CFZ Just be aware of the business end of the NFL

[Qcard]

Intended or not, you can see how referees can -and do- affect the outcome of ball games and can control point spreads, who wins and loses, even how long it takes for the winning team to score the winning score.
I've always said that it's naive to think that billionaires would leave their fortunes to chance.
So many of us watched the WWF. We knew it was fake, but who didn't love tuning in to watch Rick Flair, Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Sting, and the rest? The athletic abilities of the wrestlers and their showmanship put a legitimate entertainment product in the arenas. Even though we knew the results were pre-determined, we tuned in and enjoyed the show, and so many were riled up, ready to fight over the results.
Now the NFL has become a multi - trillion dollar business. The advertising dollars are huge. The economies of NFL cities are fueled by the tourism, ticket sales, and all of the other ways that money is generated from having an NFL franchise.
Television advertisers were getting upset over blow-outs that caused fans to turn the channel and miss their commercials during the second halves of games that no longer were a contest. So now it seems that EVERY prime time game is decided by one score, and often in the final seconds. Even if it is a last place team vs a first place team, the game remains close through the third quarter, with the first place team putting it out of reach during the fourth quarter.
At one time there was talk of stopping the Monday Night Football games because so many of those games had become dull, boring affairs between mismatched opponents, as the injuries mounted and lesser skilled teams fell away as the season progresses. Now there's Sunday night and Thursday night games that go down to the wire, often settled on the last play of the game.
The NFL wants you to believe that it's because of "parity" in the league, but is it really about "parody"? Is something rotten in the game Americans have grown to love?
And now, with the NFL encouraging gambling, it becomes another reason for games to finish close to the point spreads.
The recent loss by the Cowboys to Green Bay keeps an audience in a top NFL fan base believing just a little bit longer(Green Bay), and the win makes those fans feel that their team is still one of the best. Multiply that by the number of losing franchises and you can see how much money is lost if fans lose interest.
So be careful betting on football. Those of us who have watched the NFL for 50+ years know that there is no such thing as parity in a league filled with so many different philosophies from team to team, and with leadership that varies so much in talent and what they hope to accomplish.
The NFL won on Thanksgiving, with ad revenue and sales getting a record audience.
Remember; the NFL is a business, It's not always the most talented who get the breaks.
It's what's best for business.

Conspiracy??? I would say NO unless we remember…Owners have a SELF IMPOSED SPENDING CAP and sheepish fans who count players millions BUT ignore the owners BILLIONS.

 

[DCwarrior]

Whether OP is right or wrong, being attached at the hip to every gambling opportunity is not a good look for the NFL. Have you heard the disclaimer on NFL network radio? It sounds like a side effects disclaimer for a new prescription medicine.

 

[Diehardblues]

Stop talking like you are an ESQUIRE .. . . I broke it down using that analogy so you would be able to comprehend it.

All those big words you are using are confusing your judgement . . . Entertainment is the only word you need to focus on.

Is there n oversight committee for The Days of our lives or General Hospital

Such analogy is embarrassingly elementary. Obviously resorting to personal insults is a last ditch effort when your argument had been exhausted.

There would be a major investigation with any suspected collusive tampering by officials even in an admitted entertainment sports entity.

Last time I checked billions aren’t wagered on your daytime soaps.

The NFL protected by antitrust laws and tax exempt status would fall under scrutiny by congressional oversight committee. And why the integrity of the game is of the utmost priority of the league regardless of its “ entertainment “ designation.

 

[Diehardblues]

Whether OP is right or wrong, being attached at the hip to every gambling opportunity is not a good look for the NFL. Have you heard the disclaimer on NFL network radio? It sounds like a side effects disclaimer for a new prescription medicine.

Most sports wagering in our country had been made with illegal bookmakers. This new agreement with the NFL and legal bookmakers and casinos is an honorable attempt at legitimizing the industry.

The league simply was responding to the Supreme Court ruling which opened up legal sport- booking business across the country which formerly was only legal in Nevada.

Ultimately I’m not in favor of unlimited access to gambling as I’ve seen the results in those communities but once it became a legal entity the league was free to engage.

 

[Pass2Run]

Exactly. If there really is a massive high level conspiracy to fix games, show me the proof and I will believe it. So far there is not a single piece of concrete evidence of intentional game manipulation to determine outcomes. Given the amount of people/ complexity of a system required to make this happen effectively, it would almost certainly have been exposed by now.

The NFL should do this differently, though.

They should have on the field referees, and booth review referees, who know the rules and can check them and can overrule the on-the-field refs.

Just like we have a supreme court. These cowards on the field in black and white don't negate the human bias present in all humans who make judgment calls.

It's for this reason why we have a checks and balances and higher courts in our court system.

Yes, this is just a game. But if you want to make it fair, you can't have the refs on the field being judge, jury and executioner.

I would bet we'd see more accurate calls, upon review, if this were implemented.

I know for a fact these refs change games. I've talked to their families about it.

 

[cowboyed]

The NFL makes billions no matter who wins, simply from the TV contracts. They don't have to manipulate anything because their fortunes are not left to chance.

"You can see" whatever you are predisposed to see, while ignoring the facts of my first two sentences. That's what frustrated fans do, they look for scapegoats.

All this guy has done over the years is thread or post his pet conspiracy theories in a slew of forums and also pontificate about his NFL insider connections - and he isn't even a true Cowboys fan. To him this forum is choice carrion, as he loves to circle from up above over any extreme perceived Cowboys player, coach and owner issue of his own making.

 

[DCwarrior]

Most sports wagering in our country had been made with illegal bookmakers. This new agreement with the NFL and legal bookmakers and casinos is an honorable attempt at legitimizing the industry.

The league simply was responding to the Supreme Court ruling which opened up legal sport- booking business across the country which formerly was only legal in Nevada.

Ultimately I’m not in favor of unlimited access to gambling as I’ve seen the results in those communities but once it became a legal entity the league was free to engage.

You can marginalize it all you want. It’s STILL not a good look when half of your advertising is gambling related.

 

[Hoofbite]

There’s really no doubt that the NFL, the networks, and the advertisers prefer close competitive games. That cannot be debated. The question is how far will they go to get what they want. I’m not saying they blatantly call the games in a manner to make them close, but it doesn’t have to be blatant, does it?

hmmm, all major players like to maximize viewership. Imagine that.

 

[silvernblu]

I wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment of this note. I’ve been hearing variations of this NFL conspiracy theories for the 40 years I have been watching the NFL and have never seen any evidence of this kind of top level conspiracy to manipulate games, outcomes, etc.

I’m not so close minded to think it’s impossible, however, very much in the camp of “prove it”…

in my experience people I know who believe the NFL is rigged believe most other aspects of life are “rigged” as well….

Soooo. You Don’t think other aspects of life are rigged?

 

[goshann]

Soooo. You Don’t think other aspects of life are rigged?

What is rigged in your life? U play a lot of carnival games or something? U a big casino gambler? Is your career in shambles because ur company is out to get you ? U think elections or rigged?

Nothing significant in my life is rigged.

 

[Momanpr100]

I don’t buy into conspiracy if for no other reason than Congress hasn’t gotten into it. I guarantee if there was something there some congressman/woman would be looking to advance themselves investigating.

Congress is just as corrupt

 

[kskboys]

There’s really no doubt that the NFL, the networks, and the advertisers prefer close competitive games. That cannot be debated. The question is how far will they go to get what they want. I’m not saying they blatantly call the games in a manner to make them close, but it doesn’t have to be blatant, does it?

If you look for it, it's actually quite obvious.

Team goes up by 2 scores, they will have to fight a ton of calls to go up by 3. Yes, it is manipulated.

 

[kskboys]

I wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiment of this note. I’ve been hearing variations of this NFL conspiracy theories for the 40 years I have been watching the NFL and have never seen any evidence of this kind of top level conspiracy to manipulate games, outcomes, etc.

I’m not so close minded to think it’s impossible, however, very much in the camp of “prove it”…

in my experience people I know who believe the NFL is rigged believe most other aspects of life are “rigged” as well….

NO/MINNY debacle. The entire field of referees missed the DB tackling the WR while the ball was in the air.

The JAX/NE champ game, 2017. Go rewatch a replay of that game.

It's already been proven, but one cannot see what one does not want to see.

 

[kskboys]

If someone can't see the refs trying to tilt games, there's not much to say. When have you ever seen the refs 'review a play' AFTER we take a timeout and then nail the field goal and make us kick the field goal again?

(6) PATRIOTS WALK-OFF PUNT RETURN TOUCHDOWN! - YouTube

This push in the back is so obvious it's almost impossible to miss as was the CeeDee pass interference. Expecting the players to 'play through' this is nonsense.

That one was really bad, and simply could not have been missed.

 

[kskboys]

I understand. But conspiracy theories are always easier to explain and sometime believe than real life.

Somehow it’s always easier to believe a conspiracy where hundreds, maybe thousands of people are all somehow able to completely coordinate their nefarious doings without a hitch and without a snitch. The NFL and refs have a hard time as it is without trying to conspire to fix games a certain way.

Besides…if the NFL is rigged, why watch?

Not fixing so much as calling to keep games close. This happens too much to be an accident.

 

[TheHerd]

So why haven't the Cowboys been in a superbowl for 20 plus years? If they were looking to fix games and control the narrative, and maximize ratings why not put the most popular team in at least once every 10 years?

They sued the league. Never been the same since. Almost every big moment call, suspension rulings, and several rules have been made against us. I don’t think league ever got over that.

 

[Momanpr100]

You can not sue them and there will be no investigation because the NFL is entertainment like a Soap Opera or Sit Com . . . Scripted

No law suits no investigations . . . They gave full disclosure . . . Entertainment . . . Movie Magic

Baseball on the other hand is a Sport . . . Can not cheat

Baseball as well, it's all ENTERTAINMENT. Watch the documentary on Netflix about the NBA ref, can't spell his name

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Congress is just as corrupt

,,,, and turning a blind eye to things is how they rake in half of their "donations".

 

[JustChip]

Congress is just as corrupt

Absolutely. They are all driven by their own self interest first and foremost. There is no shortage of members that would salivate over taking on and exposing corruption in the NFL to further their own ambition.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

I know for a fact these refs change games. I've talked to their families about it.

Please do enlighten us as to what exactly the NFL referees said to you. You do realize that this information, quite literally an admission of guilt, could result in the largest officiating scandal in American sports history?