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Location: Moose Jaw, in between the Moose's butt and nose.
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Bluntly, I'd say yes. Maybe not every game, but when the games matter the most to money and corporate advertising. After the Panthers/Islanders series, last night, it just shows again, that while the league's Commissioners and CFO's may not tell the Zebras, "we want the (in this case) NY market in there, for more TV revenue and numbers, I'm sure behind the scenes, they drop hints and stop short of saying we want this market or we don't want this market to advance and tell the refs to pull crap as long as it can look like it was bad officiating instead of a deliberate fix like Tim Donaghy back in 2002 in the NBA. That still goes on today. Examples in each of the big four.
Toronto last year in MLB. You think the American advertising executives really wanted a Canadian team in the World Series? The Blue Jays had a lot better home record when the Rogers Centre's roof was open, so, MLB, forced them to close their roof, even on days when the weather was basically fine, a little chilly but no worse than say Detroit or Chicago in October. They didn't force Houston to do the same. Why is that? Plus the strike zone against the Jays was really whacked, especially in the deciding game against the Royals.
The NFL, while the officiating was ok in the Seahawks/Patriots Super Bowl, you can't tell me that Disney didn't threaten to pull sponsorship if Lynch was named the MVP and then he would have declined to utter the worn out "I'm going to Disney World" crap. The Seahawks had him on the 1 yard line and didn't even use him to win the Super Bowl! Bill B never used his time out, maybe he knew something was up? As far as Super Bowls where the Zebras and the league really looked bad? Seattle and Arizona, at the time, two regional teams, really had some horrible calls against them, in those Super Bowls against most likely the league's most popular team that sells the most merchandise. When they played a team that was almost as popular on a national scale in 2011, Green Bay, they lost. Did you hear any talk about bad officials? No, since the difference in $ from a Pittsburgh win or. Green Bay win, was basically none, since Green Bay is a "glory team" with a national following too.
The NBA, while they have got their act together about this better since they were actually indirectly caught fixing games (Donaghy again), well, Kobe's last game last week. Come on. Utah's defense against Bryant was laughable in the 4th quarter. Who knows if there were hints dropped by someone to "let Kobe have his day" once the game turned out to be totally meanlingness for Utah. 60 points? Does the NBA think the public is that stupid? I think Kobe had only 1 or 2 20 point games the whole season before that. I could see 30. 60 seemed like something out of the WWE.
And again the NHL, the last 2 minutes of the Islanders/Panthers game was a disgrace ( two Islander trips that were not called that prevented Panther goals into an empty net that would have made it go to a game 7). Better TV ratings by having a NY area team in the next round. The two missed trips, again one of those that could be looked at as just bad officiating, but do the refs get punished? No, since it really seems they were just doing the wink wink thing from Bettman and the CFO. But an even more glaring example of a fix? 2011. Game 7, Eastern Conference Finals, Tampa Bay (fringe hockey market) vs Boston ( original 6 team and one of America's top 5 hockey markets). Tampa Bay had the leaguers most deadly power play. VP of hockey operations? Colin Campbell. Colin has a son who at the time played for, drumroll, the Bruins. Keep in mind Tampa's power play. How many penalties were called that game? Zero. Boston won 1 to 0. NBC had huge ratings in New England that year of the SCF.
Again, these leagues won't do anything shady if they really have to go out of their way too. But of it is close enough where they can pull crap without looking too obvious? You bet they will, just to make their networks and advertisers that pay outrageous $ to their leagues and networks happy and not lose those
dollars
The Federal Government and Congress won't do anything about it, thanks to, lobbyists and legal bribery
Last edited by beenhereandthere; 04-25-2016 at 09:46 AM..
People have accused Bettman of allowing his "southern" market teams to be gifted wins so "his" expansion plans didn't fail. People think the original 6 teams are granted free wins because of their status. Original 6 fans think they are given losses to help grow other markets. Teams with stars, like the Penguins are accused of preferable treatment. The Penguins were accused of being gifted Crosby by the league in the draft to dig the team out of bankruptcy/relocation. Canadian teams think they get screwed because hockey is already popular there and the game needs to be grown in U.s markets. Canadian teams must be kept out because it cuts into U.s tv ratings...Big market teams are given stars for money...but those same drafts are rigged for small markets to give them stars to keep them afloat.
The Islanders may be in New York, but they are no where near being a top market for TV in the NHL. All 6 original 6 teams, Pittsburgh, Philly, Washington, ect all would generate better ratings.
It never ends...
Last edited by Thatsright19; 04-29-2016 at 05:37 AM..
This is one of my pet peeves. NO, the big 4 pro sports are not fixed.
The OP mentioned Kobe... He took 50 shots and 12 free throws to hit 60 points. That's a LOT of shots. 6 for 21 at the three point line does not sound like this game was part of a fixed scenario to me.
I'm sure there was some "let Kobe have his day" sentiment. The Jazz were out of the playoff picture - so the game didn't matter. He still has to make shots.
All aspects of professional sports are fixed. If they weren't then the Oilers would have gotten the #1 pick this year.
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