NFL is Rigged: Week 18 edition

[ToxSocks]

The CP consensus is that the NFL is rigged. Welp, as such, I think it’d be great to discuss this week’s script.

The NFL is rigged, so this should be easy. As easy as predicting a WWE In-Ring interview being rudely interrupted by a rival with a steel chair.

Call your shot, what kind of week 18 shenanigans is the NFL up to?

Las Vegas vs L.A: Which new stadium does the NFL prefer? TWO teams in L.A make the playoffs?

Will the NFL write in a tie game sending BOTH to the playoffs?

Will they sneak the Steelers in for one last hoorah for Ruthlessraper?

Or will they write in Lamar Jackson because he generates ratings?

Will they give the most prestigious player (Mahomes) the #1 seed, or do they want to see the Chiefs in the WC round for extra ratings?

[durtyrute]

Originally Posted by BlackOp

I was just amazed how overt is was...still am. I've been watching football for decades and have NEVER seen anything like that in a SB.

They usually make it at least watchable entertainment...that was a deliberate statement...possibly on several fronts. One...reminding Reid/Mahomes who truly runs the show and they better get in line. No more 14-1 seasons. Two...a reminder to Kraft that they do not like unwanted attention drawn to their human trafficking operations.

That is the reason Brady bailed...the powers that be were NOT happy with little Bobby.

That makes sense. I forgot all about Bob and his trafficking ops. But then again... a lot of the higher ups are in on that stuff, so I'm not sure.

But yea you're right, most of the time they "try" to at least hide it, but it seems like these days they give zero ****s. OR maybe I just see it better now. Like this last Chiefs game, as soon as they called back the return by Pringle I knew it was over. I ended up not being able to see the last part of the game until later, but I wasn't shocked at all by the outcome.

[BlackOp]

Originally Posted by durtyrute

That makes sense. I forgot all about Bob and his trafficking ops. But then again... a lot of the higher ups are in on that stuff, so I'm not sure.

I try to tell people that the world they think they are living in...is not the world they actually live in.

Is what it is...

[BlackOp]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

I would say rigging sports would be a lot like how The Walking Dead went complete downhill .... entertaining for a while, but then completely botched by bullshit

This actually is an uncanny association...as I almost used the Walking Dead as an abstract in this thread.

Kind of spooky... TWD was a guilty pleasure for about the first 4-5 seasons.

Yeah, it was cheesy and required a certain level of "suspension of disbelief" but was entertaining.

It rapidly declined into total insulting trash...and anything I liked about it vanished. I've never watched it again...and I'm feeling that way about the NFL after the 2021 season...just dont care. Once that threshold is breached...at least with me....it's over.

I'm not watching the game tomorrow...dont care. I think I'm finally done with it...I think it's the act of being insulted...it's one thing to be entertained...it another to be mocked.

FWIW...TWD always freaked me out as some predictive programming Psyop...this was years before C19. I was curious why it lasted so long... I always found the name cynical...but at the time, I associated it with zombies addicted to their cell phones. I know it was based on a comic...but there was a darker connotation once the network ran with it.

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Alright, so i got:

Chiefs over Broncos in a blowout: Broncos are out of the playoffs. I considered the NFL trying to keep this game close as it's a featured Saturday game, but i think the NFL will instead opt to make the Chiefs look good heading into the playoffs.

Texans over the Titans: The NFL has been using the Texans as their upset special team all season. Henry will return for the WC round only to be eliminated. Chiefs get propped up as the top dog in the AFC, giving the NFL their golden boy #1 seed.

Jaguars over the Colts: No one cares about the Colts. Expect a multi turnover game from the Colts as they self sabotage their way out of the playoffs for the Shield's sake.
The Jags have to win this game so that.....

Steelers over Ravens: NFL gives Ruthlessraper one last hurrah as the Steelers are the surprise team that makes it into the playoffs. With the Colts losing, this puts the Steelers back in the playoffs.


Raiders over Chargers: There's simply no need for two L.A teams in the playoffs, especially when one literally has no fanbase. The NFL is promoting L.A through the Rams, and can now promote LV. This game was setup at the start of the season. The Raiders started hot, but the NFL knew they'd have to temper them down in order to make week 18 an unofficial playoff game. They forced the resignation of Gruden in order to slow them down. The Ruggs accident was incidental off field drama that only helped the cause.

Cowboys over Eagles: Jalen Hurts is a nice story, but there just isn't enough star power here. The NFL wants to promote "America's Team" with a strong showing headed into the playoffs. Expect some ref shenanigans as they don't want Dallas to run away with this one and make Philly look weak headed into the playoffs.

Falcons over Saints: Saints are done. No Brees, no star power, no Hurricane. Besides, the NFL wants to see the 49ers in the playoffs.....

Rams over 49ers: The Falcons beating the Saints makes a 49ers loss irrelevant. They can now promote L.A's super team w/o having to remove San Fran from the playoffs.

That’s one hell of a parlay. You can make some Serious money on that.

[Curé]

Originally Posted by BlackOp

Using that replay of the NO/Rams game as a reminder...the teams that the NFL wants in the SB will be in the SB. That play happened the same day as the ruffing call on Jones and the challenge overruled on the Hogan catch...then the infamous neutral zone on Ford. No one will ever convince me that if the uniforms had been reversed...that call is still made.

If last year's record breaking flag-fest SB is an indicator...the team they want to win...will win.

I made a post after last year's SB...on how paying attention to the draft was pointless. The refs can neutralize any physical advantage a team has with the simple toss of a cloth.

Chiefs had 4 DPIs in their favor in 2020...Brady/Bucs had 27.

Mahomes/Rodgers in their first ever match-up "should" be the play...but we all thought an epic Chiefs/Rams rematch was the play that year...or Brees/Mahomes....Nope...we got the lowest rated, worst SB of the last 25 years instead.

The NFL actually manufactured Jared Goff to a SB....amazing accomplishment. He's won 2 games this year...

the nfl deliberately manufactured "the lowest rated, worst SB of the last 25 years?"

huh...those brilliant jews and jesuits conspiring to screw the league while working for the league...how devious...uncanny...spooky...one might even say skeery... ...

and again i say...

[TEX]

I'm not watching the NFL this weekend. Here's why...As I watched the Chiefs / Bengals game last week, and saw call after call go against KC, it reminded me that at any given time, the refs can take over a game. The funny thing was, I really didn't even get mad, I was just kind of complacent with it all. It's gotten to a point where the officiating has damaged the product for me. Thinking it was a temporary thing, I stayed away from Monday Night Football and was fine...However, I still don't seem to care about watching football today. Maybe a temporary thing, not real sure. However, what I am sure about is something changed while watching last week's game, and then checking all the playoff scenarios from all the other games after the smoke cleared last week. So much drama still entering week 18 - Imagine that! It's almost like it was orchestrated or something... So good luck Chiefs, if the NFL wants you to win today, you will.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by BlackOp

This actually is an uncanny association...as I almost used the Walking Dead as an abstract in this thread.

Kind of spooky... TWD was a guilty pleasure for about the first 4-5 seasons.

Yeah, it was cheesy and required a certain level of "suspension of disbelief" but was entertaining.

It rapidly declined into total insulting trash...and anything I liked about it vanished. I've never watched it again...and I'm feeling that way about the NFL after the 2021 season...just dont care. Once that threshold is breached...at least with me....it's over.

I'm not watching the game tomorrow...dont care. I think I'm finally done with it...I think it's the act of being insulted...it's one thing to be entertained...it another to be mocked.

FWIW...TWD always freaked me out as some predictive programming Psyop...this was years before C19. I was curious why it lasted so long... I always found the name cynical...but at the time, I associated it with zombies addicted to their cell phones. I know it was based on a comic...but there was a darker connotation once the network ran with it.

I made it into the Negan episodes a bit... and some people said he was such a badass, but some of those scenes were the slowest developing, longest drawn out bullshit ever. It was like they were completely out of ideas and just had Negan walking around with some eenie-meenie-miney-mo bullshit with narratives that seemed to take 4 commercial breaks to get through.

I didn't need the show to be constant zombie chases and what not, and some of it was simply Negan being a colossal dickbag, but the story line went to shit and it felt like I was watching 1 episode for about every 3 or 4.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

So what’s the consensus? Was the officiating egregiously bad in Cincinnati? I’ve seen a lot of people defending the calls individually. Was KC screwed or not?

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by BlackOp

I was just amazed how overt is was...still am. I've been watching football for decades and have NEVER seen anything like that in a SB.

especially with how loose the playoffs were called.
When the commentators and the rest of the world call out the refs....we know something is wrong.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

So what’s the consensus? Was the officiating egregiously bad in Cincinnati? I’ve seen a lot of people defending the calls individually. Was KC screwed or not?

Watching it live, I could only laugh at all the penalties in the last two minutes... they weren't showing any good replays, so I mostly thought the refs completely botched the final two minutes, plus the DPI on 3rd down on the Bengals' game tying TD and a missed offsides.

The consensus seems to be the holding on the kickoff return TD was a hold, but "that happens every return"... and while it seems like a great time for the refs to keep the game close, it was also a hold.

Looking at replays, the Chiefs' defensive holding on the dual-holding call and the illegal hands to the face on 4th down both look legit.... it's still sad that the final two minutes played out like that with so many penalties, but I don't see either as "just let it go, it's the last two minutes".

IMO, it comes down to awful DPI on 3rd down, where the receiver either ran the wrong route or the ball was poorly thrown and uncatchable..... and then to a lesser extent, the missed offsides.

The number of penalties at the end look bad, but whatever. They definitely got screwed on that one huge call though and sometimes that's all it takes.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Alright, so i got:

Chiefs over Broncos in a blowout: Broncos are out of the playoffs. I considered the NFL trying to keep this game close as it's a featured Saturday game, but i think the NFL will instead opt to make the Chiefs look good heading into the playoffs.

Texans over the Titans: The NFL has been using the Texans as their upset special team all season. Henry will return for the WC round only to be eliminated. Chiefs get propped up as the top dog in the AFC, giving the NFL their golden boy #1 seed.

Jaguars over the Colts: No one cares about the Colts. Expect a multi turnover game from the Colts as they self sabotage their way out of the playoffs for the Shield's sake.
The Jags have to win this game so that.....

Steelers over Ravens: NFL gives Ruthlessraper one last hurrah as the Steelers are the surprise team that makes it into the playoffs. With the Colts losing, this puts the Steelers back in the playoffs.


Raiders over Chargers: There's simply no need for two L.A teams in the playoffs, especially when one literally has no fanbase. The NFL is promoting L.A through the Rams, and can now promote LV. This game was setup at the start of the season. The Raiders started hot, but the NFL knew they'd have to temper them down in order to make week 18 an unofficial playoff game. They forced the resignation of Gruden in order to slow them down. The Ruggs accident was incidental off field drama that only helped the cause.

Cowboys over Eagles: Jalen Hurts is a nice story, but there just isn't enough star power here. The NFL wants to promote "America's Team" with a strong showing headed into the playoffs. Expect some ref shenanigans as they don't want Dallas to run away with this one and make Philly look weak headed into the playoffs.

Falcons over Saints: Saints are done. No Brees, no star power, no Hurricane. Besides, the NFL wants to see the 49ers in the playoffs.....

Rams over 49ers: The Falcons beating the Saints makes a 49ers loss irrelevant. They can now promote L.A's super team w/o having to remove San Fran from the playoffs.

I just broke out a fresh $20 bill and went big. I'll buy you a beer next time in Cali if this parlay shall work.

If not, I've dropped $20 on worse.

[ChiefBlueCFC]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I'd argue that a vast majority of CPers think the refs are just wildly incompetent rather than intentionally biased. We're just not as loud as the "it's rigged!" group.

Wildly incompetent is putting it lightly, but yes I would agree with this

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

So what’s the consensus? Was the officiating egregiously bad in Cincinnati? I’ve seen a lot of people defending the calls individually. Was KC screwed or not?

We're not sure there's a consensus, but we've come to realize the NFL's incompetent part-time officials (who enjoy a life with no scrutiny from anybody who can decide their fate) call everything they see but only see what they want. They appear to use their subjective calls, and convenient timing, to influence the outcome of contests. They tend to swallow their whistles at times, but a few minutes later not swallow their whistle.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

We're not sure there's a consensus, but we've come to realize the NFL's incompetent part-time officials (who enjoy a life with no scrutiny from anybody who can decide their fate) call everything they see but only see what they want. They appear to use their subjective calls, and convenient timing, to influence the outcome of contests. They tend to swallow their whistles at times, but a few minutes later not swallow their whistle.

Very well said.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Watching it live, I could only laugh at all the penalties in the last two minutes... they weren't showing any good replays, so I mostly thought the refs completely botched the final two minutes, plus the DPI on 3rd down on the Bengals' game tying TD and a missed offsides.

The consensus seems to be the holding on the kickoff return TD was a hold, but "that happens every return"... and while it seems like a great time for the refs to keep the game close, it was also a hold.

Looking at replays, the Chiefs' defensive holding on the dual-holding call and the illegal hands to the face on 4th down both look legit.... it's still sad that the final two minutes played out like that with so many penalties, but I don't see either as "just let it go, it's the last two minutes".

IMO, it comes down to awful DPI on 3rd down, where the receiver either ran the wrong route or the ball was poorly thrown and uncatchable..... and then to a lesser extent, the missed offsides.

The number of penalties at the end look bad, but whatever. They definitely got screwed on that one huge call though and sometimes that's all it takes.

My impression while watching was that the Chiefs caught a break or two early, but nearly all the late calls and game-changers went the Bengals’ way.

When a TD is scratched from the board and one team is seemingly bailed out on every 3rd or 4th down in the 2nd half, I think you have to at least wonder if there were an agenda. Were most of the calls justifiable? Maybe. But they swallow their whistles for tons of similar plays. Which is why I think you have to focus more on the disparity and the impact of each penalty.

I don’t think it’s cut and dry that it was rigged, but I think it’s suspicious. I also agree somewhat with the “they had their chances” crowd...but when you’re facing one of the top QBs and a great receiving corps AND they draw a PI every time he lobs the ball up? That’s a lot to overcome.