Who is Modern Pro Sports History's Best "Good Guy?"

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Number 2, Derek Jeter. Number 2.

[colchar]

I'm not being a douche but seriously, pay attention to the NFL this coming season especially during the playoffs. The NFL gets the teams it wants almost every year and they almost always end up having the team win which has had the player with the greatest 'story' in the Super Bowl build up. Look at the official's calls - bullshit calls that don't even adhere to the rules of football (I can't remember the game last year in which this happened but my roommate's, who have played and coached for years, were freaking the fuck out because a particular call was basically made up) or calls that seriously affect the outcome of a game. The NFL's little darlings (like the Mannings) always seem to have calls go their way. The Patriots started winning right after 9/11 which seems like quite the coincidence (don't jump on me for this one, it is all over the internet). The Seahawks were blatantly screwed in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago (to the point where they weren't even trying to hide it, it was pretty pathetic how bad they got fucked). Plus, there is so much money involved that it makes sense for things to be fixed (more money spent if you think your time still has a shot as opposed to being out of it early in the year). I won't even get into how gambling plays a role in it being fixed.

And I'm not the only one who thinks this - the petition linked below has 45,000 signatures:

http://www.petitiononline.com/nfl12006/petition.html


Here is a column that discusses the issue:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1185 ... ames-fixed


Here is another column (take a look at the poll in which 70% of respondents voted that it is fixed):

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3158 ... 009-season

And here is another article that claims that Super Bowl III was the first big game that was fixed (makes sense since they needed the merger to work and because it brought them a ton of TV money):

http://old.disinfo.com/archive/pages/ar ... d1634/pg1/


Here is a video that touches on the topic as well:

http://ballhype.com/video/fixed_nfl_gam ... _11_16_08/


I'm not saying that any of these articles are authoritative, they simply prove that it isn't just me. I'm not some freak sitting in his basement dreaming up conspiracy theories - this is something that a lot of people are talking about. I'm betting that something will come out within the next decade. It might shock some of you but there will be plenty of us who will be saying "I told you so."

I don't like the NFL but I don't care about it either. It simply isn't an issue for me so I don't have a horse in this race nor an ax to grind. I think that makes me a bit more objective than might be possible for people who follow the league and think it is above reproach.

[Lavabe]

Number 2, Derek Jeter. Number 2.

If Jeter's your #2 choice, then I expect Mariano Rivera is your top choice. ;)

Somehow, I get the feeling that Jeter would be Bostondevil's response for the other poll.

[EarlJam]

I'm not being a douche but seriously, pay attention to the NFL this coming season especially during the playoffs. The NFL gets the teams it wants almost every year and they almost always end up having the team win which has had the player with the greatest 'story' in the Super Bowl build up. Look at the official's calls - bullshit calls that don't even adhere to the rules of football (I can't remember the game last year in which this happened but my roommate's, who have played and coached for years, were freaking the fuck out because a particular call was basically made up) or calls that seriously affect the outcome of a game. The NFL's little darlings (like the Mannings) always seem to have calls go their way. The Patriots started winning right after 9/11 which seems like quite the coincidence (don't jump on me for this one, it is all over the internet). The Seahawks were blatantly screwed in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago (to the point where they weren't even trying to hide it, it was pretty pathetic how bad they got fucked). Plus, there is so much money involved that it makes sense for things to be fixed (more money spent if you think your time still has a shot as opposed to being out of it early in the year). I won't even get into how gambling plays a role in it being fixed.

And I'm not the only one who thinks this - the petition linked below has 45,000 signatures:

http://www.petitiononline.com/nfl12006/petition.html


Here is a column that discusses the issue:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1185 ... ames-fixed


Here is another column (take a look at the poll in which 70% of respondents voted that it is fixed):

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3158 ... 009-season

And here is another article that claims that Super Bowl III was the first big game that was fixed (makes sense since they needed the merger to work and because it brought them a ton of TV money):

http://old.disinfo.com/archive/pages/ar ... d1634/pg1/


Here is a video that touches on the topic as well:

http://ballhype.com/video/fixed_nfl_gam ... _11_16_08/


I'm not saying that any of these articles are authoritative, they simply prove that it isn't just me. I'm not some freak sitting in his basement dreaming up conspiracy theories - this is something that a lot of people are talking about. I'm betting that something will come out within the next decade. It might shock some of you but there will be plenty of us who will be saying "I told you so."

I don't like the NFL but I don't care about it either. It simply isn't an issue for me so I don't have a horse in this race nor an ax to grind. I think that makes me a bit more objective than might be possible for people who follow the league and think it is above reproach.

Okay, fair enough. And I TOTALLY know you are not just a conspiracy theorist. You are 100 percent legit in my book. But then how do you explain the lowly "who gives a shit" Falcons making it to the Superbowl in '98? OR, based on the "Patriots" logic, why didn't the Saints make it to the Superbowl the year after Hurricane Katrina? The team was good enough.

I'm not a huge NFL fan either, but I have to admit that, to me, the team with the most talent usually wins out. The Saints were by far the best team last year. Conspiracies? I just don't see it.

Also, a lot of people (and you could provide links) think that it was a conspiracy to have Duke win it all last year. Hogwash!

-EarlJam

[colchar]

I'm not being a douche but seriously, pay attention to the NFL this coming season especially during the playoffs. The NFL gets the teams it wants almost every year and they almost always end up having the team win which has had the player with the greatest 'story' in the Super Bowl build up. Look at the official's calls - bullshit calls that don't even adhere to the rules of football (I can't remember the game last year in which this happened but my roommate's, who have played and coached for years, were freaking the fuck out because a particular call was basically made up) or calls that seriously affect the outcome of a game. The NFL's little darlings (like the Mannings) always seem to have calls go their way. The Patriots started winning right after 9/11 which seems like quite the coincidence (don't jump on me for this one, it is all over the internet). The Seahawks were blatantly screwed in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago (to the point where they weren't even trying to hide it, it was pretty pathetic how bad they got fucked). Plus, there is so much money involved that it makes sense for things to be fixed (more money spent if you think your time still has a shot as opposed to being out of it early in the year). I won't even get into how gambling plays a role in it being fixed.

And I'm not the only one who thinks this - the petition linked below has 45,000 signatures:

http://www.petitiononline.com/nfl12006/petition.html


Here is a column that discusses the issue:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1185 ... ames-fixed


Here is another column (take a look at the poll in which 70% of respondents voted that it is fixed):

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3158 ... 009-season

And here is another article that claims that Super Bowl III was the first big game that was fixed (makes sense since they needed the merger to work and because it brought them a ton of TV money):

http://old.disinfo.com/archive/pages/ar ... d1634/pg1/


Here is a video that touches on the topic as well:

http://ballhype.com/video/fixed_nfl_gam ... _11_16_08/


I'm not saying that any of these articles are authoritative, they simply prove that it isn't just me. I'm not some freak sitting in his basement dreaming up conspiracy theories - this is something that a lot of people are talking about. I'm betting that something will come out within the next decade. It might shock some of you but there will be plenty of us who will be saying "I told you so."

I don't like the NFL but I don't care about it either. It simply isn't an issue for me so I don't have a horse in this race nor an ax to grind. I think that makes me a bit more objective than might be possible for people who follow the league and think it is above reproach.

Okay, fair enough. And I TOTALLY know you are not just a conspiracy theorist. You are 100 percent legit in my book. But then how do you explain the lowly "who gives a shit" Falcons making it to the Superbowl in '98? OR, based on the "Patriots" logic, why didn't the Saints make it to the Superbowl the year after Hurricane Katrina? The team was good enough.

I'm not a huge NFL fan either, but I have to admit that, to me, the team with the most talent usually wins out. The Saints were by far the best team last year. Conspiracies? I just don't see it.

Also, a lot of people (and you could provide links) think that it was a conspiracy to have Duke win it all last year. Hogwash!

-EarlJam

I don't know enough about the NFL to comment on your questions as I didn't watch the games or pay virtually any attention to anything that happened.

As for the Duke thing - those people are just haters who despise Duke and begrudge it its hard (and well) earned success. The people talking about the NFL aren't haters they are people legitimately asking questions and, from what I've read, many of them are fans of football who are asking because they are dismayed by it being fixed.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Number 2, Derek Jeter. Number 2.

If Jeter's your #2 choice, then I expect Mariano Rivera is your top choice. ;)

Somehow, I get the feeling that Jeter would be Bostondevil's response for the other poll.

I was emulating/imitating Bob Shepherd's recorded introduction of Jeter. He's #1 in my book. But Mo would be 1A!

I don't think so. I respect lots of Boston's players, and I suspect that BD feels the same way about many of the Yankees. There may be some exceptions, but most of them on both teams are quality players and people.

[Miles]

Number 2, Derek Jeter. Number 2.

If Jeter's your #2 choice, then I expect Mariano Rivera is your top choice. ;)

Somehow, I get the feeling that Jeter would be Bostondevil's response for the other poll.

I was emulating/imitating Bob Shepherd's recorded introduction of Jeter. He's #1 in my book. But Mo would be 1A!

I don't think so. I respect lots of Boston's players, and I suspect that BD feels the same way about many of the Yankees. There may be some exceptions, but most of them on both teams are quality players and people.

I gotta hand it to Jeter. He's done a remarkable job of avoiding controversy for a guy that has been in the limelight as often as he has. To be under the public microscope that long without exposing a major flaw typically means one of two things:
1. He hasn't been caught yet
2. He's genuinely a good guy

I think it's the latter.

[captmojo]

Too many to choose from. So, I'm padding.

[CathyCA]

Grant Hill.

[ArkieDukie]

I voted for Grant Hill. Not only is he a Blue Devil, but he's won the NBA sportsmanship award a lot of times.

[Miles]

I'm not being a douche but seriously, pay attention to the NFL this coming season especially during the playoffs. The NFL gets the teams it wants almost every year and they almost always end up having the team win which has had the player with the greatest 'story' in the Super Bowl build up. Look at the official's calls - bullshit calls that don't even adhere to the rules of football (I can't remember the game last year in which this happened but my roommate's, who have played and coached for years, were freaking the fuck out because a particular call was basically made up) or calls that seriously affect the outcome of a game. The NFL's little darlings (like the Mannings) always seem to have calls go their way. The Patriots started winning right after 9/11 which seems like quite the coincidence (don't jump on me for this one, it is all over the internet). The Seahawks were blatantly screwed in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago (to the point where they weren't even trying to hide it, it was pretty pathetic how bad they got fucked). Plus, there is so much money involved that it makes sense for things to be fixed (more money spent if you think your time still has a shot as opposed to being out of it early in the year). I won't even get into how gambling plays a role in it being fixed.

And I'm not the only one who thinks this - the petition linked below has 45,000 signatures:

http://www.petitiononline.com/nfl12006/petition.html


Here is a column that discusses the issue:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1185 ... ames-fixed


Here is another column (take a look at the poll in which 70% of respondents voted that it is fixed):

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3158 ... 009-season

And here is another article that claims that Super Bowl III was the first big game that was fixed (makes sense since they needed the merger to work and because it brought them a ton of TV money):

http://old.disinfo.com/archive/pages/ar ... d1634/pg1/


Here is a video that touches on the topic as well:

http://ballhype.com/video/fixed_nfl_gam ... _11_16_08/


I'm not saying that any of these articles are authoritative, they simply prove that it isn't just me. I'm not some freak sitting in his basement dreaming up conspiracy theories - this is something that a lot of people are talking about. I'm betting that something will come out within the next decade. It might shock some of you but there will be plenty of us who will be saying "I told you so."

I don't like the NFL but I don't care about it either. It simply isn't an issue for me so I don't have a horse in this race nor an ax to grind. I think that makes me a bit more objective than might be possible for people who follow the league and think it is above reproach.

First, I don't think you're a douche or some basement-dwelling conspiracy theorist. However, a lot of people talking about one topic doesn't lend it any credibility, it only means that a lot of people are talking about it.

We are in complete agreement that none of the links you've provided are authoritative. Most, if not all, of the sites you reference run for profit. The authors and contributors don't do a very good job of revealing any credentials or biases, this leaves it open to question their motive. How are we supposed to know if contributors aren't disgruntled fans, ashamed of their teams' performances?

They city very limited examples, which illustrates that their points are exceptions, not the rules. There are 32 teams in the NFL playing 16 games each during the regular season. Most teams play every week. For some of the proposed conspiracies to be true would require collusion among multiple officials, every week of the season. The points made in some articles would require scheming to begin preseason and then to set forth a plan that would account for all of the variables in a season; that's a very tall order to ask.

The points also fail to take into consideration human error. It's classic Occam's Razor: Do coaches make bad decisions at the end of the game that cost their team a win because there is a massive conspiracy and they were ordered to make this one bad call to lose one game out of sixteen, while getting help from a group of officials distributed throughout the country to ensure other games go according to the master plan, or did he just screw up? I tend to lean towards the simpler answer.

Of the cited examples, there's really no smoking gun, there isn't even smoke. Compare this paltry evidence to other conspiracies like 9/11, JFK Assassination, Bilderburg, The World Bank, etc. and it doesn't even belong in the same universe with other conspiracy theories. These NFL conspiracies are amateurish at best.

I don't think the NFL is above reproach, and I'll happily look at any evidence you can provide because I love conspiracies. For now, I think the evidence is fairly weak, if not nonexistent at all.

[devildeac]

Grant Hill.

Beat me to it. Dang.