Is the NFL Fixed?

[wrstdude]

The game is probably too complicated for robots. But I do think every decision being reviewable (with the standard 2 challenges, but changed to unlimited if as long as you're correct) solves a lot of the problems.

Yeah, it's a bit of hyperbole for the purists who love "the human element." I want the correct call without bias, influence or knowledge of the situation. Theoretically the only one who could do that would be a robot w/ some sort of binary, yes/no or if/then programming.

 

[LACHAMP46]

did u ever ask ur mom why she said this?

It was in the 80's and the Lakers we're winning and then losing. And my Rams with ED kept getting blown out in the playoffs and she said it off hand as we were watching some crazy officiating calls.....Never gave a detailed explanation, but kinda implied that it was in the league/country's best interests to have certain teams (Celtics/Lakers/Bears/9ers/Skins) win championships....And she was talking about how certain players got drafted....Like the Cleveland Cavs now....Just set up to win....I'd say the Broncos appear set up to win...they were last year but the Seahawks threw a wrench in the plan....

 

[OnceARam]

if you think its fixed why would you bother to watch that would be the most nonsensical thing

it would be like reading a book that you wrote

Because we didn't write it.

 

[OnceARam]

No.
Not for the top level no.
The owners absolutely not in on fixing. Bunch of Billionaires do not want to be associated with anything shady. It would kill their other business interests instantly and put them under scrutiny they wouldn't like. Just don't them see and other high ranking league officials enjoying life as prison bitches.
But it's not a fix., but it sure seems like in football and other sports some refs, umpires sure seem to have it in for a team. And not even teams I root for.

Then who would have thought the NBA would have had a cheating scandal involving Refs. I still have a hard time with that being a honest man.
So leaving to possibility open at lower levels just a crack.

It's not illegal to fix the nfl because it's legally considered entertainment. We're not talking Wall Street criminals. We're talking about a completely unregulated entertainment organization. A multi billion dollar organization at that. There is a lot to be gained by steering the narrative in a manner that increases ratings.

 

[OnceARam]

It was in the 80's and the Lakers we're winning and then losing. And my Rams with ED kept getting blown out in the playoffs and she said it off hand as we were watching some crazy officiating calls.....Never gave a detailed explanation, but kinda implied that it was in the league/country's best interests to have certain teams (Celtics/Lakers/Bears/9ers/Skins) win championships....And she was talking about how certain players got drafted....Like the Cleveland Cavs now....Just set up to win....I'd say the Broncos appear set up to win...they were last year but the Seahawks threw a wrench in the plan....

I remember that. I remember how James Worthy somehow started missing base line jumpers that he had never missed in his entire career... I stopped watching the NBA after that. I can't prove anything nor will I try. It was just a feeling that something was rotten in LA La land.

 

[Prime Time]

It would be interesting to study these games and see how many penalties were called once one team got way ahead, especially since the Goodell era began.
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http://www.profootballhof.com/history/stats/comebacks.aspx

Greatest Comebacks in NFL History

 

[TheNine]

I voted yes based off my interpretation of the word "fixed". Specifically I do believe the games are unfairly influenced to favor certain teams. However I do not not believe the outcome of the game is decided going into it and that players "lie down" and allow their opponents to win.

 

[ChrisW]

Who's up for a long con?

We need to get someone into the NFL as a ref. Only then will we have definitive proof.

 

[Stranger]

Since this thread is throwing out solutions, I have another idea - transparency.

Every single week, the NFL should not only review the officiating from all games, but should also publish those results for all to see.

For every game, publish the names of the officiating crews. List all the calls they got wrong, and the official that was responsible. Don't only list the ones where flags were thrown, also list the ones where flags were not thrown but should have been (e.g., the obvious hold on Langford). Over time, you could build a database and see which officials did the best job and which ones did the worst. You could give grades for the overall crew, and grades for individual officials as well. This would create a much larger feedback loop that put pressure on the NFL and the officials themselves to get it right, holding them accountable in a very public way for their mistakes. It would also give the officials incentive to avoid unnecessary scrutiny by putting more pressure on them to get it right and to call games evenhandedly.

Another thing - require ALL officials to meet the press and take questions to explain themselves and their calls/non-calls.

And another thing - lift the absolutely insane prohibition against coaches and players criticizing officials. This prohibition just makes it look like the NFL wants to sweep bad officiating under the rug.

I seriously doubt the NFL would ever do this though, because that diminishes (if not removes outright) their ability to put the thumb on the scales to sway the outcomes the way they want them to go, particularly in very close games.

Of course, someone like Pro Football Focus or another organization could do this ... it wouldn't be as effective as the NFL doing it, but it could embarrass them at times and maybe force them to be a bit more transparent about officiating.

I tried this.... in another industry that affects every American over the age of 18. I did such a good job exposing the system in a scientifically supportable way, that the controllers of that system had no other option but to attack me. What I learned is that the incumbents will go to great lengths to maintain existing systems. So, it would take an incredible force to persuade the NFL to do what you suggest. On the other hand, there is nothing stopping you from creating your own publicly available DB of ref calls, for all ot analyze.

 

[Stranger]

It was in the 80's and the Lakers we're winning and then losing. And my Rams with ED kept getting blown out in the playoffs and she said it off hand as we were watching some crazy officiating calls.....Never gave a detailed explanation, but kinda implied that it was in the league/country's best interests to have certain teams (Celtics/Lakers/Bears/9ers/Skins) win championships....And she was talking about how certain players got drafted....Like the Cleveland Cavs now....Just set up to win....I'd say the Broncos appear set up to win...they were last year but the Seahawks threw a wrench in the plan....

You mom is a smart woman. It's really disheartening to have put so much emotional energy into being a professional sports fan, and then to discover, as you get older, that we're just being manipulated. So sad.. and so very disappointing.

Georgia really screwed Rams fans in the longterm. Other than the feel-good Kurt Warner story, I think we're going to have a very long dry spell. I thought when Fisher was hired, being such an NFL insider, that the NFL owners would let up. But I guess I was wrong. It's payback for moving our team out of the LA market, and I guess even Stan's insider connections aren't enough to turn the tide.

 

[OnceARam]

I voted no. If the game was fixed someone would have squealed by now and come out with solid evidence to support that. What I do wonder about is if the refs are giving closer scrutiny to the Rams defensive players on the orders of Roger Goodell because of the presence of Gregg Williams. The Bountygate scandal was a huge embarrassment for Goodell.

The nfl isn't 9/11. It's entertainment.

 

[Ram Quixote]

Just for a minute, imagine that Mike Jones' tackle screwed the NFL's plans for the first OT SB. In which the Rams lose.

 

[Prime Time]

The nfl isn't 9/11. It's entertainment.

What does this mean?

Btw the NFL is more than entertainment, it is a business that generates huge amounts of revenue. Whenever that much money changes hands there's a possibility of corruption.

 

[209RamsFan]

I voted YES....there are tons of info out there that will tell you that its NOT illegal to fix games, what ONCEaRam said. It's prettyscary what they can get away with and many people thinking it is reality. I also believe that Players and Refs CAN be bought...name your price? Your talking about a billion dollar business, and then don't get me started with Vegas....Just look at last yrs superbowl, Superbowl 36 and superbowl between Pitt and Sea, thats just to name a few.

 

[209RamsFan]

MULTi-blillion dollar business Machine...

 

[thirteen28]

I tried this.... in another industry that affects every American over the age of 18. I did such a good job exposing the system in a scientifically supportable way, that the controllers of that system had no other option but to attack me. What I learned is that the incumbents will go to great lengths to maintain existing systems. So, it would take an incredible force to persuade the NFL to do what you suggest. On the other hand, there is nothing stopping you from creating your own publicly available DB of ref calls, for all ot analyze.

People in power will always fight to maintain the status quo, the NFL is no exception.

I would love to do something like that if I had the time and energy, believe me.

 

[Robocop]

Are you just now hearing about this?
Ya, pretty bad. I heard it some time ago and thought the same thing.....just WOW!

yea idk how i couldve missed it. nobody ever mentioned it, never saw anything on tv about it either. thats how easy it is to sweep shit like that under the rug in this kind of corrupt league. for god sakes the coach that cheated his way to 3 Super Bowl wins is being voted the best coach in the league! like it never happened. i cant watch any more live games. not because of losing but because i cant watch another corrupt game like that without throwing something through the tv.

 

[OnceARam]

What does this mean?

Btw the NFL is more than entertainment, it is a business that generates huge amounts of revenue. Whenever that much money changes hands there's a possibility of corruption.

Was just trying to say that because it's an entertainment biz people can be paid hush money. So the "secret" may not necessarily get out.

Whereas if it were a larger issue of morality there would be a whistle blower.

So ultimately the nfl is not about morality. It is about ratings.

Sorry for the shorthand lazy way I tried to say that earlier. My bad.

 

[Stranger]

People in power will always fight to maintain the status quo, the NFL is no exception.

I would love to do something like that if I had the time and energy, believe me.

I don't recommend it, actually, not if u care about your longevity.

 

[OldRock]

Well, It's a sport. So is baseball (Black Sox), boxing (Jake LaMotta, Sonny Liston), olympics (Although those Russian women did turn me on), horse racing (juiced horses, or it's head turning up under your sheets, oops, second one fiction), basketball (see OnceARam above), hockey (nothing here, try north of the border), soccer (try south of the border), golf (OK that's not a sport, it's just a chance to get away from the wi wi why I almost messed up there), and others (won't get into others personal sports, too many skeletons in the closet). Football? Squeaky clean (take my word for it and please contribute to my political campaign).