[OT] NFL Playoffs - predetermined?

[reapersaurus]

I know what I saw - I guess I HAVE to post this to see what other people saw.

I'm wondering how obvious a fix has to be in the NFL before someone comes to the conspiracy theory that I firmly believe in.

Evidence:
Steelers vs Titans.
One play left in regulation - everyone knows there's a sideline throw to come with only 8 seconds left, no timeouts.
Hell, the commentators even mentioned it was coming.
Titans RB is NOT COVERED by Steelers linebacker #51 - his only assignment.
Even though, Titans miss field goal.

Overtime.
Titans win flip.
Dwayne Washington (Steelers #20 - an experienced, talented player) inexplicably gives Titans #86 Justin McCareins (a nobody) about a 15 yard cushion (he'd been doing that most of the last half of the 4th quarter), then flubs the attempted "tackle".
Next play, Washington loses McCareins AGAIN, setting up a chip-shot field goal.

Titans MISS the field goal, but Washington needed to bail them out again, so he interferes with the kicker who had already kicked the ball a full second before.
There wasn't ANYTHING that Washington could have done on that play OTHER than interfere with the kicker.
He lined up uncovered by the Titans and barreled right into him.

While I know I will get flak for this, I am just wondering if anyone else doesn't have blinders on, and doesn't swallow the Faith that with millions of dollars on the line, you couldn't have a handful of people in an entertainment industry in on a fix.

edit: I guess you're welcome to comment on the stupidity of believing that people would throw games (a proven practice going back to the early 1900's) for money, but I'd prefer your objective observations of the plays I described.

 

[Crothian]

Steelers were protecting a lead, DB's usually play off when that happens. The running into a kick could have been a no call, I've seen worse run ins not called.

Persoannly, the NFL is too big, too much press coverage, etc for sometrhing like a fix to happen and not be reported. However, there was (or is, I don't know if he's still around) a radio sports reporter who beleived the NFL was completely fixed and reported it that way every week.

 

[Krug]

Nah I don't think so... I'm sure lotsa people wanna kill Washington though. He might have been overeager to compensate for his mistakes earlier.

Both teams had exactly the SAME yardage at the 2 minute warning. So this is parity...

 

[Storminator]

I know what I saw - I guess I HAVE to post this to see what other people saw.

I'm wondering how obvious a fix has to be in the NFL before someone comes to the conspiracy theory that I firmly believe in.

Evidence:
Steelers vs Titans.
One play left in regulation - everyone knows there's a sideline throw to come with only 8 seconds left, no timeouts.
Hell, the commentators even mentioned it was coming.
Titans RB is NOT COVERED by Steelers linebacker #51 - his only assignment.
Even though, Titans miss field goal.

The Steelers have 6 dbs in, double covering all wide outs. The linebacker lines up directly across from the guy, and is just too slow to catch him to the sideline. If the linebacker lines up to the side, the back runs to the opposite sideline. Tough play to cover. Needed a faster backer.

Overtime.
Titans win flip.
Dwayne Washington (Steelers #20 - an experienced, talented player) inexplicably gives Titans #86 Justin McCareins (a nobody) about a 15 yard cushion (he'd been doing that most of the last half of the 4th quarter), then flubs the attempted "tackle".
Next play, Washington loses McCareins AGAIN, setting up a chip-shot field goal.

Dwayne Washington is a mediocre db. He NEEDS to give guys a cushion, or he's dead. If tackling were exemplary everywhere and only Washington flubbed it, you might have a point. But that tackle is missed every week in the NFL.

Titans MISS the field goal, but Washington needed to bail them out again, so he interferes with the kicker who had already kicked the ball a full second before.
There wasn't ANYTHING that Washington could have done on that play OTHER than interfere with the kicker.
He lined up uncovered by the Titans and barreled right into him.

While I know I will get flak for this, I am just wondering if anyone else doesn't have blinders on, and doesn't swallow the Faith that with millions of dollars on the line, you couldn't have a handful of people in an entertainment industry in on a fix.

edit: I guess you're welcome to comment on the stupidity of believing that people would throw games (a proven practice going back to the early 1900's) for money, but I'd prefer your objective observations of the plays I described.

A few bad plays is not exactly iron clad proof. Is it possible? Sure. Likely? No.

PS

 

[reapersaurus]

Steelers were protecting a lead, DB's usually play off when that happens. The running into a kick could have been a no call, I've seen worse run ins not called.

Just so that noone else fixates on this claim, if you watch the plays, there is no possible way that leaving that much of a cushion on a back-up receiver would help the DB.
As was seen, it gives him the reception, then makes it easy to miss the tackle.
To suggest he was smartly (or in any way) _protecting_ against a score is being ... shall we say... disingenuous?

P.S. Protecting a lead in sudden death overtime, where a field goal wins it?

 

[reapersaurus]

Re: Re: [OT] NFL Playoffs - predetermined?

The Steelers have 6 dbs in, double covering all wide outs. The linebacker lines up directly across from the guy, and is just too slow to catch him to the sideline. If the linebacker lines up to the side, the back runs to the opposite sideline. Tough play to cover. Needed a faster backer.

On that play, the linebacker didn't cover the running back.

I watched him not cover the man.
He was not beat by speed, or position, he didn't cover him - didn't even make a move his direction until the ball was almost thrown.

Thanks for your observations everyone, BTW.
They're interesting so far.

 

[Crothian]

Just so that noone else fixates on this claim, if you watch the plays, there is no possible way that leaving that much of a cushion on a back-up receiver would help the DB.
As was seen, it gives him the reception, then makes it easy to miss the tackle.
To suggest he was smartly (or in any way) _protecting_ against a score is being ... shall we say... disingenuous?

P.S. Protecting a lead in sudden death overtime, where a field goal wins it?

I wastalking about the 4th quarter when the cusion started. And they do play off in the OT period to protect from a large pass play. But it doesn't really matter as the game isn't fixed.

 

[reapersaurus]

Nah I don't think so... I'm sure lotsa people wanna kill Washington though. He might have been overeager to compensate for his mistakes earlier.

Both teams had exactly the SAME yardage at the 2 minute warning. So this is parity...

I'm curious - which earlier mistakes are you referring to?

And yeah - it WAS a wonderful "game".
Great entertainment.
This parity is just what the NFL was looking for - teams close enough that any play or call can tip the scales and determine a winner.

It's really a ratings coup - AFAIK, they've never been higher.
*light bulb*

 

[Storminator]

Re: Re: Re: [OT] NFL Playoffs - predetermined?

On that play, the linebacker didn't cover the running back.

I watched him not cover the man.
He was not beat by speed, or position, he didn't cover him - didn't even make a move his direction until the ball was almost thrown.

Thanks for your observations everyone, BTW.
They're interesting so far.

Not what I saw. If he starts in the middle of the field, and doesn't move until the throw starts, how did he make the tackle?

The linebacker immediately starts moving for the spot the catch was made. He just doesn't get there.

 

[RyanL]

I'd like to know who paid Aaron Brooks to throw the Saints last three games.

(kidding...apparently his shoulder injury is worse than they had thought)

-Ryan