Parity Shmarity Week 17 Final

Our final Parity Division standings, and some fun facts about parity in the NFL.

PARITY DIVISION FINAL STANDINGS 2013

NYJets       8-8

Miami         8-8

Pittsburgh  8-8

Baltimore   8-8

Dallas         8-8

Chicago      8-8

Green Bay  8-7-1

St. Louis     7-9

Detroit       7-9

Tennessee 7-9

NY Giants  7-9

San Diego  9-7

A rather astonishing 6 teams made 8-8 this year, with 6 teams just one win, tie or loss off from going 8-8.   That's 12 teams hovering around .500.  Is this a record?  No.  In record 2006,  eight teams hit the perfect 8-8, with 7 more one game off .500 (7-9 or 9-7).  That's 15 total teams almost dead center.   That, of course, leaves less 10-loss teams, as we had a mere nine teams that lost 10 games this year.  

The record for most 8-8 teams is 1999, when NINE teams clogged up the road for the ultimate parity party.  The total for teams 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 came to only 13, though.  So, I still think of 2006 as the greatest Parity Clog.

So, this raised the question- has there EVER been a year when no team went .500?   I decided to sift through all the 16-game and 14 game years, back to 1970, the first year after the AFL-NFL merger.   The answer is: 1973, the last year of no overtimes.  There were 7 tie games (14 count in standings), which was more than enough motivation to start playing overtime.  Also 1971, no 7-7, but 8 tie games (16 tie count in standings).

Have any 8-8 teams won their division?  Of course!  But only recently, as there used to be divisions with 5, or even 6, teams in them (now it is 4 in each division), and the likelihood of a .500 team taking the division was almost impossible.  In fact, it didn't happen after the merger until...

In 1985 the Cleveland Browns go 8-8 and win the AFC Central (a four-team division at the time). Who else but the Browns could come through and win a division without a winning record?  Well, not until after 2002, when the alignment switched to eight 4-team divisions.  In 2008, the Broncos and the Chargers TIED for the AFC West with 8-8 records, and the Chargers got the nod.  

Then, of course, in 2010 the incredible NFC West (Worst?) clocked in with a tie at 7-9 of the Seahawks and the Rams.  The Sehags got the nod, and even won a playoff game.  That was a first (a team with losing record winning division/or making playoffs in full season of games). But that's not 8-8, is it?  I'm digressing into Doormat data!

In 2011, the Tim Tebow-led Broncos tied again for the AFC West at 8-8, this time with the Raiders, and the Broncos got the honors, winning the bizarre playoff game against the Steelers,the one the Steelers just did everything they could to lose. The Broncs finally came down to earth against the Patriots the following week, as the Patriots demonstrated that it wasn't all that hard to stop Mr. Tebow, getting pasted 45-10.  

This year, the Packers went 8-7-1, narrowly dodging the 8-8 division winner Parity nightmare.  

And, that's your Parity Shmarity Hilarity for 2013.   

-wacko