An Argument to Ignore Power Rankings

[raperry2]

I've seen several threads about preseason power rankings. These threads bother me. So I've decided to share my opinion of power rankings with everyone and start a discussion about the usefulness of power rankings. I find them useless.

Here are my thoughts:

Does anyone remember power rankings being more like a list of the hottest teams rather than a reflection of the current league standings?

I don't even see the point in checking the power rankings anymore. Just look at the standings in your local newspaper and move the Cowboys, Patriots, and whatever team Brett Favre plays for up a couple of spots... And that is your average media opinion of the power rankings over the past several years.

Here is the SI week 17 power rankings from last year:

1. Tennessee Titans 13-3

2. Giants 12-3

3. Panthers 11-4

4. Steelers 11-4

5. Colts 11-4

6. Falcons 10-5

7. Ravens 10-5

8. Patriots 10-5

9. Dolphins 10-5

10. Cowboys 9-6

11. Vikings 9-6

12. Buccaneers 9-5

13. Bears 9-6

14. Jets 9-6

15. Eagles 8-6-1

16. Saints 8-7

17. Chargers 7-8

18. Broncos 8-7

19. Redskins 8-7

20. Cardinals 8-7

21. Bills 7-8

22. Texans 7-8

23. 49ers 6-9

24. Jaguars 5-10

25. Packers 5-10

26. Seahawks 4-11

27. Bengals 3-11-1

28. Raiders 4-11

29. Browns 4-11

30. Chiefs 2-13

31. Rams 2-13

32. Lions 0-15

Holy cat! Don Banks is a genius! He copied the league standings and followed a few other basic rules:

1) Any tie goes to the Cowboys. And 2) Piss Redskins fans off by having a team with at least one team with a worse record ahead of them (Chargers). Power rankings are retarded. Other thoughts?

[bubba9497]

the appeal of power rankings is not that they mean anything, but the fun in discussing how dumb the author is

it is just something to argue about during the long off season, no one takes them serious.

[terrifNick21]

Yeah, they're not meant to be serious. Fact is if you have 4334534 people compile power rankings, odds are that there will be 4334534 different rankings.

[DeMarco Murray 29]

I don't get the hatred. It's almost comical.

The so called media loves Dallas. Dallas hasn't won anything in ten plus years. So why all of the crying in these threads????

[tr1]

I don't get the hatred. It's almost comical.

The so called media loves Dallas. Dallas hasn't won anything in ten plus years. So why all of the crying in these threads????

The pukes are rated 10th in this ranking.

Why? Look at the last game they played last year...and now they have LESS talent on their team.

[WALEOVECHKIN]

The pukes are rated 10th in this ranking.

Why? Look at the last game they played last year...and now they have LESS talent on their team.

Those rankings were before the last week of games last year:

Here is the SI week 17 power rankings from last year:

1. Tennessee Titans 13-3

2. Giants 12-3

Giants record is shown as 12-3, 12 +3 = 15, NFL plays a 16 game schedule thus one can infer that they were taken before the Cowboys took that 44-6 L. Obviously anyone with a functioning brain and two eyes would not rank the Cowboys that high after that drubbing. Even ESPN didn't do it:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking?season=2008&week=18

I agree with the author that off season or preseason power rankings are stupid. I also find it stupid that a team is given a draft "grade" about 3 days after the draft, when none of their picks have done jack except talk up the team that picked them.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

I don't think anyone would have an issue with them if they called them "Arbitrary Rankings" instead of "Power Rankings" lol...

[Hitman#21]

Just something to pass time buy, but your right take Power rankings this time of the year with a grain of salt.

[Outlaw Torn]

Power Rankings are pretty useless but they are fun to look at.

[No_Pressure]

This argument against power rankings should be one word.

Meaningless.

[scyber]

The reasons power rankings exist is b/c of threads like this. As long as people keep arguing over power rankings it means people are clicking through to the media website. As long as power rankings keep getting massive hits, sites will keep publishing them. The only way to make them stop is to stop reading them.

Remember kids, every time you view a power rankings page online, an angel loses its wings!

[DeMarco Murray 29]

The pukes are rated 10th in this ranking.

Why? Look at the last game they played last year...and now they have LESS talent on their team.

All Im saying is this. If the media picks Dallas in the top 1-12 and they continue to lose ... you should be happy.

If they ranked Washington #1 every year and they missed the playoffs every year, that would be great. Same for NY and Philly.

It's not like we sit there and think, man we lost today. I wonder where we fall in John Claytons power rankings! Oh No!

[HighOnHendrix]

The only way to make them stop is to stop reading them.

"But they're irresistible!"

[paloosa]

Power Rankings are based on what? Stats? NO! History? NO! Opinions? YES! So opinions are like ***holes. Everyone has one.

[Voice_of_Reason]

This argument against power rankings should be one word.

Meaningless.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding, give the man a cookie.

[BAFGA]

I don't get the hatred. It's almost comical.

The so called media loves Dallas. Dallas hasn't won anything in ten plus years. So why all of the crying in these threads????

I think the media is catering to a so-called audience. Their basis is probably based on ratings for Dallas games:

http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/2009/01/nfl-numbers-game.html

[artmonkforHOF]

Power Rankings are essentially a popularity contest. If they decided who will win the Superbowl in some sort of American Idol fashion, they would use power rankings, since neither tell you who the best actually is, just who is perceived to be the hottest at the moment.

which confuses the heck out of me when people get upset at where the Skins are in the power rankings. who gives a flyin fadoo what other people think, especially since the ones who complain are such hardcore fans that the only power rankings list they would accept is Skins #1, and some would still see something wrong if the Cowboys where not removed from the list entirely.

The Skins will always be #1 too me, but I am a realist, and know when the team has a real shot of going all the way, and when they will need to have every break go their way just to sniff the playoffs and adjust my expectations accordingly.