A suggestion made about the competitive balance issue!

[HPF Bob]

I like the division-opponent idea much better than I like the Kirwin idea. Who wants to watch Cleveland-Buffalo for the early game just because they have nothing to play for?

The division opponent idea is far better, IMO. It won't mean the top teams won't still rest their stars but it is unlikely most teams are going to go into the last two weeks of the season with a three-game division lead so they're going to have to play their stars in most cases.

And, really, who doesn't want to have many of the top contests backloaded on the schedule so their team stays in contention longer?