How many teams in the last decade have lost 1st round draft picks?
my only point was that I don't believe they are actually fixing games, everything else ... Guilty as charged.
Well, with Tim Donaghy telling all after himself caught in a mob directed game fixing gambling scandal in the NBA, we now know that yes, mob or other gambling interests will indeed always have a motivation to "get" to referees, players, coaches etc.
But perhaps more important than gambling and mob ties are the extent that the Leagues themselves will go to maximize profits, advertising, and of course support "parity" as Goodell has been an open champion, seeking to create a league where anyone can win at any time.
The Laker/Kings series of 2002 is just one where the League itself was seeking to have refs extend a series to 7 games by calling non existent fouls and sending guys to the line in critical situations (or just to help them catch up)
We know that had been happening for years and can't assume it's stopped - nor that the NFL is immune
In fact, with Brady threatening the Parity of the League, even as the NFL owners seek their own shares of gambling revenues (and considers a Las Vegas franchise no less!) I'd say that the NFL owners and Goodell have an even higher incentive to fix games as we know has been done in the NBA
And when you see the lengths Goodell has gone to boldly fabricate a scandal to bench Brady, blatantly, openly, defiantely - with utter disregard to the fact that everyone KNOWS he's corrupt...
Well then yes - if you're not assuming that the NFL is fixed - at the VERY least to put a Dominant team at a disadvantage to restore "parity" then you are probably being pretty naive
This is a $40 billion entity - which is precisely why so few have called them on framing Brady
"Integrity" means keeping the cash flowing via parity - with the ends justifying the means