and pennant races remain pennant races, so teams will play to the end of the season instead of resting pitchers once a wildcard spot is sewn up.

[dfwgator]

Beat me to the punch. I'm not a big fan of soccer on the field but I do think the tiered leagues are a great innovation.

What's fun is The FA Cup gives the lowered-tiered teams a chance to knock off the big boys. In fact last year's Cup Winner, Wigan, got relegated a week after winning the Cup.