All of these leagues have divisions (races) and they try to get a diverse group of teams from all the divisions to compete in the playoffs and if you are a really good team, but enough other teams are a lot better, then you don't get in because a higher ceded team from a worse division took your spot.
It's Affirmative Action.
It should be a strict meritocracy.
Don't judge by the content of their record, not by whether that division has privilege or not by other teams tending to do better.
Affirmative action is bad.
I genuinely believe this, so I don't watch sports to protest. But anybody that watches professional sports is supporting Affirmative Action.
This is fine; you have free speech, but just understand that.