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Posted

The league has far more to lose if games were caught being fixed (quite literally everything) than they would to gain. So I do not believe there is an institutional fixing of the league (in that the NFL from the top down is instructing officials to fix games). The NFL if it wishes for a more exciting product can and has made rule changes to make games higher scoring. If the NFL wants there to be more competitive games they have salary cap rules and draft rules they can adjust to achieve the balance they want relatively speaking. The NFL league office already has the levers of power to achieve the outcomes it wants without having to risk their existence rigging games institutionally.

 

While I am sure when the mob was more involved and there was a lot more money in gambling off the field than there was on the field it is possible some games were fixed (and even then I don't think it was institutional). But in the modern era The NFL has a decade long TV deal worth tens of billions of dollars, they don't need to risk the entire leagues health for some marginal unknown benefit. 

 

Is it possible that a compromised ref situation could occur? Yes, I do suppose that a ref whose in too deep with the wrong people or working for some other motive could be compromised and fix a game. With how tightly refs are regulated and how fairly well paid they are now I think that's a lot harder to do but they cannot catch everything and there's always the possibility someone slips through the cracks. 

 

That's not to say that NFL games are always well officiated but I don't think the officiating is trying to "rig" the game for one team at least not intentionally. I do think that veteran QB/Coach combos do develop relationships with the refs over time that allows for some friendly interactions that could lead to favorable calls but that's just more of a human element. 

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Posted (edited)
11 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

The league has far more to lose if games were caught being fixed (quite literally everything) than they would to gain. So I do not believe there is an institutional fixing of the league (in that the NFL from the top down is instructing officials to fix games). The NFL if it wishes for a more exciting product can and has made rule changes to make games higher scoring. If the NFL wants there to be more competitive games they have salary cap rules and draft rules they can adjust to achieve the balance they want relatively speaking. The NFL league office already has the levers of power to achieve the outcomes it wants without having to risk their existence rigging games institutionally.

 

While I am sure when the mob was more involved and there was a lot more money in gambling off the field than there was on the field it is possible some games were fixed (and even then I don't think it was institutional). But in the modern era The NFL has a decade long TV deal worth tens of billions of dollars, they don't need to risk the entire leagues health for some marginal unknown benefit. 

 

Is it possible that a compromised ref situation could occur? Yes, I do suppose that a ref whose in too deep with the wrong people or working for some other motive could be compromised and fix a game. With how tightly refs are regulated and how fairly well paid they are now I think that's a lot harder to do but they cannot catch everything and there's always the possibility someone slips through the cracks. 

 

That's not to say that NFL games are always well officiated but I don't think the officiating is trying to "rig" the game for one team at least not intentionally. I do think that veteran QB/Coach combos do develop relationships with the refs over time that allows for some friendly interactions that could lead to favorable calls but that's just more of a human element. 

 

 

This!! This, exactly.

 

You can say a lot about the NFL and how it's run. Much of it fairly bad.

 

But they're not stupid enough to risk hundreds of billions over time to win tens of millions. They're just not.

 

Is it possible that an individual here and there does something venal and stupid? Yup, absolutely.

 

But that they're stupid enough to risk it all for such a relatively small return? No, you'd have to be stupid to a massive, massive degree. It'd be like a guy crawling out to the Wallenda's highwire across Niagara Falls to pick up a nickel taped to the middle of the wire. They make bad decisions, reasonably often, as do most or all of us.

 

But they're just not that clueless.

 

 

Edited by Thurman#1
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Posted
6 hours ago, ToGoGo said:



I also suspect the league is more interested in keeping prime time games close until the 4th quarter, rather than picking a winner. This is for advertising rates late in games. 

I agree with this.

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Posted

I would say influenced. There have been rumors of plenty of fixed professional fights, I can see certain games/plays etc.

 

I don't think its down to a script like WWE tho...

Posted

The things like the non-holding is another reason why wins and rings are not a QB stat. Could you imagine if Josh was able to benefit from that like Mahomes does

Posted
3 minutes ago, stevewin said:

The things like the non-holding is another reason why wins and rings are not a QB stat. Could you imagine if Josh was able to benefit from that like Mahomes does

This is exactly the issue the game can be swayed and one team can be helped with certain calls

 

when it happens so frequently for one team chiefs and previously the pats it makes you think 

Posted
3 hours ago, Gman10 said:

I would say influenced. There have been rumors of plenty of fixed professional fights, I can see certain games/plays etc.

 

I don't think its down to a script like WWE tho...

One fighter vs 53 players. Not impossible.  I suppose Josh could have been paid off to fumble the snap on the goal line against the Vikings. But was the entire o-line paid off to not recover the ball? 

Outside of the QB who is already making millions nobody else handles the ball enough to make a difference.  I guess a kicker could miss a FG but even then the team and game situation has to be such that it even comes down to a winning/losing kick. 

 

Would I be surprised if some guy ultimately was being paid off? No. Wide spread absolutely not. And certainly there is no collusion amongst hypercompetitive billionaires to let Robert Kraft keep winning SuperBowls. 

Posted

No.

I wonder if all of us are nothing more than an A.I. experiment or a board game for something or someone that's beyond our comprehension. Do the players just laugh every time a new war breaks out or a tornado wipes out an entire town? 

Posted

I've got some great news: I got a call from a mole deep in Goodell's office & he told me the NFL is fixing this season so that the Bills will be Super Bowl Champions.  So save the week after the Super Bowl for celebrations.  If I was still working, I'd put in vacation time now. 

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Posted
2 hours ago, stevewin said:

The things like the non-holding is another reason why wins and rings are not a QB stat. Could you imagine if Josh was able to benefit from that like Mahomes does

 

Chiefs led the NFL in holding penalties called last year...

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Posted
5 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Chiefs led the NFL in holding penalties called last year...

But still not called for all of them

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