NFL conspiracy theory?

JR4 said:

Ok I was reluctant to buy into this but after listening to people tell
me it is true and considering some what I've seen/heard I am wondering.

here's some stuff to consider.

1. NBA is on record that refs take pay offs to influence game out comes
and the ref caught said he is not the only one doing it. Is it a stretch to
think there may be NFL refs doing it also?

2. PATs with an offense scoring 30+ points a game just finished off a team
with a pretty good defense in the playoffs with 40+ points and is held to
13 points by an old D.

3. The ratings for a Harbaugh vs Harbaugh Superbowl were off the scales.
There are billions involved here folks. With that much money at stake it is
possible some people were bought to influence the outcome of the game?

4. Tom Brady. Think about his body language. Did he seem like
he was really playing to win? To me he didn't have that fire in his eyes.
His body language seemed to say " I already know what the outcome will be .. so why try hard .. I'll just do what I'm paid to do"

Consider it all ask yourself ...
does it make sense that this offense is held to 13 points with NO points in the second half?

It almost seems like the no 2nd half points was
a rebellion to the game being fixed .... the only way that they could
say it was fixed without saying it verbally.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

This is not only ridiculous, it's bad for the Pats. Accept responsibility where responsibility lies. The only "conspiracy" has been with our own FO and coaching staff, in trading the team's identity as a tough, physical, clutch team and morphing into the the latest version of the Bills teams of the 1990's, the 1999-2001 Rams, and the 2003-2007 Colts. A very good, high scoring team, but one which just isn't defined by those same attributes any more. That seems to have been a calculated decision made after 2006 when the team lost in the AFCCG to the Colts. But the results suggest that "black and blue" teams still do pretty well come playoff time.

We've turned into the 1984 LA Lakers. The Ravens were the Celtics, and Bernard Pollard clotheslined us just like Kevin McHale did to Kurt Rambis. If the shoe had been on the other foot, we'd be cheering. Just because it happened to us doesn't mean it was a "conspiracy". Take it like a man, and figure out how to hit back harder next time if you don't want to be bullied.

TheSparks1 said:

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Not to derail this gem of a thread but yowzaa...who is that?

BrickPat said:

......

Do you think that's why BB didn't want to do that post game interview...he was *gasp* afraid to blow the lid on the whole shadow operation?

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Why do you think no post game interview by BB?
Because he was a sore sport?
Is that like BB? Has he not interviewed after a bad loss in the past and
give the other team all the praise and say where he and his team failed.
Why not this game? Was his feelings hurt and felt he would cry?

Why? you tell me why he was so unlike Bill Belichick?

I'm waiting for this one.

BrickPat said:

Not to derail this gem of a thread but yowzaa...who is that?

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My thoughts exactly. If she's selling the conspiracy theory, I'm buying it.

**sigh** I understand the frustration to see the Pats come out lay a big, fat, goose egg out there in the middle of Gillette Stadium. Honestly, the 2 best teams are playing in the SuperBowl this year. It's that simple.

practice squad, please....

This topic is an embarrassment, listening to people claiming to be Pats fans whining like little Colt fans about the bad old referees and how the world is out to get them.

Do you wish we had a Bill Polian in charge who could hold a press conference and cobble together videos of possible infractions that he thinks were ignored?

News flash: The Ravens played a better football game than we did. If the game is being reffed a certain way, you adjust, suck it up, and deal with it.

Palm Beach Pats Fan said:

News flash: The Ravens played a better football game than we did. If the game is being reffed a certain way, you adjust, suck it up, and deal with it.

Click to expand...

Spoken like a true PatsFan. :youtheman:

mayoclinic said:

This is not only ridiculous, it's bad for the Pats. ......

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More to the point It's also bad for you. This is one of your main stays. It is what you pride yourself in. You're knowledge of the game and your daily
expositions are legendary. To think for a moment that your pride and joy could be in part a sort of scam is unthinkable and abhorrent.

Your response and that of addicted PATs fans is understandable.
I am not sure the game was fixed but there are many things I don't
understand and am will to consider possible explanations even it makes
me feel uncomfortable.

Just remember BILLIONS of dollars are involved and when there is that much money there is bound to be corruption whether you like it or not.

Her name is Cheryl Cole. She is some British singer that became popular on a American Idol type show. I had to Google it. I had no clue either.

If op is suggesting it is possible that a single game official was bought or otherwise corrupted....... OK. But it would be next to impossible for that one person to dictate the outcome of the game without it being pretty darn evident to the other officials.
Consequently the liklihood of some nefarious cabal operating on a game they cannot insure the outcome of is ..... well, not likely.

As for the NFL involving itself.......ain't ever happening. They are a multi billion dollar operation and are not about to jeopardize their success by attempting to fix the outcome of a game. Especially highly scrutinized games in the play offs. There is no way they would not be exposed.

Yes a single official could change the outcome of a game IF he were in position to make the game changing call very late in the game. But there is no way to insure that corrupted official will be any where near the critical play at the critical time. Would you bet big bucks on that scenario?

In other words. We lost. Get over it.

JR4 said:

Your response and that of addicted PATs fans is understandable.

I am not sure the game was fixed but there are many things I don't
understand and am will to consider possible explanations even it makes
me feel uncomfortable.

Just remember BILLIONS of dollars are involved and when there is that much money there is bound to be corruption whether you like it or not.

Click to expand...

So, what exactly are you suggesting? That the NFL decided that the allure of a Harbaugh-Harbaugh SB was so great that they arranged for the game to be fixed? That they somehow bought of the Pats and got the team to buy into it?

I mean, really, how is that possible? Why would the Pats possibly go along with such a ploy? What could the NFL possibly do to make them throw away the chance at a Super Bowl appearance and tank the game?

And, in your scenario, if just one whiff of such a "fix" got out, it would blow up in the league's face to a level never before seen. The sepctre that any game could be fixed would make betting anathema. The league would lose all credibility. There would be congressional investigations.

There's no possible way anyone would risk that.

There is incompetency in the NFL by the boatload. Stupidity is legion. There is favoritism. There are double standards. But this kind of massive corruption? My best argument against it is that the risk would seem to greatly outweigh the reward. I wouldn't put it beyond any of the league bozo's selling out if they thought it was worth it, but I just can't imagine a scenario where that would be the case.

In any case, whether or not your conspiracy theory has any merit, crying about it can't help the Pats. Taking responsibility for the loss and addressing the problems that lead to it can. That's the path I would prefer to follow, personally.

But thanks for the backhanded compliment.

TheSparks1 said:

Her name is Cheryl Cole. She is some British singer that became popular on a American Idol type show. I had to Google it. I had no clue either.

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I hit google images .00000000001 seconds after reading this...

Though, I don't buy into the whole conspiracy thing, I don't think it is that far fetched. The last two games for the Patriots had a lot of questionable calls. Usually these things even out. Guy is on his butt in the Division game and is awarded a TD even after replays show he leaned in the endzone after his butt was down. Hightower makes a stop for a loss and in the middle of his tackle the guy fumbles. No. Quick whistle. Referee doesn't pay attention when player tosses him the ball, Unsportsmanlike conduct. It doesn't take much to affect a game. How many drives had the Patriots had killed by offensive pass interference penalties. 7 during the year. I don't believe I have ever seen that called so many times on one team. Torey Smith's brother died 3 months ago. You can start calling offensive pass interference on him. He clearly pushed Cole down in the back to make a long catch. And Ridley had the ball in his hand until he hit the ground. What can you do when even the replays shows how a play should be called and the refs blow it. What really made me wonder was how Phil Simms kept calling the plays in the Ravens favor even before the replay was shown. It was almost like following a script.

I knew when I saw the 49ers win, it was going to be tough on the Patriots. As long as television, ESPN, and Vegas run the NFL, people are going to question the integrity of this game. This is Roger Goodell's NFL.

JR4 said:

You make good points. But NO points in the second half? come on while
Ravens D is good they are not that good. We have all seen PATs make
mistakes like you mentioned but come back stronger to over come.
(SF game to wit )

They seem to have no fight, no desire and that may
have had to do with Brady's body language.
Tell me this was the Brady you are use to seeing on the side lines walking
up an down firing player up?

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In the BIG games the Pats lost the last 5 years, the Pats scored 17 (SB 42), 14(SB46) & 13 (2013 AFCCG). In all of those years, the Pats led the NFL in points scored. Other teams, watch film like crazy, try to spot the Pat's weaknesses on Offense and exploit it. Also, the 3 defenses that held us to 17, 14 & 13 points were Big, Talented and Mean, the Pats offense is finesse, especially without Gronk. The Pat's offense struggles mightily against tough defenses.

As far as conspiracy's, I remember people thinking the Pats winning in 2001 was a conspiracy. How can an 11-5 team beat the Highest Scoring Team on Turf ? How can a no-name QB beat Kurt Warner ? Patriots ? 9/11 ? It had to be fixed. The word patriot started being used a lot by Republicans after 9/11. No way the Pats, a 14 point underdog, can beat the Rams unless it was fixed. I heard that for months afterwards, please stop making yourself look silly, Pats got beat by the better team, a team that has won the last 3 out of 4 against the Pats, and knows how to beat them.

Conspiracy? Have we all of a sudden turned into a bunch of *****es like The Rams and The Colts?

The Pats lost because they played like crap, and the Ravens made them play like crap. This team got hit in the mouth and didn't fight back. THEY CHOKED.
Conspiracies have nothing to do with the loss, IMHO.

That being said. I do not trust Roger Jetdell. I wouldn't put anything shady past him.

mayoclinic said:

So, what exactly are you suggesting? That the NFL decided that the allure of a Harbaugh-Harbaugh SB was so great that they arranged for the game to be fixed? That they somehow bought of the Pats and got the team to buy into it?
No the team does not have to buy into it but if the vets like Brady know when a fix is in with the refs their attitude can affect the team.
Tom was not his energetic focused self on Sunday. Why?

I mean, really, how is that possible? Why would the Pats possibly go along with such a ploy? What could the NFL possibly do to make them throw away the chance at a Super Bowl appearance and tank the game?

And, in your scenario, if just one whiff of such a "fix" got out, it would blow up in the league's face to a level never before seen. The sepctre that any game could be fixed would make betting anathema. The league would lose all credibility. There would be congressional investigations.

There's no possible way anyone would risk that.

There is incompetency in the NFL by the boatload. Stupidity is legion. There is favoritism. There are double standards. But this kind of massive corruption? My best argument against it is that the risk would seem to greatly outweigh the reward. I wouldn't put it beyond any of the league bozo's selling out if they thought it was worth it, but I just can't imagine a scenario where that would be the case.

In any case, whether or not your conspiracy theory has any merit, crying about it can't help the Pats. Taking responsibility for the loss and addressing the problems that lead to it can. That's the path I would prefer to follow, personally.

But thanks for the backhanded compliment.

Click to expand...

Is the NBA the only sport that ref intervention existed(exists)?
If that sport was influenced by one or more refs why not the NFL.
All you need is two or more refs in a game to alter the outcome.

Also remember the refs non calls are just as important as the bad calls
we get to see bought to light.

Why did BB not interview after the game? Was he afraid he might say what he believed happened in that game.

Why was Brady not on fire trying to motivate his offense on the sidelines?
We've all seen Brady when he is really into the game motivating his team.
Not Sunday.

JR4 said:

Is the NBA the only sport that ref intervention existed(exists)?
If that sport was influenced by one or more refs why not the NFL.
All you need is two or more refs in a game to alter the outcome.

Also remember the refs non calls are just as important as the bad calls
we get to see bought to light.

Why did BB not interview after the game? Was he afraid he might say what he believed happened in that game.

Why was Brady not on fire trying to motivate his offense on the sidelines?
We've all seen Brady when he is really into the game motivating his team.
Not Sunday.

Click to expand...

BB not being interviewed after a big loss is business as usual.

I have seen games prior to Sunday where Brady isn't on fire. He's human. Maybe he reasonably was dejected because he just wasn't feeling it (See Ridly getting his clock cleaned on the fumble and Brady's tipped interception.), more pressure, just has a hard time with the Ravens, etc...
If the Ravens were a team he felt they had no business losing to (like say the Bengals) maybe he would act different and there would be more rage... who knows...

Do the anti Pats conspirators take the day off during their victories? Did the rogue refs call in sick for the Texans game?

At the risk if injecting logic I offer the following. Dozens to hundreds would have to be involved for any vast and intricate conspiracy to take place and be maintained in a multi billion dollar league in the public spotlight.

Think of it no death bed confessions or people with a grudge. Yeah the vast conspiracy has never had a whistelblower or someone who felt gulity enough to expose it.

Why?

Because THERE IS NO CONSPIRACY! :ugh:

A bad call and/or bad luck and/or poor play are just that. Honest to God this is like listening to the self professed 9/11 "experts" who use the absence of facts as evidence.

Anyone who ascribes to this way of thinking is no better than Jets fans who believe that the Pats only won because of spygate.

As others have pointed out the Pats LOST simply because they were OUTPLAYED.

Please get over it.

JR4 said:

Ok I was reluctant to buy into this but after listening to people tell
me it is true and considering some what I've seen/heard I am wondering.

here's some stuff to consider.

1. NBA is on record that refs take pay offs to influence game out comes
and the ref caught said he is not the only one doing it. Is it a stretch to
think there may be NFL refs doing it also?

2. PATs with an offense scoring 30+ points a game just finished off a team
with a pretty good defense in the playoffs with 40+ points and is held to
13 points by an old D.

3. The ratings for a Harbaugh vs Harbaugh Superbowl were off the scales.
There are billions involved here folks. With that much money at stake it is
possible some people were bought to influence the outcome of the game?

4. Tom Brady. Think about his body language. Did he seem like
he was really playing to win? To me he didn't have that fire in his eyes.
His body language seemed to say " I already know what the outcome will be .. so why try hard .. I'll just do what I'm paid to do"

Consider it all ask yourself ...
does it make sense that this offense is held to 13 points with NO points in the second half?

It almost seems like the no 2nd half points was
a rebellion to the game being fixed .... the only way that they could
say it was fixed without saying it verbally.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

Yeah your right the Pats were told by the nfl to throw this game for tv ratings!!! If that's what it takes to make you feel better because the Pats got they're butts Kicked by the Ravens then so be it!!!