Could you please provide a source of anyone in the years that you spoke of who said that games were thrown? I'm assuming the players tanked and not the chess match of who would or will not be playing. Other than Houston (college whom I lost all respect for), I don't remember any news "worthy" source talking about athletes tanking to increase their standing position the following year.
You would think with all the years and games played, with players no longer being players, guys would be talking about how they tanked games IMO.
I have to laugh, you're complaining about trumped up charges on the Pats when a lot of people feel like the Pats were on the NFL payroll due to some of the breaks they got during key games. The reality is the game is made up of people, and people do make mistakes (like the refs). Thing is, there are so many people that have to be involved in a conspiracy in the NFL that the way I see it, sooner or later someone is going to talk.
Only a fool would believe that Roger Goodell was trumping up charges against Tom Brady and the Pats, even lying to the media about the numbers and taking away multiple draft picks and cash, because he was trying to help them win. The dope has always been about parity, but being a true Jete he couldn't pull it off.
Players would never tank games and I never implied that. I actually have a decent memory of Jeff Saturday and PEDton Manning looking stunned when they realized that they were being pulled and wouldn't be allowed to go for a 16-0 season in 2009.
It was management (probably Polian) who had the starters pulled in game 15 after going 14-0. That allowed the Jets to win and take the playoff spot that would have gone to Pittsburgh, who had Indy's number. Polian then used the Pats failure to win it all after going 16-0 two years earlier as his phony excuse in a presser.
The next time in 2011 was the Suck for Luck year, when Indy was left without a QB, or if they had one they didn't use him. They didn't win a game until they had the top pick locked up. I don't think there's anyone who believes that it was an accident that PEDton Manning was replaced by Andrew Luck, who just happens to be the son of Oliver Luck, the man who was Archie Manning's best man.
Keep laughing until Polian comes clean, or one of the Houston Astros' players admits cheating, but don't hold your breath.