If you think about it, the draft system employed by our major sports is contrary to what we teach in America.
How? Life in American is based on the reward model. The better you do the better opportunity will be provided. For example, the better High School student will more than likely get into a better college. Do a great job at the workplace and a higher wage, promotion and advancement await. This reward model is not perfect but I think you get the point. A mindset of wanting to be the best produces favorable results.
So why does American Sports reward the worst performing teams? The worst team, the worst run organization, the worst coaching, the worst everything. Huh?? So in the college example above, the student who receives all F’s gets a call from Harvard? A poorly run business offering a poor product or service has tons of customers and success? Slower runners should start at the front of a marathon? Not a chance. So why is American Sports run in a manner inconsistent with the values we teach?
Let’s take a look at the Florida Marlins in Major League Baseball. Perennial last place losers. Poor organization, very little fan interest and support in Miami, poor ticket sales, poor marketing – not the example of a well-run American company. If this were the free and Capitalistic marketplace, they would be out of business. Instead, they are rewarded (?) with a high draft choice while winning organizations like the Yankees, Red Sox and Cardinals – well run organizations – pick later. Better teams are punished for being better.
In the English Premier League, the top level of English “Football” (soccer), they get it absolutely right. Mind you, England is Socialist but they actually reward the winner and penalize the loser. How? At season end, the bottom 3 clubs are ‘relegated’ and moved DOWN to the league below called English League Championship while the top 3 clubs in English League Championship move UP to the Premier League. Good teams promoted, bad teams demoted. That is the right way to do it. In fact, the excitement surrounding the English Premier League is as much about who is getting relegated and who is getting promoted than who will win the title. At the end of the season, clubs are fighting to stay up with the reward being higher revenues for the club, better players, better coaches, better attendance and interest in the club. Sounds logical to me.
So back to the question of why American Sports do it backwards. Take a look at the NFL. The NFL seeks “parity” by allowing last place teams to draft high so they can improve and be competitive. What a joke. Just look at these NFL teams > Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Raiders and ask yourself, how many more high draft picks do they need to be competitive? Perennial losers being “rewarded” does not necessarily work. The draft system, even with all of the analytics and scouts is imperfect at best. Remember….Tom Brady was passed by all NFL teams 6 times. How can you explain the success of great NFL teams like the Patriots, Steelers, Seahawks and Broncos who pick at the bottom of the draft and yet stay competitive every year. The better teams should be rewarded while the worst teams should be penalized – this provides the incentive for teams to be more successful….
…and not “tank.” When I hear the word “tanking” surrounding NFL or NBA teams it makes me sick to my stomach. If we had the EPL model of Relegation, you would never hear the word tanking. This year, the Phoenix Suns are the worst team in the NBA and apparently, are perfectly OK with that position. How about the fan paying outrageous money to see them play? To be bad so they can be rewarded with a high draft pick that may not work out? Fans, if your club is in tanking mode, stop going, stop watching, stop caring and the message will hopefully be received. Same with the disgraceful Oakland Raiders, trading away great players to get the #1 pick.
Imagine a baseball season where the Marlins, Rays and Mets are fighting to stay up in Major League Baseball while International League teams like Lehigh (PA), Durham (NC) and Columbus (OH) move up because of a great season. That would be great entertainment. All baseball fans would be into watching the outcome.
Hey, the fastest car does not start at the back of the pack. That’s life. As a sports fan, we would be far better off with the Relegation system. Poorly run organizations would HAVE to try harder, be better. That is America.