I'm afraid of the refs

[McBean]

7 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

I read an article from a mainstream non sports outlet recently and they gushed over the ratings a NE/TB Superbowl would do compared to all others.

Although Dallas vs Buffalo was 3rd best. 

Bottom line, I'm worried the NFL has this in mind , I mean the storylines would be endless. The ratings a once in a lifetime occurrence.  

It would not surprise me the least bit to see the refs heavily favor NE in a gm where a couple of holding calls could make a huge dent. 

 

Edit - here's the link , it was from Yahoo.

https://sports.yahoo.com/are-you-ready-for-a-bucs-patriots-super-bowl-165706199.html

Good.

 

Go huddle in a corner with a blanket and thumb in your mouth.

 

I can’t believe people really buy into this crap.

[JMF2006]

6 hours ago, Búfalo Blanco said:

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. The refs will always call some BS and try to keep things close, at least. Getting further than that into Vegas lines, favorites, steering narratives, etc… who knows? But we have a QB good enough to overcome those penalties now. He’s already done that multiple times. 

 

Did you watch the Squeelers vs Dirty Birds?

 

The Refs had their hands in helping Lamont secure a win or at least a tie .........but some how the Ravens managed to shoot themselves in the foot

[Beast]

The thing I don’t understand….if some of you guys really feel that the refs are out make sure a couple select teams win, why in hell do you follow the NFL? If for even a second I felt the league was rigged I’d dump the sport in a hurry. I’m not about to watch a league that has the same credibility, or even less, than the WWF.

 

Could one of you conspiracy theorists please explain why you are a fan of this league? 

Edited December 6, 2021 by Beast

[billybob71]

yeah I am not a big conspiracy guy but I am starting to think points like the OPs aren't to far fetched, hopefully the Bills will be up big in this game and it won't matter but if its close at the end....

[HOUSE]

 

The key is to be friendly with the refs,

 

#1 Help refs pick up flags

#2 Offer free coffee at half time and a ride to the airport

#3 Compliment their keen eyesight & general knowledge of the game

#4 Remember to smile when bad calls ruin the game

[finn]

8 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

Let me calm the OP down.

 

The Bills game on MNF is not going to be ruined by pro-NE bias as part of a master Super Bowl conspiracy plot.

 

 

Until recently, I agreed. But think of the incredible sums of money being bet now on every game. The NFL itself doesn't need to be corrupt. All it takes is one organization to contact key refs in key games and offer a deal. Maybe not even a very nice deal. Have you read anything about organized crime? NFL refs should be in a witness-protection type program. 

 

I don't think there's a wide conspiracy to fix games. But I suspect that many refs have been persuaded to look for opportunities to ensure the spread is covered (or not covered). So much money is involved, and it's so easy to get away with, that I think it's naïve to think that deliberate bias isn't a major factor in today's game. If World Cup soccer can be corrupted, so can the NFL. 

 

Sometimes paranoids have real enemies. 

[Beast]

2 minutes ago, finn said:

Until recently, I agreed. But think of the incredible sums of money being bet now on every game. The NFL itself doesn't need to be corrupt. All it takes is one organization to contact key refs in key games and offer a deal. Maybe not even a very nice deal. Have you read anything about organized crime? NFL refs should be in a witness-protection type program. 

 

I don't think there's a wide conspiracy to fix games. But I suspect that many refs have been persuaded to look for opportunities to ensure the spread is covered (or not covered). So much money is involved, and it's so easy to get away with, that I think it's naïve to think that deliberate bias isn't a major factor in today's game. If World Cup soccer can be corrupted, so can the NFL. 

 

Sometimes paranoids have real enemies. 

Why would you even watch the NFL if that’s the way you feel?

[filthymcnasty08]

8 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

But it could be ruined by the officials for no reason at all

 

 

That paranoia is justified, when it comes to officials.

 

All goes back to....."Just give it to 'em."

"Just give it to them" plus this(same weekend I believe) ....cost the Bills huge that year. 

 

 

 

 

[finn]

Just now, Beast said:

Why would you even watch the NFL if that’s the way you feel?

It's not a feeling, it's a suspicion; there's a difference. I watch because the refs can't determine the outcomes, they can only influence it. I don't think the players, coaches, or even most refs are biased. But I do think some refs have been given a powerful incentive to see or not see holding, say, on critical plays. Again, it's just too easy to tip the balance if one is inclined to. Taunting, roughing the passer, Offside, pass interference... All judgment calls. 

 

It's much more pleasant to think all NFL refs are just ordinary joes doing their job with perfect integrity. I don't blame you for sticking with that belief. 

[Thurman#1]

9 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

I'm afraid of the refs

 

 

Be afraid of the Bills not playing well enough.

 

If we loses, that'll be why.

 

 

 

35 minutes ago, billybob71 said:

yeah I am not a big conspiracy guy but I am starting to think points like the OPs aren't to far fetched, hopefully the Bills will be up big in this game and it won't matter but if its close at the end....

 

 

They are extremely, wildly far-fetched.

 

You're saying it's not far-fetched for the NFL to risk it's multi-billion dollar industry for like a ten or twenty percent bump in ratings? If that? Ratings are huge on the SB no matter who plays.

 

Talk about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs! It would be absolutely nuts to even think about it. What the owners want is stability over the decades. This would be a pretty sure way to avoid that for a miniscule possible gain.

[Thurman#1]

9 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

The casuals would eat a TB/NE Superbowl up. They're thinking $$$ , not about the real fans

 

 

The casuals go to Super Bowl parties anyway. The teams don't matter, it's the occasion.

 

And the small extra $$$ they gained by doing this are vastly dwarfed by the year-on-year-on-year profits they would be risking. It simply does not make sense.

[billsbackto81]

We can't control what happens. We should be used to this by now 

 

I did read somewhere that the Pats are 2nd in awarded 1st downs via penalty at 2.5 a game behind Atl and NYG at 2.6. 

 

They are also 1st in not awarding opponents 1st downs via penalty.

 

Conclusion? Refs turn a blind eye on the Patriot defense, especially on 3rd downs. 

[BuffaloFan68]

8 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

But it could be ruined by the officials for no reason at all

 

 

That paranoia is justified, when it comes to officials.

 

All goes back to....."Just give it to 'em."

….. don’t forget the “tuck-rule” that got the cheaters to their first SB

[billsbackto81]

1 hour ago, Beast said:

The thing I don’t understand….if some of you guys really feel that the refs are out make sure a couple select teams win, why in hell do you follow the NFL? If for even a second I felt the league was rigged I’d dump the sport in a hurry. I’m not about to watch a league that has the same credibility, or even less, than the WWF.

 

Could one of you conspiracy theorists please explain why you are a fan of this league? 

Probably because deep in their hearts they want to believe that their team will at some point benefit from the BS calls that favor opponents. 

[Steptide]

The only game this year where I legit think it cost us the game was the jags game. You could make an argument for the titans game too, but the jags game is what I really remember. Lots and lots of flags in that game and refs not calling multiple false starts on the jags. 

 

For the refs to help push the Pats to the superbowl, they'd litterally have to call every game there way from now until February, which just sounds crazy 

[ToGoGo]

9 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Except the fan polls done heavily favored a Buffalo - Arizona Superbowl

 

The fan polls didn't include bucs-pats as an option. So we don't know. 

50 minutes ago, finn said:

Until recently, I agreed. But think of the incredible sums of money being bet now on every game. The NFL itself doesn't need to be corrupt. All it takes is one organization to contact key refs in key games and offer a deal. Maybe not even a very nice deal. Have you read anything about organized crime? NFL refs should be in a witness-protection type program. 

 

I don't think there's a wide conspiracy to fix games. But I suspect that many refs have been persuaded to look for opportunities to ensure the spread is covered (or not covered). So much money is involved, and it's so easy to get away with, that I think it's naïve to think that deliberate bias isn't a major factor in today's game. If World Cup soccer can be corrupted, so can the NFL. 

 

Sometimes paranoids have real enemies. 

 

You have to be naive to the point of being a dunce. 

 

After what happened in the NBA and Soccer, fans should just ASSUME it's rigged after every bad call. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

5 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

This is quite accurate. In fact, in the movie, he was watching the weather on TV and it was really gusty wind and snow. 

[BassToMouth]

10 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

I read an article from a mainstream non sports outlet recently and they gushed over the ratings a NE/TB Superbowl would do compared to all others.

Although Dallas vs Buffalo was 3rd best. 

Bottom line, I'm worried the NFL has this in mind , I mean the storylines would be endless. The ratings a once in a lifetime occurrence.  

It would not surprise me the least bit to see the refs heavily favor NE in a gm where a couple of holding calls could make a huge dent. 

 

Edit - here's the link , it was from Yahoo.

https://sports.yahoo.com/are-you-ready-for-a-bucs-patriots-super-bowl-165706199.html

I’ve said this since the Pats were 1-3 and was laughed at by nearly every poster. 
 

The laughers aren’t laughing now, but still in denial over what the NFL actually is.

50 minutes ago, ToGoGo said:

 

The fan polls didn't include bucs-pats as an option. So we don't know. 

 

You have to be naive to the point of being a dunce. 

 

After what happened in the NBA and Soccer, fans should just ASSUME it's rigged after every bad call. 

Naive to the point of being a dunce. That describes 90% of NFL fans. Who think this isn’t heavily heavily scripted entertainment 

[dwight in philly]

10 hours ago, Buffalo619 said:

We’ve been dealing with the refs all season. They’ve been bad to the point of corruption. If the refs have an ulterior motive not favoring us, it makes our victory more difficult , but not impossible. 

I agree , in all my years of watching NFL football , this year has been very exasperating watching the Officials  ruin games. Its a shame that as a fan, your mindset is as much consumed with the officiating as it is hoping one's team plays well, wins.. 

[Beast]

1 hour ago, finn said:

It's not a feeling, it's a suspicion; there's a difference. I watch because the refs can't determine the outcomes, they can only influence it. I don't think the players, coaches, or even most refs are biased. But I do think some refs have been given a powerful incentive to see or not see holding, say, on critical plays. Again, it's just too easy to tip the balance if one is inclined to. Taunting, roughing the passer, Offside, pass interference... All judgment calls. 

 

It's much more pleasant to think all NFL refs are just ordinary joes doing their job with perfect integrity. I don't blame you for sticking with that belief. 

 

There's a difference?

 

You "suspect" the league is fixed. 

 

Whatever. Same stance. If you suspect the leafue is fixed and contiinue to watch it and spend money on it....

1 hour ago, billsbackto81 said:

Probably because deep in their hearts they want to believe that their team will at some point benefit from the BS calls that favor opponents. 

 

So then they rooted for a team that won a fixed league. If that would bring those fans enjoyment, I guess whatever.