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The NFL's lawyers stated the NFL competes in the "entertainment marketplace" (http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?renderforprint=1&id=e655f9e2809

The NFL's lawyers stated the NFL competes in the "entertainment marketplace" (http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?renderforprint=1&id=e655f9e2809e5476862f735da11d017d&wit_id=e655f9e2809e5476862f735da11d017d-1-2 http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?renderfor...) and operates as a single entity, not as 32 teams. The NFL makes a large portion of its revenue from television, and ratings are higher on close, competitive games. What prevents owners from keeping the games close or trading wins/losses now to help a storyline in exchange for markers for future wins when they're on a championship track? While it is illegal to fix sporting events for gambling purposes, evidently you can fix sports for entertainment purposes. The All 22 footage would make this more difficult because this type of stuff would be easier for fans to detect.

neilk 15y ago
Any evidence to back this up from previous games? Surely they can't hide what's going on from fans in the stadium, who have cameras.
swang 15y ago
Are you seriously implying that the NFL is "fixed?" You have actual proof of this besides, "I know it is?"
- peterb 15y ago
  It is professional entertainment. It is "fixed" in the sense everyone profits from an entertaining "sports" narrative.
philwelch 15y ago
Problem is, a lot of memorable and important moments probably couldn't be faked if they tried, like the catch against the helmet when the Patriots lost to the Giants. It would most certainly be a scandal, likely illegal or jeopardizing the NFL's Congressionally granted monopoly if it were fixed. One precedent is the quiz show scandals of the 50's.
- KC8ZKF 15y ago
  I don't think the NFL has a Congressionally granted monopoly.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    They passed a law exempting the NFL from certain antitrust laws during the AFL-NFL merger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL-NFL_merger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL-NFL_merger
matwood 15y ago
The only way the NFL could hope to come anywhere near fixing a game is the either a) change the rules to benefit certain team makesup (as they have done to make passing/scoring easier) or b) get the refs to call fouls more against a certain team. b) is watched frequently and doesn't seem to be happening statistically a) has occurred but it's not secret and all teams know the rules. It's not really 'fixing' as much as it was the NFL wanting more scoring overall. There is no way for the NFL to do mass game fixing because that's just too many people that have to agree to doing it. Keep in mind this means they would need current players, ex-players and the ex disgruntled players too all agree to not talk. I've talked to players from all 3 groups at the gym and fixing a game is simply something that doesn't happen. Some of these guys are very negative on the NFL and would have loved to say it's fake if it was true.
- curiouskat 15y ago
  All you need is the coach calling the plays and one high-paid player to have a bad day, like the quarterback. "Any given Sunday," right?

neilk 15y ago

Any evidence to back this up from previous games? Surely they can't hide what's going on from fans in the stadium, who have cameras.

swang 15y ago

Are you seriously implying that the NFL is "fixed?" You have actual proof of this besides, "I know it is?"

peterb 15y ago
It is professional entertainment. It is "fixed" in the sense everyone profits from an entertaining "sports" narrative.

philwelch 15y ago

Problem is, a lot of memorable and important moments probably couldn't be faked if they tried, like the catch against the helmet when the Patriots lost to the Giants. It would most certainly be a scandal, likely illegal or jeopardizing the NFL's Congressionally granted monopoly if it were fixed. One precedent is the quiz show scandals of the 50's.

KC8ZKF 15y ago
I don't think the NFL has a Congressionally granted monopoly.
- philwelch 15y ago
  They passed a law exempting the NFL from certain antitrust laws during the AFL-NFL merger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL-NFL_merger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL-NFL_merger

matwood 15y ago

The only way the NFL could hope to come anywhere near fixing a game is the either a) change the rules to benefit certain team makesup (as they have done to make passing/scoring easier) or b) get the refs to call fouls more against a certain team. b) is watched frequently and doesn't seem to be happening statistically a) has occurred but it's not secret and all teams know the rules. It's not really 'fixing' as much as it was the NFL wanting more scoring overall. There is no way for the NFL to do mass game fixing because that's just too many people that have to agree to doing it. Keep in mind this means they would need current players, ex-players and the ex disgruntled players too all agree to not talk. I've talked to players from all 3 groups at the gym and fixing a game is simply something that doesn't happen. Some of these guys are very negative on the NFL and would have loved to say it's fake if it was true.

curiouskat 15y ago
All you need is the coach calling the plays and one high-paid player to have a bad day, like the quarterback. "Any given Sunday," right?