The Conspiracy Narrative Around Here (2 Viewers)

[play action]

"Is the NFL rigging games?" is a question I've heard for 40 years. The NFL can privately hope for a business win from action on the field, but i am not one to believe that officials got a coded or verbal memo instructing them to help one team over another.

Did Tommylee get mauled? of course he did but it was a bang-bang play and I believe the officials who had core responsibility for the call, led by Vinovich, had a brain freeze. Then they looked to the head referee to bail the missed call out, but the head referee felt he himself had not seen enough to rule on it or throw a late flag. Since it was not reviewable, the no-call stood.

In earlier years, the missed call would have devastated me. But now, at the older age and with the Saints finally having a Super Bowl ring, I'm pragmatic about the incompetence and abuse of the NFL and the officials. It did not bother me. I do not play or coach in the game, so I have absolutely zero control over the events or outcome. To win, you have to beat your opponent AND the officials.

What has always been a sore-point for me is why did the Saints end up throwing the ball to TLL at that moment? He's a smallish under-performing no-name, and a more higher-profile receiver gets that call. Throughout almost the entire Payton era, including this moment in time, the Saints have rolled out an under-stocked receiving corps.

You beat the official in that Rams NFCCG by not blowing a fat lead, or by Dan Arnold not letting a dagger TD catch trickle out of his hands.

Bang bang it was not.

 

[Bill]

Whether an official is doing it at the behest of the league or because he's a crook is a moot point, the damage is the same in either case...

If someone's adult kid robs a bank, are his parents convicted of the crime? Of course not.
But if the parents planned the heist and drove the getaway car for the kid to pull off the job, then they would be convicted as well whatever the 'damages' are.

If you can't recognize the difference, perhaps it would be best to create your own thread discussing how many crooked referees are working on their own to keep the Saints down. This thread is discussing whether the NFL is directing their officials to pull off the 'heist'.
Some here say, 'Yes'
Others here say, 'No'
But, 'it doesn't matter because the damage is the same' isn't one of the options... because no one is arguing about what the outcome has been for our Saints.

 

[DoubleSaint]

Nobody can tell me the NFL wasn’t trying to give L.A a home NFCCG and a Super Bowl appearance to help generate some interest and fill that new stadium.

The refs nearly had to start tackling our players themselves in the go ahead TD drive against the Eagles because the horse crap penalties weren’t working.

 

[English]

Where is the guy that that supposedly spill the beans on Payton and 3G ? Where is he working at to this very day ?

 

[Bill]

Where is the guy that that supposedly spill the beans on Payton and 3G ? Where is he working at to this very day ?

Are you suggesting that Payton and Triple G made him 'disappear'???

 

[Saint Jack]

Nobody can tell me the NFL wasn’t trying to give L.A a home NFCCG and a Super Bowl appearance to help generate some interest and fill that new stadium.

The refs nearly had to start tackling our players themselves in the go ahead TD drive against the Eagles because the horse crap penalties weren’t working.

If there really was a conspiracy to have the Rams host the NFCCG, the League would’ve had the Rams win the first game in NOLA that season. That decided home field in the playoffs.

 

[mr.t]

We already know it happened in the NBA, why is it so hard for people to even accept the possibility?

I have been saying that for awhile. Thanks. There are more Refs in the NFL than NBA has, so the odds are that there are crooked refs.

 

[VPCajun]

They did win the coin toss in OT, and started their initial drive… then this happened, and the 2nd major no-call took place!!!

And... as I mention previously, on that same play, the DB grabbed MT as he made a move that clearly beat the DB!

And no call was made on THAT OBVIOUS PI, also!

(It caused MT to stumble and the DB got the Int.)

 

[Alan12]

Where is the guy that that supposedly spill the beans on Payton and 3G ? Where is he working at to this very day ?

Why last I checked, he just so happened to be employed at 345 Park Avenue...

Sean Payton: NFL hiring of bounty whistleblower Mike Cerullo 'unbelievable'

The NFL six months ago hired one of the key witnesses who helped inform the league of the alleged New Orleans Saints bounty program.

www.nola.com

But I'm sure that's just one big coincidence/misunderstanding/happenstance...

Are you suggesting that Payton and Triple G made him 'disappear'???

Quite the opposite, the league gave their blessing and he's now a "made man".

Things that make you go, "Hmmmm..."

 

[VPCajun]

My biggest regret in making this thread is that it appears there was no way to avoid offending people who stand on the side of conspiracies and/or fixed football games by the NFL based on the way I presented it. I should have just made a 'Yes or No' poll to learn what the consensus is on the SSF. I apologize to all those I offended.

I've been to practically every fan forum around the league over the last two decades or so just to see what the dialog is when they have faced a loss. Trust me, I have never seen any fan forum... not even one... who didn't claim the league/refs were favoring the other team in their loss. I get it; in the struggle for resolution passing the blame tends to be the salve that many fans apply to help ease the disappointment of the loss. So the question then becomes, "Is the league really sticking it to every team in the league, or was I aptly describing all the complaining fans around the league with the word, 'Whaaaaaaaaaaaa'???"

As I noted earlier in this thread such posted conclusions as 'commissioner hatred' toward the Saints & deliberate game fixing is no longer just the stuff of emotionally charged fans on the Gameday thread. These things are now presented as being factual reasons why the Saints came up short in any of our losses... particularly those on the big stage of the postseason. But an undeniable statistical fact is that the Saints have had more success over the last 5 years than the vast majority of teams in the NFL.

Perhaps I was hoping that after this thread I wouldn't have to continue reading on practically every popular topic on the SSF that the Saints have become the targeted stepchild of the league. Not only does it get to be an irritating & disappointing bombardment of unsubstantiated claims, but it makes our forum look like all those other NFL fan sites that are constantly making the same excuses after their losses.

I didn't vote in my own poll, and I only recently looked at the results. I must say that after seeing the votes I was pleasantly surprised to see how many Saints fans here still can/do accept that the NFL does put out a fair, albeit imperfect, product on the field, and thus they continue to feel that team victories & championships still mean something. That is personally what I still believe as well. I want all the time & effort I put into watching & cheering for my Saints to matter. For me, without that trust, Saints games would be totally null & void.

My response to this whole thread:

Hyperbole is not just a river in Egypt!

 

[nolaswede]

I’m honestly a little worried about the refs this upcoming game. The Saints aren’t really a great storyline, outside our region. And yes, we have a lot of fans outside of our city, but we are not that exciting as a franchise this year. Almost a little boring for the National Media!

Wouldn’t be surprised that the refs feel a little bad for the Seahawks since they lost Wilson. And don’t think we will get a lot 50/50 calls especially at their place on MNF!

 

[Saint Jack]

I’m honestly a little worried about the refs this upcoming game. The Saints aren’t really a great storyline, outside our region. And yes, we have a lot of fans outside of our city, but we are not that exciting as a franchise this year. Almost a little boring for the National Media!

Wouldn’t be surprised that the refs feel a little bad for the Seahawks since they lost Wilson. And don’t think we will get a lot 50/50 calls especially at their place on MNF!

But that theory doesn’t make sense because they put the Saints on prime time five times this season. And they announced it AFTER Brees’ retirement.
Those prime time slots are valuable real estate.

 

[2009ring]

I believe that the narrative in the NFL is driven 100% by Roger Goodell's Titanic sized ego.

Won't cow tow and genuflect to him? Sorry Sean Payton and Saints, no Super Bowl for you. Enjoy it, Rams.

Also, if Brady plays for 25 years breaks every record in the book and wins 10 Super Bowls and is the GOAT, this then becomes the greatest overall era in the NFL. With Roger at the helm. You see how that works with a huge ego? "I was in charge of the best era in NFL history"

puke