Would you rather be like the Twins and win the division but then flame out in playoffs or miss the playoffs entirely? Is the excitement of winning the division worth the subsequent bitter disappointment? Cue the Cub fans.
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I would rather play as long as I possibly could until the league told me I couldn't play anymore.
Ask the Red Sox. 
I'd rather have my team at least win something. Besides, unless your team wins the World Series, you're going to end up disappointed.
Stu
Stu
When I first started following pro sports closely, I was a Dallas Cowboys fan and they had just started a streak of many consecutive years of playoff appearances under Tom Landry. My parents and I were so proud of the fact that the Cowboys would go to the playoffs every year. If they went to the Super Bowl that was gravy. Actually I thought it was a league rule that the Cowboys go to the playoffs every year in those long ago days! 
The Twins are my team, and I would rather win the Division than not. I'd also like to win in the Playoffs, but "flaming out" is better than not making it to the Playoffs.
Julie
I'd also like to win in the Playoffs, but "flaming out" is better than not making it to the Playoffs.Julie
quote:Originally posted by Three Bagger:
My parents and I were so proud of the fact that the Cowboys would go to the playoffs every year.
Proud no more...no so long as Jerry Jones is the owner.
This is the Buffalo Bills question. Just 1 Super Bowl appearance and a win vs. 4 straight appearances but all losses? Wonder how those players feel? Personally, I think sustained performance good enough to reach the playoffs consistently is more impressive.
quote:Originally posted by MN-Mom:
The Twins are my team, and I would rather win the Division than not.
Julie
No matter the sport, only one team gets to win their last game.
Four days ago, the Twins fans had the same excitement and good feelings for the future as the Yankees fans. Those good feelings are worth something. Without the central division title, the Twins fans would have never experienced those feelings of excitement and hope. As a down on their luck Indians franchise, I would have loved to have lost three straight to the Yankees for the slim possibilities alone and not withstanding the disappointment.
My son has played in many big games in college and high school and has always come out on the short end of the stick. Always ends his season in tears by losing his last game. Would I trade those painful experiences for the alternative (not to have been there in the first place)? No way. No way in hell.
Here is a song that speaks to this very issue... enjoy...
The Dance
quote:Originally posted by MN-Mom:
The Twins are my team, and I would rather win the Division than not.
Julie
I agree Julie- and I think even in losing that way, some value can come out of it in the future as the young players gain playoff experience and perhaps develop an attitude that they never want to go down that way again!
I think it would make me work even harder during the off season as I would be a little "cheesed off" at how it ended!
So... it starts in steps, first step is getting in, next is learning to finish the games. Rooting for a team like the Twins would definitely be a lot easier than my Mets! but.... I am a prisoner of my own misguided allegiance!
The Twins won their division. You can say you where there and got the tee shirt.
Fran Tarkington once said regarding his failure to win a Super Bowl despiter his numerous appearances "Better to be here and lose than to be home watching on TV"
To quote Marv Levy, "When it's all said and done we still won four consecutive AFC championships."
quote:Originally posted by RJM:
To quote Marv Levy, "When it's all said and done we still won four consecutive AFC championships."
The Bills are a good example for this topic along with the Vikings.
One thing most people don't want to acknowledge is luck. Scott Norwood hits a fairly routine kick and the Bills are viewed entirely differently right now. Someone other than Adam Viniteri kicking for New England and perhaps people don't fuss over Tom Brady the way they do right now.
The BRAVES 14 straight playoff appearances but only a single World Series title compares to the Bills finishes. I heard Bobby Cox comment that the Braves actually played better in the two Series they lost than the Title win.
The Garth Brooks song, linked by Cleveland Dad, pretty much sums up that it's all about the "chance." The problem for us is the failures lead to lows that surpass the highs of the successes.
Prime Jr. played two H.S. State Championships winning and losing one each. He still is anguished by the one that got away and doesn't talk much of the win. BUT I know he wouldn't trade the experience of having been there.
The Garth Brooks song, linked by Cleveland Dad, pretty much sums up that it's all about the "chance." The problem for us is the failures lead to lows that surpass the highs of the successes.
Prime Jr. played two H.S. State Championships winning and losing one each. He still is anguished by the one that got away and doesn't talk much of the win. BUT I know he wouldn't trade the experience of having been there.
There is a big disappointment but when all is said and done, in any sport, the achievement of winning a team's division and a chance to play towards any championship game is an incredible, when you think about the odds against you.
I never understood the expression "the road to Omaha" until son went to school. They ain't kidding, it is a ride for sure and a long one as well.
Twins have nothing to be ashamed of, a great experience for a lot of young players, they played their hearts out(while missing lots of key players) to get to where they did, and accomplished far more than others did for 2010.
I never understood the expression "the road to Omaha" until son went to school. They ain't kidding, it is a ride for sure and a long one as well.
Twins have nothing to be ashamed of, a great experience for a lot of young players, they played their hearts out(while missing lots of key players) to get to where they did, and accomplished far more than others did for 2010.
On this topic is it possible that some teams are built for the long haul season and others are built in such a way that they fare better in the playoffs. I feel that a team like Philadelphia with its big three and its number of Hr hitting guys will fair better in a playoff scenario than say the Reds or Twins with only one or no top flight starters and in the Twins case less overall power. The playoffs are really designed for the team that has the best three starters you can run out there.
We're gonna win Twins, we're gonna score!
They are my team too. Very proud of them.
Especially my future nephew in law Joe. My niece, along with thousands of other 15 to 30 year old MN girls, is nuts about him.
They are my team too. Very proud of them.
Especially my future nephew in law Joe. My niece, along with thousands of other 15 to 30 year old MN girls, is nuts about him.
As a sales guy someone once told me there is "no opportunity without an order". There is also, obviously, no chance of winning the World Series without making the playoffs so I think the answer is obvious.
There is I think another side to the argument and like most things that focus on losing, the Cubs represent that position the best of any team. The Cubs won back to back division Championships and got swept both times by the Dodgers. It was very apparent that their ball club was not put together for playoff baseball but because of their divisional championship, the club pretty much kept the same players around. They had players who swung for the fences and despite success during the regular season feasting on, at times, marginal pitching, fall flat on their faces in the playoffs facing the best of the best. They also had a marginal defensive ball club at best. What the playoffs are all about obviously is top of the line pitching, defense and excellent situational hitting. The Yanks and Phils are in another league in this regard.
Therefore if the management of a team that wins the division but gets outclassed and swept in playoffs deludes itself into thinking that all they are is a couple of breaks away from getting to the Championship series, you could argue they would have been better off not making the playoffs and instead make the necessary changes to get better. Certainly the Cubs did not do that and the postscript to this hypothesis is the Cubs ended up below Houston this year in the standings.
And finally from a fan's perspective after the second sweeping all I could think of is what a complete joke the Cubs were and that they didn't belong with the other playoff teams and that it was a wasted emotional investment on my part.
Of course this perspective comes from Cub-land and I didn't mean to demean real MLB teams like the Twins and Reds. The Twins really did miss Morneau and his absence put a lot of pressure on Mauer. And the Yanks may have the payroll but they know how to grind out AB's and wear down pitchers at the plate.
Therefore if the management of a team that wins the division but gets outclassed and swept in playoffs deludes itself into thinking that all they are is a couple of breaks away from getting to the Championship series, you could argue they would have been better off not making the playoffs and instead make the necessary changes to get better. Certainly the Cubs did not do that and the postscript to this hypothesis is the Cubs ended up below Houston this year in the standings.
And finally from a fan's perspective after the second sweeping all I could think of is what a complete joke the Cubs were and that they didn't belong with the other playoff teams and that it was a wasted emotional investment on my part.
Of course this perspective comes from Cub-land and I didn't mean to demean real MLB teams like the Twins and Reds. The Twins really did miss Morneau and his absence put a lot of pressure on Mauer. And the Yanks may have the payroll but they know how to grind out AB's and wear down pitchers at the plate.