I know where you are coming from Stub, but take the NHL for instance, they have to have the play offs because they don't have a league where everyone plays each other the same amount of times. That is why I don't like the play off system in football in any shape or form. For example, you could be the team in 3rd position and be 14 points clear of the team in 4th ( 4 clear overall wins and 2 draws better than the next side) then you go into a play off system and lose out on promotion with possibly the 6th rated side going up, its not right. To win the league in hockey has to be the best prize of the season, no matter how good a time we all have at the play offs!