Playoffs

The playoffs, postseason and/or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be either a single game, a series of games, or a tournament, and may use a single-elimination system or one of several other different playoff formats. Playoff, in regard to international fixtures, is to qualify or progress to the next round of a competition or tournament.

In team sports in the U.S. and Canada, the vast distances and consequent burdens on cross-country travel have led to regional divisions of teams. Generally, during the regular season, teams play more games in their division than outside it, but the league's best teams might not play against each other in the regular season. Therefore, in the postseason a playoff series is organized. Any group-winning team is eligible to participate, and as playoffs became more popular they were expanded to include second- or even lower-placed teams – the term "wild card" refers to these teams.

Jim E. Mora

James Ernest Mora (born May 24, 1935) is an American former football coach who was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), and the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars of the United States Football League (USFL). As an NFL head coach, he was known for turning two of its consistently losing franchises into perennial post-season contenders, but his lack of success in the NFL playoffs and impassioned postgame tirades and press conferences, including his oft-quoted "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda," "You Will Never Know," "Diddly Poo," and "Playoffs?" rants, affected his reputation. Mora holds the NFL record for career regular-season wins (125) without a playoff victory, although he did win two league titles in the USFL. His son Jim L. Mora is a former NFL head coach and the current head coach at UCLA.

Early career

Born in Glendale, California, Mora became an Eagle Scout in 1950 and was presented the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award as an adult by the Boy Scouts of America. Mora was a tight end at Occidental College, a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and graduated in 1957. His college roommate was Jack Kemp, an all star quarterback with the Buffalo Bills, U.S congressman from New York for 18 years and presidential candidate in 1988. Another teammate was Ron Botchan, who went on to become a successful NFL game official. After playing three years of service football in the U.S. Marines, Mora became an assistant coach at his alma mater in 1960. He moved up to head coach of Occidental in 1964 and led the team for three seasons, compiling an 18–9 record.