No, no, we have playoffs to enhance money making opportunities, to create end-of-year excitement, and crown a champion. (And, ancillilarily, create fun debates on futbol blogs.) The Supporters’ Shield determines the best team.

I feel until the MLS lowers the number of clubs reaching the playoffs or switches to a single table format for good that they will continue to be looked like fools to people in the US and other leagues around the world.

Umm, sure, I guess. But I kinda think that if the teams in the league can start to hold their own internationally that will go a lot farther to dispelling the disdain some idiots chose to spend their time heaping upon MLS.

Having said both those things, I say (1) with the expansion of the league I no longer have a problem with 8 teams making the play-offs, though I have often laughed about the fact that 8 out of 10 teams were making post-season plans.

(2)Playoffs are an acknowledgment that MLS plays in the United States where playoffs happen in almost all sports at all levels. And its not like other leagues don’t have play-offs. The Dutch league uses playoffs to figure out its Champions League teams and the Colaship uses playoffs to determine the 3rd team for promotion. Not having playoffs isn’t necessarily “pure” (and what the hell is “pure” anyway? The original offsides rule required 3 defensive players between the offensive player and the defensive goal. Is “modern” futbol non-pure because they changed that rule?), it just gives Eurosnobs something to gripe about.

(3)I predict that there will never be a “pure” single table because of the geographic constraints of playing in a country with 4 timezones spanning 3,000 miles. We need divisions or conferences or something to deal with the crazy travel times and distances and help spark up regional derbys.