The Gladiators should move down for sake of their program not being folded into obscurity due to not being able to compete.
Inside information says that the Blaze are most likely to be non existent next year, and it's been for told that Helena will also not not have a team again next season. So that leaves only 4 existing teams in Montana with one already in AA and another for sure moving down, meaning 2 Montana teams in each league.
Since the Mustangs agreed to move up to AAA next year regardless, they and the winner of the AAA regular season (Oilers it looks like) should move up. Then if the worst team in Idaho (Bulldogs) moves down with the Gladiators it would keep even numbers and provide some ease to maintaining and creating next years AAA as intact as possible. The Oilers would have to grab another Utah team and take the 2 Montana teams to make a (north) division. And the mustangs would just step right into the Idaho division.
Last place team in the division of the AA winner moves down. If the second place team in AA can come to an agreement with a team in AAA, they can move up too.
One of the reasons for the regular season seedings is to help struggling teams. I'm hoping this structure reduces the number of teams trying to win the AA Championship and then fold (which we've seen each of the past two years) and makes it easier for struggling teams to compete the following year. In the case of the Gladiators, if they are the #4 team in Montana playing the Blaze, Bullets (potentially twice), the Loco Express, the Bulldawgs, the Shock, and the Mudd Ducks--I think they can rebuild this offseason and will be able to compete ok.
I realize some teams will fold (although if the Blaze fold after coming back to the league for one season, I'll be surprised and disappointed), it's the nature of semi-pro football. But, I believe this structure has the ability to promote a little more consistency (by eliminating what used to be a bigger jump from AA to AAA), and for the first time ever naturally accommodate struggling teams while challenging stronger ones from season to season.
As a player for the Sting, if we end the #1 seed will we struggle playing the Stealth twice, Rebels, Rev, Arco, & Blaze next year--probably. But, we know that right now and can prepare for it. Will the Shock have an easier schedule next year than they did this year? Yes. This structure allows us to look past the current season, which I think is huge.
I AGREE WITH BRAD....i have to say that we, the Cobras have had a tough season and some tough games but the transition has been a lot easier than jumping in and just playing the BIG 5. I know what I need to recruit for and after I kidnap a couple guys from the other teams in Salt Lake City we will improve. !!!!!WATCH YOUR BACK!!!!!
Disclaimer: if you read my post, you just became an accomplice to a crime. HAHA!
Lol! I love it Jaye!!! That's one thing I didn't really think of, the new format makes recruiting pretty damn important and a lot more fun. Could see very good players switching teams a bit more often since there are many more options now.
So because the oilers have already won the AA they move up and the Devils get the option as the #2? So if the Oilers move up, would it be last place of Utah North or South that moves down? Or is it winner of the playoffs? If so, that seems very dangerous, in a scenario where a team (like the Lancers or Warriors) gets hot and only needs to win 3 games in the end. All of a sudden a 500 (or losing record) squad, a 5th or 6th place AA team, moves up to a level beyond what they showed they could do; and are punished the whole next season for a very special thing they accomplished and winning the championship is worse for the program than a 1st or 2nd round loss would have been. That leaves us asking why we even play the regular season (other than for playoff seeding) when 6 out of 8 teams make it, and only then are you playing for what truly matters. If we can come up with a clear #1 after 10 weeks then why aren't they the ones who proved themselves worthy of the next level? I know the 5 or 6 seed may not win the playoffs this year, very often, hardly ever, or that it may only happen once. But if this happened even one time it would be totally and completely unacceptable.
-- Edited by random guy on Wednesday 4th of June 2014 03:47:21 PM
I have honestly thought about what would happen if we did go on a run and won the AA championship. We have great players and a great team that can be very successful in AA. But being realistic if we jump to AAA we would have a very hard time competing. We have a few players that could compete in AAA but not 22 guys or even 11. I think it would hurt thermfl more then it would help if we moved up to AAA.
its simple.....DONT WIN.....leave the championship for a team willing to move up.its the same scenario that was argued with the Stampede.the Desperados lost in the championship game to the Stampede, they got the trophy and we moved up anyway.all they had to do was lose OR rather than complain and make excuses, take the offseason to prepare for it.move up, take your l out mps and move down if necessary.if you were surprised to win than losing wouldnt be a huge, new thing for you.i am 100% for teams playing where they want to but im 105% for guys following the by-laws.just lose, baby and it doesnt even matter.
Really saying a team should just lose is crazy and just plain stupid. In reality they took all the top AA teams and moved them up. And they think a bottom team a year ago in AA is going to be able to compete in AAA is crazy. And back to saying a team should just lose is the stupidest thing i have ever heard.
I completely agree but playing a whole season of football to win a championship, knowing what it means and then saying youre not prepared is crazy and stupid too. hey...it was agreed upon by the AA gms too. just like the playoff seeding will hurt at least 2 teams in AAA. as a league, we have to stick to the rules and fix the mistake for the future.if not, we start all over again with teams saying they arent ready and it becomes a decision of who has a better excuse.if you win AA, then give it a try.like i said, teams have from july to april for recruiting.none of the structure should be a surprise at the end of the season.now that teams have found their rhythm and winning is a possibility, its a different story.look at the gladiators this season.theyve only scored 12 points all season and they have a 1 or 2 seed schedule.whoever moves up will have a 4 seed.the cobras were a 4 seed and we have survived.won a few.lost a few.ive always been about playing wherever you want.if the AAA teams fold, we should not force the AA teams to move up.i still say that BUT 1 team from the AA has to move up each season.....the champion or another team thats willing.its the only way to keep the balance.this isnt anything about the lancers or any team in AA.im not saying i believe the lancers are ready for AAA or that i would agree with them moving up BUT those are the rules and thats all we have.i respect every team in the league but we have to stick to the rules or we will fail.lets hope that a team that is not ready to move up does not win.....does that sound better?
-- Edited by GORILLA20 on Wednesday 4th of June 2014 09:00:27 PM
Someone asked me earlier this week, "How many new teams will the RMFL have next year, and will any teams not return?" I just laughed. 3-4 teams will talk about folding over the next 6 months, and probably 1 or 2 will. 3-4 other teams will approach us about joining the RMFL, but again only 1 or 2 will. Someone will talk about starting their own league because of something in the RMFL they don't like, but will likely realize it's way too much work. And a couple of teams will probably talk about merging. I have no idea who any of those people and teams are, but that seems to be about what happens every year. I still remember my first year helping Travis as the Director of Operations and being freaked out because of all the teams talking about folding, not moving up, joining other leagues, etc. He just laughed and said, "Don't worry about it, it happens every year." And, he was right.
Does a 16 team AAA and 8 team AA give us more flexibility to handle new teams, teams moving up, teams folding, etc.? Absolutely. Does it mean that structure (scheduling, playoff seeding, teams moving between the two) is set in stone and will not change from year to year? Of course not. I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about who is going to move up, who is going to move down, who is going to fold, and who is going to join the league--it's impossible at this point and a waste of time.
We will know around December what new teams are applying and have an idea of what teams may not be coming back. Like last year, I will do as much due diligence BEFORE the league meeting to make sure everyone is on the same page. And we will have LOTS of conversations with GMs and players after the season about what they did and did not like, and what small changes we may be able to implement next year to make it even better.
In the meantime, feel free to speculate, discuss, and throw out ideas--they can only help. And don't forget to enjoy the 2014 post season...should be a great ride.
