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

[Gapanthersfan]

18 minutes ago, fanpanther said:

I say it all the time its not the number of calls or penalty yards its the calls that are called at the perfect time that directly effect the game.  I would love someone unbiased to just watch nfl games and keep track of calls that directly impact games and keep that as a stat and see how it shakes out across the league i would think certain teams woild benefit alot more than others. 

If you can stall out 2 drives on team A, and keep a stalled drive alive for team B, team B will win the vast majority of the time. 

[kungfoodude]

9 hours ago, Waldo said:

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.

It's not even really nearly as nefarious as people make it out. These teams are a financial investment. They are just protecting their investments. 

Do they fug the fans and players in the end? Of course. Same way corporations always fug the employees and clients long before they ever consider fuging shareholders.

[KillerKat]

I can guarantee you the NFL is going to give Rodgers the Manning treatment this year before he retires.

[HaricotVert]

worst ad campaign idea ever

 

[CPcavedweller]

On 6/24/2025 at 11:52 AM, 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

If it were now, he would be re-signed because of what he could bring to a team. Deshuan Watson was signed to $250 million guaranteed.

Kaepernick's problem was that he just wasn't that good. Good enough to win, but not better than any other QB teams could go get, and win with. 

[CPcavedweller]

1 hour ago, KillerKat said:

I can guarantee you the NFL is going to give Rodgers the Manning treatment this year before he retires.

Rodgers isn't a golden boy like Manning was. Manning was "The Golden Boy" of his era despite the dominance by Brady and Belichek.

[panthersphan]

On 6/24/2025 at 1:23 PM, 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.

Give this man a standing ovation