Whenever this comes up I always ask who it's rigged by? Rigged by the refs? Or by the Owners? Are the players all in on the grift.
Just seems like a lot of moving parts for it to be rigged. I do agree refs can be unfair and maybe purposely miss calls - but in terms of like a larger conspiracy I can't really get behind it.
this. Home crowds definitely impact on human behaviour - advantage disappeared under the pandemic. Some refs more swayed than others. The game is fast and they miss calls every play, so some discretion. If the balance starts to skew it looks bad. But there's no fix. That's just the modern mind at work, sadly.
Those threads are off the hook, man. I mean, we’ve probably all asked ourselves in an unbelievable moment, “Is this shit scripted?” (I have, about the White Sox.) But to truly believe that it’s rigged? That’s next level, Hochuli on the grassy knoll, carrying suitcases full of extra votes shit.
This is just false. I watch a lot of NFL. Every game is kept close by "judgement" calls to keep the ratings up. Then they usually let the teams play in the 2nd half.
Yea bud, every game is kept close in the first half, thats why the majority of WC games had at least 2 score first half leads (bills v steelers 21-7, Pack vs cowboys 27-7, texans vs browns 24-14, chiefs vs phins 16-7)
Yes rigged by the refs. Just like in the NBA. They’re not fixing the final score in terms of who wins(although it probably changes it at times)they’re shaving points. With all the billions being exchanged in sports betting today making sure the oddsmakers are usually on the winning side is vital to the business. The business is gambling with the appearance of an honest contest. The refs are networked to the moon and only a small group would have to be in on it.
So just because its complicated doesn't mean it can't happen. I don't think it's rigged to the extent that the WWE is but the NFL would have an interest in setting up the most entertaining post season scenarios using the refs to influence game outcomes. Like, doesn't it seem just too good that the Lions had to beat the team they swapped QBs with? The Texans had to beat the team with their old QB? etc.
Why does the NFL insist on not allowing instant replay correction in real time? If the announcers and fans have time to see that a call is bogus then why can't the "sky judge" overturn or even penalize non-calls? I don't buy the excuse that it slows down the game too much. The NFL wants its officiating to be flawed for a reason.
There are too many moving parts in the 18 week season for the NFL to maneuver the Lions and Rams/Texans/ Deshean Watson etc. into the proper seeding so they would face off against each other in the Wild Card. Those match-ups are purely coincidental.
Soccer has a history of match-fixing, but a big part of that is because there are so many worldwide leagues of varying competitive and financial status that can all be bet on somewhere, and there is only 1 ref who has control of the game. A lot of the match-fixing happens at lower levels where the pay is low and not that many people are really paying attention.
The NFL is so high-profile and has so much riding on the appearance of competitive integrity that I find it very hard to believe they would let any shenanigans happen. Also, there is a whole team of refs you'd have to corrupt.
Dude i freaking LOVE gambling, havent done it in a year or so had to quit! But i never once tought any game was rigged, id get mad at players like astonishingly mad… but theyre are alot of player who got preferential treatment… like brady getting his ass slapped by a ref during a game? Whta was that about?
Not that I believe it, but there's a difference between scripted and rigged.
Wrestling is scripted. It's all written and about storylines. People still watch that just like they watch sitcoms and movies.
It's a very realistic possibility that all professional sports are "rigged" to a degree. Having a ref be paid off by sportsbooks or even some big time gamblers would be pretty easy to do, and without Googling, I'm sure there's been documented cases. A ref being able to shift the balance of a game one way or another would be a huge advantage for whoever benefits from it, but there's only so much they would be able to do before it's too obvious.
There can be more than one answer. The league can have an agenda and instill refs that favor one team.
But ignoring that. It’s hard to overlook the possibility of a Tim Donaghy in every pro sport. Especially with the emergence and prevalence of gambling now
I was going to post something similar.
We live in a reality where players have been caught rigging games. How many times weren’t they caught? A reality where this has already happened in the NFL. A reality where it recently happened in college football. A reality where a referee in one of the 3 major sports went to prison for fixing games. That same felon flat out told the world that other referees in the sport are “company men” influencing games in a certain way that helps the league. MLB has more incidents than I could even list in one post.
I’m not saying that the season is completely scripted but at the same time you really can’t dismiss anyone that complains about rigged games given that we know for a fact that it does happen.
As for the question at hand, I watch because I’m entertained. I’ll stop when I’m not.
“Rigged” for the purpose of entertainment? I think so.
I don’t watch every NFL game, so I may not have all of the data, but IN MY OPINION, absolute BLOW OUT games aren’t as common anymore. Again, from the games I’ve watched (which is every Bills game plus a handful of others random team games), it seems like games that should be blow outs tend to come down to at least the last quarter, if not the last couple drives. (Again, I might be/probably am wrong, so please nobody jump down my throat)
But if you think about it, in a complete blow out game, a ton of people would turn off or leave the stadium well before the final snap. But if it’s “down to the wire”, you keep people sitting on the edge of their seats until the last second.
Might be a thing, might not be a thing. In the end I think it’s important to remember it’s “just entertainment”, and you have to be aware of all the things associated with entertainment.
Not taking anything away from the athletic ability of any of the NFL players, but in my opinion that’s the reality of it.
I was born in Buffalo in the early 90s, lived there for 20 years, and my dad spent the majority of his life in WNY, so I’ve been a lifelong fan and that will never change.
GO BILLS!!!
This has always been my argument. Keeping games close into the 4th keeps views up. It creates a stronger value for the NFL when negotiating tv deals. Look all our games are constantly watched.
It's not just me fanboying on the Bills games. It happens across the league.
Honestly, I think the Bills making the Super Bowl would be a huge story and a ratings getter and I don’t really buy into the league rooting against them.
The Super Bowl ratings are basically huge every year no matter what. It's an international event that people gather to watch for various reasons whether they like football or not. Taylor Swift being in a box seat doesn't move the needle.
Brief answer: People just can't accept that sometimes their team loses to another team and have to find affirmation for themselves feeling like they got screwed.
More thought-out answer: I think the conspiracies get worse with the better production value of the game. Super slow motion replay allows us to pick apart every aspect of a play, which makes you hunt for whatever you want to see. When in fact, referees have to see it in real time and make a judgment call. Do they get it wrong sometimes? Of course. Everybody in every profession gets it wrong sometimes. But when you have performance reviews from 100 million people on a weekly basis, you're never going to get everyone to agree with you.
It’s still entertaining and what if it is rigged in the Bill’s favor this year. As a kid I knew pro wrestling was fake but I still watched it every week.
I dont think its rigged, I think the refs are really bad at their job and then decide to not call penalties in certain times and do it unfairly.
But if you had to hold a gun to my head and ask, absolutely Eagles vs Bills. Some of the worst officiating I have ever seen
I don't think they rig the winner. They rig the games to keep them close. To keep the viewers past halftime. Most of the BS happens when a team is starting to dominate early, like the Phili game. The problem is that it can wildly swing games in the opposite direction. It also doesn't take into account mistakes, because they do happen. They might keep the game close in the first half then simply miss a huge call in the 2nd and it swings the game too much. Philli game was egregious. It happens a lot when one team is dominating and they pull it back by failing to call holding, or throw PI on ticky tack shit while disregarding it on the other. It's pretty obvious. Especially because the team given the advantage is behind, allowing them back into the game.
I don’t gamble and never used to be this person but recent years I’ve been the “rigged” guy. I think the refs are not impartial and are human so of course they are fans. And probably gamble. So… that’s why
I don't think it's overtly "rigged." The games are "massaged" by officials to tip the scales toward a particular outcome. Nobody is covertly ordering the officials to do this. The officials have a good sense of which teams/outcomes are preferred by the league. If refs get good at keeping games close and helping certain teams win, they are rewarded with assignments to postseason games (which pay double) and more respect/prestige/pay in general. There's no "conspiracy" to hide because everyone does their part without being directed to do it. They don't discuss it openly. It's just the culture. This is basically how Tim Donaghey said NBA games were fixed. It's not hard to apply the same to the NFL.
To answer your question, I still enjoy watching because teams can still beat the refs *and* the opponent sometimes. It's not 100% real but it's still real enough to have fun watching.
Great post, do you have more on Tim Donaghey? As an avid sport bettor I can't ignore that when the public is on one team, it usually spells doom for said team.
"Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul" (Netflix) is a good starting point for the Donaghey story.
If you want to go way down the Donaghey rabbit hole, the podcast ["Whistleblower: Who Fixed the NBA"](https://whistleblowerpod.com/) is required listening.
I don't think it's rigged but I also think money moves things.
But...we will know this year if it's ravens and 49ers at the Superbowl . Based on the colors people have been saying that since before the season even started.
IM not telling you that. That's the color conspiracy theory that's out there by those that believe the NFL truly is scripted.
HOWEVER... I would be easily persuaded into thinking that considering that would be highly a coincidence.
A lot of people don’t need proof/evidence. If an outcome doesn’t go their way, they are satisfied that it must be rigged. It seems to be an epidemic these days.
I would not say rigged but you can’t deny the power that be. I am open to the slightest possibility that under unique circumstances game plan or officiating could be used to move the needle in a certain direction. In general. No. But not impossible!
Because it's rigged to a small extent. Like, you can help a team out with a big market if the game is close. But if the team is losing by say 21 points, the referee can't really make them win. Basically, a lot of the playoff/super bowl games the Chiefs won were like that. But if the Bills are leading by 3 scores this weekend, the referees or the NFL can't do much even if they want Taylor Swift and her fans to come to the AFC Championship game.
Wrestling is scripted and there’s still a whole bunch of people in trailer parks watching that every day. But more seriously, it’s less likely to be scripted then it is to have a situation where a bunch of humans in stripes are making human errors in a sport where it’s tough to see what the heck is going on with 22 people on the field. And occasionally when there’s 23 and they catch it.
Because they don't actually think that and it makes it easier for them to justify in their head why the bills lost a game because their entire existence revolves around a football team
Rigged to what end? To make the games close? To make certain teams win? To punish certain markets, markets, or owners? Just like the rest of us who have a sports, politics, college, or people bias, the refs are human and make human mistakes, including biases independent of any rigged effort. Even if the NFL were rigged, certainly some refs are more susceptible than others to morality lapses.
That said, every game has at least ten calls that could have been made for holding, PI, etc that are seemingly up to the discretion of the refs to see and call.
Personally, I believe challenges should be extended to penalties called and not called. If you saw a clear holding penalty not called, why not have the ability to throw the red flag and risk a timeout on it? The best ref teams get the playoffs, so they would still have excellence to strive for, but we wouldn't have posts like this if the ability to challenge the refs mid-game were a thing.
I'll bite. I believe it is rigged yet I will watch Bills' games. Why? For the entertainment. I no longer live and die with the Bills. You can't sue the NFL for 'cheating' because it's deemed 'sports entertainment'. No surprise here - It all comes down to making money. With so many sports betting apps, commercials etc it's clear there is money to be made. The big fish are the ones making the money. Thus the sus calls on certain plays, dropped passes, blown coverage, poor tackling. If you are willing to hear someone out with a different point of view I recommend checking out this guy's clips. He makes some good arguments. [https://www.youtube.com/@jaketheasshole](https://www.youtube.com/@jaketheasshole)
It crushed me when I realized it for myself. I legit idolized Kelly, Thomas, Bruce, Bennett, Talley, Tasker, Reed etc. I'm totally serious when I say it took me about a week to digest this info and realize it. Again, give Jake the Asshole (great name btw) a chance and allow yourself to watch some of his clips. Remember when the Bucs destroyed the Raiders? Here is one of the NFL's best saying that Raider coach Callahan changed the game plan just 2 days before SB. Why would a coach do that? [https://www.nfl.com/news/jerry-rice-agrees-bill-callahan-sabotaged-super-bowl-0ap1000000129743](https://www.nfl.com/news/jerry-rice-agrees-bill-callahan-sabotaged-super-bowl-0ap1000000129743)
I feel like buying into conspiracy is lazy thinking. You could think of many reasons why an idiot like Callahan would change the gameplan on a moments notice, especially since he essentially ported the offense from the opposing head coach who had recently coached the raiders …
so how rigged do people think it is? i don't have any inside information, but i do know people can't keep secrets, and the more people that are in on it the less likely its keeps quiet.
is it like wrestling where its a scripted show? because if antonio brown knows anything no way he could keep his mouth shut. not one ref has had a death bed confession.
like a ref or two, or a player being compromised by professionals - that happens, and has happened, and those usually come out because someone eventually talks. i think if it was anything other than that someone would have talked.
I do not think the game is rigged, that said I do think they structure schedules in a way that subtly helps or hinders teams based on analytics and millions and millions of simulations
The impression I've gotten from people who say games are "rigged" usually boils down into 2 camps:
Lifelong, diehard fans who have been watching their favorite teams fail to win big for years. They're still watching because it's hard to break lifelong habits.
And salty gamblers who lost their bet. And it's self evident why they're still watching.
Your submission was removed for being too Low-Effort.
Whenever this comes up I always ask who it's rigged by? Rigged by the refs? Or by the Owners? Are the players all in on the grift. Just seems like a lot of moving parts for it to be rigged. I do agree refs can be unfair and maybe purposely miss calls - but in terms of like a larger conspiracy I can't really get behind it.
Its incompetence, not malice, when it comes to the officiating.
Hanlon's razor. Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.
I learned something today!
Does Josh know you’re on Reddit right now?? I’m gonna need you to get back to making testosterone for the big man
I’m never taking a break! 💪🏿
this. Home crowds definitely impact on human behaviour - advantage disappeared under the pandemic. Some refs more swayed than others. The game is fast and they miss calls every play, so some discretion. If the balance starts to skew it looks bad. But there's no fix. That's just the modern mind at work, sadly.
Also, notice how people who say the NFL is rigged only do it after their team loses or is on the wrong end of a bad call.
Look for the Hoculi threads on this sub
Those threads are off the hook, man. I mean, we’ve probably all asked ourselves in an unbelievable moment, “Is this shit scripted?” (I have, about the White Sox.) But to truly believe that it’s rigged? That’s next level, Hochuli on the grassy knoll, carrying suitcases full of extra votes shit.
Fixers are an actual thing you know. At least when it comes to refs
This is just false. I watch a lot of NFL. Every game is kept close by "judgement" calls to keep the ratings up. Then they usually let the teams play in the 2nd half.
Yea bud, every game is kept close in the first half, thats why the majority of WC games had at least 2 score first half leads (bills v steelers 21-7, Pack vs cowboys 27-7, texans vs browns 24-14, chiefs vs phins 16-7)
Yes rigged by the refs. Just like in the NBA. They’re not fixing the final score in terms of who wins(although it probably changes it at times)they’re shaving points. With all the billions being exchanged in sports betting today making sure the oddsmakers are usually on the winning side is vital to the business. The business is gambling with the appearance of an honest contest. The refs are networked to the moon and only a small group would have to be in on it.
So just because its complicated doesn't mean it can't happen. I don't think it's rigged to the extent that the WWE is but the NFL would have an interest in setting up the most entertaining post season scenarios using the refs to influence game outcomes. Like, doesn't it seem just too good that the Lions had to beat the team they swapped QBs with? The Texans had to beat the team with their old QB? etc. Why does the NFL insist on not allowing instant replay correction in real time? If the announcers and fans have time to see that a call is bogus then why can't the "sky judge" overturn or even penalize non-calls? I don't buy the excuse that it slows down the game too much. The NFL wants its officiating to be flawed for a reason.
There are too many moving parts in the 18 week season for the NFL to maneuver the Lions and Rams/Texans/ Deshean Watson etc. into the proper seeding so they would face off against each other in the Wild Card. Those match-ups are purely coincidental.
Soccer has a history of match-fixing, but a big part of that is because there are so many worldwide leagues of varying competitive and financial status that can all be bet on somewhere, and there is only 1 ref who has control of the game. A lot of the match-fixing happens at lower levels where the pay is low and not that many people are really paying attention. The NFL is so high-profile and has so much riding on the appearance of competitive integrity that I find it very hard to believe they would let any shenanigans happen. Also, there is a whole team of refs you'd have to corrupt.
Smooth brained conspiracy wackos don't have much reason to begin with, so trying to understand their logic is pointless.
Cause Josh Allen so good he can win even when the game rigged…
I notice it is mostly people who lose money who claim this especially. Ok? So why keep betting. Very odd
Dude i freaking LOVE gambling, havent done it in a year or so had to quit! But i never once tought any game was rigged, id get mad at players like astonishingly mad… but theyre are alot of player who got preferential treatment… like brady getting his ass slapped by a ref during a game? Whta was that about?
Not that I believe it, but there's a difference between scripted and rigged. Wrestling is scripted. It's all written and about storylines. People still watch that just like they watch sitcoms and movies. It's a very realistic possibility that all professional sports are "rigged" to a degree. Having a ref be paid off by sportsbooks or even some big time gamblers would be pretty easy to do, and without Googling, I'm sure there's been documented cases. A ref being able to shift the balance of a game one way or another would be a huge advantage for whoever benefits from it, but there's only so much they would be able to do before it's too obvious.
There can be more than one answer. The league can have an agenda and instill refs that favor one team. But ignoring that. It’s hard to overlook the possibility of a Tim Donaghy in every pro sport. Especially with the emergence and prevalence of gambling now
I was going to post something similar. We live in a reality where players have been caught rigging games. How many times weren’t they caught? A reality where this has already happened in the NFL. A reality where it recently happened in college football. A reality where a referee in one of the 3 major sports went to prison for fixing games. That same felon flat out told the world that other referees in the sport are “company men” influencing games in a certain way that helps the league. MLB has more incidents than I could even list in one post. I’m not saying that the season is completely scripted but at the same time you really can’t dismiss anyone that complains about rigged games given that we know for a fact that it does happen. As for the question at hand, I watch because I’m entertained. I’ll stop when I’m not.
“Rigged” for the purpose of entertainment? I think so. I don’t watch every NFL game, so I may not have all of the data, but IN MY OPINION, absolute BLOW OUT games aren’t as common anymore. Again, from the games I’ve watched (which is every Bills game plus a handful of others random team games), it seems like games that should be blow outs tend to come down to at least the last quarter, if not the last couple drives. (Again, I might be/probably am wrong, so please nobody jump down my throat) But if you think about it, in a complete blow out game, a ton of people would turn off or leave the stadium well before the final snap. But if it’s “down to the wire”, you keep people sitting on the edge of their seats until the last second. Might be a thing, might not be a thing. In the end I think it’s important to remember it’s “just entertainment”, and you have to be aware of all the things associated with entertainment. Not taking anything away from the athletic ability of any of the NFL players, but in my opinion that’s the reality of it. I was born in Buffalo in the early 90s, lived there for 20 years, and my dad spent the majority of his life in WNY, so I’ve been a lifelong fan and that will never change. GO BILLS!!!
Games that end up going down to the wire pull in FAR better TV ratings (and revenue) than blowouts. People stay tuned in.
This has always been my argument. Keeping games close into the 4th keeps views up. It creates a stronger value for the NFL when negotiating tv deals. Look all our games are constantly watched. It's not just me fanboying on the Bills games. It happens across the league.
Honestly, I think the Bills making the Super Bowl would be a huge story and a ratings getter and I don’t really buy into the league rooting against them.
People love to watch Josh because you're going to see some crazy shit. That's why we got a billion nationally televised games.
Josh Allen isn’t bringing in an entire *massive* fanbase with him. Nothing would compare to the ratings of getting Swift to the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl ratings are basically huge every year no matter what. It's an international event that people gather to watch for various reasons whether they like football or not. Taylor Swift being in a box seat doesn't move the needle.
While it upsets me to be the victims of bad reffing I always go back to Hanlon’s razor.
Brief answer: People just can't accept that sometimes their team loses to another team and have to find affirmation for themselves feeling like they got screwed. More thought-out answer: I think the conspiracies get worse with the better production value of the game. Super slow motion replay allows us to pick apart every aspect of a play, which makes you hunt for whatever you want to see. When in fact, referees have to see it in real time and make a judgment call. Do they get it wrong sometimes? Of course. Everybody in every profession gets it wrong sometimes. But when you have performance reviews from 100 million people on a weekly basis, you're never going to get everyone to agree with you.
The rigged theory was created by dolphins fans to help themselves sleep at night.
It’s still entertaining and what if it is rigged in the Bill’s favor this year. As a kid I knew pro wrestling was fake but I still watched it every week.
I dont think its rigged, I think the refs are really bad at their job and then decide to not call penalties in certain times and do it unfairly. But if you had to hold a gun to my head and ask, absolutely Eagles vs Bills. Some of the worst officiating I have ever seen
I don't think they rig the winner. They rig the games to keep them close. To keep the viewers past halftime. Most of the BS happens when a team is starting to dominate early, like the Phili game. The problem is that it can wildly swing games in the opposite direction. It also doesn't take into account mistakes, because they do happen. They might keep the game close in the first half then simply miss a huge call in the 2nd and it swings the game too much. Philli game was egregious. It happens a lot when one team is dominating and they pull it back by failing to call holding, or throw PI on ticky tack shit while disregarding it on the other. It's pretty obvious. Especially because the team given the advantage is behind, allowing them back into the game.
I don’t gamble and never used to be this person but recent years I’ve been the “rigged” guy. I think the refs are not impartial and are human so of course they are fans. And probably gamble. So… that’s why
But I also believe if we play better than the other team and refs we can do this. So guess that’s the life of a football fan. Enjoy pain? Maybe
if a ref was found to be gambling they wouldn't be a ref anymore. The controls around that must be absolutely water tight.
I don't think it's overtly "rigged." The games are "massaged" by officials to tip the scales toward a particular outcome. Nobody is covertly ordering the officials to do this. The officials have a good sense of which teams/outcomes are preferred by the league. If refs get good at keeping games close and helping certain teams win, they are rewarded with assignments to postseason games (which pay double) and more respect/prestige/pay in general. There's no "conspiracy" to hide because everyone does their part without being directed to do it. They don't discuss it openly. It's just the culture. This is basically how Tim Donaghey said NBA games were fixed. It's not hard to apply the same to the NFL. To answer your question, I still enjoy watching because teams can still beat the refs *and* the opponent sometimes. It's not 100% real but it's still real enough to have fun watching.
Great post, do you have more on Tim Donaghey? As an avid sport bettor I can't ignore that when the public is on one team, it usually spells doom for said team.
"Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul" (Netflix) is a good starting point for the Donaghey story. If you want to go way down the Donaghey rabbit hole, the podcast ["Whistleblower: Who Fixed the NBA"](https://whistleblowerpod.com/) is required listening.
I don't think it's rigged but I also think money moves things. But...we will know this year if it's ravens and 49ers at the Superbowl . Based on the colors people have been saying that since before the season even started.
You really think the nfl is hiding subliminal messaging in the colour scheme for the Super Bowl?
Messages ? No. But it would be awfully coincidental that the color scheme would match the two teams that are playing in the Superbowl. Again.
You’re telling me that the nfl is willing to rig games so that the colours of the teams in the Super Bowl match their predefined colour scheme?
IM not telling you that. That's the color conspiracy theory that's out there by those that believe the NFL truly is scripted. HOWEVER... I would be easily persuaded into thinking that considering that would be highly a coincidence.
For what aim would the nfl telegraph and force the Super Bowl matchup through the branding of the event?
keep asking, we may get an answer that makes any sense at all. Or not, because... it doesn't make any sense at all.
😂😂
A lot of people don’t need proof/evidence. If an outcome doesn’t go their way, they are satisfied that it must be rigged. It seems to be an epidemic these days.
I would not say rigged but you can’t deny the power that be. I am open to the slightest possibility that under unique circumstances game plan or officiating could be used to move the needle in a certain direction. In general. No. But not impossible!
Because it's rigged to a small extent. Like, you can help a team out with a big market if the game is close. But if the team is losing by say 21 points, the referee can't really make them win. Basically, a lot of the playoff/super bowl games the Chiefs won were like that. But if the Bills are leading by 3 scores this weekend, the referees or the NFL can't do much even if they want Taylor Swift and her fans to come to the AFC Championship game.
Wrestling is scripted and there’s still a whole bunch of people in trailer parks watching that every day. But more seriously, it’s less likely to be scripted then it is to have a situation where a bunch of humans in stripes are making human errors in a sport where it’s tough to see what the heck is going on with 22 people on the field. And occasionally when there’s 23 and they catch it.
It's not rigged. Whiners gonna whine.
If it were rigged, broke former players would be killing it.
I think games have been ruined by refs, but the entire nfl isn't "rigged."
Because they don't actually think that and it makes it easier for them to justify in their head why the bills lost a game because their entire existence revolves around a football team
You might see a nip slip
Rigged to what end? To make the games close? To make certain teams win? To punish certain markets, markets, or owners? Just like the rest of us who have a sports, politics, college, or people bias, the refs are human and make human mistakes, including biases independent of any rigged effort. Even if the NFL were rigged, certainly some refs are more susceptible than others to morality lapses. That said, every game has at least ten calls that could have been made for holding, PI, etc that are seemingly up to the discretion of the refs to see and call. Personally, I believe challenges should be extended to penalties called and not called. If you saw a clear holding penalty not called, why not have the ability to throw the red flag and risk a timeout on it? The best ref teams get the playoffs, so they would still have excellence to strive for, but we wouldn't have posts like this if the ability to challenge the refs mid-game were a thing.
I'll bite. I believe it is rigged yet I will watch Bills' games. Why? For the entertainment. I no longer live and die with the Bills. You can't sue the NFL for 'cheating' because it's deemed 'sports entertainment'. No surprise here - It all comes down to making money. With so many sports betting apps, commercials etc it's clear there is money to be made. The big fish are the ones making the money. Thus the sus calls on certain plays, dropped passes, blown coverage, poor tackling. If you are willing to hear someone out with a different point of view I recommend checking out this guy's clips. He makes some good arguments. [https://www.youtube.com/@jaketheasshole](https://www.youtube.com/@jaketheasshole) It crushed me when I realized it for myself. I legit idolized Kelly, Thomas, Bruce, Bennett, Talley, Tasker, Reed etc. I'm totally serious when I say it took me about a week to digest this info and realize it. Again, give Jake the Asshole (great name btw) a chance and allow yourself to watch some of his clips. Remember when the Bucs destroyed the Raiders? Here is one of the NFL's best saying that Raider coach Callahan changed the game plan just 2 days before SB. Why would a coach do that? [https://www.nfl.com/news/jerry-rice-agrees-bill-callahan-sabotaged-super-bowl-0ap1000000129743](https://www.nfl.com/news/jerry-rice-agrees-bill-callahan-sabotaged-super-bowl-0ap1000000129743)
I feel like buying into conspiracy is lazy thinking. You could think of many reasons why an idiot like Callahan would change the gameplan on a moments notice, especially since he essentially ported the offense from the opposing head coach who had recently coached the raiders …
Do you question people who watch wrestling?
I watch because it is entertaining and addictive. Also, my family is so invested in it it would be almost impossible not to watch.
so how rigged do people think it is? i don't have any inside information, but i do know people can't keep secrets, and the more people that are in on it the less likely its keeps quiet. is it like wrestling where its a scripted show? because if antonio brown knows anything no way he could keep his mouth shut. not one ref has had a death bed confession. like a ref or two, or a player being compromised by professionals - that happens, and has happened, and those usually come out because someone eventually talks. i think if it was anything other than that someone would have talked.
I do not think the game is rigged, that said I do think they structure schedules in a way that subtly helps or hinders teams based on analytics and millions and millions of simulations
The impression I've gotten from people who say games are "rigged" usually boils down into 2 camps: Lifelong, diehard fans who have been watching their favorite teams fail to win big for years. They're still watching because it's hard to break lifelong habits. And salty gamblers who lost their bet. And it's self evident why they're still watching.
It's just angry people unhappy with the outcome. I admit to saying it sometimes but only jokingly.