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Tuesday, May 22
Updated: May 23, 12:07 PM ET
 
Upon Further Review: The real realignment

By Joe Lago
ESPN.com

Man, the NFL owners must be one happy bunch. Well, all of them except for the guy wearing sunglasses and the white Vegas Elvis get-up.

Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer (8) could've had his own division named after him.

The morning after the NFL stuck it to public enemy No. 1 Al Davis, they had barely slept off their champagne buzzes ("Uh Georgia, could you pass the Advil?") before taking a mere morning to OK a realignment plan.

And what are the eight four-team divisions realignment has reaped? Essentially a New South for the NFL, a Mason-Dixon line division in the AFC and NFC.

Nevermind that the Cowboys are still an "East" team in the NFC. We applaud the owners for their sentimentality and desire to see grown men wearing pig snouts and dresses at Fed Ex Field grunt at Jerry Jones' boys. However, we would like to have seen a little ingenuity on their part.

The following are divisions the owners missed the boat on ... a true realignment with meaning in this wacky new NFL world order.

Killed by the Salary Cap Division:
Cowboys, 49ers, Packers, Redskins

So Desperate We Considered Trent Dilfer Division:
Cowboys, Chiefs, Redskins, Colts

So Desperate We Had Rick Freakin' Mirer Division:
Seahawks, Bears, Jets, 49ers

Mayflower Moving Van Division:
Colts, Raiders, Rams, Ravens

State Farm Earthquake Insurance Division:
Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego

Gentlemen's Club Paradise Division:
Tampa Bay, New Orleans ... did we mention Tampa Bay?

Second Chance Cities Division:
Baltimore, Houston, Oakland, St. Louis

Mark Cuban Makes Our Owners Look Sane Division:
Cowboys, Redskins, Raiders, Bills

Can't Believe Hockey Is Here Division:
Arizona, Dallas, Miami, Tampa Bay

Southern California Dreamin' Division:
Minnesota, New Orleans, Oakland, New York Jets

Joe Lago is the NFL editor for ESPN.com.





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