NBA Playoffs, FA Cup, MLB

Patrick's back in the UK and after taking in the FA Cup he and Seth compare and contrast the various championship formats between US and European sports as well as the curious kinds of sports socialism prevalent in otherwise hyper-capitalistic US sports. The NBA playoffs are now in full swing and while the Suns are well-positioned against their first-round opponent, how fair is it for the Celtics to have battled all season to achieve their seeding only to get the Nets in the 1st round? And with Patrick's Blue Jays atop the AL East standings is it too early to advocate for a shortened season?