[geowak]

With the refs calling of the games skeptical. The high stakes money and gambling mixed into pro football and other unusual things going on, is it naive to think pro football games are played fair and square?
Your thoughts?

[SteveFord]

I've never even heard of anyone suggesting such a thing.
I would have to say no.
The half time shows, well, that's another matter...

[rockadanny]

Run by, reffed by, managed by, coached by, and played by humans. Fixed? No. Flawed? Yes.

[Berto]

Not sure if anyone recalls but the Ravens got two calls which I clearly thought were WRONG! Both on third downs at Denver. Boldin caught a ball and it clearly showed on replay his hand was on top of ball and bottom of ball was on ground which equals no catch. Even on replay they called it a catch. I was SHOCKED

Next third down play Baltimore gets bailed out on a phantom pass interference call on Denvers DB Champ Bailey.  THis is not as shocking as Boldin catch since no referee replay. But for fans watching replay on TV it was a awful call.

If not for two blown calls, Ravens punt and prob do not win. So although I do not think the games are fixed , I sure as hell scratch my head when I see blown calls that can actually decide the outcome of a close game.

[Mark Korda]

Berto,I lost 25 cents,thats right,a quarter on that call you described where part of the ball touched the ground.You called it right,the refs called it wrong.I'm a life long Pats fan,living in Portland,Me.,but the Pats defense sucked,I don't recall a sack on the QB,but when Brady had the ball with 4th and 4 late in the game,had 2 yards to run for a first down and new life,he threw the ball away and the game.Even a nice looking gal sitting next to me said (the pretty boy sucks,and called him a wuss).One other thing was the helmet hit on Ridley that left him almost in a coma,and he fumbled away cause the lights were out?,where was the flag?Berto you should be sitting there with Ditka,Bradshaw,Howie,and Jimmy J.,I like your perspective....Mark Korda

[Randy]

Berto,I lost 25 cents,thats right,a quarter on that call you described where part of the ball touched the ground.You called it right,the refs called it wrong.I'm a life long Pats fan,living in Portland,Me.,but the Pats defense sucked,I don't recall a sack on the QB,but when Brady had the ball with 4th and 4 late in the game,had 2 yards to run for a first down and new life,he threw the ball away and the game.Even a nice looking gal sitting next to me said (the pretty boy sucks,and called him a wuss).One other thing was the helmet hit on Ridley that left him almost in a coma,and he fumbled away cause the lights were out?,where was the flag?Berto you should be sitting there with Ditka,Bradshaw,Howie,and Jimmy J.,I like your perspective....Mark Korda

No penalty call on the Ridley hit because he ducked his head down into the tackler's helmet. It was on his initiative that there was a helmet to helmet hit. Unfortunately, these running backs are trained to drop their heads and ram tacklers with their helmets. Somebody soon will get a broken neck by doing that. On the other hand, I didn't think it should have been called a fumble since it sure looked like he was sitting on his rear when the ball came loose.

[Elizabeth]

One interesting point is HiDef TV..
Used to be with regular TV no one could actually see many of the fouls as they happened.
Now, we can all see them!!
Plus others which do not get called. Especially holding..
Maybe they need to have some ref watching the game on TV?? and connected via link to a Ref on the field to toss the flag?

And no. the idea the Superbowl is rigged is laughable..

[soundbitten1]

The only thing fixed is the vacant stares of 100+ million people glued to their TV sets.   

[nzone]

No, Superbowl is not rigged but NBA is...

[doug s.]

no, it's still broken...

doug s.

[JerryM]

As part of my job, I was once deposed by a prominent attorney based in Phoenix, AZ. During lunch, he told me that he was also a NFL Referee when the League was in play. We had a fascinating discussion.

When asked, he explained that many Refs are attorneys (because they are good at remembering rules). The most fascinating part was when I asked him about the Playoffs and the SB. He explained that the NFL reviews every single play. He explained that Refs receive points, or deductions, based on their calls, or the lack thereof. Very much like the Teams themselves, only the highest rated Refs are invited to the Playoffs. Only the highest rated Refs after that are invited to the Super Bowl. He explained that there is good additional money involved, along with prestige, bragging rights, and future employ, very much like that received by the players themselves.

Ever since then I have watched the "Team" of Refs involved in the game. I can definitely see a difference in the amount of respect they receive on the field from the players and coaches as the post season progresses.

In my my book, the SB is not rigged. There is simply not enough attention paid to the *Third Team* that's occupying the field. 

Have fun,

Jerry

[SoCalWJS]

No, Superbowl is not rigged but NBA is...

Certainly the draft is......

[Mark Korda]

Hey Randy,the only play I missed was the Ridley helmet hit,I was out having a smoke in a smoking ok club,if you know what I mean.I only saw the aftermath and someone told me the same thing you said,Ridley lowered his helmet.I stand corrected.Here are a couple things to ponder;If you look at Muhammad Ali today,and you look at the hits Wes Welker has taken this year,and yesterday,whats he going to be looking like in the soon future?Also did you see Ray Lewis's face during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner?Kind of eerie to me,he must have been thanking someone for the ability to be in that game and not a jail cell for his involvement in the stabbing deaths some years ago.How soon the NFL forgot.......Mark Korda

[geowak]

Maybe all of us who are football fans want to believe that pro football cannot be fixed? I also believed in Lance Armstrong's
long held insistence that he was never a doper. In fact the entire Tour de France is in danger of falling apart since so many cyclists have been dopers. Is the US and pro sports beyond cheating, or fixing of sporting events?

[django11]

Was it broken?

[jimtranr]

No, I don't think it's fixed. There have always been blown calls, and that continues even with instant replay, since you sometimes wind up with calls where you don't get the camera angle you need to render a decision indisputable. That's why the distinction between "the ruling on the field stands" and "the ruling on the play is confirmed."   

[thunderbrick]

It's not fixed.  If it were the big-market teams would nearly always find their way into the SB.  That's where the money is.  Frankly there are WAY too many people involved in the NFL business for someone not to have made such a claim.  Blown calls happen, and with the gazzilions of TV cameras people can always find something to "validate" their best hopes.

Speaking of blown calls, waaaaaay back in the early 60s I seem to remember photographic evidence of a BALTIMORE Colts field goal ruled bad, but the next day when the developed the film, it was proven good.  I think it was the next year that the uprights were made much higher.  Of course that could be a conspiracy I cooked up.   

Lance Armstrong?  A niche business, he was a world-class bully and had enough money to sue his critics into silence. 

[Letitroll98]

He explained that the NFL reviews every single play. He explained that Refs receive points, or deductions, based on their calls, or the lack thereof. Very much like the Teams themselves, only the highest rated Refs are invited to the Playoffs. Only the highest rated Refs after that are invited to the Super Bowl. He explained that there is good additional money involved, along with prestige, bragging rights, and future employ, very much like that received by the players themselves.

Great story Jerry, and the reason why we see so many blown calls in the playoffs.  I agree with rewarding the best refs in that way, but they need to be kept together as a team for the playoffs.  A well oiled, experienced football team like the two we have in the SB would crush a team of slapped together all stars because the all stars aren't used to each other's style and timing, they're trying to think what they should do, while the real team just does it without thinking.  In just the same way the all star team of refs look out of sorts, not crisp, like they're thinking of what to do next.  Any average team of refs looks way better in the regular season, penalties are called with a quick word or sign, the ball is placed quickly, refs are not in the way of players, it's all so much better when they work as a team.  They should be rewarded with playoff gigs as a team.

Harbaugh was dead right about the Harry Douglas non-reception that was called a catch even after replay.  Worst call I have ever seen, bar none.  The ball was so clearly out of his hands, on the ground, and moving independent of the player, that I can only surmise the ref didn't look at the telling replay, or the game was attempting to be fixed.  So I wonder about the ref's being paid off too.  Not saying they are, because I have no direct or indirect evidence of it.  Only noting that the possibility exists.  I would be interested in hearing what measures the NFL takes to mitigate any likelyhood of fixing a game, or predisposing a spread outcome.  Not what they put out in press releases, what they actual do in damage control and prevention.  There is a lot, I mean more than a lot, of money not controlled by the NFL in play here.  If you think there hasn't been numerous attempts by highly funded entities to fix pro football games, you are very naive.

[fredgarvin]

The one infamous SB that certainly looked to be fixed by the refs was Pittsburgh over Seattle. The outrage from fans of the game caused several forums to be temporarily closed. A new commissioner the next year.

[Letitroll98]

I'm a big Steeler fan and have to say there was some questionable calls and non-calls in that game.  Does that mean anything?  You couldn't prove it in court, but it can have guys like you and I asking questions.