Am I the only one that thinks the fix was in on the super bowl?
 

How could they have gotten better TV ratings? If the game in the first quarter was played like the forth quarter the viewership would have dropped radically.

Which is the largest group

1. Patriots fans
2. Falcons Fans
3. People that wanted to see the Patriots lose

Yes...you are the only one.

Yep, just you.

How much money was it worth to spot the Falcons 18 Points in the first half?

Why do you think that??

Didn't you guys see the UFO's hovering over the stadium? Why do you think they had to close the dome?
Coincidence?
I_DON'T_THINK_SO!!!!

Oh and everyone knows Tom Brady died years ago and was replaced by a robot...

Teams / players / coaches don't care about the ratings.

They already got their paycheck.

The number of people who would have to have been on it and keep their mouths shut makes the idea of a fix highly unlikely.

He does kinda play like a robot...Goodell better check that out

That's actually more believable.

I suspect the same. Too many regular season games get close in the forth quarter. I suspect a need to keep the outcome of the game uncertain until as close to the end of the game as possible. Just imagine the chaos it would cause if the last institution we trust (NFL), turns out to be no more than professional wrestling. . Having said that, what are the chances that I just disappear.

Cause the Super Bowl is not known for blowouts...

Reality is the Falcons were playing to not lose in the 4th...they lost.

Nah, a lot of what we see as the difference in play is clock management.

If you've got a comfortable lead you run the ball to burn the clock. You relax your defense and accept short yardage gains by the offense to keep your defense from running out of gas.

If you are behind on offense you need to keep time on your side so you focus on the passing game.

The 1st quarter game plan is different than the 4th depending on whether you are winning or losing.

Neither offense or defense can win a game without proper clock management.

We're it not for Butlers clutch play 2 years ago the Pats would have lost the Stupidbowl due to poor clock management.

No, OP.

You're not.

Pretty much yes.

Not likely as said above given how many people would have to keep quiet if games were fixed, no way that would happen.

Falcons were really hurt by all the holding penalties they earned.

Cereally, a fix is improbable. But the teams that played in the first half were not the same teams that played in the second.

While Lady Gaga was jiggling her spare tire both teams switched sides.

Lol. The Pat's could have played like a bunch of Mick's in a drunken stupor and they still would have won. They were meant to win, you did see Edelman's immaculate reception in the 4TH Qtr?

No, you are not the only one. Pretty easy to influence outcome through officiating.

I am done with NFL football anyway, so I don't really care much.

Yep, the refs are all lizards from planet Klangdon... throw them a dead chicken after the game and they will make any call you want.

I agree for the most part, but I don't see how a first-half blowout that sends a part of the audience off channel surfing is a good entertainment product.

The last time the Rams were in a Stupid Bowl...I said it was all fixed. There are ONLY 4 NFL teams that change the names on the Jerseys every week to make it look like a league. I got bored with football more than 20 years ago. It is the same unimportant crapola every year.

So I will tune into the SB and that is about it. On the way to or from a Buffet I will pass the Sports Book in a casino and see the guys hoopin and hollerin over every play..what a waste of effort and time.

I was a big Lakers and Dodgers fan and trying to be a Rams fan but this is so true of all pro sports.

Now every team has a few superstars with a rotating roster of support players.

Hard to get together fan loyalty when you don't know who is going to show up on game day.

Back In the day we could expect:

1980's Lakers = Magic, Kareem, James Worthy, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott

1980's Dodgers = Fernando Valenzula, Mike Scioscia, Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Dusty Baker, etc.

Marshall Faulk said they had developed brand new plays for the game, but the Cheatriots made adjustments like they knew what to expect.... How does that happen unless the opposing team has intel or is clairvoyant?

Why would Goodell rig the game to let the Pats win?

Why not? Makes for a good story
Yeah, that is it :rolleyes:

Not like officials influencing the outcome is a new thing.

Problem being even with ten thousand camera angles and slo-mo replay the officials are still only human beings.

I almost wish they would do away with replay and just live with the refs mistakes as part of the game.

No way, the replays are part of the elaborate hoax to convince you that the game isn't rigged.

My son is convinced White was down before the ball crossed the plane. I've watched and rewatched, and it's impossible to convince him otherwise.

Not to rig the final outcome but keep the score to something you could overcome after the halftime show.

I would think two or three people on a team that could make that happen (play at 60%) in exchange for ??? from the NFL


(the patriots were heavy favorites right?)

Rigged? Get a new tinfoil hat. The other one has stopped blocking the alien mind control.

There is too much money on the line for the teams and players to rig a win or loss (or even make it "close").

There is too much money on the line for them not to do so.

Plus the fact that Brady did do a commercial before the SB that he already had 5 rings, mmmmmmmmmm

They also had all those t-shirts, hats and other memorabilia printed and the Pats were wearing some if it minutes after the game ended.

I said to my wife "I wonder what they do with all the shirts and hats with the -Falcons Superbowl Champions!- printed on them" because yo know they were there.

There's also a lot on the line for good (Record) 2nd half ratings.

I know they print both. wholesale the losers. Stumbled upon 'Losers' shirts in a discount T-shirt store in New Orleans $2/shirt.

I wonder about the Stanley Cup/Hockey. Seems like an agreement to stretch out to as many games as possible..... That's big money in tickets.

When I was a kid, Sunday afternoons were spent at Texas Stadium watching the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. Never once did they perform at half time. It was always some frisbee catching dog, a rocket man, or Tanya Tucker. So disappointing. Then, I started paying attention to what locker room they entered and could call the game at half.

It's all rigged, from season start to finish. There's no way the Browns can suck that bad every year.

This.

...and this.

If the Superbowl was rigged, the Seahawks would not have blown out Denver 43-8 three years ago.

Though I was hoping for a Falcons victory, they took their foot off the gas in the second half since they had already won mentally. Tom Brady's instinct of "It's not over until it's over" (and actually throwing accurately) allowed the comeback.

Yes, the purpose of the NFL is to make money. They are successful. No need to rig the Superbowl.

They go on sale:

Atlanta Falcons - 2017 Super Bowl Champions! Men's Graphic T-Shirt | eBay