Does MLL Championship Weekend Give Top Teams a Fair Advantage?

In the NFL playoffs the top teams host a playoff game over the lower seed they play. Same in every other sports league, including the NLL. Yes, the Super Bowl is neutral location which is fine. But teams who had the most successful regular season have somewhat of an advantage going into the playoffs.

This is where Major League Lacrosse comes in. Championship Weekend is at a neutral site every year. No, not just the championship. The entire playoffs. The semi finals are neutral location. Last season both the Denver Outlaws and Boston Cannons were upset by their lower seeded opponents. Which begs the question, does Championship Weekend give the lower seeds an advantage?

The lower seed playing a top seed should indicate that the top seed is the better team. But when it comes down to one game or tiebreakers, how much of an advantage do they have? Playing at a neutral site, doesn't that give the lower seed a legit advantage.

In the ten previous seasons of Major League Lacrosse, the #1 seed has made it to every championship game except for Boston last season. In fact, last season was the first time a seed below #3 has ever won a championship when the Bayhawks won it.

The Championship Weekend has been hosted in these locations: Bridgeport, Hartford, Villanova, Boston, Carson, Rochester and Annapolis. Only once has the top seed had home field advantage, and that was the Cannons in 2004. The Bayhawks had home field last season, but at the #4 seed.

The stats say that the #1 seed has not suffered any problems. In fact, the #1 seed has dominated more than I expected when I did the research. This weekend when the Cannons and Outlaws are the favorites, they have no excuse not to win. Even if the #4 Bayhawks still have home field advantage.