Former Bengal Burfict calls the NFL rigged

[Murdock2420]

While I realize Burfict is no longer a Bengal, this article was too interesting to pass off to around the NFL.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/vontaze-burfict-thinks-some-games-are-rigged-says-refs-pick-and-choose-when-to-throw-penalty-flags/


Have to think that the commish is really going to hammer him even harder for these comments.

[XenoMorph]

(11-21-2019, 05:50 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: While I realize Burfict is no longer a Bengal, this article was too interesting to pass off to around the NFL.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/vontaze-burfict-thinks-some-games-are-rigged-says-refs-pick-and-choose-when-to-throw-penalty-flags/


Have to think that the commish is really going to hammer him even harder for these comments.

well its finally good to hear an NFL player say what we have been screaming for years.

[Pat5775]

Well...

Once again, he’s not wrong

[Murdock2420]

(11-21-2019, 06:00 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: well its finally good to hear an NFL player say what we have been screaming for years.

No doubt and not just one. Even Richard Sherman comes out and says a few things according to the article.

Of course, it would be nice if a guy who had benefited from all the "questionable calls" and wasn't a league bad boy would come out and say the same thing.

Closest I've hear is in Peyton's places when Brady admits that the tuck was actually a fumble.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

"I met Roger Goodell in New York and he was a total b----," Burfict said. "He was a b----. He didn't let anybody speak, he rushed us in and out of the meeting. The meeting was b-------. He already had the suspension in his hand."

That's a real keeper of a quote. I mean, we all knew it, but it's still great to be put that bluntly.

[*bengalfan74*]

I'm no conspiracy theorist but I have to admit, especially in the last 4, 5 years I've had my doubts about many calls.

[fredtoast]

The NFL is not rigged.

You could quickly find a thousand fans who all agree the NFL is 100% rigged, but when you started asking for plays that prove it they would all disagree. Seems the NFL is fixed AGAINST EVERY TEAM.

I have seen a couple of calls over the years that appear to be fixed (Saints/Rams PI non-call) but they are pretty rare.

I would be more likely to believe that an individual ref was fixing games for himself than the league actually fixing games. I just don't think any of those billionaire owners would put up with games being fixed for them to lose. Their egos are too big.

[*bengalfan74*]

(11-21-2019, 07:08 PM)fredtoast Wrote: The NFL is not rigged.

You could quickly find a thousand fans who all agree the NFL is 100% rigged, but when you started asking for plays that prove it they would all disagree.  Seems the NFL is fixed AGAINST EVERY TEAM.

I have seen a couple of calls over the years that appear to be fixed (Saints/Rams PI non-call) but they are pretty rare.

I would be more likely to believe that an individual ref was fixing games for himself than the league actually fixing games.  I just don't think any of those billionaire owners would put up with games being fixed for them to lose.  Their egos are too big.

And the fact that they're risking tearing down a billion dollar industry ! I highly doubt there's any top level conspiracy. To hard to keep everybody quiet.

[Circleville Guy]

We’re talking Billions of dollars being involved. I’m not so naive to believe that odds makers are that consistently accurate. It makes perfect sense that it’s all theater.

[TheCincinnatiKid]

It's the same in all sports. I wouldn't necessarily call it 'rigged' but I see across a number of sports where some teams seem to get the benefit of refereeing decisions and others do not. In the Premier League, the big teams will get calls the smaller teams do not. I think the same mentality has worked against the Bengals in games too.

Not sure if it's rigged so much as it's the psychological disposition of referees to favour particular teams/players. Best example I can think is where a real 50/50 call in football/soccer will usually go the way of the home team, because the refs are being subliminally swayed by the crowd.

I'd be surprised if it's literally rigged, but wouldn't be surprised if the NFL has plenty of corruption.

[fredtoast]

(11-21-2019, 07:14 PM)Circleville Guy Wrote: We’re talking Billions of dollars being involved. I’m not so naive to believe that odds makers are that consistently accurate. It makes perfect sense that it’s all theater.

I don't know what you are talking about.  Oddsmakers are not "consistently accurate" at all.  There are upsets every week.

[*bengalfan74*]

(11-21-2019, 07:14 PM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: It's the same in all sports. I wouldn't necessarily call it 'rigged' but I see across a number of sports where some teams seem to get the benefit of refereeing decisions and others do not. In the Premier League, the big teams will get calls the smaller teams do not. I think the same mentality has worked against the Bengals in games too.

Not sure if it's rigged so much as it's the psychological disposition of referees to favour particular teams/players. Best example I can think is where a real 50/50 call in football/soccer will usually go the way of the home team, because the refs are being subliminally swayed by the crowd.

I'd be surprised if it's literally rigged, but wouldn't be surprised if the NFL has plenty of corruption.

Agree,

I've used the baseball strike zone before as an analogy. Pete Rose, Tony Gwynn, and Alex Rodriguez did not have the same strike zone as rookie A, bench player B and so on. 

NFL darling team/player A doesn't get holding or PI called on him especially at crucial times the same way joe blow from scrub team B does. I fully believe that.

[fredtoast]

If it is rigged to make money then why do so many of the teams in the big money markets suck so bad?

[fredtoast]

(11-21-2019, 07:25 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Agree,

I've used the baseball strike zone before as an analogy. Pete Rose, Tony Gwynn, and Alex Rodriguez did not have the same strike zone as rookie A, bench player B and so on. 

NFL darling team/player A doesn't get holding or PI called on him especially at crucial times the same way joe blow from scrub team B does. I fully believe that.

I agree with this 100%.

But I would say that in football it does not have as big of an impact as balls/strikes in baseball or big stars getting all the calls in basketball.

[THE PISTONS]

The Bengals are just very poorly managed.

If you look over a 30 years span...most teams have 5+ playoff wins.

Small Market cities like Pittsburgh and Green Bay are also Top 5 in playoff wins.

In Baseball, the Pirates and Brewers rarely see success.

[Shake n Blake]

Tell the Detroit Lions that the NFL isn't rigged. That team gets screwed nearly every year by huge calls/non-calls.

Happened this year in a key game with Green Bay. Happened in their playoff game against the Cowboys. Etc etc.

I don't think anyone is saying that all games are fixed, or that games are completely fixed. But in a key game for a marquee team (lets say Packers vs Bucs) who do you think is going to get the key calls? Be honest.

[Shake n Blake]

(11-21-2019, 07:42 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Bengals are just very poorly managed.

If you look over a 30 years span...most teams have 5+ playoff wins.

Small Market cities like Pittsburgh and Green Bay are also Top 5 in playoff wins.

In Baseball, the Pirates and Brewers rarely see success.

I don't think anyone is using this as some excuse to let Bengals management off the hook. We're still a terribly managed team, and that's the biggest thing. But if it comes down to a key call in a Steelers game (or any marquee team) vs the Bengals? I'm pretty surprised if the call goes our way.

The Steelers and Packers aren't marquee because of their population, they're marquee because their fanbases are nationwide and enormous. You can find a "Steelers bar" pretty much anywhere. That's why it used to annoy me to hear "Steelers fans travel well". They're not traveling, they're just everywhere.

[*bengalfan74*]

(11-21-2019, 08:07 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I don't think anyone is using this as some excuse to let Bengals management off the hook. We're still a terribly managed team, and that's the biggest thing. But if it comes down to a key call in a Steelers game (or any marquee team) vs the Bengals? I'm pretty surprised if the call goes our way.

The Steelers and Packers aren't marquee because of their population, they're marquee because their fanbases are nationwide and enormous. You can find a "Steelers bar" pretty much anywhere. That's why it used to annoy me to hear "Steelers fans travel well". They're not traveling, they're just everywhere.

When I was a kid say 1977/78. You could walk into a Sears store anywhere around, southern Ohio for me. And you'd see Bengals and Browns sheets, blankets, curtains, sleeping bags, socks, lunch boxes and so on. And right beside them you'd see Steelers, Packers, and Cowboys and that's all. Had to order the rest.

Why those 3 teams ? Yes Steelers were somewhat close but that wasn't the reason.

[Trademark]

It’s definitely rigged that’s why there’s no point in watching

[*jason*]

(11-21-2019, 09:02 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: When I was a kid say 1977/78. You could walk into a Sears store anywhere around, southern Ohio for me. And you'd see Bengals and Browns sheets, blankets, curtains, sleeping bags, socks, lunch boxes and so on. And right beside them you'd see Steelers, Packers, and Cowboys and that's all. Had to order the rest.

Why those 3 teams ? Yes Steelers were somewhat close but that wasn't the reason.

Yep... I had a Ken Anderson AND a Danny White jersey shortly after that.