Organisation of sport league: USA VS Europe

[Jehan]

You probably notice it but there are two huge differents in sports league between USA and Europe.

* In USA the league are close. When your club is a member of a league, he stay in no matters the result. He can't uprgrade his level. In Europe we mostly have a system of promotion relegation.
I deeply prefer the european system.

*Play off against championships. In US and a little in europe in some sports, teams plays a first championships to qualify themself to the play off. And after they made a competition with team elimination.
I really don't get this system. In europe you have two different competition:
*The championships, everybody play against everybody twice (or more) and the team who have the best result at the end is the champion.
*The cup: team play against other in a direct elimination competition.


So my question is to which type of competition you prefer?
Me I have no doubt I'am an european guy for this.

[Ibericus]

Relegation makes the competition more exciting, because in the bottom of the table they fight for something.

[Linebacker]

The US model seems to be more competitive,and intense competition always breeds the best,not just in sports.

I like the Yank model.

[Jehan]

The US model seems to be more competitive,and intense competition always breeds the best,not just in sports.

How it can be more competitive, when you have no risk of relegation in the lower division?

[Linebacker]

How it can be more competitive, when you have no risk of relegation in the lower division?

Exactly that way,the competition is always there.A competitor of yours cannot disappear by being moved to another division because they had a streak of good or bad luck.

[Tooting Carmen]

Too many broad generalisations in this thread. For example, the Pro12, which is European club rugby's main competition after the English Premiership and the French Top14, has no promotion and relegation. And in answer to the question, it depends on the circumstances - sometimes promotion/relegation is better, sometimes ringfencing is.

[Jehan]

Exactly that way,the competition is always there.A competitor of yours cannot disappear by being moved to another division because they had a streak of good or bad luck.

For me that's a good thing. A competitor who are not strong enought to keep his place is eject of the competition. It force club to be always at the top and don't totally sleep during a season.
As ibericus said, with relegation there is intense competition also in the bottom of the classment.

Too many broad generalisations in this thread. For example, the Pro12, which is European club rugby's main competition after the English Premiership and the French Top14, has no promotion and relegation. And in answer to the question, it depends on the circumstances - sometimes promotion/relegation is better, sometimes ringfencing is.

I generalyzed a bit. I was also thinking to the pro 12 in rugby and many other close league in ice hockey.

[Tschaikisten]

US sport-70% marketing 30% sport.

[Iltirbas]

Another thing I don't like about American pro sports leagues is how the draft system promotes mediocrity on purpose by rewarding teams that perform poorly in a given season with the best young players to enter the league the following year (e.g., Philadelphia Sixers, Edmonton Oilers). Teams unlikely to enter the playoffs are encouraged to suck and the top notch talent goes to very bad teams instead of ones which are already competitive or willing to be in the short term.

[Energia]

I don't like their no-relegation/promotion concept but I very like they love MERITOCRATIC sports such as hockey, basketball etc when the REAL stronget team win

in Europe, where we love soccer it happens many time the games are won by 1 goal margin by the weakest squads and that's a pity, especially since they make me loos money on betting...
teams should be awarded points instead of goals.

I can understand why Americans never liked (and keep doing so) soccer