Are NFL games fixed?

[FightClub]

I have thought this, as a Bills fan, for a long time. Face it, we are not one of the teams the NFL has on it's list of "make sure they get there if possible".

 

I agree with an earlier post...the games are not "fixed" so much as "pushed" to an outcome if possible. Sometimes, the other team plays so well that this pushing by the refs does not help, but in a game like last night you see how apparent it is.

 

What I always tell my buddies when I claim this theory is...think about the NFL...how everything is planned to the minutest detail and how well run the whole league is, how "managed" everthing is...then you realize it is actually LESS likely that the games would not be pushed in this way.

 

It's all about the $$$ with the NFL, and pushing the games is a part of that too

[Wraith]

Can you give me a couple of examples of bad calls that went against Pittsburgh?  Seriously, I can't remember a single one...

 

They had three penalties for 20 yards, and two of them were false starts on the first drive...

 

CW

596169[/snapback]

 

I think that says it all right there.

[Ramius]

Its simple. The NFL knew Pittsburgh would be media darlings, and it would make a great story. NFL "wunderkind" roelithsh--bag winning the SB as a 23 yr old. Jerome Bettis winning the SB in his home town and then retiring. Cowher finally winning the big one. So no surprise the officiating was horrendously against seattle last night.

 

They dont "fix" the games in the usual sense of the word, but its easy for the officials to sway the outcome.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I don't know.  I mean there were bad calls on both sides.  It wasn't really one sided. Yes, we all know that the Seattle player had a touchdown and there was no  push off.  But the reason why seattle lost is that they had poor clock management at the end of the 2nd half and at the end of the game.

596117[/snapback]

 

I said earlier this would be the red herring in the game.

 

BR had a QB rating of 20... Nobody wins with those numbers... Seattle didn't really miss any of thier chances... They were there and happened, they were taken back from them:

 

TD and catch at the 1 yard line.

 

When you make two chances and they are taken back from you... It is hard to make 4 out of 4 chances count... That is what happened to Seattle.

 

15 yards were even tacked on erroneously 3 plays BEFORE the Ward TD.

 

Hard to beat that... By NO MEANS did Seattle beat themselves... What do you expect them to be perfect?

 

Face it, the Steelers got lucky or had help. I even wanted the Steelers to win!

[Arkady Renko]

I think the Illuminati are involved.

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

Are Nfl games fixed? No I seriousily doubt it. Theres too many people involved, too many variables, and situations to go over to script a nfl game, let alone an entire season for that to work. Were there some bad calls? Of course theres always bad calls. Football is a game officated by humans with the exception of instant replay, but still prone to human eyes and the judgement of the paticular ref making the call. I might be naive, but simply put good teams overcome bad calls, seattle didn't. They had plenty of chances, and simply didn't get it done.

[MarkyMannn]

My view on fixing the games:

1) The conspiracy would have to be so wide-spread, it would impossible to keep it secret

2) The Colts and Pats were the AFC media darlings. If the NFL was fixed, they would have gotten in before Pitt

3) Go to other team's message boards on any Monday during the season. I swear every team's fan base believes all the calls were directed against them and the opposition got all the breaks

[Fezmid]

My view on fixing the games:

1)  The conspiracy would have to be so wide-spread, it would impossible to keep it secret

2)  The Colts and Pats were the AFC media darlings.  If the NFL was fixed, they would have gotten in before Pitt

3)  Go to other team's message boards on any Monday during the season.  I swear every team's fan base believes all the calls were directed against them and the opposition got all the breaks

596226[/snapback]

The difference is, we're neither Seattle nor Pittsburgh fans, and WE all saw the terrilble one-sided calls.

 

Heck, even the national media is drawing attention to this now.

 

CW

[Marv's Neighbor]

If you believe that it takes a lot of money to FIX a game then the SEAHAWKS would have won in a walk. Paul Allen has enough money to fix anything!

[ExiledInIllinois]

I think the Illuminati are involved.

596215[/snapback]

 

It isn't that. I am serious Johnny B. I said earlier that the human system in the game is broke. Through gross incompetence you get outcomes like this that are totally in favor of the team that is PERCEIVED to be the choosen one.

 

FFS asked why are they so entertaining then?... It is because the players are trying to play their best, by no means is the fix in on their side... IT IS THE REFS and the NFL with their distorted view of the game that cause such debacles... They need to be a lot more hands off and simplify technology and the rules.

 

Come on, the NFL is the biggest socialized entity in the world...

 

Again, the system is broke... Giving the appearance the game is rigged. Perception is very important... You just can't keep painting people as loons. It is a matter of time before the product begins a steep decline... It will be there for the taking by the other sports (namely baseball... That has higher umpiring intergrity and procedural rules).

 

THAT is a major problem for the NFL... I am no expert but, it has got to be corrected.

[PromoTheRobot]

In defense of the officials, they have an extremely difficult job.  The rule book must be 12 inches thick by now.  I have no specific suggestions, but it seems like some type of rules simplification is in order.

596034[/snapback]

Then why can 100 million people watching a game see something (or not see something) that 12 officials on the field can't? If that's the case, have a 13th ref sitting in a Laz-E-Boy with a bowl of chips!

 

I agree that the games aren't neccessarily fixed, but the NFL does try to push certain outcomes.

 

PTR

[Nervous Guy]

1)  The conspiracy would have to be so wide-spread, it would impossible to keep it secret

596226[/snapback]

Bingo...somebody would have leaked the "secret" by now...that was just the worst officiating crew EVER.

[Fezmid]

Bingo...somebody would have leaked the "secret" by now...that was just the worst officiating crew EVER.

596243[/snapback]

Why would it have to be so big? I'm not saying the players/owners are in on it -- but it only takes one or two refs, doesn't it? (and keep in mind that I'm usually the guy defending the officials; but last night was just ridiculous).

 

CW

[Catholic Guilt]

A qiuck recap of what I saw. Every time there seemed to be a big call to setback a team, it was against Seattle.

 

Offensive pass interference takes away TD.

 

Ben Rothlisberger TD allowed despite replay.

 

Holding call on big Peter Warrick return.

 

Terrible holding call on Stevens pass to 1 yard line.

 

No call of Porter horse-collar. Would have been a huge bailout personal foul 1st down.

 

Brutal personal foul call against Hasselback who actually made a clean tackle.

 

Even the Hassebeck non-fumble, it was as if the refs WANTED it to be a fumble.

 

Big Ben calls time out with play clock at zero, they give him timeout anyway.

 

Make no mistake. The Steelers deserved to win. But on the whole, it will go down as one of the crappiest officiated Super Bowls that DEFINITELY fell in favor of one team.

[ExiledInIllinois]

If you believe that it takes a lot of money to FIX a game then the SEAHAWKS would have won in a walk.  Paul Allen has enough money to fix anything!

596234[/snapback]

 

Again, the game ISN'T fixed... It is perceived to be fixed... That my friend is a serious issue for any business.

 

It is like anything socialized, the entity attempts to correct a situation while unknowingly tipping the scale out of equilibrium. In all the good the NFL does to "try" to be fair and create parity... Things go grossly wrong. The sport needs to be treated more "naturally" and run its course.

[ExiledInIllinois]

A qiuck recap of what I saw. Every time there seemed to be a big call to setback a team, it was against Seattle.

 

Offensive pass interference takes away TD.

 

Ben Rothlisberger TD allowed despite replay.

 

Holding call on big Peter Warrick return.

 

Terrible holding call on Stevens pass to 1 yard line.

 

No call of Porter horse-collar. Would have been a huge bailout personal foul 1st down.

 

Brutal personal foul call against Hasselback who actually made a clean tackle.

 

Even the Hassebeck non-fumble, it was as if the refs WANTED it to be a fumble.

 

Big Ben calls time out with play clock at zero, they give him timeout anyway.

 

Make no mistake. The Steelers deserved to win. But on the whole, it will go down as one of the crappiest officiated Super Bowls that DEFINITELY fell in favor of one team.

596248[/snapback]

 

Agree.

 

And even during all this questionable refing effing, the refs seemed to be eager to defend their rulings with even MORE terrible calls... Chaulk that up to being human nature... It is like in their minds they needed to take control of a situation they already effed up and got themselves worse in a bind.

 

Case in point: The umpired jumping into the scrum of players behind the Randle El play.

 

It was making the players chippy.

 

Again, I wanted the Steelers to win but, my hat really goes off to the Seahawks for staying in control and not coming unglued.

 

Mike Holmgren had that "sick" look the whole game. They (Seahawks) play good soldiers all year and I bet they win it all next year.

 

Is that a sign that the NFL "pushes" things or a sign of a true winner that will not come unglued when things go bad... IE: a disciplined team.

 

Anyway, kudos Seahawks... If I was player, I would have come unhinged (not that I ain't now ).

[ExiledInIllinois]

My view on fixing the games:

1)  The conspiracy would have to be so wide-spread, it would impossible to keep it secret

2)  The Colts and Pats were the AFC media darlings.  If the NFL was fixed, they would have gotten in before Pitt

3)  Go to other team's message boards on any Monday during the season.  I swear every team's fan base believes all the calls were directed against them and the opposition got all the breaks

596226[/snapback]

 

No.

 

1) It isn't a conspiracy.

 

2) Pitt is also a media darling... Last year when they lost to NE, it wasn't their turn... And the Colts? They just shoot themselves in the foot with the murder weapon. The NFL just slinks away, laughing. The Colts are the PERFECT cover. Every "gang that doesn't shoot straight" needs one idiot. See, Colts and Bills (SB XXV-XXVII). It will wear thin on the NFL and the Colts time will pass also.

 

3)Can't argue there, fans (including me) are idiots... Helps the NFL even more. Just paint them as loons.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

The difference is, we're neither Seattle nor Pittsburgh fans, and WE all saw the terrilble one-sided calls.

 

Heck, even the national media is drawing attention to this now.

 

CW

596230[/snapback]

 

I'm not saying the reffing was good, it was horrible. However, not only does BINYC's questioned remained essentially unanswered )fixed by whom), but I think that there is the perhaps larger question of: to what purpose?

 

1. If they were fixing the game was coming up with this crap the best they could do?

 

If it was fixed (certainly fixed but even if it was "merely" influenced) they would have to be working to come up with a far better game than this circle jerk. I think most folks except for Pittsburgh fans simply found this to be one of the worst exhibitions of football seen in quite awhile.

 

2. If the outcome were "simply" what they were after then why is Pitts winning such a great story to make it happen?

 

The Bus triumphing before retiring, the young QB, or the longest serving HC winning are all neat stories, but if the outcome had turned out the other way, one could also make stories out of Hasselbeck pulling a Trent Dilfer plus, the league's #1 rusher carrying his team, the rich guy Paul Allen finally triumphing or whatever. I think the Pitts stories are probaly better stories but not so much so that a Seattle outcome would have been devoid of stories that a Pitts outcome is the one anyone would create outside of a Steelers fan.

 

3.What individual stories were being created and why did this fall apart?

 

The Bus? A nice story but his lack of MVP #s gives this one little historical life. RoboQB pulling a Brady? Not with his stellar QB rating in the game. Hines Ward? Who? Maybe if his name was Heinz Ward.

 

4. Follow the money is usually a good dictum, but who made out like a bandit from this "fix".

 

Most of the money was on the outconme produced so I do not see the betting advantage produced by fixing this outcome. In fact, the betting world profits by creating a middle where betting is equally divided by the point spread. If a bettor was fixing this, then you create good odds and bet the longshot. Paul Allen, Seahawks owner has enough moola to buy an outcome but they lost. I simply have seen no outcome which produces big bucks.

 

5. If you were going to fix it would you be this ham handed?

 

If I bought a fix, I'd have the refs taken out back and shot for bloeing such demonstrable calls to implement the fix.

 

6. Was it just this game or was the season fixed?

 

There were certainly far better stories from Peyton and Dungy overcoming long waits and personal tragedy, to if you are one of the folks who believe affirmative action and African-Americans run everything to have Marvin Lewis lead the Bungles to victory that might make better stories.

 

Why Pittsburgh and why done so stupidly?

 

I simply do not see any discernable rationale in terms of story or $ for a fix.

 

If it is fixed or even influenced why isn't the outcome entertaining?

[Fan in San Diego]

In defense of the officials, they have an extremely difficult job.  The rule book must be 12 inches thick by now.  I have no specific suggestions, but it seems like some type of rules simplification is in order.

596034[/snapback]

 

I know there is a lot of rules. But dont make ticky tack calls on the biggest game of the year. Let the players play the game !

 

That push off call that nullified the TD was a disgrace to refs every where !

[BuffOrange]

What did the league do after the NE mugging of the Colts... Start changing the rules! 

596060[/snapback]

 

See, that's the thing. They DIDN'T change the rules. The NFL brainwashed everybody (obviously successful in doing so) that they changed the rules after that game because they didn't want people to think they royally screwed up the game by the rules. But all they said was that "X was already a rule, but we're going to start enforcing it next year". WTF? So it's not a rule unless you publically announce that you're going to enforce it in the future? If that's the case then why was the tuck rule enforced in the Oakland game? It is blatant hypocricy on the part of the league and all Patriot fans.