New NFL Divisions by Geography- Ringo's Suggestions
Do you ever sometimes just feel like you need a change? Whether it’s a new haircut, a new shirt, or moving to a new city- sometimes change is good. After the draft, I started doing some thinking. That’s always dangerous haha! Seriously though, why is Buffalo not in the AFC North? I mean they’re on the border with Canada for Pete’s sake. And why is Miami not in the AFC South? They’re the southernmost big city in the continental United States. I’m sure it was done for monetary reasons, but isn’t it time for a change? Why not make the divisional teams closer in proximity to each other? Maybe this could inject some juice into some fan bases and create some new rivalries. So, without further adieu, here are my suggestions for new divisions.
AFC East
NY Jets
NY Giants
New England
Philadelphia
The Big East and the Battle of New York- fuhgettaaboudit! How intense would it be for New Yorkers to watch this rivalry develop twice a year? J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets! Pretty cool- I guarantee it! Also a little NY Giants- New England Super Bowl rematch. The Battle of the Chowdah- red or white, Manhattan or New England style? That’s a wicked pissa!
AFC North
Buffalo
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Detroit
The Rust Belt Division- Detroit and Cincinnati/Cleveland can get a little Michigan-Ohio rivalry going- just like college except both teams in the NFL usually stink haha! They should play those games in The Horseshoe and Michigan Stadium. Hail to the Victors! Another benefit, three of the teams can take a boat ride down Lake Erie for their games with the exception of Cincinnati. Coronavirus for everyone on the Lido deck.
AFC South
Tennessee
Atlanta
Tampa Bay
Miami
The SEC- Tennessee, Georgia, and two Florida teams (Jacksonville doesn’t count- they might move to London soon anyway). The Battle for Florida would be epic just like those great games with Florida State, The U, and the Gators. In addition, the world’s largest cocktail party sequel- Georgia vs the Florida teams. Miami is the southernmost city in the NFL. Why they’re in the AFC East and not the AFC South is mind boggling to me.
AFC West
Kansas City
Denver
Las Vegas
Arizona
The Mountain West Desert Division, Kansas City is on the way to the Western U.S. and then it’s the Battle of the Rocky Mountain teams- Denver, Arizona, and Vegas with plenty of shootouts. Don’t forget about the Raiders cool new stadium- The Death Star.
NFC East
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Washington
Carolina
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Baltimore and Washington are pretty close to each other. Fans could enjoy the Battle of the Beltway Washington-Baltimore rivalry. The only thing that could rival it is the bi-partisan bickering in Congress. In addition, newly hired Washington head coach Ron Rivera can take on his old team, Carolina, twice a year.
NFC North
Minnesota
Green Bay
Chicago
Indy
The only change here is Indy replaces Detroit, but it feels like the Big Ten conference. The Colts can get a Super Bowl rematch twice a year with the Bears, but nothing compares to the Bears-Packers rivalry. Just think how much better it would be if the Bears offense could actually score a TD.
NFC South
Dallas
Houston
New Orleans
Jacksonville
This has Friday Night Lights written all over it with the Battle of Texas. Texans can drop everything and tune in too see who’s the top dog in the Lone Star State- Houston or Dallas? Next door, New Orleans can develop a rivalry with both of their neighbors to the West.
NFC West
LA Rams
LA Chargers
San Francisco
Seattle
The Pac-10/ I-5 Pacific Coast Highway Conference. I’m not sure if LA can support two NFL teams, but if it can how about a UCLA-USC type rivalry in the Battle for L.A.?
Well those are my suggestions. Some of the oldest NFL rivalries are great and should remain in tact. After all it’s tradition. However, there are plenty of others where some tinkering could do some good. It’s time for new rivalries to emerge and energize their fan bases. What do you think?