I favor an 18-games season with a 16 teams playoffs format. Winning your division should still be "the easiest way to punch your ticket into the big bang," but the playoffs should be anti-conference.
Allow a playoff committee that includes Bretsky's hero, Barry Alvarez, to determine seeding regardless of conference. This is the 21st century. The Packers should be allowed to play the Bears in a Super Bowl.
You should do a poll. How many want to risk losing a championship to the Bears?
There was many a PackerRat willing to make a deal with the devil that they would rather guarantee a Super Bowl loss than deal with a loss to the Bears for the Halas Trophy.
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.