text:
If a tree falls in a forest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the 2011 documentary, see If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.
A fallen tree in a forest
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" is a philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and perception.
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Metaphysics
2.1 The possibility of unperceived existence
2.2 Knowledge of the unobserved world
2.3 The dissimilarity between sensation and reality
2.4 Buddhist perspectives
2.4.1 Tibetan
2.4.2 Zen
2.4.2.1 Hui-neng's Flag
2.4.2.2 Hui-neng Receives The Dharma
2.5 Hinduism
3 In popular culture
4 See also
5 References
History[edit]
Philosopher George Berkeley, in his work, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710), proposes, "But, say you, surely there is nothing easier than for me to imagine trees, for instance, in a park [...] and nobody by to perceive them.[1] [...] The objects of sense exist only when they are perceived; the trees therefore are in the garden [...] no longer than while there is somebody by to perceive them."[2] (It is worth noting that the quote from section 45 is arguably a statement of an objection to Berkeley's view, and not a proclamation of it.) Nevertheless, Berkeley never actually wrote about the question.[3]
Some years later, a similar question is posed. It is unknown whether the source of this question is Berkeley or not (Indian Hindu saint of 8th century Sri Adisankara raised similar question "If no one is seeing sky whether it will be blue?"). In June 1883 in the magazine The Chautauquan, the question was put, "If a tree were to fall on an island where there were no human beings would there be any sound?" They then went on to answer the query with, "No. Sound is the sensation excited in the ear when the air or other medium is set in motion."[4] This seems to imply that the question is posed not from a philosophical viewpoint, but from a purely scientific one. The magazine Scientific American corroborated the technical aspect of this question, while leaving out the philosophic side, a year later when they asked the question slightly reworded, "If a tree were to fall on an uninhabited island, would there be any sound?" And gave a more technical answer, "Sound is vibration, transmitted to our senses through the mechanism of the ear, and recognized as sound only at our nerve centers. The falling of the tree or any other disturbance will produce vibration of the air. If there be no ears to hear, there will be no sound."[5]
Albert Einstein is reported to have asked his fellow physicist and friend Niels Bohr, one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics, whether he realistically believed that 'the moon does not exist if nobody is looking at it.' To this Bohr replied that however hard he (Einstein) may try, he would not be able to prove that it does, thus giving the entire riddle the status of a kind of an infallible conjecture—one that cannot be either proved or disproved.
The current phrasing appears to have originated in the 1910 book Physics by Charles Riborg Mann and George Ransom Twiss. The question "When a tree falls in a lonely forest, and no animal is near by to hear it, does it make a sound? Why?" is posed along with many other questions to quiz readers on the contents of the chapter, and as such, is posed from a purely physical point of view.[6]
Metaphysics[edit]
The possibility of unperceived existence[edit]
Main article: George Berkeley
Can something exist without being perceived? – e.g. "is sound only sound if a person hears it?" The most immediate philosophical topic that the riddle introduces involves the existence of the tree (and the sound it produces) outside of human perception. If no one is around to see, hear, touch or smell the tree, how could it be said to exist? What is it to say that it exists when such an existence is unknown? Of course, from a scientific viewpoint, it exists.[7] It is human beings that are able to perceive it.[7] George Berkeley in the 18th century developed subjective idealism, a metaphysical theory to respond to these questions, coined famously as "to be is to be perceived". Today meta-physicists are split. According to substance theory, a substance is distinct from its properties, while according to bundle theory, an object is merely its sense data. The definition of sound, simplified, is a hearable noise. The tree will make a sound, even if nobody heard it. The definition states that sound is a hearable noise. So the tree could have been heard, though nobody was around to do so.
Knowledge of the unobserved world[edit]
Main article: Observer-expectancy effect
Can we assume the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world? – e.g., "does observation affect outcome?"
A similar question does not involve whether or not an unobserved event occurs predictably, like it occurs when it is observed. The anthropic principle suggests that the observer, just in its existence, may impose on the reality observed. However, most people, as well as scientists, assume that the observer doesn't change whether the tree-fall causes a sound or not, but this is an impossible claim to prove. However, many scientists would argue as follows, "A truly unobserved event is one which realises no effect (imparts no information) on any other (where 'other' might be e.g., human, sound-recorder or rock), it therefore can have no legacy in the present (or ongoing) wider physical universe. It may then be recognized that the unobserved event was absolutely identical to an event which did not occur at all." (this apparent quote has no attribution or reference and none can be found online with reasonable effort). Of course, the fact that the tree is known to have changed state from 'upright' to 'fallen' implies that the event must be observed to ask the question at all – even if only by the supposed deaf onlooker. The British philosopher of science Roy Bhaskar, credited with developing critical realism has argued, in apparent reference to this riddle, that:
If men ceased to exist sound would continue to travel and heavy bodies to fall to the earth in exactly the same way, though ex hypothesi there would be no-one to know it[8]
This existence of an unobserved real is integral to Bhaskar's ontology, which contends (in opposition to the various strains of positivism which have dominated both natural and social science in the twentieth century) that 'real structures exist independently of and are often out of phase with the actual patterns of events'.[9] In social science, this has made his approach popular amongst contemporary Marxists — notably Alex Callinicos – who postulate the existence of real social forces and structures which might not always be observable.[10][11][12]
The dissimilarity between sensation and reality[edit]
Main article: Qualia
What is the difference between what something is, and how it appears? – e.g., "sound is the variation of pressure that propagates through matter as a wave"
Perhaps the most important topic the riddle offers is the division between perception of an object and how an object really is. If a tree exists outside of perception then there is no way for us to know that the tree exists. So then, what do we mean by 'existence', what is the difference between perception and reality? Also, people may also say, if the tree exists outside of perception (as common sense would dictate), then it will produce sound waves. However, these sound waves will not actually sound like anything. Sound as it is mechanically understood will occur, but sound as it is understood by sensation will not occur. So then, how is it known that 'sound as it is mechanically understood' will occur if that sound is not perceived?
Buddhist perspectives[edit]
Tibetan[edit]
from The Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices by Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo,
"22 Appearances are one's own mind. From the beginning, mind's nature is free from the extremes of elaboration. Knowing this, not to engage the mind in subject-object duality is the bodhisattva's practice."
Zen[edit]
Hui-neng's Flag[edit]
There is a well-known story of Hui-neng, a well-respected Buddhist monk who later became known as the founder of the Zen school, who one day happened to be passing by two monks.
"Two monks were arguing about the temple flag waving in the wind. One said, "The flag moves." The other said, "The wind moves." They argued back and forth but could not agree.
The Sixth Ancestor said, "Gentlemen! It is not the wind that moves; it is not the flag that moves; it is your mind that moves." The two monks were struck with awe."
- The Mumonkan Case 29, translation by Robert Aitken
Hui-neng Receives The Dharma[edit]
One day the monks at Huang-mei monastery were instructed to write a stanza in order that their master Hung-jen might decide who would inherit the dharma throne. All of the monks assumed that a certain senior disciple Shen-hsui would win and thus didn't even bother writing stanzas. Shen-hsui assumed he would win too, and wrote the following stanza on the monastery wall:
The body is a Bodhi tree,
the mind a standing mirror bright.
At all times polish it diligently,
and let no dust alight.[13]
Due to the danger surrounding him if he were to openly challenge the senior monk Shen-hsui, Hui-neng went out one night while it was completely dark and wrote the following stanza in secret:
Bodhi originally has no tree.
The bright mirror also has no stand.
Fundamentally there is not a single thing.
Where could dust arise?
Later, master Hung-jen saw this stanza and reaffirmed that he who had written it had indeed opened his mind's eye. Finding it was Hui-neng, master Hung-jen then gave Hui-neng the secret dharma teachings of their lineage, which Hui-neng says completely opened his mind,[14] and gave the young Hui-neng the dharma robe and stick, symbolizing his status as Patriarch of the lineage. Hung-jen told Hui-neng that he must then flee the monastery for fear of Shen-hsui and his followers killing Hui-neng. Hui-neng did as he was told and then later returned from living with some hunters to become The Sixth Patriarch and pass on The Dharma in such forms as The Sutra Spoken by The Sixth Patriarch. Hui-neng also started the Sudden School which taught that Mind is realized instantaneously while Shen-hsui started the Gradual School which taught, similar to his stanza above, a sort of dust-wiping meditation. Zen today embodies Hui-neng's Sudden School style, particularly with Satori.
Hinduism[edit]
The ancient Hindu texts, the Vedas and the Puranas, have defined several theories of creation—one of them being the 'Drishti-srishti-vada' (Drishti=Sight, Srishti=Universe, Vada=Theory), which puts forth the argument that the universe, or that which is seen, arises only after the seer, and has no independent existence apart from the seer. The very name of the theory is derived from the order of precedence of sight and the seen—first there is sight ('Drishti') and then there is the seen ('Srishti').
The famous 20th century Tamil saint Sri Ramana Maharshi, also made numerous references to the world being only a concept in the mind.
"The mind is like akasa (space). Just as there are the objects in the akasa, so there are thoughts in the mind. The akasa is the counterpart of the mind and objects are of thought. One cannot hope to measure the universe and study the phenomena. It is impossible. For the objects are mental creations...The universe is only an object created by the mind and has its being in the mind." (Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, pp. 478–479).
"The shrutis (a subdivision of the Vedas) and the sages say that the objects are only mental creations. They have no substantive being. Investigate the matter and ascertain the truth of the statement. The result will be the conclusion that the objective world is in the subjective consciousness." (TWSRM, p. 479).
In popular culture[edit]
Canadian songwriter, social activist and environmentalist Bruce Cockburn poses the question in the chorus of his 1989 song "If a Tree Falls" and frames it with his lyrics as a pressing question regarding the cause and effect of deforestation.
Washington-state-based wilderness conservatory Northwest Trek used a shortened form of the quote in its mid-1970s television advertisement, as such: "There is no sound unless someone is there to see it or hear it. Experience it at Northwest Trek."
The quote also forms the bridge of the protagonist's solo number "Waving Through A Window" in the musical Dear Evan Hansen, in line with the tree motif essential to the plot. The song itself discusses a feeling of isolation through fear of failing in social interactions, as a part of the main character's social anxiety disorder.
See also[edit]
Counterfactual definiteness
Descartes' dream argument
Epistemology
Object (philosophy)
Observer effect (physics)
Kōan
Ontology
Schrödinger's cat
Principle of locality
References[edit]
Jump up ^ A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, 1734. section 23.
Jump up ^ A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, 1734. section 45.
Jump up ^ Whether Berkeley thought objects continued to exist when unperceived by finite minds, and if so, in what manner, is the subject of serious debate among Berkeley scholars.
Jump up ^ The Chautauquan, June 1883, Volume 3, Issue 9, p. 543
Jump up ^ Scientific American, April 5, 1884, pg 218.
Jump up ^ Mann, Charles Riborg and George Ransom Twiss. Physics. Scott, Foresman and Co., 1910, p. 235.
^ Jump up to: a b "What is Philosophy? – Analysis", Plymouth State University, Philosophy Department
Jump up ^ Bhaskar, R. (2008 [1975]), A Realist Theory of Science, London: Verso, p. 21.
Jump up ^ Bhaskar, R. (2008[1975]), A Realist Theory of Science, London: Verso, p. 13.
Jump up ^ Marsh, D. (2002), "Marxism", in Marsh D. Stoker, G. (Eds.), Theory and Methods in Political Science, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 159.
Jump up ^ Marsh, D, & Furlong, P. (2002), “Ontology and Epistemology in Political Science”, in Marsh D. Stoker, G. (Eds.), Theory and Methods in Political Science, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 31.
Jump up ^ Callinicos, A. (2006), The Resources of Critique, Cambridge: Polity, pp. 155–158.
Jump up ^ Watts 1962, pp. 111–113
Jump up ^ A Buddhist Bible, "Sutra Spoken by The Sixth Patriarch"
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest&oldid=830277367"
Categories:
Fictional trees
Riddles
Philosophical problems
Thought experiments in philosophy of mind
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Español
فارسی
Bahasa Indonesia
עברית
Македонски
Nederlands
Português
Русский
Svenska
ไทย
中文
4 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 13 March 2018, at 21:05.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

attrs: class style

value: b

value: p

attrs: role tabindex class

values: button 0 togglelink

values: Charles Riborg Mann (page does not exist)

values: George Ransom Twiss (page does not exist)

values: Edit section: The possibility of unperceived existence

values: Edit section: Knowledge of the unobserved world

values: Critical realism (philosophy of the social sciences)

values: Edit section: The dissimilarity between sensation and reality

values: Edit section: Hui-neng Receives The Dharma

values:
/wiki/Tamil_people
mw-redirect
Tamil people

values:
/wiki/Sri_Ramana_Maharshi
mw-redirect
Sri Ramana Maharshi

values:
/wiki/Social_activist
mw-redirect
Social activist

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: Category:Thought experiments in philosophy of mind

values:
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
interface

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values: اگر درختی در جنگلی بیفتد – Persian

values: Jika sebatang pohon tumbang di sebuah hutan – Indonesian

values: אם עץ נופל ביער – Hebrew

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-he
display: none;

values: Ако дрво падне во шума – Macedonian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-mk
display: none;

values: Als een boom in een bos omvalt ... – Dutch

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-nl
display: none;

values: Se uma árvore cai em uma floresta – Portuguese

values: Звук падающего дерева в лесу – Russian

values: หากต้นไม้ล้มในป่า – Thai

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-th
display: none;

values: 假如一棵樹在森林裡倒下 – Chinese

values: All languages (initial selection from common choices by you and others)

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest rootpage-If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest skin-vector action-view


text:
NFC Championship Game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
NFC Championship Game
NFC Championship logo
First played
1971 (1970 season)
Trophy
George Halas Trophy
Recent and upcoming games
2017 season
Lincoln Financial Field
January 21, 2018
Minnesota Vikings 7, Philadelphia Eagles 38
2018 season
TBD
January 20, 2019
TBD vs. TBD
The NFC Championship Game (also unofficially referred to as the NFC Title Game) is one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the National Football Conference (NFC). The winner then advances to face the winner of the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game in the Super Bowl.
The game was established as part of the 1970 merger between the NFL and the American Football League (AFL), with the merged league realigning into two conferences. Since 1984, each winner of the NFC Championship Game has also received the George Halas Trophy, named after the founder and longtime owner of the NFL's Chicago Bears, George Halas.
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Playoff structure
3 George Halas Trophy
4 List of NFC Championship Games
5 Appearances 1970–present
6 NFC Championship Game records
7 TV ratings
8 References
History[edit]
The first NFC Championship Game was played following the 1970 regular season after the merger between the NFL and the American Football League. The game is considered the successor to the original NFL Championship, and its game results are listed with that of its predecessor in the annual NFL Record and Fact Book.[1] Since the pre-merger NFL consisted of six more teams than the AFL, a realignment was done as part of the merger to create two conferences with an equal number of teams: The NFL's Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers joined the ten former AFL teams to form the AFC; while the remaining 13 pre-merger NFL clubs formed the NFC.
Every NFC team has played in an NFC Championship at least once. The Seattle Seahawks, who have been members in both the AFC and the NFC, hold the distinction of appearing in both conference title games. Only the Detroit Lions have yet to win an NFC Championship Game.
Playoff structure[edit]
NFC Championship Game logo, 2008–2010 (Used with old shield since 2005)
For more details on this topic, see NFL playoffs.
At the end of each regular season, a series of playoff games involving the top six teams in the NFC are conducted. In the current (since 2002–03 season) NFL playoff structure, this consists of the four division champions and two wild card teams (those clubs that possess the two best won-loss records after the regular season yet fail to win their division). The two teams remaining following the Wild Card round (first round) and the divisional round (second round) play in the NFC Championship game.
Initially, the site of the game was determined on a rotating basis. Since the 1975–76 season, the site of the NFC Championship has been based on playoff seeding based on the regular season won-loss record, with the highest surviving seed hosting the game. A wild card team can only host the game if both participants are wild cards, in which case the fifth seed would host the sixth seed. Such an instance has never occurred in the NFL.
George Halas Trophy[edit]
Beginning with 1984-85 season, the winner of the NFC Championship Game has received the George Halas Trophy, named after the longtime owner and coach of the Chicago Bears, a charter member of the NFL. The original design consisted of a wooden base with a sculpted NFC logo in the front and a sculpture of various football players in the back.
It, and the Lamar Hunt Trophy that is awarded to the AFC champion, were redesigned for the 2010–11 NFL playoffs by Tiffany & Co. at the request of the NFL in an attempt to make both awards more significant.[2] The trophies are now a new, silver design with the outline of a hollow football positioned on a small base to more closely resemble the Vince Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Super Bowl.[3]
The George Halas Trophy should not be confused with the Newspaper Enterprise Association's George S. Halas Trophy which was awarded to the NFL's defensive player of the year from 1966 to 1996 or the Pro Football Writers Association's George S. Halas Courage Award.
List of NFC Championship Games[edit]
Numbers in parentheses in the winning team column are NFC Championships won by that team. Bold indicates team won Super Bowl that year.
Numbers in parentheses in the city and stadium column is the number of times that metropolitan area and stadium has hosted a NFC Championship, respectively.
Season
Playoffs
Winning team
Score
Losing team
Score
Location
Stadium
1970 1970–71 Dallas Cowboys (1) 17 San Francisco 49ers 10 San Francisco, California Kezar Stadium[4]
1971 1971–72 Dallas Cowboys (2) 14 San Francisco 49ers 3 Irving, Texas Texas Stadium
1972 1972–73 Washington Redskins (1) 26 Dallas Cowboys 3 Washington, D.C. RFK Stadium[5]
1973 1973–74 Minnesota Vikings (1) 27 Dallas Cowboys 10 Irving, Texas (2) Texas Stadium (2)
1974 1974–75 Minnesota Vikings (2) 14 Los Angeles Rams 10 Bloomington, Minnesota Metropolitan Stadium
1975 1975–76 Dallas Cowboys (3) 37 Los Angeles Rams 7 Los Angeles, California Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum[6]
1976 1976–77 Minnesota Vikings (3) 24 Los Angeles Rams 13 Bloomington, Minnesota (2) Metropolitan Stadium (2)
1977 1977–78 Dallas Cowboys (4) 23 Minnesota Vikings 6 Irving, Texas (3) Texas Stadium (3)
1978 1978–79 Dallas Cowboys (5) 28 Los Angeles Rams 0 Los Angeles, California (2) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2)
1979 1979–80 Los Angeles Rams (1) 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 Tampa, Florida Tampa Stadium
1980 1980–81 Philadelphia Eagles (1) 20 Dallas Cowboys 7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Veterans Stadium
1981 1981–82 San Francisco 49ers (1) 28 Dallas Cowboys 27 San Francisco, California (2) Candlestick Park
1982 1982–83 [7] Washington Redskins (2) 31 Dallas Cowboys 17 Washington, D.C. (2) RFK Stadium (2)
1983 1983–84 Washington Redskins (3) 24 San Francisco 49ers 21 Washington, D.C. (3) RFK Stadium (3)
1984 1984–85 San Francisco 49ers (2) 23 Chicago Bears 0 San Francisco, California (3) Candlestick Park (2)
1985 1985–86 Chicago Bears (1) 24 Los Angeles Rams 0 Chicago, Illinois Soldier Field
1986 1986–87 New York Giants (1) 17 Washington Redskins 0 East Rutherford, New Jersey Giants Stadium
1987 1987–88 Washington Redskins (4) 17 Minnesota Vikings 10 Washington, D.C. (4) RFK Stadium (4)
1988 1988–89 San Francisco 49ers (3) 28 Chicago Bears 3 Chicago, Illinois (2) Soldier Field (2)
1989 1989–90 San Francisco 49ers (4) 30 Los Angeles Rams 3 San Francisco, California (4) Candlestick Park (3)
1990 1990–91 New York Giants (2) 15 San Francisco 49ers 13 San Francisco, California (5) Candlestick Park (4)
1991 1991–92 Washington Redskins (5) 41 Detroit Lions 10 Washington, D.C. (5) RFK Stadium (5)
1992 1992–93 Dallas Cowboys (6) 30 San Francisco 49ers 20 San Francisco, California (6) Candlestick Park (5)
1993 1993–94 Dallas Cowboys (7) 38 San Francisco 49ers 21 Irving, Texas (4) Texas Stadium (4)
1994 1994–95 San Francisco 49ers (5) 38 Dallas Cowboys 28 San Francisco, California (7) Candlestick Park (6)
1995 1995–96 Dallas Cowboys (8) 38 Green Bay Packers 27 Irving, Texas (5) Texas Stadium (5)
1996 1996–97 Green Bay Packers (1) 30 Carolina Panthers 13 Green Bay, Wisconsin Lambeau Field
1997 1997–98 Green Bay Packers (2) 23 San Francisco 49ers 10 San Francisco, California (8) 3Com Park (7)
1998 1998–99 Atlanta Falcons (1) 30a[›] Minnesota Vikings 27 Minneapolis, Minnesota (3) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
1999 1999–00 St. Louis Rams (2) 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 St. Louis, Missouri Trans World Dome
2000 2000–01 New York Giants (3) 41 Minnesota Vikings 0 East Rutherford, New Jersey (2) Giants Stadium (2)
2001 2001–02 St. Louis Rams (3) 29 Philadelphia Eagles 24 St. Louis, Missouri (2) Edward Jones Dome (2)
2002 2002–03 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) 27 Philadelphia Eagles 10 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2) Veterans Stadium (2)
2003 2003–04 Carolina Panthers (1) 14 Philadelphia Eagles 3 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3) Lincoln Financial Field
2004 2004–05 Philadelphia Eagles (2) 27 Atlanta Falcons 10 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4) Lincoln Financial Field (2)
2005 2005–06 Seattle Seahawks (1) 34 Carolina Panthers 14 Seattle, Washington Qwest Field
2006 2006–07 Chicago Bears (2) 39 New Orleans Saints 14 Chicago, Illinois (3) Soldier Field (3)
2007 2007–08 New York Giants (4) 23a[›] Green Bay Packers 20 Green Bay, Wisconsin (2) Lambeau Field (2)
2008 2008–09 Arizona Cardinals (1) 32 Philadelphia Eagles 25 Glendale, Arizona University of Phoenix Stadium
2009 2009–10 New Orleans Saints (1) 31a[›] Minnesota Vikings 28 New Orleans, Louisiana Louisiana Superdome
2010 2010–11 Green Bay Packers (3) 21 Chicago Bears 14 Chicago, Illinois (4) Soldier Field (4)
2011 2011–12 New York Giants (5) 20a[›] San Francisco 49ers 17 San Francisco, California (9) Candlestick Park (8)
2012 2012–13 San Francisco 49ers (6) 28 Atlanta Falcons 24 Atlanta, Georgia Georgia Dome
2013 2013–14 Seattle Seahawks (2) 23 San Francisco 49ers 17 Seattle, Washington (2) CenturyLink Field (2)
2014 2014–15 Seattle Seahawks (3) 28a[›] Green Bay Packers 22 Seattle, Washington (3) CenturyLink Field (3)
2015 2015–16 Carolina Panthers (2) 49 Arizona Cardinals 15 Charlotte, North Carolina Bank of America Stadium
2016 2016–17 Atlanta Falcons (2) 44 Green Bay Packers 21 Atlanta, Georgia (2) Georgia Dome (2)
2017 2017–18 Philadelphia Eagles (3) 38 Minnesota Vikings 7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5) Lincoln Financial Field (3)
^ a: Overtime
Appearances 1970–present[edit]
Num
Team
W
L
PCT
PF
PA
Last appearance
Last championship
Home games
Home wins
Home losses
Home Win Pct.
Away games
Away wins
Away losses
Away Win Pct.
14 Dallas Cowboys 8 6 .571 317 264 1995 1995 5 4 1 .800 9 4 5 .444
15 San Francisco 49ers 6 9 .400 307 289 2013 2012 9 4 5 .444 6 2 4 .333
6 Washington Redskins 5 1 .833 139 78 1991 1991 5 5 0 1.000 1 0 1 .000
5 New York Giants 5 0 1.000 116 50 2011 2011 2 2 0 1.000 3 3 0 1.000
9 Los Angeles/St. Louis Ramsb[›] 3 6 .333 82 187 2001 2001 4 2 2 .500 5 1 4 .200
9 Minnesota Vikings 3 6 .333 136 175 2017 1976 3 2 1 .667 5 1 4 .200
7 Green Bay Packers 3 4 .429 143 126 2016 2010 2 1 1 .500 5 2 3 .400
7 Philadelphia Eagles 3 4 .429 109 119 2017 2017 5 3 2 .600 2 0 2 .000
3 Seattle Seahawksc[›] 3 0 1.000 85 53 2014 2014 3 3 0 1.000 0 0 0 -6 !—–
5 Chicago Bears 2 3 .400 80 86 2010 2006 4 2 2 .500 1 0 1 .000
4 Atlanta Falcons 2 2 .500 108 103 2016 2016 2 1 1 .500 2 1 1 .500
4 Carolina Panthers 2 2 .500 90 82 2015 2015 1 1 0 1.000 3 1 2 .333
3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 2 .333 33 30 2002 2002 1 0 1 .000 2 1 1 .500
2 New Orleans Saints 1 1 .500 45 67 2009 2009 1 1 0 1.000 1 0 1 .000
2 Arizona Cardinals 1 1 .500 47 74 2015 2008 1 1 0 1.000 1 0 1 .000
1 Detroit Lions 0 1 .000 10 41 1991 N/A 0 0 0 -7 !—– 1 0 1 .000
^ b: Includes appearances during their first tenure in Los Angeles (the 1970 merger to 1994), where they went 1–6 in NFC Championship Games; and their period as the St. Louis Rams (1995–2015), where they went 2–0 in NFC Championship Games.
^ c: The Seahawks were members of the NFC in 1976 and then members of the AFC from 1977–2001, before rejoining the NFC in 2002. Including their only appearance in the AFC Championship Game (0–1), they hold a combined 3–1 record between both Conference Championship Games.
NFC Championship Game records[edit]
NFC Championship Game logo, 2001–2005
Most victories: 8 – Dallas Cowboys (1970–1971, 1975, 1977–1978, 1992–1993, 1995)
Most losses: 9** – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1983, 1990, 1992–1993, 1997, 2011, 2013)
Most appearances: 15 – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1981, 1983–1984, 1988–1990, 1992–1994, 1997, 2011–2013)
Most consecutive appearances: 4 (tie, 2 teams, 3 times)
Dallas Cowboys (1970–1973, 1992–1995)
Philadelphia Eagles (2001–2004)
Most consecutive victories: 2 – (tie, 6 teams, 8 times)
Dallas Cowboys (1970–1971, 1977–1978, 1992–1993)
Minnesota Vikings (1973–1974)
Washington Redskins (1982–1983)
San Francisco 49ers (1988–1989)
Green Bay Packers (1996–1997)
Seattle Seahawks (2013–2014)
Most victories without a loss: 5** – New York Giants (1986, 1990, 2000, 2007, 2011)
Most appearances without a win: 1 – Detroit Lions (1991)
Most defensive shutouts: 2**; – New York Giants (Jan 11, 1987, 17–0 vs Redskins and Jan 14, 2001, 41–0 vs Vikings)
Most times shut out: 2**; – Los Angeles Rams (Jan 7, 1979, 0–28 vs Cowboys and Jan 12, 1986, 0–24 vs Bears)
Most consecutive losses: 3* – (tie, 3 times)
Los Angeles Rams (1974–1976)
Dallas Cowboys (1980–1982)
Philadelphia Eagles (2001–2003)
Most games hosted: 9 – San Francisco 49ers (1970, 1981, 1984, 1989–1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2011)
Most numerous matchup: 6** – Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1981, 1992–1994)
Most points scored: 49 points – January 24, 2016 – Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals (2015)
Largest margin of victory: 41 points – January 14, 2001 (2000), New York Giants (41) vs. Minnesota Vikings (0)
Closest margin of victory: 1 point – San Francisco 49ers (28) vs. Dallas Cowboys (27), 1981 NFC Championship Game**
Fewest points scored, winning team: 9**[›]; January 6, 1980 (1979) – Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Fewest points scored: 0*; (tie, 5 teams, 6 times)
Los Angeles Rams 0 vs Dallas Cowboys 28 January 7, 1979
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 vs Los Angeles Rams 9 January 6, 1980
Chicago Bears 0 vs San Francisco 49ers 23 January 6, 1985
Los Angeles Rams 0 vs Chicago Bears 24 January 12, 1986
Washington Redskins 0 vs New York Giants 17 January 11, 1987
Minnesota Vikings 0 vs New York Giants 41 January 14, 2001
Most points scored, losing team: 28 (tie); January 15, 1995 (1994) – Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers, January 24, 2010 (2009) – Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Most combined points scored: 66; January 15, 1995 (1994) – San Francisco 49ers (38) vs. Dallas Cowboys (28)
Fewest combined points scored: 9**; January 6, 1980 (1979) – Los Angeles Rams (9) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0)
Longest game: 71 minutes, 52 seconds**; January 17, 1999 (1998) – Atlanta Falcons (30) @ Minnesota Vikings (27), OT
Most NFC Championships won in overtime: 2** – New York Giants (2007, 2011)
Most NFC Championships lost in overtime: 2* (tie) – Green Bay Packers (2007, 2014) Minnesota Vikings (1998, 2009)
Current teams which have never won an NFC Championship:
Detroit Lions (0–1)***
Longest drought without appearing in an NFC Championship Game: 26 years
Detroit Lions (last appearance – 1991)
Washington Redskins (last appearance – 1991)
Longest drought without an NFC Championship: 48 years***; Detroit Lions
Largest comeback: 17 points (trailed 17–0; won 28–24), San Francisco 49ers, 2012
Overtime games:
1998 Atlanta Falcons 30 Minnesota Vikings 27
2007 New York Giants 23 Green Bay Packers 20
2009 New Orleans Saints 31 Minnesota Vikings 28
2011 New York Giants 20 San Francisco 49ers 17
2014 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22
Notes:
*Tied for Conference Championship record
^ **: Conference Championship record
^ ***: Lions most recently won the NFL Championship in 1957 – pre-Super Bowl era
TV ratings[edit]
2006: 35.233 million viewers; Post Gun: 24.641 million; Post Game: 15.279 million
2007: million viewers; Post Game: million [1] [2]
2008: million viewers; Post Game: million [3]
2009: million viewers; Post Game: 23.83 million (10:27pm–11:02pm) [4]
2010: 57.9 million viewers [5]
2011: 51.9 million viewers;
2012: 57.6 million viewers [6]; Post Game: million [7]
2013: 42.0 million viewers; Post Game: million [8]
2014: 55.91 million viewers(peak: 66.3 million viewers); (6:42-9:59pm); Post Game (9:55-9:59pm): 44.903 million [9]; The OT (9:59-10:19pm): 30.339 million viewers [10] [11] [12]
2015: 49.8 million viewers (peak: 60.5 million viewers); The OT: 16.280 million viewers (6:40-7:06pm)[13]
References[edit]
Time Almanac 2004
Jump up ^ "Playoff Games". NFL Record and Fact Book 2009. Time, Inc. Home Entertainment. ISBN 978-1-60320-809-3.
Jump up ^ "NFC's Halas trophy has new look". Chicago Sun-Times.
Jump up ^ Bell, Jarrett (January 25, 2011). "NFL Replay: Gritty Steelers aren't pretty, but they are Super". USA Today.
Jump up ^ Last NFL Game in Kezar Stadium.
Jump up ^ These 1972 Dallas Cowboys were the first ever NFC wild card franchise to advance to the Conference championship game.
Jump up ^ The 1975 Dallas Cowboys were the first ever wild card franchise to advance to the Super Bowl.
Jump up ^ played on Saturday
[show]
v
t
e
National Football League awards and trophies
Team
Vince Lombardi Trophy
Lamar Hunt Trophy (AFC)
George Halas Trophy (NFC)
Individual
Most Valuable Player
Coach of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Rookie of the Year
Comeback Player of the Year
Walter Payton Man of the Year
"Whizzer" White Man of the Year
Bert Bell Award
Art Rooney Award
Super Bowl MVP
One-time only
75th Anniversary All-Time Team (1994)
All-Decade Teams
Annual presentation
NFL Honors
NFL Top 100
Awards organizations
Kansas City Committee of 101
Maxwell Football Club
National Football League Alumni
Touchdown Club of Columbus
Washington D.C. Touchdown Club
Defunct
Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy
Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup
NEA Defensive Player of the Year
PFWA Defensive Player of the Year
NEA Rookie of the Year
UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year
UPI NFC Player of the Year
UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year
UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year
[show]
v
t
e
National Football League (2018)
AFC
East North South West
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Oakland Raiders
NFC
East North South West
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Seasons
Seasons (by team)
Preseason
Hall of Fame Game
American Bowl
Regular season
Kickoff game
Monday Night Football
International Series
London
Toronto
Bills Series
List of games played outside the U.S.
Thanksgiving games
Christmas games
Playoffs
Streaks
Droughts
AFC Championship
NFC Championship
Super Bowl
champions
quarterbacks
Pro Bowl
History
League history
Executive history
Championship history
Timeline
Defunct franchises
Franchise moves and mergers
Los Angeles team history
Proposed stadiums 1995–2016
American Football League (1960–1969)
Playoffs
Merger
NFL Championship (1920–1969)
Playoff Bowl
Records
individual
team
Super Bowl
All time win–loss
Last undefeated
Tied games
Canceled games
Controversies
Business
Owners
Properties
Management Council
Competition Committee
Collective Bargaining Agreement
National Football League Players Association
Lockouts
Media
TV
NFL Network
Radio
Other
Officials
Stadiums
Chronology
Awards
All-Pro
Hall of Fame
Foreign players
Player conduct
Suspensions
Player misconduct
Combine
Draft
Training camp
Rivalries
NFL Foundation
Culture
Cheerleading
Mascots
Lore
Nicknames
Numbers
Retired
Color Rush
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NFC_Championship_Game&oldid=824389293"
Categories:
NFC Championship Games
Recurring sporting events established in 1971
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Deutsch
Español
日本語
Português
Suomi
Edit links
This page was last edited on 7 February 2018, at 01:30.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: caption

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

value: td

attrs: colspan style

value: tr

value: th

attrs: href title

value: hr

values:
/wiki/National_Football_League_playoffs
mw-redirect
National Football League playoffs

values:
/wiki/NFL_Championship
mw-redirect
NFL Championship

values:
/wiki/Baltimore_Colts
mw-redirect
Baltimore Colts

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/NFL_playoffs,_2002%E2%80%9303
mw-redirect
NFL playoffs, 2002–03

values:
/wiki/NFL_playoffs,_1975%E2%80%9376
mw-redirect
NFL playoffs, 1975–76

values:
/wiki/George_S._Halas_Trophy
mw-redirect
George S. Halas Trophy

values: Edit section: List of NFC Championship Games

values:
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values:
/wiki/San_Francisco,_California
mw-redirect
San Francisco, California

values:
/wiki/RFK_Stadium
mw-redirect
RFK Stadium

values:
/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California
mw-redirect
Los Angeles, California

values:
/wiki/Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania
mw-redirect
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

values:
/wiki/Chicago,_Illinois
mw-redirect
Chicago, Illinois

values:
/wiki/Minneapolis,_Minnesota
mw-redirect
Minneapolis, Minnesota

values:
/wiki/NFL_playoffs,_1999%E2%80%932000
mw-redirect
NFL playoffs, 1999–2000

values:
/wiki/St._Louis,_Missouri
mw-redirect
St. Louis, Missouri

values:
/wiki/Trans_World_Dome
mw-redirect
Trans World Dome

values:
/wiki/Edward_Jones_Dome
mw-redirect
Edward Jones Dome

values:
/wiki/Seattle,_Washington
mw-redirect
Seattle, Washington

values:
/wiki/Qwest_Field
mw-redirect
Qwest Field

values: National Football League playoffs, 2006-07

values: National Football League playoffs, 2007-08

values: National Football League playoffs, 2008-09

values:
/wiki/New_Orleans,_Louisiana
mw-redirect
New Orleans, Louisiana

values:
/wiki/Louisiana_Superdome
mw-redirect
Louisiana Superdome

values:
/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia
mw-redirect
Atlanta, Georgia

values:
/wiki/2016-17_NFL_playoffs
mw-redirect
2016-17 NFL playoffs

values:
/wiki/2010-11_NFL_playoffs
mw-redirect
2010-11 NFL playoffs

values:
/wiki/2014-15_NFL_playoffs
mw-redirect
2014-15 NFL playoffs

values:
/wiki/2015-16_NFL_playoffs
mw-redirect
2015-16 NFL playoffs

values: Edit section: NFC Championship Game records

values:
nofollow
http://tvmediainsights.com/tag/nfl-fox/
external autonumber

values:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

values: National Football League Most Valuable Player Award

values: National Football League Coach of the Year Award

values: Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award

values: National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award

values: National Football League Rookie of the Year Award

values: National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award

values: Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award

values: National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team

values: Category:National Football League All-Decade Teams

values: Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award

values: Pro Football Writers Association NFL Defensive Player of the Year

values: NEA National Football League Rookie of the Year Award

values:
/wiki/UPI_AFL-AFC_Rookie_of_the_Year
mw-redirect
UPI AFL-AFC Rookie of the Year

values:
/wiki/UPI_NFL-NFC_Rookie_of_the_Year
mw-redirect
UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values:
row
navbox-group
width:1%;background-color: #FFA7A7;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;font-weight:bold;background-color: #FFA7A7;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;padding:0px;background-color: #FFCCCC; text-align: center;;;;width:25%;

values:
row
navbox-group
width:1%;background-color: #B7D0FF;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;font-weight:bold;background-color: #B7D0FF;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;padding:0px;background-color: #D0E7FF; text-align: center;;;;width:25%;

values: List of National Football League seasons

values: Lists of National Football League team seasons

values: List of National Football League games played outside the United States

values: National Football League Christmas games

values: List of NFL franchise post-season streaks

values: List of NFL franchise post-season droughts

values: List of quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl starts

values: History of the National Football League championship

values: Timeline of the National Football League

values: List of defunct National Football League franchises

values: National Football League franchise moves and mergers

values: History of the National Football League in Los Angeles

values: List of National Football League records (individual)

values: List of National Football League records (team)

values: List of last undefeated NFL teams by season

values: National Football League Management Council

values: National Football League Players Association

values: Category:National Football League on the radio

values: List of National Football League officials

values: List of current National Football League stadiums

values: Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams

values: Foreign players in the National Football League

values: List of suspensions in the National Football League

values: National Football League player conduct policy

values: Training camp (National Football League)

values: List of National Football League mascots

values: National Football League uniform numbers

values: List of National Football League retired numbers

values: nowraplinks collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values: Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1971

values:
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
interface

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/NFC_Championship_Game
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: NFCチャンピオンシップゲーム – Japanese

values: National Football Conference Championship Game – Portuguese

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-NFC_Championship_Game rootpage-NFC_Championship_Game skin-vector action-view