'Reasons Why The NFL Is Fixed For Profit'

[BillsImpossible]

This is a long, very interesting article that explains why referees say things like, "Just give it to him."

To make a long story short, the NFL is all about gambling and was literally built on that foundation.

Is the NFL scripted? Does a casino favor the House?

Are players and coaches paid enormous amounts of money to choreograph plays?

Is the NFL really one big production of a Broadway play every Sunday full of players and coaches making more money in a single game check than most people earn in a year or two, or three, or four, or five, or 30?

Whoever wrote this article is right about the fact that very few people this day and age would ever be willing to speak out against how the NFL really works.

If they did, they'd lose their jobs in a heartbeat and be sent off to Siberia with Ed Snowden.

http://spaces.covers.com/blog/MaximumWins/NFL/03042012-Reasons-Why-The-NFL-Is-Fixed-For-Profit.html

1. Contrary to popular belief and to what he NFL wants you to think, there have been fixed games in league history. On page 308 of Dan Moldea's book "Interference" he lists over 70 NFL games that have been fixed and includes the names of the 2 referees involved in fixing those games. He also lists interviews with NFL HOF players most notably KC Chiefs QB Len Dawson. He, in detail with documented facts supported by FBI documents, has interviews with NFL players and known gambling associates to uncover massive game fixing in the league. He also notes, with evidence, throughout the book that no fewer than 26 NFL team owners have or have had continuous and developing relationships with the gambling world, most notably the Rooney, Bidwill, and Mara families all getting their starts as Bookmakers for established mid-west crime families and buying their NFL franchises with moneys earned from gambling.

2. The NFL possesses an Anti-Trust Exemption to the law granted to it by President John F. Kennedy, which ultimately allows the NFL to classify itself as "entertainment" rather than sport, as well as incorporate itself as a single entity instead of the 32 separate "franchises" they would want you to believe.

3. Players are paid to play, not win.

4. NFL Security is a reactionary force designed to cover up the NFL's problems.

5. Video taping other teams' plays is common practice in the NFL.

6. TV Ratings are more important than fans in the stadium.

7. Owners business dealings result in wins and losses, Super Bowls are rewarded not earned through play.

Robert Kraft gets his billion $ TV deal and his casino, the Mara's get their SB and the league splits 80% of the record profits and Roger Goodel gets $20 million a year in salary!

They hoped you enjoyed their "presentation of the National Football League".

[Albany,n.y.]

This is tinfoil hat stuff, plus the guy sounds like a racist to me: "Just ask yourself...what billion dollar business would allow their profits to be at the hands of uneducated, black, youth? Not one single American business. Businesses ensure that a dollar is made and they don't entrust their livelihood in them. It's just not rational nor good business and no business in the history of business does this. "
The reason the Patriots won in 2001 (and beyond, besides the cheating which wasn't league sanctioned) and the Saints won after Katrina was because each team got a franchise QB. If the NFL was fixing the Super Bowl after 9/11 a NYC team or the Redskins would have won the Super Bowl because their cities were affected, not because of a team nickname. The guy's an idiot. I'm guessing his next article will be that MLB fixed the World Series to "reward" Boston after the marathon bombing.

[EricStratton]

Why link to a 2 year old story?

[Skooby]

Entertainment is a broad term, casinos are considered entertainment as well.

[OpIv37]

I don't believe that the NFL is fixed. It's too difficult, too many people would have to stay silent, and the league would lose their credibility- and hence billions of dollars- if they ever got caught fixing games.

I do believe that the supposed aversion to gambling is BS, because the league knows they make a fortune off of it.

And while I don't believe the league fixes games, I do suspect this: the league has preferred outcomes and the refs know it. If they get a judgment call or throw a flag that can be called "questionable" without being considered outright favoritism, they do it. Obviously I have no proof of this, but when the league has a fickle fan base in a big market like New England and a consistent fan base in a small market like Buffalo, there is too much at stake to leave that to chance.

[GingerP]

2. The NFL possesses an Anti-Trust Exemption to the law granted to it by President John F. Kennedy, which ultimately allows the NFL to classify itself as "entertainment" rather than sport, as well as incorporate itself as a single entity instead of the 32 separate "franchises" they would want you to believe.

Though that entire "article" was laughable, this note in particular is not well informed. First of all, aren't all sports leagues "entertainment"? I'm not sure what the hell else you would call them.

Secondly, the the NFL hasn't "incorporated itself as a single entity", and they aren't exempt from anti-trust law for most instances. As recently as 2010 the courts have ruled that the NFL is considered 32 separate businesses under the law, in the American Needle case.

What the author is referring to is the Sherman Anti-Trust act, signed into law by Kennedy. That granted sports leagues the right to collectively bargain for media contracts, and the NFL has benefitted. Of course that same exemption is available to all sports leagues, and is taken advantage of by the PGA, NHL, etc. Are they all fixed, too? Of course, that doesn't grant them any exemption from anti-trust law (as established again recently by the American Needle case). They can't stop competition, which is why the USFL & XFL were able to start up.

The NFL also is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization (the individual teams are not). That, to me, is the biggest travesty. Basically, they are treated like a charity. Of course, again, all sports teams have this same ability. MLB actually gave up their tax-exempt protection in 2007 because they didn't want to report the salaries of their executives (which they would have to as a non-profit).

But, again, the NFL isn't any different from any other sports league.

[DraftBoy]

Though that entire "article" was laughable, this note in particular is not well informed. First of all, aren't all sports leagues "entertainment"? I'm not sure what the hell else you would call them.

Secondly, the the NFL hasn't "incorporated itself as a single entity", and they aren't exempt from anti-trust law for most instances. As recently as 2010 the courts have ruled that the NFL is considered 32 separate businesses under the law, in the American Needle case.

What the author is referring to is the Sherman Anti-Trust act, signed into law by Kennedy. That granted sports leagues the right to collectively bargain for media contracts, and the NFL has benefitted. Of course that same exemption is available to all sports leagues, and is taken advantage of by the PGA, NHL, etc. Are they all fixed, too? Of course, that doesn't grant them any exemption from anti-trust law (as established again recently by the American Needle case). They can't stop competition, which is why the USFL & XFL were able to start up.

The NFL also is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization (the individual teams are not). That, to me, is the biggest travesty. Basically, they are treated like a charity. Of course, again, all sports teams have this same ability. MLB actually gave up their tax-exempt protection in 2007 because they didn't want to report the salaries of their executives (which they would have to as a non-profit).

But, again, the NFL isn't any different from any other sports league.

Boom.

[trapezeus]

i agree with OP, there are outcomes that they know are ideal and would like to see. i think boston is a bigger market with a lot of college kids who move into the area and look to assimilate quickly. those kids also end up making boston their home. the NFL profits have grown quite substantially the last 10 years and i think they know a lot of it has to do with getting a boston fan base that otherwise didn't care about the patriots.

So you see things like the tuck rule and over protection of brady and throwing out the film and slapping belichick on his hand for breaking rules no one else does but suspending sean payton for a yearfor doing something everyone does. Big markets get bigger breaks.

I think NY/NJ is the exception. it is a huge market, but it has a strong football culture. the jets have sucked since 63, but their fan base is rabid. they are like bills fans. giants fans are strong supporters and the corporate support is significant. So they don't really have to pander to them. the stadiums are sold out and people love it.

i think seattle gets a lot of the breaks these days that the early pats got. and they are an area just recently getting into football in the last 10 years. and they have some of the largest corporations and an identity as a city of slackers transitioning to a city of up and comers. it is worth it to the NFL to see them do quite well. However, i think they kind of fell back ass into being good. carroll was on the verge of destroying that team by trading so many of its picks and then russell wilson bailed him out.

[GingerP]

Right... like they have been after the Pittsburgh market, or the Baltimore market, or the New Orleans market, or the Indianapolis market, or the vaunted Green Bay market. All recent Super Bowl winners.

Or... it could be that those teams are run by people who know what the F**k they are doing.

[Night Train]

The only loose end that could be questioned are the crews with the black stripes and flags in their pockets.

Until some ref on his death bed confesses " yeah, I pocketed quite a sum throwing games.." it's all just bad calls over actual fixing.

[Historian]

I think the advertisers that pay these huge sums to hawk their products have a little say in who's on national games, MNF, playoffs, etc.

Think of the pizzas that old Papa John is going to sell next weekend..

[Albany,n.y.]

Anyone who thinks the league wanted a Denver/Seattle Super Bowl in NY is bat**** crazy. Most of the fans in those cities aren't traveling across the country to see the Super Bowl or hang out in the city. While Denver can be marketed because of Manning, not too many people outside of Seattle care about the Seahawks. The demand to go to NY plummeted when 2 far west teams got in. The ideal scenario would have been for NE to win the AFC because tons of fans would have come down for the festivities due to the proximity of Boston to metro NYC. As far as the NFC, if the league had their way, it would have been the Eagles where, once again, the proximity to NYC/NJ would have added thousands of people to the pre-Super Bowl events & ticket demand for a Philly/NE Super Bowl would have been sky high. Note: I'm only using 2013-14 playoff teams. If the NFL wanted to fix the whole season either the Giants, Jets or both would have made the game. Imagine a Giants/Jets Super Bowl in NY-the conspiracy nuts would have had a field day. They probably think the NFL knew better & didn't want to be so obvious, so they "chose" a team nobody on the east coast gives a rat's behind about to stay under the radar.

[DraftBoy]

I think the advertisers that pay these huge sums to hawk their products have a little say in who's on national games, MNF, playoffs, etc.

Think of the pizzas that old Papa John is going to sell next weekend..

Do you really think Denver being in the SB is going to make that much difference? Papa Johns was going to have a huge weekend no matter who played in the game.

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Anyone who thinks the league wanted a Denver/Seattle Super Bowl in NY is bat**** crazy. Most of the fans in those cities aren't traveling across the country to see the Super Bowl or hang out in the city. While Denver can be marketed because of Manning, not too many people outside of Seattle care about the Seahawks. The demand to go to NY plummeted when 2 far west teams got in. The ideal scenario would have been for NE to win the AFC because tons of fans would have come down for the festivities due to the proximity of Boston to metro NYC. As far as the NFC, if the league had their way, it would have been the Eagles where, once again, the proximity to NYC/NJ would have added thousands of people to the pre-Super Bowl events & ticket demand for a Philly/NE Super Bowl would have been sky high. Note: I'm only using 2013-14 playoff teams. If the NFL wanted to fix the whole season either the Giants, Jets or both would have made the game. Imagine a Giants/Jets Super Bowl in NY-the conspiracy nuts would have had a field day. They probably think the NFL knew better & didn't want to be so obvious, so they "chose" a team nobody on the east coast gives a rat's behind about to stay under the radar.

The Super Bowl has never and will never be about the fans of the actual teams in the game. Nobody cares if they show up or not.

[pmoon6]

The Super Bowl game itself is for the rich folks. Personally, I never saw the attraction of going to one even when my team was in it.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Though that entire "article" was laughable, this note in particular is not well informed. First of all, aren't all sports leagues "entertainment"? I'm not sure what the hell else you would call them.

Secondly, the the NFL hasn't "incorporated itself as a single entity", and they aren't exempt from anti-trust law for most instances. As recently as 2010 the courts have ruled that the NFL is considered 32 separate businesses under the law, in the American Needle case.

What the author is referring to is the Sherman Anti-Trust act, signed into law by Kennedy. That granted sports leagues the right to collectively bargain for media contracts, and the NFL has benefitted. Of course that same exemption is available to all sports leagues, and is taken advantage of by the PGA, NHL, etc. Are they all fixed, too? Of course, that doesn't grant them any exemption from anti-trust law (as established again recently by the American Needle case). They can't stop competition, which is why the USFL & XFL were able to start up.

The Sherman Antitrust Act was signed into law by President Harrison, nearly 30 years before JFK was born. What JFK signed was the sports broadcasting act of 1961, and it's relevant because the law refers to "contests." If the league is in fact fixed (I do not believe it is), then they aren't staging "contests" and they lose the protection of the law.

As for the PGA, they aren't mentioned under the SBA and they aren't relevant as I'm aware. They are one league which allows golfers to join it, but they are legitimately only one legal entity and thus cannot restrain trade like the NFL can.


The NFL also is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization (the individual teams are not). That, to me, is the biggest travesty. Basically, they are treated like a charity. Of course, again, all sports teams have this same ability. MLB actually gave up their tax-exempt protection in 2007 because they didn't want to report the salaries of their executives (which they would have to as a non-profit).

But, again, the NFL isn't any different from any other sports league.

They are treated like a charity only insofar as they fall under another 501(c) exception. No one is pretending that they are doing this for social welfare. The issue is that if you treat the NFL as a separate taxable entity from the 32 teams that comprise it, then you are double-taxing the income. Once when it is paid to the NFL and again when it is disbursed to all its members.

[DynaPaul]

On another note, why is the NFL a nonprofit organization?

[better days]

Do you really think Denver being in the SB is going to make that much difference? Papa Johns was going to have a huge weekend no matter who played in the game.

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The Super Bowl has never and will never be about the fans of the actual teams in the game. Nobody cares if they show up or not.

Long term marketing in regards to Manning if he wins the Super Bowl. PaPa Johns is my pizza of choice here in Fla.

God, I miss Bocce Pizza & John & Mary subs.

This could be the first Super Bowl with noticeably empty seats.

[better days]

On another note, why is the NFL a nonprofit organization?

While Hospitals are for profit.

[feldspar]

The NFL is entertainment to fans with some kind of perspective...some take it way too seriously, but it's still just a game to most. But the NFL is big business. It exists to make money. If anybody thinks that everything they do is on the level, then I don't know what to tell you. Gambling is a big part of the draw with huge money at stake, and there are powerful people behind the scenes you don't know about. The whole thing isn't rigged, but I'd be more surprised if there wasn't fixes on some games than if there was...not every game, but I think that it does happen. Not like it isn't proven to have happened before in sports. Just gotta get to the right person or people. Football is more than just entertainment to the people that run the gambling operations.

[wozrob11]

This is tinfoil hat stuff, plus the guy sounds like a racist to me: "Just ask yourself...what billion dollar business would allow their profits to be at the hands of uneducated, black, youth? Not one single American business. Businesses ensure that a dollar is made and they don't entrust their livelihood in them. It's just not rational nor good business and no business in the history of business does this. "
The reason the Patriots won in 2001 (and beyond, besides the cheating which wasn't league sanctioned) and the Saints won after Katrina was because each team got a franchise QB. If the NFL was fixing the Super Bowl after 9/11 a NYC team or the Redskins would have won the Super Bowl because their cities were affected, not because of a team nickname. The guy's an idiot. I'm guessing his next article will be that MLB fixed the World Series to "reward" Boston after the marathon bombing.

16760

[Albany,n.y.]

The Super Bowl game itself is for the rich folks. Personally, I never saw the attraction of going to one even when my team was in it.

I went to all 4 of the Bills Super Bowls and it's not just for rich folks. Each one was a mini vacation and I'll go to the next one the Bills are in to. In 1993 we brought the whole thing in for $750 a piece. My friend won the lottery, we got a super saver flight to LA, stayed in Anaheim where there are a ton of motel rooms due to Disneyland (It cost us a little over $40/night back then which we split in half), got a cheap rental car and parked at the Rose Bowl for $10 or $15. Even when I went through travel agents, the whole Super Bowl trip never cost more than $1,500. Now I suspect the price has more than doubled, but still, it's a great experience & if you win the ticket lottery you can bring it in at a reasonable price. If you really want to save money, the best way to do it is stay about 2 hours away & drive there.

The other year my friend won the lottery, (I never won one, he won 2 of the 4 and actually won a 3rd in a year the Bills didn't make it-I had 1st dibs on the other seat because I'd lend him the Super Bowl lottery $ which back then we had to pay up front to enter), he couldn't go. I got a flight/motel package from a Buffalo travel agent, a friend who went with me took a cheaper route. He drove to Buffalo where there were cheap charter buses to Minneapolis got there Saturday afternoon, slept on the floor of my motel room & then the bus went back after the game.

[DynaPaul]

Just gotta get to the right person or people.

Yes, they're called referees. You can play your heart out all game as a player but the referees can call fouls on every play or dictate which ones they'll call according to a team's playing style.

[feldspar]

I went to all 4 of the Bills Super Bowls and it's not just for rich folks. Each one was a mini vacation and I'll go to the next one the Bills are in to. In 1993 we brought the whole thing in for $750 a piece. My friend won the lottery, we got a super saver flight to LA, stayed in Anaheim where there are a ton of motel rooms due to Disneyland (It cost us a little over $40/night back then which we split in half), got a cheap rental car and parked at the Rose Bowl for $10 or $15. Even when I went through travel agents, the whole Super Bowl trip never cost more than $1,500. Now I suspect the price has more than doubled, but still, it's a great experience & if you win the ticket lottery you can bring it in at a reasonable price. If you really want to save money, the best way to do it is stay about 2 hours away & drive there.

The other year my friend won the lottery, (I never won one, he won 2 of the 4 and actually won a 3rd in a year the Bills didn't make it-I had 1st dibs on the other seat because I'd lend him the Super Bowl lottery $ which back then we had to pay up front to enter), he couldn't go. I got a flight/motel package from a Buffalo travel agent, a friend who went with me took a cheaper route. He drove to Buffalo where there were cheap charter buses to Minneapolis got there Saturday afternoon, slept on the floor of my motel room & then the bus went back after the game.

What the **** are you talking about with your friends and the lottery?

Seriously, though.

[pmoon6]

I went to all 4 of the Bills Super Bowls and it's not just for rich folks. Each one was a mini vacation and I'll go to the next one the Bills are in to. In 1993 we brought the whole thing in for $750 a piece. My friend won the lottery, we got a super saver flight to LA, stayed in Anaheim where there are a ton of motel rooms due to Disneyland (It cost us a little over $40/night back then which we split in half), got a cheap rental car and parked at the Rose Bowl for $10 or $15. Even when I went through travel agents, the whole Super Bowl trip never cost more than $1,500. Now I suspect the price has more than doubled, but still, it's a great experience & if you win the ticket lottery you can bring it in at a reasonable price. If you really want to save money, the best way to do it is stay about 2 hours away & drive there.

The other year my friend won the lottery, (I never won one, he won 2 of the 4 and actually won a 3rd in a year the Bills didn't make it-I had 1st dibs on the other seat because I'd lend him the Super Bowl lottery $ which back then we had to pay up front to enter), he couldn't go. I got a flight/motel package from a Buffalo travel agent, a friend who went with me took a cheaper route. He drove to Buffalo where there were cheap charter buses to Minneapolis got there Saturday afternoon, slept on the floor of my motel room & then the bus went back after the game.Ahhhh. A man suffering for his art.

I just don't like big crowds and I don't like the circus. New Orleans is my favorite city, I have been there at least 50 times. But, I have never been to Mardi Gras, if that tells you anything.

[YardRat]

What the **** are you talking about with your friends and the lottery?

Seriously, though.

Seriously, though?

Back in the day, when Buffalo was going to Super Bowls, the team would 'sell' chances to the fans for an opportunity to get tix for the Super Bowl. You sent the money in up front, and if the team did get that far, the organization would draw names, lottery style, to determine which fans that sent in the down payment received tix for the game.

As far as fixing games, an NBA ref not too long was busted I believe, it's only a matter of time before an NFL ref gets caught also.

[pmoon6]

Seriously, though?

Back in the day, when Buffalo was going to Super Bowls, the team would 'sell' chances to the fans for an opportunity to get tix for the Super Bowl. You sent the money in up front, and if the team did get that far, the organization would draw names, lottery style, to determine which fans that sent in the down payment received tix for the game.

As far as fixing games, an NBA ref not too long was busted I believe, it's only a matter of time before an NFL ref gets caught also.Well, outright fixing will probably never be proven unless someone in the club decides to spill the beans. I'm sure the FBI will have to put him into protective custody. Also, you don't have people who really care. The sports media won't expose anything because they depend on the NFL for their jobs. It would be like killing the golden goose, gutting it and removing it's entrails. How many times do you see a blatant foul called or not called and very few commentators say "What BS". The Fans have been somewhat stifled for pointing out the officials transgressions because then you're labeled as a poor sport or a whiner. Both the Cincinatti loss and the Atlanta loss were direct results of total BS. A non call in overtime on the punt return when our gunner was tackled from behind in the first and the defensive PI call, when it was clearly offensive PI and allowed the Falcons to tie the score and force overtime.

While outright fixing is a murky proposition, one thing is clear. Games are engineered for maximum entertainment value. How many times do you see a team go up by 17 or 21 and then have the other team "miraculously" comes back to get close? The team that is down is usually aided by well placed calls or the ignoring of fouls that they committed themselves.

You may say, well you're a homer and your attitude is because the Buffalo Bills aren't the beneficiary of favoritism. That's not the case, I never thought Kuechly should have been called for PI against us. I don't want to win on a red carpet of favorable calls, I just want a fair game where the refs call games equally. You want to call it tight, fine, you want to let things go, fine too, but do it the same for both sides.

[Albany,n.y.]

Seriously, though?

Back in the day, when Buffalo was going to Super Bowls, the team would 'sell' chances to the fans for an opportunity to get tix for the Super Bowl. You sent the money in up front, and if the team did get that far, the organization would draw names, lottery style, to determine which fans that sent in the down payment received tix for the game.

As far as fixing games, an NBA ref not too long was busted I believe, it's only a matter of time before an NFL ref gets caught also.

You beat me to the answer, but I'll expand on it a bit. They drew the lottery early in the playoffs, well before the AFC Championship game. If you lost you'd get your money order back (they didn't take regular checks). If you won, you'd get a voucher to turn in when you picked up your Super Bowl tickets. If the Bills got eliminated you had the option of a refund or applying the money to the next season's season tickets-as soon as you were a lottery winner, they'd cash your money order. I never won. My friend who won 3 times (2 when the Bills played & 1 when they lost in the playoffs) would always take the option of getting the money back instead of applying it to the next season. The year they lost to Jacksonville in the playoffs, I, as a lottery loser got my money order back, my friend a lottery winner had to wait a few weeks to get his money back since they had to process the refunds and send him a check.
The main problem with their system for us out of towners was that the winner had to pick up the tickets in person & show ID. So one year we had to drive from Albany to Orchard Park on a Saturday, a week before the game, to get the tickets and there was snow that day-not a pleasant experience but worth it to get Super Bowl tickets at face value.

[feldspar]

Nice info about the lottery. If I ever knew it, I've since forgotten. Can't say.

Now-a-days, it would like hitting the lottery for the Bills to even make it to the postseason...

[JohnnyGold]

The Bills being bad for as long as they have been proves that the league isn't "fixed" on a large scale.

Think about it:

the Bills will be the next team up for sale--probably within a few years. There is no point, none whatsoever, (if you were "rigging" the league") to have the Bills be so bad... so devalued as a brand. If anything, the Bills should/would have been the Seattle Seahawks of the past 2 or 3 years--from terrible to unquestioned super bowl contender in a 2 year span. Have them and their loyal fanbase win a super bowl or 2, and suddenly that franchise is selling for another 2, 3, 4 hundred million dollars AND could probably secure a new stadium deal in the process, possibly from local tax payers.

And before you say something along the lines of: "the nfl is outsmarting you there--theyre keeping the bills so bad that the fan base loses hope and the team moves to LA"--i have news for you.

If you accept the theory that this billion dollar company is completely fixed, and there is no integrity to it whatsoever, they would have already put a freaking team in LA by now, and would illegally support it via undisclosed revenue streams to keep it afloatl

Now--if you want to tell me that players, coaches and refs are bought and sold by the mafia every week, and guys like stevie johnson drop balls like the one against pittsburgh because theyre getting a 50-100 thousand dollar cash payout? I've gambled on sports long enough to agree with you 100%!!!!!!!!!

[Oaf]

but when the league has a fickle fan base in a big market like New England and a consistent fan base in a small market like Buffalo, there is too much at stake to leave that to chance.

:ill:

[Albany,n.y.]

I gave up waiting for the Bills to get back. The weather is going to be OK, so I'm driving down there Sunday & going to my 1st Super Bowl since 1994. This is my 1st non-Bills Super Bowl. It's the only Super Bowl I'll be able to wake up at home the morning of the game & go to.