OT: Anybody done with college basketball now?

[bst3975]

Honestly, if you haven't stopped watching major college sports by now with all of the clear corruption taking place by the NCAA itself, let alone the coaching staffs and athletic departments within it, I don't see why you would suddenly stop now.

Yep. And nothing can top the tribalism of college sports.

[bravens23]

I respect your opinions. I disagree with them, but I totally respect them.

1. I don't think it is the players for the most part. It is the refs. And totally legal. Also if the phantom calls kill drives or extend them at just the right points, that will absolutely do it. Everyone in the NFL is good enough to make plays of given second and third chances constantly. Or screw them up if constantly have plays taken away.

2. It can be money, secrets, debts, anything used to exert pressure. Or just this is what you are told to do as an employee (refs). Also use of TV timeouts or lack of their use. Check how many games over the past 4 seasons have been decided by 3 points or less, must keep it interesting until the end to keep eyeballs to keep the ad dollars flowing.

3. Yes absolutely, the NFL is a billion dollar business, they don't leave profits to chance alone. Patriots win after 911 when the Raiders were the near lock. Saints after Katrina. Sox after Boston (sorry mixing sports), Manning going out a winner, Ray Lewis going out a winner. It's about the storyline. Just like WWE.

3. There is no, zero risk! None. It is perfectly legal. Decided in a court of law. You are not watching an athletic contest, you are watching a piece of entertainment. They are not the same thing.

How do you think the Patriots beat us in 2014, twice up by 14 points? TV timeout manipulation. Patriots comebacks are both not followed by a TV timeout, when all others were. No time to regroup for Ravens either time. Also it is only in your memory if you tivo or video tape the game, it is absent from game pass and covered up instantly and perfectly. Even my buddy who is a patriots fan had to admit that it was the weirdest game he ever attended and that he thought it was more than just unusual. Just saying that was hard for him and we don't talk about it.

It pulls the scales from your eyes.

1. Yes but refs don't have the power to control the outcome, because they can't control the players. If everyone in the NFL is good enough to make plays given second and third opportunities, that applies to every player at every position. Doesn't just apply to the offense, or whoever the "call" was supposed to benefit.

2. TV timeouts are set before the game even starts. The networks know when they will be. They're not being manipulated. In fact, you can find out when they will be prior to the game. Its public information. And obviously the number of close games is a reflection of the lack of dominant teams in the league. I bet if I went back and looked over time, you'd see no significant difference between the last few years and 10-20 years ago.

3. Actually, there's a gigantic risk. Its called loss of interest. I don't know about you, but if I actually thought the NFL was "rigged", I wouldn't be watching it. Millions of Americans would stop watching it if they found tangible evidence that the NFL was rigging football games. It would effectively be the end of the sport. Ratings would plummet, profits would decline, and there wouldn't be much left.

So the NFL risked billions for the change to make millions. Hence why the risk > reward. Has nothing to do with legality. The NFL is losing viewership now via about 10 different things, all of which are completely legal.

4. Again, TV timeouts are predetermined. Public information.

[Trackmaster]

I respect your opinions. I disagree with them, but I totally respect them.

1. I don't think it is the players for the most part. It is the refs. And totally legal. Also if the phantom calls kill drives or extend them at just the right points, that will absolutely do it. Everyone in the NFL is good enough to make plays of given second and third chances constantly. Or screw them up if constantly have plays taken away.

2. It can be money, secrets, debts, anything used to exert pressure. Or just this is what you are told to do as an employee (refs). Also use of TV timeouts or lack of their use. Check how many games over the past 4 seasons have been decided by 3 points or less, must keep it interesting until the end to keep eyeballs to keep the ad dollars flowing.

3. Yes absolutely, the NFL is a billion dollar business, they don't leave profits to chance alone. Patriots win after 911 when the Raiders were the near lock. Saints after Katrina. Sox after Boston (sorry mixing sports), Manning going out a winner, Ray Lewis going out a winner. It's about the storyline. Just like WWE.

3. There is no, zero risk! None. It is perfectly legal. Decided in a court of law. You are not watching an athletic contest, you are watching a piece of entertainment. They are not the same thing.

How do you think the Patriots beat us in 2014, twice up by 14 points? TV timeout manipulation. Patriots comebacks are both not followed by a TV timeout, when all others were. No time to regroup for Ravens either time. Also it is only in your memory if you tivo or video tape the game, it is absent from game pass and covered up instantly and perfectly. Even my buddy who is a patriots fan had to admit that it was the weirdest game he ever attended and that he thought it was more than just unusual. Just saying that was hard for him and we don't talk about it.

It pulls the scales from your eyes.

I doubt that the NFL is rigged. Maybe it was at one point, who knows, but if you look at what's happened in the past 20 years, it wouldn't make any sense. If they were to rig it, they would not decide to do some of the things that they did.

If they were to rig it, Favre would have 4-5 rings. He only has one.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have chosen Boston, not exactly the biggest market, to be their dynasty.
If they were to rig it, they would have let BB and Tom Brady have quiet exits from the game, and replace them with more likeable people.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have made the NY markets so mediocre.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have made their two biggest brands going into 2000 (Redskins and Cowboys) so mediocre.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have put their biggest celebrity and best player in the middle of Indianapolis, and let him choke in the play-offs most of his career.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have let such a small market like Pittsburgh be so competitive every year.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have let such an unpopular team like us, in a small market be so competitive with two rings.

I could go on and on. People love the game because its unpredictable, and merit based. You can tell that there isn't somebody scripting what's going on, because if they did, the storylines would make more sense and be more dramatic. Do you know how rare it is for a superstar to retire in his SB year? Its rare. If it was rigged, it would happen more often.

[WrongBaldy]

http://www.wdrb.com/story/36464932/a...-of-louisville

[Shas]

How could it easily be fixed? They're really in a no win situation. If they let the players express themselves freely, one group starts a boycott. if they clamp down and say no, another group will boycott. Imagine if one guy kneeling ends up destroying the league. That alone would be pretty nuts if you think about it, even if the league has been rotten to the core for a while.

Well, I'd start with actually addressing the issue rather than hiding in my office. You're right you can't clamp down. Hopefully you agree with me that running from the issue isn't right, either. My suggestion is to actually embrace the issue and recast the issue so it's not about taking sides.

It's not about blacks versus the police. It's not about patriots versus subversives. It's not about troops versus players. It's about Americans, all Americans, who share a problem that truly affects all of us, albeit some more than others. And it's time we all take some responsibility for solving it, together.

First, if I'm commissioner I publicly thank Kaepernick for bringing attention to this issue that has been lurking in the background of our society for years, centuries really.

But I would also suggest that kneeling has only to date brought attention to the issue, without actually solving anything.

I would acknowledge that 70% of the players in the NFL are black and many, many of them grew up in neighborhoods long battered by unfair treatment and racism--whether overt or nuanced and unintentional--from Jim Crow to the race riots of the sixties to our policing, courts and prison systems. Neighborhoods, like those in Baltimore, than I've heard many NFL fans say they are afraid to go into.

I would make a point of saying that ownership and players are united in making a real difference and being part of the solution, not just a mirror for the problem. I would recruit a panel of player representatives--current and past players--to work together on the issue. Ravens Ben Watson and Obafemi Ayanbadejo come to mind immediately. But there are many, many who would be willing and able to use their influence.

I would state that this is not about politics and choosing sides. It's not about who is or isn't patriotic--both sides are deeply patriot, in very different ways. That needs to be said. Both sides care deeply about America and the NFL as a corporate citizen cares deeply about America.

I would pledge millions to help address the cause (for that matter I would stop the charade that the NFL cares about women because the players wear pink sox once a year). Rather than bragging to fans about how the NFL is aiming to become a steamrolling $25B enterprise, I would instead be making speeches about how the NFL and it's players are prepared to dip into our treasure trove of resources and use that influence as a catalyst for change.

I would pledge to bring together the league, its players, police organization, think tanks and local leaders to find solutions--together. I would say these things standing together with players, under backdrop of flags, sating we are uniting in keeping America a place we ALL can be proud and prosperous within.

In short, rather than hiding in my office and waiting to read public opinion polls and fearing the impact, I would actually become the fucking leader that I'm paid tens of millions of dollars to be each year to be.

[HbgPARavenfan]

Yep. And nothing can top the tribalism of college sports.

True I'm in psu land... people here are still ok with paterno... "he didn't know its. It not his fault"

But lol oh boy does flag kneeling loss them off

Sent from my ASUS_Z00TD using Tapatalk

[WrongBaldy]

[WNCRavensFan]

True I'm in psu land... people here are still ok with paterno... "he didn't know its. It not his fault"

But lol oh boy does flag kneeling loss them off

Sent from my ASUS_Z00TD using Tapatalk

Penn State was what got me out of NCAA football altogether. I was considering it already. I applied to Penn State and that probably would have been my state school had I not gone smaller.

Now, I only watch NCAA football from the view of a pro football scout. I have no rooting interest anymore.

Why I haven't done the same with NCAA basketball, I can't say. It's weird how people work. Reference: your post above.

[The Excellector]

Make me wish I was a top High school sports prospect. Free women and money everywhere.

[GaTechRavens]

I doubt that the NFL is rigged. Maybe it was at one point, who knows, but if you look at what's happened in the past 20 years, it wouldn't make any sense. If they were to rig it, they would not decide to do some of the things that they did.

If they were to rig it, Favre would have 4-5 rings. He only has one.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have chosen Boston, not exactly the biggest market, to be their dynasty.
If they were to rig it, they would have let BB and Tom Brady have quiet exits from the game, and replace them with more likeable people.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have made the NY markets so mediocre.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have made their two biggest brands going into 2000 (Redskins and Cowboys) so mediocre.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have put their biggest celebrity and best player in the middle of Indianapolis, and let him choke in the play-offs most of his career.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have let such a small market like Pittsburgh be so competitive every year.
If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have let such an unpopular team like us, in a small market be so competitive with two rings.

I could go on and on. People love the game because its unpredictable, and merit based. You can tell that there isn't somebody scripting what's going on, because if they did, the storylines would make more sense and be more dramatic. Do you know how rare it is for a superstar to retire in his SB year? Its rare. If it was rigged, it would happen more often.

If they were to rig it, they wouldn't have an accused murderer lead a small market, Trent Dilfer-quarterbacked team all the way to the Super Bowl, then defeat a New York team in a total blowout with more than 20 punts. All while the accused murderer becomes the center of attention, wins MVP and celebrates in front of 100 million viewers. And worst of all? He plays defense.

I'm guessing that probably wasn't their most profitable choice.

[usmccharles]

This changes nothing for me. College players should be legally paid anyways.

[Iamjacks]

Snip

4. Again, TV timeouts are predetermined. Public information.

Can you please tell me where to find the TV timeout info before games start?