I think the way the league is today is not structural, but just the result of overpopulation. I've said this before, and I strongly believe in this, it is harder to succeed at a pro level in basketball than it is in something like football. There are no Arian Fosters or Tom Bradys in the NBA - guys who come out of nowhere (Foster was undrafted) and just dominate the league from their positions for years. Since the pool of elite talent in the NBA is comparatively lower, it follows that when you spread an already thin talent pool across 31-32 teams, the competition is going to be less fierce than if that same talent pool was spread across...let's say 20-25 teams.

Separately, I think parity would exist in the NFL even if the league didn't try so hard to foster said parity. I do believe if a Pro Bowl team became a real team next season, it still wouldn't be a lock to in it all because opponents can produce players out of nowhere, whether off the street or late round drafting, and still be competitive.

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Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Plus, if the goal is to tank for several seasons to get higher picks, doesn't that strategy become ineffective after the team presumably becomes somewhat successful and therefore goes back to drafting in the middle or bottom of the pack?

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"getting in the postseason repeatedly does NOT require the lengths they've gone to to rebuild. It would require simply being wise in player acquisitions and rebuilding at the same time, since it's just a matter of getting in
But that doesn't fit their narrative. It's black and white. We've got to rebuild, so screw the major league level team for the next 5 years.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

It IS a matter of getting in. I love how easy it is to sign free agents and make the playoffs in some people's minds. You've over reacted to Theo and gone off the deep end on the other side.

it should be easy for one Theo Epstein.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

Ok, are you talking to me or Bernstein?


Its not easy for anyone

Bernsie. Sorry, thought that was a given.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

I get it.

Its hard on this board. The lines get blurred.

Being as bad as they have been at the major league level has enabled them to land some of the better young talent through the draft. If they were spending some money on free agents to try and be competitve at the major league level, if they had the success that some want, they, in all probability, wouldn't have the minor league system that they are building up. If fans can be patient, this may have a pay-off, but there does need to be results sooner rather than later.

At the same time, they can't claim that winning championships is the only thing that matters and then point to the TB Rays as an example of what the Cubs are doing. It seems to me that they are changing the argument at that point to imply that making the playoffs is good enough because eventually you're win (even though TB hasn't).