Sumday,
First off let me just say that i had pitt in the superbowl so i was very happy with what the refs did. But to sit here and say that the refs didnt screw seattle over is totally insane. The better team didnt win.
You do know it only takes 1 or 2 bad calls for it to cost a team a win?
You might want to watch that superbowl again and pay attention to the bullshit flags, which i was happy for. Trith is if i didnt have the refs on my side that day, i would have lost my bet for sure.
Oh well the bottomline is you have your opinion and i have mine.
good luck with all your games
I haven't read all the posts in this thread and this point has doubtlessly been made already, but it's silly to think a player would only throw a game over money. There are many ways to apply leverage to a person besides financial. Someone with damaging, or potentially incriminating information, could blackmail or extort an athlete into compromising himself on the field. If you can't envision such a scenario, you're totally lacking in imagination.
Beyond that, it's silly to think players wouldn't shave points for money, despite their huge salaries. 40% of NBA players are broke five years after they leave the league and there are several NFL players who are similarly irresponsible with money. Also, there's an intense level of competition in certain lockerooms to wear the nicest clothes, drive the hottest sports car, entertain the most expensive women. Some lesser athletes find themselves frustrated when they get overshadowed by their higher paid teammates in this regard. Tamarick Vanover found himself arrested for financing a stolen car ring, in part because he was trying to keep pace with flashy Kansas City teammates like Andre Rison.
The NFL is not rife with corruption, but you're living in denial if you believe nobody would ever throw a game or shave points.
Beyond that, it's silly to think players wouldn't shave points for money, despite their huge salaries. 40% of NBA players are broke five years after they leave the league and there are several NFL players who are similarly irresponsible with money. Also, there's an intense level of competition in certain lockerooms to wear the nicest clothes, drive the hottest sports car, entertain the most expensive women. Some lesser athletes find themselves frustrated when they get overshadowed by their higher paid teammates in this regard. Tamarick Vanover found himself arrested for financing a stolen car ring, in part because he was trying to keep pace with flashy Kansas City teammates like Andre Rison.
The NFL is not rife with corruption, but you're living in denial if you believe nobody would ever throw a game or shave points.
I also confess to not reading the entire thread. I tried but the arguments broke no new ground. Its a bit like the old poker axiom, the guys losing want to talk inequities and bad luck, the winners just say "deal."
I've done this for 30 years and the NFL today is tougher than its ever been. The lines are sharper and the parity the NFL has sought, is here.
I think a lot of us make money on Sat. and give some of it back on Sun.
But fixed? No way, as a routine matter. Calls are blown, sure. But not because of an alterior motive. And because refs are human, I wouldn't be too shocked to hear that one was pressured into helping a team win. Anything is possible. But not week in week out.
Simple truth is that on Sunday either team can win. And just because your team lost, it isn't due to corruption. Or a "fix."
gl to all
I've done this for 30 years and the NFL today is tougher than its ever been. The lines are sharper and the parity the NFL has sought, is here.
I think a lot of us make money on Sat. and give some of it back on Sun.
But fixed? No way, as a routine matter. Calls are blown, sure. But not because of an alterior motive. And because refs are human, I wouldn't be too shocked to hear that one was pressured into helping a team win. Anything is possible. But not week in week out.
Simple truth is that on Sunday either team can win. And just because your team lost, it isn't due to corruption. Or a "fix."
gl to all
Some very good points made here...I haven't expanded on it very much in my rants but "fear" is indeed the great motivator. You will notice that in the responses to this subject whether they are for the idea of fixes in sports or against, it is assumed that money is the sole motivator...
Sometimes they don't have a choice....and I'll tell you something else....some injuries...never happened....
hno:
