Is the NFL Fixed?

[CodeMonkey]

You aren't paying attention. Difficulty and costliness doesn't preclude possibility.

 

[Klaus]

A few calls in one teams favor is all it takes ! You don't need a team to go along with it. Just look at the Rams vs Cowboys game.

 

[fearsomefour]

No.

not any conspiracy but THIS conspiracy yes. isn't it easiest for the wolf to appear after everyone cries wolf so much that nobody thinks twice to look when it actually really happens?

 

[LesBaker]

A few calls in one teams favor is all it takes ! You don't need a team to go along with it. Just look at the Rams vs Cowboys game.

and all the fixings wouldn't matter if cook catches the touchdown pass

 

[CodeMonkey]

I just do not see how one can look at the calls and non-calls in that game and conclude that the officiating was equitable by any stretch of the imagination. If it was just that the refs are idiots they would, on average, call idiotic calls both ways. It would come out in the wash, as they say. But it isn't even. Clearly there is an agenda.

It's not just the crooked officiating that has me concerned either. As was noted above, corrupting a player or team member is probably the cheaper avenue and perhaps more effective. The corruption may not necessarily be (likely isnt) coming just from within the NFL either. I'd say there are a number of powerful and connected people with a vested interest in outcomes on Sundays.

Yes, I've pretty much lost faith in the integrity of the entire thing. What are you going to do though? Basketball sucks and its crookedness has been documented. So, it's inescapable if we are to enjoy sports. So I guess what you do is either just quit the NFL, which I cannot do, or just kick back and pretend that nothing is amiss and try to enjoy life comfortably numb.

 

[Username]

Regardless if it is or not, when you give officials the leeway to make ridiculous calls and get away with it, you run the risk of having it.

Now there's always going to be human error, so there's 2 ways to fix this. You either pay the referees more, and fine them for making such calls, or you give teams the option to challenge the calls. Still there's always the risk, but doing this makes it less likely.

Also,

one

hundred

fucking

percent

The corruption may not necessarily be (likely isnt) coming just from within the NFL either. I'd say there are a number of powerful and connected people with a vested interest in outcomes on Sundays.

THIS

 

[Robocop]

No.

w/e. enjoy the NFL however you want

 

[Ram Quixote]

I don't like the term, "fix." I prefer "influenced." That is, the attempt to sway the outcome, without being concerned if it doesn't work.

For example, SB36 was seriously influenced. There was a concerted effort there.

The Rams/Cowboys game? That was just influenced. Crap calls, but the Rams didn't do themselves any favors either.

 

[CodeMonkey]

 

[fearsomefour]

Oh and don't forget Fisher going for it on 4th down and not getting it.....how "convenient".
They, Cook and Fisher, must be in on it too.......
Blue font.

 

[joemama]

It probably isn't, the rules just suck monster balls. But I do think the NFL uses scheduling to try and fix it a bit.

 

[joemama]

I agree, its too complicated for it to never come out from one player, one journalist, or leaked froma butt-hurt employee who got fired. Understand that the rules are fucked up.

 

[joemama]

Regardless if it is or not, when you give officials the leeway to make ridiculous calls and get away with it, you run the risk of having it.

Now there's always going to be human error, so there's 2 ways to fix this. You either pay the referees more, and fine them for making such calls, or you give teams the option to challenge the calls. Still there's always the risk, but doing this makes it less likely.

Also,

one

hundred

freaking

percent



THIS

Football isn't the same, society isn't the same. People don't get the same feeling from seeing someone crushed and laid out on the field that they used to get. It actually makes me cringe everytime someone destroys a defenseless receiver now a days. Sure football is a tough sport, but some of those tackles weren't even humane. Just sling your body right at someone .

 

[junkman]

I voted no but there is obvious bias that comes in to play in games every week.

So much frustration in this thread! Even the folks who voted "not fixed", it was with the caveat that somehow systematic personal bias is somehow ok. Imho, it is not ok.

I voted "yes, it is fixed". In the best case, the NFL is either ignoring or not publicly addressing an obvious issue of systematic personal bias and miserable inconsistency in how games are called. In the worst case, the NFL (does the N stand for Nefarious?) is behind these biases in an effort to either keep games competitive (entertaining), or to favor certain large market teams.

Have always thought so since Super Bowl XXXVI

After our Super Bowl against the patsies.

The league commissioner destroying evidence so it could never be seen by others.

It kinda goes without saying that the GSOT years were horrible years financially for the league.

ne - one - blown call should be a mandatory reassignment to the classroom for further scrutiny and education.

The lack of public accountability for refs is at the heart of the problem. The NFL wants to present the image of a fair and even playing field, perfectly officiated games. But they have ref meetings after every game where they review every play and every call / non-call. If only they would own up to their own imperfection, that would go a long way. If they (or some other 3rd party) could roll up those bad calls / missed calls into some statistical model, then at least we'd be able to comment on whether or not there was a systematic problem or not.

Basically, as long as games are close, the officials can sway the outcome. I don't think they do it every game, but I think they do it some games, and it's not beyond them to do it in a Super Bowl or the playoffs. I'm convinced we've actually seen it.

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.

I tend to think of this as more of the refs covering their butts by trying to even out the penalties so there is not an obvious bias. I'm reminded of the New England / Rams game in London.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201210280ram.htm

Go through the play by play, it's not just the number of penalties called, but the critical nature of the penalties called and the subjectivity. They called all kinds of 3rd and X penalties on the Rams where they got the Pats off the field... except for the penalty called. They just kept calling penalties against the Rams until the game was out of reach. Then they called a few meaningless penalties against the Pats. Offsides on a kickoff. In the end, the penalties weren't even close, either in number called or in yards allowed. 8-42 for the Pats, 12-102 for the Rams, but that doesn't come close to capturing how badly the refs favored the Pats.

The Rams seem to seriously suffer in terms of penalties called that put the other team ahead, get big plays called back, extend drives for the other teams, kill drives for the Rams... and strongly disfavoring the Rams while they still have a chance in the game.

In the Dallas game, as a comparison point, the Rams kept themselves in the game despite all the favoritism the refs were showing to Dallas. The refs just didn't have a chance to even out the calls. Just crazy all the bias in that game.

The "tuck rule" being made up on the field is proof positive that the game is fixed. It was never used before that, and only a few times afterwards, and now it went away.

Seriously. How ridiculous was that, right?!?

 

[Alaskan Ram]

5 teams guarenteed to lose on Bleacher Report:

Look what this idiot Seahawk fan posted:
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Steamin Willie Beamen VIII 1d ago
If the Rams front seven can't take advantage of the makeshift offensive line the Eagles have, I think it's safe to assume they'll be picking number one in the draft next year. They've been sorry up front since the start of the season, and that's supposed to be their biggest strength. It's sad they paid Quinn all that money and he appears to be content with being average.
******************************

I don't feel like now or ever creating a bleacher report profile to get on there and smack talk with this guy.

But I think it is a shame what the NFL is doing with Quinn getting held on every play and no calls.

 

[Prime Time]

I tend to think of this as more of the refs covering their butts by trying to even out the penalties so there is not an obvious bias.

Any attempt by the refs to "even out the penalties" in any game would be ludicrous. Human error is understandable but to purposely alter the outcome of a game obviously is not. I wonder if any ref, once fired or retired, would ever come forward with the truth about what really goes on.

 

[Selassie I]

Any attempt by the refs to "even out the penalties" in any game would be ludicrous. Human error is understandable but to purposely alter the outcome of a game obviously is not. I wonder if any ref, once fired or retired, would ever come forward with the truth about what really goes on.

Have you ever heard of a ref making a "Make Up Call"? That's not exactly what junk is referring to, but it is very similar in a sense. I used to ref Basketball... Make Up Calls do happen. It's not right, but it sometimes IS called for.

There was a rogue NBA ref who tried to blow the whistle on the NBA fixing games through the refs. Tim Donahea (I spelled his last name wrong cause I'm on my phone and I didn't look it up) is his name... everyone discredits him because he was convicted of other crimes... but if you're asking me, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of what he claims and what the NBA denies.

I have to believe that the NFL refs are given marching orders that they are expected to follow. Lots of "reasons" could be given for the orders... like SAFETY for instance.

I just pray that the day comes soon when all calls can be challenged. Until that day,,, I will wonder.