We joke about how the NFL has a script for the season. But maybe it's not a joke?

[PanthersATL]

From ESPN this morning: Pablo Torre and Mike Florio did some digging into contract negotiations:
 

Quote

System Arbitrator Christopher Droney wrote in his January 2025 ruling that “there is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans’ contracts at the March 2022 annual owners’ meeting.” The NFLPA’s grievance still failed, however, with Droney determining that union failed to prove by a “clear preponderance” of the evidence that the teams acted on the NFL Management Council’s advice.

The whole thing is... a lot. Expect to see more details and analysis of this today as folks dig into the arbitration ruling

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/pablo-torre-mike-florio-uncover-evidence-collusion.html

[PizzaTheHutt]

Cigarette Smoking Man: ‘What I don’t want to see is the Bills winning the Super Bowl. As long as I’m alive that doesn’t happen.’

Aide: ‘It’ll be tough, Sir. Buffalo wants it bad.’

CSM: ‘So did the Soviets in ’80…’

[HaricotVert]

If after the whole Colin Kaepernick thing you don’t believe that the NFL colludes then I don’t know what tell you

[LinvilleGorge]

17 minutes ago, HaricotVert said:

If after the whole Colin Kaepernick thing you don’t believe that the NFL colludes then I don’t know what tell you

Did the Broncos not get that memo?

[Proudiddy]

Witnessing and FEELING the NFL bend us over and grab our ankles in Super Bowl 50 in real-time…  that was the turning point for me.  I have not viewed the NFL, or pro sports for that matter, the same, ever since.  Look at the NBA.  You’re talking about astronomical odds for the #1 pick on the teams in the back-end of it.  The Mavericks mysteriously and inexplicably out of nowhere trade their franchise players - one of the biggest stars in the league, and an international superstar…  and of all places, to the LA Lakers, with LeBron.  They get back an oft-injured Anthony Davis.  Their team, including Davis, end up getting injured to the point they barely have enough healthy players to play games as the year goes on.  Their GM takes a ton of heat and never really offers a reasonable, not plausible explanation as to why they did the trade in the first place.  He also states that they never took any calls from any other teams, they never fielded any other offers for Luka, and they didn’t even take the offer elsewhere to see what other teams offered.  Absolutely no due diligence.  Now ask yourself, why would a team do that?  Not just in sports, why would any business do such a thing?  Not maximizing your return?  Not doing due diligence?  Fast forward a couple months…  the GM has been lambasted, ridiculed, and belittled the entire time since.  The lottery comes around, and the Mavs, who were just in the NBA Finals the year before, barely miss the playoffs due to all of their injuries.  Davis, Kyrie Irving, etc., all their best players were injured.  They had the smallest mathematical chance at getting the #1 pick.  Guess who got the #1 pick?

The Mavericks.  So this plays out like the NBA asked the Mavs to do them a solid.  One of their blue-blood, prestigious, big market franchises needed a bump with LeBron getting older.  LA throws together a garbage package, sending them an aging star and some garbage picks for one of the biggest stars and historically one of the most incredible offensive players in NBA history, and the NBA ensures the Mavs will beat powerball odds and get the #1 pick, when it just so happens that Cooper Flagg, projected to be a generational talent, is coming out in the draft.  You scratch our back, we’ll scratch yours.

Also, who got the #2 pick?  The Spurs.  A year after obtaining the #1 pick to acquire another touted generational talent in Wembanyama, after a 20+ year run as one of the most successful NBA dynasties in history.  They suddenly have their first bad year, get the #1 pick ahead of us, the Hornets (after wallowing in mediocrity for decades), and get Wemby, and now get the #2 pick the following year.  
 

There was talk here earlier in the offseason about things lining up for us to go to the Super Bowl this year, and at the time, I half jokingly said I could see it, as the patsy for Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson’s redemption arc.  Again, after all of the poo that happened in Super Bowl 50, then watching the refs stand by idly over the next two years while week after week our opponents took cheap shot after illegal cheap shot on our once-in-a-lifetime talent in Cam Newton…  that poo took a lot of the heart out of it for me.  I’ve said for years, if big money involved, corruption is inherent.  There’s no way around it.  I’ve accepted that every professional sport is influenced by the money.  And storylines bring big money.  It has become purely entertainment with a small pinch of competition.  At least the WWE tells you exactly what they are, and thus, you can enjoy it for what it is.  The NFL and NBA specifically, specialize in crushing the hearts of fans who believe it’s still real and untainted.  fug Goodell and Silver.

[Admiral Ackbar]

The games, seasons, storylines, etc. are 100% influenced or pushed to go a certain way. There are too many instances of a game being decided by a "bad call" like roughing the passer or pass interference. Too many ambiguous calls on things like;

- whats a catch? 

- was it a late hit?

- was it pass intereferance?

- was the ball place properly on the correct spot?

etc, etc, etc....this could go on forever. Too easy to throw a flag when the game isnt going the way it should and make up some subjective, bullshit penalty.

And they have to take money on the side, how could you not? There is too much money in Vegas to not try to dictate how the games are going to go. Business is too big now to not make sure things go the way you want it, you dont leave a 24 BILLION in revenue up to chance lol.

[HaricotVert]

I wont go quite so far as to say games are rigged.  You wouldnt have to work hard to convince me there was the occasional thumb on the scale but outright rigged? nah.

 

but collusion on the rest of the "business" of football, sure.  No one really believes that the only time the 32 owners act as one is during the negotiations of the CBA do they?

[BEASTfromdaEAST]

If I was a coach I would preach "Don't let the refs decide the game" because as soon as you let the NFL the chance to help their bottom dollar whether it be teams that make most money or gambling then they will screw the team that doesn't fit their bottom line......is it rigged? No but do they try and make certain narratives happen abso-freakin-lutley.

As I stated in a previous thread NFL players are the ones that SHOULD have all guaranteed contracts but the boot lickers on this forum disagree and argue for the billionaires in this world who own these teams, sheep

[Gapanthersfan]

The easiest way for officiating to affect the outcome of the game is with offensive holding. It’s easy pickings. 

There’s some degree of holding on every snap by the o line but impossible to see by casual fans unless it’s shown on replay in slow motion. There will always be a holding call available at a ref’s whim. A few non-calls for one side and a few ‘untimely timely’ calls for the suckers and it’s a wrap. The odds of converting 2nd and 20 twice in 1 drive… very slim.

It’s a devastating penalty. 10 yards? Why so extreme? Why isn’t defensive holding 10 yards, along with first down? 

I’ve never gotten over the SF playoff game or the 2015 SB. 

[PantherBoy95]

18 minutes ago, Gapanthersfan said:

The easiest way for officiating to affect the outcome of the game is with offensive holding. It’s easy pickings. 

...

It’s a devastating penalty. 10 yards? Why so extreme? Why isn’t defensive holding 10 yards, along with first down? 

I've always wondered why they make holding a 10 yard penalty. Very excessive for something that isn't a malicious/injury inducing act.

[DaveThePanther2008]

8 hours ago, Proudiddy said:

Witnessing and FEELING the NFL bend us over and grab our ankles in Super Bowl 50 in real-time…  that was the turning point for me.  I have not viewed the NFL, or pro sports for that matter, the same, ever since.  Look at the NBA.  You’re talking about astronomical odds for the #1 pick on the teams in the back-end of it.  The Mavericks mysteriously and inexplicably out of nowhere trade their franchise players - one of the biggest stars in the league, and an international superstar…  and of all places, to the LA Lakers, with LeBron.  They get back an oft-injured Anthony Davis.  Their team, including Davis, end up getting injured to the point they barely have enough healthy players to play games as the year goes on.  Their GM takes a ton of heat and never really offers a reasonable, not plausible explanation as to why they did the trade in the first place.  He also states that they never took any calls from any other teams, they never fielded any other offers for Luka, and they didn’t even take the offer elsewhere to see what other teams offered.  Absolutely no due diligence.  Now ask yourself, why would a team do that?  Not just in sports, why would any business do such a thing?  Not maximizing your return?  Not doing due diligence?  Fast forward a couple months…  the GM has been lambasted, ridiculed, and belittled the entire time since.  The lottery comes around, and the Mavs, who were just in the NBA Finals the year before, barely miss the playoffs due to all of their injuries.  Davis, Kyrie Irving, etc., all their best players were injured.  They had the smallest mathematical chance at getting the #1 pick.  Guess who got the #1 pick?

The Mavericks.  So this plays out like the NBA asked the Mavs to do them a solid.  One of their blue-blood, prestigious, big market franchises needed a bump with LeBron getting older.  LA throws together a garbage package, sending them an aging star and some garbage picks for one of the biggest stars and historically one of the most incredible offensive players in NBA history, and the NBA ensures the Mavs will beat powerball odds and get the #1 pick, when it just so happens that Cooper Flagg, projected to be a generational talent, is coming out in the draft.  You scratch our back, we’ll scratch yours.

Also, who got the #2 pick?  The Spurs.  A year after obtaining the #1 pick to acquire another touted generational talent in Wembanyama, after a 20+ year run as one of the most successful NBA dynasties in history.  They suddenly have their first bad year, get the #1 pick ahead of us, the Hornets (after wallowing in mediocrity for decades), and get Wemby, and now get the #2 pick the following year.  
 

There was talk here earlier in the offseason about things lining up for us to go to the Super Bowl this year, and at the time, I half jokingly said I could see it, as the patsy for Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson’s redemption arc.  Again, after all of the poo that happened in Super Bowl 50, then watching the refs stand by idly over the next two years while week after week our opponents took cheap shot after illegal cheap shot on our once-in-a-lifetime talent in Cam Newton…  that poo took a lot of the heart out of it for me.  I’ve said for years, if big money involved, corruption is inherent.  There’s no way around it.  I’ve accepted that every professional sport is influenced by the money.  And storylines bring big money.  It has become purely entertainment with a small pinch of competition.  At least the WWE tells you exactly what they are, and thus, you can enjoy it for what it is.  The NFL and NBA specifically, specialize in crushing the hearts of fans who believe it’s still real and untainted.  fug Goodell and Silver.

You can go back to the New York Knicks somehow getting Patrick Ewing.  I saw a story where they place the New York Knick card in the freezer right before the drawing.  It was simple.  Show everyone the cards are undetectable to the human eye.  All they had to do was grab the coldest card.

IMO ever since Goodell took over the NFL it has been fishy.  Patriots winning the SB after 9/11, New Orleans after Katrina and Peyton Manning's going away gift against us. The terrible calls during that game were blatantly one sided. 

New England should have been stripped of their first 3 SB when they were caught spying on the other team in their SB wins.  I think the evidence against the Patriots was so damning Goodell felt it could ruin football and they brushed it under the table.   In the 2004 SB, How did we go from practically no yards in the first Quarter to setting a record in the 3rd Qtr.  Dan Henning changes the game plan.  IMO probably the greatest half time adjustment of all time.  

[Proudiddy]

8 hours ago, BEASTfromdaEAST said:

If I was a coach I would preach "Don't let the refs decide the game" because as soon as you let the NFL the chance to help their bottom dollar whether it be teams that make most money or gambling then they will screw the team that doesn't fit their bottom line......is it rigged? No but do they try and make certain narratives happen abso-freakin-lutley.

As I stated in a previous thread NFL players are the ones that SHOULD have all guaranteed contracts but the boot lickers on this forum disagree and argue for the billionaires in this world who own these teams, sheep

I’ve said it a million times since, but it’s impossible to keep them from affecting the game.  In SB50, they literally took the game from us, and they did it early.  Cotchery’s no-catch?  The miraculous amount of times we converted for a first down only to have it suddenly called back make it a 3rd down and 15+ against the best defense in the league that specialized in rushing the passer and man coverage on the back end?  And you do that enough times, you kill the morale and confidence of the team you’re doing it against.  It’s telling the one team “you can do whatever with impunity” and the other “you can’t do whatever they’re allowed to do.”  It changes the aggression level.  It essentially neuters one team and allows the other to do whatever the fug they want.  Imagine you call the police for help and they get there and tell you to sit still while the other party beats the poo out of you and you can’t defend yourself.  That’s what the officials do.  There is no way to avoid them affecting the game.  And more often than not, it’s the most subjective calls they use to do so.  Even in SB50…  you saw the Broncos commit more egregious penalties than anything we did, and barely any of it was called.  Their OL was holding all fuging game and the refs did nothing.  We already had our work cut out for us against two future HOF edge rushers and the refs played to their advantage with that.  From what I remember, both Oher and Remmers were called for holding at various times and their hands were in the INSIDE of the defender.  It was garbage, but all by design.

Also, if there is any video of it anywhere, go look at what the refs did against us back in 2013 against SF.  The fix was in there too.  They stepped in early and often and ensured we knew we were not allowed to play with the same aggression or intensity SF was.  It was disgusting as well.

at this point, I hope Vince McMahon, errr, I mean Goodell just finally scripts us to win it, because this poo is not won via competition or off merit.

[Proudiddy]

3 hours ago, Gapanthersfan said:

The easiest way for officiating to affect the outcome of the game is with offensive holding. It’s easy pickings. 

There’s some degree of holding on every snap by the o line but impossible to see by casual fans unless it’s shown on replay in slow motion. There will always be a holding call available at a ref’s whim. A few non-calls for one side and a few ‘untimely timely’ calls for the suckers and it’s a wrap. The odds of converting 2nd and 20 twice in 1 drive… very slim.

It’s a devastating penalty. 10 yards? Why so extreme? Why isn’t defensive holding 10 yards, along with first down? 

I’ve never gotten over the SF playoff game or the 2015 SB. 

I had started typing my post hours ago and didn’t finish it and just came back to finish it, posted it, then saw yours and saw we were pretty much saying the same thing - even the games that stick out to us most.  I don’t think a lot of people remember that SF playoff game, but I felt like I had just got mugged in broad daylight.  I remember them calling Mitchell for unnecessary roughness, and then I remember watching Boldin take a super late cheap shot, dead in front of the ref and then showing him watching the whole thing in replay…  the refs let them have a fuging field day and didn’t do jack poo, but if we so much as breathed the wrong way it was fuging 15 yards.  Each team playing under two completely different sets of rules.  poo hurt.  I was enraged.  I’ve never went back to watch either that game or SB50 and never will.  fuging robbery.

[Waldo]

There always has been collusion, as long as I have been a fan. It sure looks like they tweaked outcomes too. Good luck proving it. As much as I despise a lot of the ownership I'm still not sure what would happen if it was forced to change.