Is the AFC very much like the Eastern Conference in the NBA? 

I made a comment one time to someone that the AFC in the NFL is very much like the eastern conference in the NBA. You must be thinking to yourself what kind of comment is that? Well the more you think about it, it isn't as crazy as it sounds.

For the eighth time in the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era, the New England Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl. Since the 2001 season, the Oakland Raiders have been to the Super Bowl once, Peyton Manning with the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts have been to the Super Bowl four times, the Baltimore Ravens made it to the Super Bowl once and Ben Roethlisberger made it three times to the Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the eastern conference in the NBA since 2001, the New Jersey Nets made it to the finals twice, the Detroit Pistons made it to the finals twice, the Miami Heat made it once without Lebron, the Boston Celtics made it twice, the Orlando Magic made it once, and Lebron James (with the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers) has been to seven consecutive NBA Finals and eight overall.

Ever since 2001, the AFC is 10-6 in the Super Bowl and the Eastern Conference in the NBA is 6-10 in the NBA Finals. Even though the AFC is 10-6 in the Super Bowl, half of those wins are by the New England Patriots and they were even lucky enough to win two of them against the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.

Obviously, credit must go to New England because they got the job done, but it seems like no one is on the level of New England in the AFC and it makes the conference look very weak.

With Lebron going to seven straight finals in the NBA, it is very hard to do, but the eastern conference isn't superior either. Both the AFC in the NFL and the Eastern Conference in the NBA seem to be similar, but the AFC seems to be carried by one team in the New England Patriots and if it wasn't for them, the AFC would look a lot worse.