In 1981, a split-season format forced the first ever divisional playoff series, in which the New York Yankees won the Eastern Division series over the Milwaukee Brewers ( who were in the American League until 1998 ) in five games while the Oakland Athletics swept the Kansas City Royals in three games in the Western Division.

Previously, because of a players ' strike in 1981, a split-season format forced a divisional playoff series, in which the Montreal Expos won the Eastern Division series over the Philadelphia Phillies three games to two while the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros three games to two in the Western Division.

The club shifted over to the West as a result of a playoff format change, the Wizards played against Chivas USA.

After MLB's establishment of the three-division – Wild Card playoff format following the 1993 season, New York Times sports columnist Dave Anderson captured the feeling of many baseball purists regarding the thrilling ( and for Giants fans, heartbreaking ) winner-take-all outcome as the " last pure pennant race.

As a result of the new playoff format, many critics thought the Chiefs entered the playoffs through a " back-door " as the runner up in the Western division.

In doing so, Oakland became the third wild card team to advance to the Super Bowl, and the first wild card team to win three postseason rounds since the NFL expanded to a 10-team playoff format in 1978.

This varies from format to format, and may include extra toss-ups until the score changes, entire toss-up / bonus sets until one team leads at the end of a set, a multiple-toss-up playoff, or a timed period of 1 to 3 minutes.

Unlike the 1976 – 79 Montreal Canadiens, who needed to win three series in the 1976 and 1977 playoffs under the playoff format in place at that time, the Islanders had to win four series in each of their Stanley Cup seasons.

In previous years, the Capitals would have already won the series due to the previous playoff format.

The playoff format was to remain the same, with the top 4 clubs making the playoffs.

Meanwhile, they have yet to advance beyond the second round of any playoff format in their entire Atlanta existence, which now spans 44 seasons.

The seven games separating the Nuggets and the Lakers overall records is the closest margin between an eighth seed and a top seed since the NBA went to a 16-team playoff format in 1983 – 84.

By finishing sixth in the Western Conference, with a record of 47 – 35 ( their highest finish since the team left Buffalo ), they benefited from the current NBA playoff format of regular season records taking precedence over winning the division, and secured home court advantage over the Denver Nuggets instead of traveling to Denver for four games as a No. 6 seed would usually be expected to do.

After trailing the series two-games-to-none, the Oilers won the next four and became the first eighth-seeded team to reach a Conference Final since the NHL changed the playoff format in 1994.

The top New York teams were eventually absorbed into the NFL upon its founding in 1920, but the league ( mostly driven by an Ohio League that did not have true championship games, though they frequently scheduled de facto championship matchups ) did not adopt the New York league's playoff format, opting for a championship based on regular season record for its first twelve seasons ; as a result, four of the first six " championships " were disputed.

The format of the six-team playoff, still in use today, is:

Under the original playoff format, it was possible, though thoroughly unlikely, that the runner-up would not qualify for Europe ; the following year, the format was changed so that the second-place team was assured of no worse than a UEFA Cup berth.

The New Zealand Rugby Union ( NZRU ) ultimately decided to stay with the previous format for the rebranded 2010 ITM Cup, with the same four-team playoff as in 2009.

Then in 2004, the Pacific League played five fewer games than the Central League teams during the regular season and used a new playoff format to determine its champion.

The original playoff format matched the first-half champion against the team with the best overall season record ( or the runner-up, in the event the first-half champion also had the best overall record.

The Bears finished the strike-shortened season at 3 – 6, but due to an expanded playoff format and conference-wide seeding the Bears missed a playoff berth by only one victory.

The momentum from the Cup Finals appearance did not last, however, and the next two seasons saw the ' Canes drop into the cellar of the NHL rankings ; many of the new fans attracted to the team ( and to hockey itself ) during the 2002 playoff run lost interest and attendance declined.

Since every team has not necessarily had a chance to prove itself against every other team, a playoff is necessary every season.

Liga and Rostock found itself in a playoff versus the third place third division club FC Ingolstadt.

Intramural games are possible because a team playing against itself leaves little ability for poll participants to make judgments, and at levels below the Football Bowl Subdivision, championships are decided by objective formulas and thus those teams can play non-league games without affecting their playoff hopes.

The season itself is broken into two halves, with the winners of each half in each of the two divisions meeting first in a playoff to determine a divisional champion.

The fact that this was spontaneous is a phenomenon in itself ; there had been no advertising or other form of publicizing of 17th Avenue as an after-game party strip prior to the playoff run.

In February 2001, Joshua Harris Prager of the Wall Street Journal reported that the Giants had positioned coach Herman Franks with a telescope in the Giants ' clubhouse during the latter half of the season, including the game itself, and had stolen the pitching signs of the Dodger catcher, Rube Walker, subbing for the injured Roy Campanella in the playoff game.

As opposed to the conference and " bowl game " set-up used in American college football BCAFL divided itself into two conferences and used a season-ending playoff system, similar to the NFL ( however, it should be noted that below the Bowl Subdivision of Division I, the NCAA uses a season-ending playoff system to crown national champions ).

His first major act was to institute the Wild Card and divisional playoff play, which has created much controversy amongst baseball fans.

The roof was closed for all prior playoff games and similar weather conditions.

This was the first playoff game at Soldier Field since the stadium reopened.

After quarterback Jay Cutler came down with an injury in 2011, where the Bears lost 5 straight games and was knocked out of playoff contention, his absence was bemoaned in a song parodying the hit Baby Come Back as a parody called Cutty Come Back.

Despite being well out of playoff contention the Cubs went 24 – 13 under Quade, the best record in baseball during that 37 game stretch and was hired as manager on October 19.

The only loss during that streak was on September 28 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a loss that clinched the Diamondbacks ' playoff spot.

Gailey led the team to two playoff appearances with a 10 – 6 record in 1998 and an NFC East championship, but the Cowboys were defeated in the playoffs by the Arizona Cardinals 20-7 ; after an 8 – 8 season in 1999 ( during which Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal injury in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles ) ending in another playoff loss ( this time to the Minnesota Vikings 27-10 ), he was fired and became the first Cowboys coach who did not take the team to a Super Bowl.

The Cowboys then finished an up-and-down 2006 season with a 9 – 7 record and a playoff appearance, but after a last second loss in the wild-card game against the Seattle Seahawks, Parcells retired and was succeeded by Wade Phillips.

However, each of these titles was followed by a first-round playoff elimination, in 1998 by the San Diego Padres and in 1997 and 1999 against the Atlanta Braves.

The Colts 1977 playoff loss in double overtime against the Oakland Raiders was famous for the fact that it was the last playoff game for the Colts in Baltimore and is also known for the Ghost to the Post play.

The two teams met twice a year ( interrupted in 1982 by a player strike ) 1970 – 2001 ; with the move of the Colts to the AFC South the two teams ' rivalry actually escalated, as they met three times in the playoffs in the South's first nine seasons of existence ; the Jets crushed the Colts 41 – 0 in the 2002 Wild Card playoff round ; the Colts then defeated the Jets 30 – 17 in the 2009 AFC Championship Game ; but the next year in the Wild Card round the Jets pulled off another playoff upset of the Colts, winning 17 – 16 ; it was Peyton Manning's final playoff game with the Colts.

Manning's Colts defeated the Chargers in 1998 and 1999, but in 2004 with Leaf long gone from the game the revamped Chargers behind Drew Brees erupted into playoff contention ; on December 26 with both teams at 11-3 the Colts hosted the Chargers with Manning close to matching Dan Marino's touchdown record ; the Chargers stormed to a 31-16 lead, but Dominic Rhodes ' kickoff return put the Colts within eight points, then with one minute remaining Manning rifled a 21-yard touchdown to Brandon Stokley, breaking Marino's record ; the two-point try succeeded, then after Brees was intercepted the game went to overtime and the Colts won 34-31 on a field goal.

Their first playoff game was against the Buffalo Bills at Buffalo.

Jacksonville looked like a team on the rise coming off of their 12 – 4 season, and was considered a playoff contender entering the season.

Heading into December, Jacksonville was at the top of the AFC South and in playoff contention.

The Wizards played their home games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas in 2008, and ended a four year playoff drought by posting an 11 – 10 – 9 record, which was good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Albert was also the lead play-by-play voice of the Westwood One radio network's NFL coverage for several years, calling Monday Night Football as well as numerous playoff games and every Super Bowl beginning 2002.

There was no more playoff magic as the Rams finally defeated the Vikings, 34 – 10 in Los Angeles after having lost in their previous four playoff matchups ( in 1969, ' 74, ' 76 and ' 77 ).