In the final games of the season, several teams start considering the possibility of tanking, which often leads to less competitive and less appealing matchups. Recently, Bill Belichick has presented the NFL with a simple yet controversial solution to address this issue.
The NFL consistently aims to provide fans with exciting games week after week. While playoff contenders fight relentlessly on the field, teams already eliminated often lack similar motivation.
Tanking becomes a tempting option for teams with poor seasons. With the upcoming NFL Draft on the horizon, the prospect of securing a higher draft pick can influence their strategies. Although losing intentionally is prohibited, it’s challenging to determine if teams are subtly orchestrating losses.
Bill Belichick proposes a new draft system to combat tanking
When a team is eliminated early, speculation about tanking inevitably follows. For struggling teams, the idea of avoiding further wins to improve draft positioning becomes a plausible strategy.
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Although intentionally losing violates NFL rules, teams may adopt subtler tactics, such as benching starters or experimenting with new plays. These decisions often result in lower-quality games, disappointing fans.
The NFL recognizes the problem tanking poses to its reputation and fan experience. However, the current system still incentivizes losing to secure better draft slots. Could Bill Belichick have the answer?
Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion and one of the most respected minds in football, believes the league must address this issue promptly. Now the head coach of the UNC Tar Heels, Belichick suggests that the NFL adopt a draft lottery system similar to the NBA’s. This approach would make the process fairer and reduce incentives for teams to tank.
Bill Belichick, former head coach of the New England Patriots
“I was never involved in [tanking] but I don’t know what happens somewhere else,” Belichick said, per Awful Announcing. “It’s different than the NBA. The NBA kind of rectified that by having a lottery. So even if you’re the worst team, you’re not guaranteed the first pick. In the NFL, that’s not quite the case. If you are the worst team, you do get the first pick.
“Personally, I don’t think it would be a bad idea for the competitiveness of the sport to do something similar to what basketball does with those lottery picks. Then we wouldn’t be having this conversation — well we might be having it, but there’d be other circumstances besides just your record. There’d be actually a lottery part of it.”
How does the NBA Draft lottery system work?
The NBA Draft lottery determines the order of the top picks while discouraging tanking. The 14 non-playoff teams are entered, with odds based on their records. A random draw decides the top four picks, and the rest are ordered by record.
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This system adds unpredictability, making it harder for teams to secure a top pick by losing. It aims to keep games competitive and prevent poor performance from being overly rewarded.
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