Rigged NFL

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU…

What if I told you the 32 individual teams in the National Football League essentially operate as one? What if I told you United States Courts have determined that National Football League games are entertainment and not sporting contests? What if I told you, the National Football League is corrupt and rigged?

If you are going to bet this stuff, you better be prepared. Let’s start at the beginning…

Back in the olden days, the National Football League was cobbled together by guys who were directly involved with gangsters and gambling . Revered football families with names like Halas, Bidwill, Mara and Rooney still own teams that trace their roots directly back to wiseguys and their early influence in the sport. To this day, we are shown the faces of the proud owners high in their owner’s boxes, in every single televised NFL contest. We are often told of the family’s benevolence in the community. But we’re never told about their roots. Their gambling roots.

We just witnessed the AFC and NFC championship games. Say what you want about the contests, but I don’t think anyone can make a solid, believable case that either contest was entirely “fair.” As I write this, patrons and fans of the New Orleans Saints have filed a lawsuit to have a judge compel Roger Goodell to restart the Saints / Rams game from the point of the no-call for pass interference.

There is no such thing as bad publicity
– P.T. Barnum

I used that quote by P.T. Barnum to help illustrate my point. Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, politician, and businessman remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The more people are talking about something, no matter whether it is good or bad – the important things is – people are talking about it.

Circus? Indeed. That is what the NFL has become. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

You can conduct internet searches yourself, to pretty much support any opinion you have. This article is not intended to be a scholarly thesis to be submitted to a peer-reviewed professional journal. Hence, you do not have to agree with my opinion, you are free to make your own. But remember, if you intend to bet on this, your hard-earned money is on the line.

A few opinions to support my opinion are provided herewith. The first of which is the United States Appellate Court, Third District, decision in the infamous “Spygate” lawsuit. Very briefly, the New England Patriots were caught video-taping the hand signals of opposing teams. Some ticket-holder named Mayer was offended by this and claimed his ownership of a ticket for entry to the stadium, to watch any given football game, gave him the absolute right to watch and enjoy a fair contest (read story). I will cut through the legalese and get to the conclusion, as stated in the opinion: However, the one thing they cannot do is bring a legal action in a court of law.

The court ruling in the case said the ticket Mr. Mayer held only granted him entry into the stadium and the right to use the seat he was assigned. The ticket did not grant him the right to a “fair” contest between the two teams playing each other.

This case even foreshadowed and contemplated the exact situation that the aggrieved and disgruntled Saints fans now find themselves with their lawsuit, to wit: At the very least, a ruling in favor of Mayer could lead to other disappointed fans filing lawsuits because of “a blown call” that apparently caused their team to lose or any number of allegedly improper acts committed by teams, coaches, players, referees and umpires, and others.

Hence, the circus that Mr. Barnum and I alluded to, above.

You can read other opinions, both pro and con, and another one, definitely con.

I recently read an article where Edward Snowden, yes that Edward Snowden, was discussing with his lawyer the benefits of blockchain technology. In the article he said the following:

The tech is the tech, and it’s basic. It’s the applications that matter. The real question is not “what is a blockchain,” but “how can it be used?” And that gets back to what we started on: trust. We live in a world where everyone is lying about everything, with even ordinary teens on Instagram agonizing over how best to project a lifestyle they don’t actually have. People get different search results for the same query. Everything requires trust; at the same time nothing deserves it.

We live in a world where everyone is lying about everything…everything requires trust; at the same time nothing deserves it.

If you are like me, or even if you aren’t but you possess an open mind, then your conclusion on this matter is The National Football League is entertainment. It is not a fair contest among two teams. If that is not your conclusion, you can stop reading at this point and go do something productive.

So, where am I going with all this? It is my opinion the NFL is corrupt and the outcomes of some of its games are, indeed, manipulated. The reason the NFL is so invested in its “Fantasy Leagues” and getting fans to play along serves a very specific purpose. No, the purpose is not just to make money. The purpose of NFL Fantasy Leagues is to take the sting out of your favorite team getting screwed by bad calls and fixed games. If you, the NFL fan, can “own” a team made up of players from all the other teams, it bothers you less when your favorite team gets screwed, but you score points in your fantasy ownership. It is as simple as that.

What does this mean for Super Bowl 2019? Consider this…

The New England Patriots are an absolute football dynasty. They have a huge, worldwide fanbase of both lovers and haters. They are a tremendous marketing draw in every Super Bowl they play.

The Los Angeles Rams, nee the St. Louis Rams, nee the Los Angeles Rams, nee the Cleveland Rams have been a journeyman franchise. This iteration of the Los Angeles Rams currently plays its home football games in the Coliseum, which it shares with the USC Trojans. For a more in-depth look at the Rams and Chargers new stadium, read story from the Washington Post. So fear not football fans, a big, shiny, new and expensive football stadium is being built for the Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, nee the San Diego Chargers, to share.

What better way for the NFL to gin up interest and maximum profit to be shared among its owners than to grant a Super Bowl victory to the newest version of the Los Angeles Rams? A Rams victory gets disinterested and dispirited fans to pay more attention, pony up their cash for season tickets, parking passes, luxury boxes and plenty of gear. And the more interest the locals have, the more the League can charge for broadcasting its entertainment.

The NFL is a business, folks. And the business is entertainment that makes a huge amount of money for its owners. Nothing is left to chance. And the outcome of the Super Bowl is never left to chance.

Take the Moneyline on the Los Angeles Rams to win Super Bowl LIII

Just one man’s opinion.