Role Reversal: How Would They Fare?

With the Barclays Premier League kicking off this past weekend and the NFL in early September, I thought it would be interesting to see how the Detroit Lions and Manchester United would have fared in each other’s league over the last 50 years.

 

Below is a list of major comparisons between the two leagues.

NFL                                                                                                            BPL
1: Weakest teams are given the easiest schedule.                                     1: All teams play the same schedule.

2: No team is kicked out of the league.                                                       2: Bottom three teams are kicked out or relegated each season.

3: Majority of costs to build new stadiums are paid by                               3: Majority of costs are paid by the club owners.

local and state governments.

4: Super Bowl champion is determined via a                                             4: No playoff system, the best team during the season

playoff system.                                                                                               wins the Premier league trophy.

 

As you can see the Detroit Lions, our lovable losers, would have had a tough go across the pond. The team would have been relegated multiple times over the years, perhaps saving Lions’ fans fifty years of agony and grief.

Meanwhile Manchester United also would face new challenges. Although they could never be relegated in the NFL, they would have won fewer titles with the playoff system in place.

Although here in America we take great pride in our capitalistic economic model, it appears that the BPL could teach the NFL a thing or two about how to operate a sports league on a capitalistic model versus a socialist model.

How are the teams faring in their current leagues? Each will have a new look coaching staff in the upcoming season. After finishing seventh in the Premier League last season (their worst finish in decades) Manchester United fired coach David Moyes in favor of Dutchman Louis Van Gaal, who they hope will breathe new life into the most popular soccer club in the world.

In Detroit, Jim Caldwell was brought in to replace the fiery Jim Schwartz after a disappointing end to last season. In a bit of role reversal, Man U is on a down slide that is not normally expected from the club while the Lions have a sense of cautious optimism that is also not normally expected from the club.

Regardless of which team you like or which league you follow, each team hopes to thrive under their new personnel.