[ritehook]

Maybe so.

First, I no longer argue with the innocents that believe that the NFL never favored certain teams - via biased playcalling in important games - in order to promote a "storyline" to best advance the alleged drama of the NFL, making it bigger than a mere sport.

A now retired referee name Markbreit began it all, doubtless acting out Park Avenues "best case sceneraios." He did it on the field, and then from the replay booth.

His legacy lingered, including a few years ago in a playoff game where blatantly corrupt playcalling in a playoff game tried to give the win to Indy (Dungy's son tragedy, and first black winning SB coach storylines), and then in the SB to Pitt, (Jerome Bettis' last game storyline).

Last year's games seemed pretty much honestly called, including hte playoff games. New Orleans, a dream storyline team, did not benefit for the Markbreit legacy, as the script would have preferred it. I believe the NFL may have kept hands off, due to the many criticisms of the clearly biased officiating to enforce the corporate dream, even from their kept whores, the sportswriting press.

(Reporters covering political beats rightly view the politicians as their adversaries, trying to hide and spin fact. Sportswriters carry Vaseline in their laptop cases, to grease the way for the pro franchises from whom all blessings flow.)

But the Patriots are now Dreamtime for the NFL scriptwriters.
Wow, another Greatest Show on Turf, with the immaculately pure Tom Brady and a Redeemed Thru Grace wide receiver, making NFL history.

Not even in the far Dreamtime reaches of Hollywood could you write a script like this.

And then Madden and Al have the indecency to carp about the NE touchdown that wasn't. Never reviewed from the replay booth, even tho, as John said, that is "almost automatic" on all even slightly questionable plays in the two minute zone.

Also, the mysterious fourth down encroachment call against Philly, that gave NE another chance. Two officials apparently disagreed - the "decider," the ref, opted for Dreamtime.

I certainly smell the NFL Dream Machine, unlocked from the cellar where it was stored last season, in full play again.

And will venture the (safe) guess that the NFL wants an undefeated season for the Patriots, Dreamtime on steroids.

You can surely bet against the double digits in any game they play, but forget betting against them on a money line.

This, btw, is the same league that heatedly opposes betting on football, for fear it will corrupt their game. Well, knock me over with a feather, my sides are splitting with thunderous guffaws.

[ritehook]

Some may cite the league's action against Belichek, re the camera stuff, as evidence that their is no pro-Pate bias.

But that was early in the season, before the blowout steamroller caught the fancy the kept sportswriting press.

I'm sure the League is regretting that action, a mar on the Superman Saves the World thru pro football storyline, this transcending scenario with worldwide implications (for the NFL).

[ritehook]

One other item - I didn't bet the game. Either ATS or on the ML.

I didn't bet the NFL at all this past week. Only 3 college games, went 2-1.

[The Seer]

I think it happens all the time. I think the SEC did their best to get LSU to the national championship. I always thought "the immaculate reception" was one of those deals. No way were they gonna overturn that even though that was actually illegal at the time.
What's your take on the NE-Oak tuck rule game?

[SBR Lou]

I would have to agree with you, this stuff has been more apparent as of late. I just get the feeling, and its one of those that I know are true but I can't prove, that somebody told those officials who were doing the NE/Indy game this year "don't let the game get out of hand".

New England had 10 penalties for 146 yards, that's a franchise record for them. Up to the 4th quarter, Indy had only 2 penalties, then a couple got tacked on late in the game to balance it out but the damage was already done. Not to mention the insane phantom PI calls against NE which got Indy on the board twice.

I don't think they were trying to steal the game from NE, but they were trying to keep it as close as possible to generate even more interest in what is likely going to be the AFC Championship game this year.

[SBR Lou]

The ideal Super Bowl then, would have to be NE vs Green Bay. Green Bay has the old pro QB who is a sure hall of famer, rising above & beyond for one last run.

So it will be interesting to watch the playcalling for Green Bay's playoff games.

[ritehook]

I think it happens all the time. I think the SEC did their best to get LSU to the national championship. I always thought "the immaculate reception" was one of those deals. No way were they gonna overturn that even though that was actually illegal at the time.
What's your take on the NE-Oak tuck rule game?

I agree that this happens in college also. From another Stop
Those Rotten Gamblers organization.

Two of the most blatant NCAA corrupt officiating occurences, to my memory, were first, legendary BYU coach Lavell Edwards' last game, vs Utah if I recall rightly.

This game was high drama, the nice guy Lavell getting a grand sendoff into retirement by his loving players. Lavell also gave the press a favorite anecdote, via his quote: "Our fans come to bowl games with the Ten Commandants and a hundred dollar bill. And they don't break either one."

If I recall rightly, late in the game Utah intercepted a BYU pass, which spelled sure defeat for Edwards' team. The ref called it "no interception." And BYU went on to score next play.

The Utah coach, post-game, pretended befuddlement at the crazy call. But everyone in the sports world knew what had happened - a beautiful storyline had to be played out, and to that end f-ck Truth, Integrity, Justice.

And in the mid-90s, in the last game for the old Southwest Conference, all those Texas teams, the Texas rep (Texas Tech, I think,but don't have time to check my old records) in the bowl game, played in Texas and with SWC officials (!), made one biased, fake call after another, to screw North Carolina and give the win to an undeserving T Tech team.

A nice farewell to the SWC. Integrity, being honest to the "player-athletes" on the North Carolina team? - well, boys, screw that sh-t when bigger issues are at stake!

(Meanwhile, the NCAA will still send their films to every college in the land, warning against the horrendous evils of sports betting. Betcha they won't include the film of that particular bowl game!)

[ritehook]

The ideal Super Bowl then, would have to be NE vs Green Bay. Green Bay has the old pro QB who is a sure hall of famer, rising above & beyond for one last run.

So it will be interesting to watch the playcalling for Green Bay's playoff games.

Totally agree. Two great storylines this year for these preposterous and supra-hypocritical fakers of the NFL.

The Amazing Dream Team versus the Beloved Old Master Quarterback. That will be the sports version of Gone With the Wind, and other classic blockbusters.

I think the NFL will try to make it happen. I'm not suggesting that they give instructions to the replay booth or the ref, to try to ensure a victory for a Dream Team. It may happen that way, to be sure. But it just may be a part of the corporate culture, where all the high ranking officials know which way the wind is blowing, and do all they can to be sure it wafts the Dream Team to victory.

[Dark Horse]

(PHI@NE) The non-review of the 'TD that wasn't' was a little strange, but he seemed to have two feet in on replay. And refs took a TD away from NE for a phantom pass interference on Moss.

Not saying that all refs are clean, but with selective memory any theory can be made to stick.

[ritehook]

A couple of other NFL official screw-jobs, to promote a Big Game or playoff scenario that will play well beyond mere sports.

The Holy Roller Play, that gave a critical victory to Oakland, at the expense of San Diego. (This was, I think, in the '80s, long before Al Davis became the corporation's Most Hated Owner.)

The referee in that game? The inimitable Jerry Markbreit.

Markbreit was in the replay booth when their was a reviewed play in a game that allowed Denver to beat Atlanta in the SB. Elway's final game - don't ruin a beautiful storyline by making accurate calls!

Another was when the headline-grabbing Greatest Show on Turf was going for the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay, then coached by Dungy (later an NFL storyline fave) clearly had a player make a catch, to secure victory for the Bucs in that playoff game.

Whoops, the replay booth jumped in, and reversed the on-field calls that would have kept the Dreamtimer Kurt Warner and the Rams out of the Super Bowl.

Clearly highway robbery. And the official in the replay booth who presented the Rams with an undeserved win?

Yep, Mr Jerry Markbreit. May he rot in hell.

The stink of Markbreit still permeates the corporate offices of the NFL, perhaps more than ever. These assholes actually believe they're a global force for Good. And if a little cheating is needed to bring about a desired end, hey why not? Just like the guys in the Bush Administration.

Delusional. And to enforce their fake storylines the League will behave in a manner that would make a corrupt game-fixer turn a dark shade of pure-envy green.

[Wheell]

I might add that last night NE had a field goal taken away from them 3 plays after they had a touchdown taken away from them. I am not saying the NFL isn't dirty ()as all sports are), but that last night didn't seem particularly dirty.

[ritehook]

I might add that last night NE had a field goal taken away from them 3 plays after they had a touchdown taken away from them. I am not saying the NFL isn't dirty ()as all sports are), but that last night didn't seem particularly dirty.

What about the 4th down encroachment play - a Phila player allegedly in the neutral zone? Usually, Madden will see this, if not actual time then on replay. Neither he nor Al saw it, however. Apparently, two officials disagreed, which was the reason for the conferences and the delays.

In most of these biased offiicating scenes, the ref and the replay official are the only two who carry out the League wishlist. The other guys are mostly disinterested judges.

That play was critical. It gave the ball back to NE after the Eagle defense had stopped them.

[ritehook]

BTW, I'm not suggesting at all that League officials bet the games. Not at all - that would be the perspective of the recreational bettor: "Oh yeah, of course the games are fixed, that's why I can't win."

Not at all. The huge sums the NFL corporation garners puts petty crap like betting off somewhere in Nowheresville.

Just like major league politicians, all top, super rich corporations have spin doctors. Professional twisters who try to slant public perception to a favorable view of their business or industry.

The NFL is no different - it's not about sports, sportsmanship, playing a game, etc. IT'S ABOUT MONEY, STUPID!!! Just like ALL corporations are about money.

No,not money made by insiders from gambling. Idiot time is over. Money made from television, for rights, from replay rights, from syndication, for corporate sponsorships, for getting dumbass cities to pay to build a huge stadium at taxpayer expense; the beat goes on.

Beautiful, All-American storylines grease the way to that kind of largesse, while painting the super-greedy NFL (now with their own channel) as a globalist morality play. A PR flacks' delight!

The heroes are the players, and the NFL honchos. The villains are those horrendous, shadowy gamblers.

That the gamblers are far more honest and upright than the corporate hucksters is true. But do not expect to hear that truth from a local or national sportswriter or broadcaster. They're too busy feeding at the NFL trough to make any sounds of protest.

[hhsilver]

I think it happens all the time. I think the SEC did their best to get LSU to the national championship. I always thought "the immaculate reception" was one of those deals. No way were they gonna overturn that even though that was actually illegal at the time.
What's your take on the NE-Oak tuck rule game?

No way they could overturn the immaculate reception. That was 1972, long before replay. It was only illegal if the ball bounced off Fuqua and not the Raider. Having seen it, at the time, and many times since, there is no way to be sure from the film. What makes you think the biggies wanted Pittsburgh to win. This was 2 years before their 1st super bowl. Franco was becoming known, but he wasn't yet the star he became later. Bradshaw, in his third yr, was still considered dumb and had been sharing playing time with Hanratty and maybe Gilliam ( not sure about Gilliam in 72', he may have come later). The Steel Curtain was not yet a nickname. Lambert, Webster, Swann, and Stallworth were still in college and all came in the same draft, '74. Those 72 Steelers showed signs of what was to come, but they weren't yet the phenoms they became in winning 4 super bowls in 6 years, a feat NE won't quite match if they win their 4th in 7 years this season. Still, I hope they don't make it. 4 in 7 would be too close to the amazing 4 in 6 .
Anyway, what makes you think there was a conspiracy to give the Steelers that win.
Do you think that they didn't want the Dolphins to have to play the Raiders the next week? After all, that was the year of the undefeated Dolphins and maybe the league thought they could beat Pitt more easily than Oak and remain undefeated to set up the league/ref aided (according to Ritehook) Pats run at that feat 35 year later. What a story!

[ritehook]

I would maybe read your conspiracy theories but they are all nonsense centered around an anti-American theme. Congrats on being so easy to figure out

Of course, corporate cheating is as America as apple pie.

As red, white and blue as a global, mailed-fist empire that would make a late Roman emperor green with envy.

As star-spangled as covering naked greed in a moronic morality play.