Refereeing in Professional Sports

[SHOWTIME15]

The stuff going on with Donegey and the NBA just confirms my belief that all professional sports are rigged to a certain extent. I firmly believe that the NFL wanted the pats to go undefeated last season until specter got involved. That explains why the refs threw the flag on the bogus penalty on Amani Toomer in week 17. THe league wanted us to to go undefeated then specter got involved just prior to the super bowl. I believe the league did not want us to win the SB after this point simply because if we did Specter would get even angrier at the league and the pats. Goodell thought specter would back off if we lost. This explains why the refs never blew the whistle on that miracle play by Eli Manning - the one where some giants lineman had his hands around richard seymour's throat and two different face masking penalties that were never called - all on the same play. It was the league that took our undefeated season away from us all because goodell destroyed those tapes which would have shown nothing spectcular.

Thoughts?

 

[slash83]

I just think its time to move on, we lost it sucks what can you do...

 

[blackglass3]

I don't buy your argument, because I don't buy the NBA ref's story. Sure, all star players will get calls others don't, but what he said made no sense. How would ejecting a star player cause a drop in ticket sales? People are already at the game. How would ejecting a player affect ratings? Sure, maybe a handful of people would turn off a game, but most people are going to keep watching. And it won't affect ratings of the next game, because refs don't hand out multiple game suspensions, the league does.

And ever since the 97 Heat Knicks brawl, I haven't bought NBA conspiracies. The league wanted a Knicks/Bulls series, but felt disciplining the Knicks was more important for thier overall image (not that it helped in the long run, of course).

 

[Zeke_Mowatt]

I think the Spurs might singlehandedly disprove this theory...

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

I have an official's license in several sports (amatuer, obviously) but there was one constant in my training for each sport: "Do not watch the professional sports officials, you will pick up bad habits."

In fact, when I was going through training for basketball, a former NBA official came to a class. He was great. He actually intimated some of the same things that TD is now asserting (preferential treatment of stars, enforcing certain rules vs certain players/teams, etc), though he never came right out and said it. His point was that the NBA is driven by offense, by stars, and as such they constantly change the rules to benefit them (not unlike the NFL). The NBA goes beyond changing rules, they invent them. To my knowledge, at no other level of play worldwide is there a "defensive three second rule" or a rule against zones. The NBA has one. The NBA ignores rules used world-wide, the five second count in the half court, for example.

In the end professional sports are about entertainment and business. I do not begrudge them for it, obviously, as I post here. However, games to get frustrating to watch when they are so inconsistently officiated and I think that is what is the problem that all leagues face. In MLB, one guy's strike zone is different from the next. I've covered the NBA. PI/illegal contact in football.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I have an official's license in several sports (amatuer, obviously) but there was one constant in my training for each sport: "Do not watch the professional sports officials, you will pick up bad habits."

In fact, when I was going through training for basketball, a former NBA official came to a class. He was great. He actually intimated some of the same things that TD is now asserting (preferential treatment of stars, enforcing certain rules vs certain players/teams, etc), though he never came right out and said it. His point was that the NBA is driven by offense, by stars, and as such they constantly change the rules to benefit them (not unlike the NFL). The NBA goes beyond changing rules, they invent them. To my knowledge, at no other level of play worldwide is there a "defensive three second rule" or a rule against zones. The NBA has one. The NBA ignores rules used world-wide, the five second count in the half court, for example.

In the end professional sports are about entertainment and business. I do not begrudge them for it, obviously, as I post here. However, games to get frustrating to watch when they are so inconsistently officiated and I think that is what is the problem that all leagues face. In MLB, one guy's strike zone is different from the next. I've covered the NBA. PI/illegal contact in football.

Thanks for commenting on your experience. THis goes beyond setting records and having an undefeated season. This really goes to the integrity of the game, moreso than spygate. The question becomes, what happens if the NFL does it again next year or the year after (assuming it's true that the SB or other game were rigged)? Can we trust the NFL any more? I for one will be skeptical somewhat every time I see an professional sporting event.

Another example is the NHL. If any of you watched the stanley cup finals, you would have noticed the most blatant favoritism to the penguins simply because sidney crosby is the face of the NHL. If Crosby wins, it's big money for the league. How many 5 on 3 power plays are you going to give the Penguins so they could tie the score up? Bettman seemed so disinterested in giving the Cup over to the REd WIngs during hte presentation ceremony.

 

[Disco Volante]

That signature looks familiar.

All I know is that the last 3 years of watching Colts playoff games I've felt sick to my stomach due to the officiating on the field. Once is a fluke, twice is suspicious but three times is just god damn evidence to me.

 

[Willie Andrews23]

Does anyone here not believe that Kobe was going to the line on game 3, 20+ times no matter what happened? Or that someone wasn't told to get Pierce right into foul trouble? Players do not control the outcome of some games, it's a sad fact. I agree, it is all about the business end.
There is no way they will let this series end in 4 or 5 or maybe not even 6 games.
Just like it became a nice story for the NFL to not see the "hated" Pats win this year, so holding and face masking became legal in the last minute of the game.
It seems to me it is getting more obvious than ever, in all sports and it is becoming disheartening. I find myself going into big games more worried about refs and league agendas than I do the other team. Not a good sign for pro sports IMO.

 

[PatsFan24]

the game that seemed most likley fixed to me in the last few years was that colts steelers playoff game. it seemed that the calls were all going against the steelers, even after a review they would still get it wrong. i know the steelers won, but it just seemed so bad that it could not be a mistake.

 

[FootballFanetic]

the game that seemed most likley fixed to me in the last few years was that colts steelers playoff game. it seemed that the calls were all going against the steelers, even after a review they would still get it wrong. i know the steelers won, but it just seemed so bad that it could not be a mistake.

All depends on your point of view--for folks outside NE, that Colts-Pats AFCCG is the one that most point to as a an obvious case of the refs handing the game to one team (the one where now-Pat Marcus Pollard had his jersey grabbed twice on successive plays right in front of a ref with no flag). As you'll recall, the outcry from that game was so bad that the next season the League changed the emphasis on the rule.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

That signature looks familiar.

All I know is that the last 3 years of watching Colts playoff games I've felt sick to my stomach due to the officiating on the field. Once is a fluke, twice is suspicious but three times is just god damn evidence to me.

yeah I think I stole your signature a while back. sorry i didn't ask permission. i couldn't find a better one. i hope it's ok.

 

[Rob0729]

I do think refs can be influenced. I think many NBA refs pander to the home crowds and superstars to the point of ridiculousness. I do think NFL refs can be influence too. Look at the Colts, Polian uses his position on the competition committee to bully refs. Many strong, intelligent coaches can intimidate refs too.

Do I think refs purposely go into games to affect the outcome? Doubtful except for lone cases like Donaghy. But I wouldn't be surprised if the allegations from Donaghy are true. The NBA has had far more questionable called games than any other sport and it seems that almost every playoff series goes 6-7 games these days.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

That signature looks familiar.

All I know is that the last 3 years of watching Colts playoff games I've felt sick to my stomach, which was only made worse due to the officiating on the field. Once is a fluke, twice is suspicious but three times is just god damn evidence to me.

I fixed your post for you.

[Seriously, watching Colts playoff games other than Pats-Colts is an unhealthy habit. ]

 

[PatsWSB47]

I really don't think so. I do think the league wanted the Pats to go undefeated, but I doubt they rigged the Super Bowl. That was one of the better-called Super Bowls in recent memory. Considering how many Pats O-linemen have gotten away with holds in the past couple seasons, I don't see any reason to be bitter about one play.

You sound like somemone who's team gets embarased by the Patriots over and over again and you just can't stand it. Jets fan? Dolphins, Bills? I'm right, no? What an obvious arse you are. Clever how you discredited the Patriots for their 18 game win steak due to the league then the one loss they have is the one that was called right. Go away troll.