I suppose it is worth noting that Major League Baseball actually uses Raka's scheme. However, there's more to it than that. Only 4 teams in each league even MAKE the playoffs, so there's not a huge benefit to underperforming to get a lower seed. At best, in the first round you will face a team seeded 1 position lower than you otherwise would have. Usually, competition for playoff spots is fierce enough to keep everyone honest; no team will risk missing the playoffs to obtain a seeding advantage. Plus there is home-field advantage, which goes to the higher seeds and is significant enough to outweigh any advantage that could be gained by gaming the seeding system.
--
Black Turtle spilled my diet soda!