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Is the NFL "Scripted Entertainment"?

T

tbolt909

Banned
Kirk Cousins made an odd comment following the Vikings - Saints game. He called the NFL a "Great Product". That sort of implies that the games are Theatre, not actual competition. The game ended with another controversial non call that went against New Orleans. Last year, a blatant missed call also went against the Saints and the league even changed the rule because of it.

During the overtime, Minnesota received the ball first and they kept posting a graphic that said "Minnesota touchdown wins the game". If the Saints scored a defensive touchdown, they win. It's almost like the league needed to end the game by a certain time and it follows a "script".

Many of these games play out the same way. It seems like "formula entertainment" and not authentic competition. Close games and controversy keep interest and ratings high...
 
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tbolt909 said:
Kirk Cousins made an odd comment following the Vikings - Saints game. He called the NFL a "Great Product". That sort of implies that the games are Theatre, not actual competition. The game ended with another controversial non call that went against New Orleans. Last year, a blatant missed call also went against the Saints and the league even changed the rule because of it.

During the overtime, Minnesota received the ball first and they kept posting a graphic that said "Minnesota touchdown wins the game". If the Saints scored a defensive touchdown, they win. It's almost like the league needed to end the game by a certain time and it follows a "script".

Many of these games play out the same way. It seems like "formula entertainment" and not authentic competition. Close games and controversy keep interest and ratings high...
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Scripted games would be a major scandal and likely would cause the downfall of the NFL. A lot of lips would have to remain sealed until death for that kind of scheme to work. Besides, the NFL isn't hurting for ratings or advertising. There's no reason for it to consider going WWE at all.
 
This is how conspiracy theories start. Next thing we know, someone says the DNC server is in Ukraine, and the moonwalk never happened. Those who want to believe it will say it's true. But there are no real facts. You're welcome to believe whatever you want to believe. It's all just a game.
 
tbolt909 said:
Kirk Cousins made an odd comment following the Vikings - Saints game. He called the NFL a "Great Product". That sort of implies that the games are Theatre, not actual competition.
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You're going to have to explain how B follows from A.
 
CTListener said:
Scripted games would be a major scandal and likely would cause the downfall of the NFL. A lot of lips would have to remain sealed until death for that kind of scheme to work. Besides, the NFL isn't hurting for ratings or advertising. There's no reason for it to consider going WWE at all.
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Big money can buy a lot of silence. The players make huge money win or lose. The fans care more about winning than the players do based on social media reactions.

Instant replay is a quagmire. It's not about "getting the calls correct". It's about creating storylines and controversy. Why do coaches have to also be Referees and challenge calls? Isn't it the officials job to do that? It's also absurd that the networks have an "expert" available to provide commentary on controversial calls.

People didn't used to watch football for rules analysis by former Referees. It's Theatre of the Absurd...
 
If the NFL were scripted, the New England Patriots would be playing next week.
 
KeithE4 said:
If the NFL were scripted, the New England Patriots would be playing next week.
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That's good to know. That should silence all the Patriot haters. New England has 6 Super Bowl wins and has dominated the league with Brady & Belichick. It's difficult to win that much in a league with parity. They should be praised for their greatness.

The NFL is also entertainment. Dallas has been mediocre for 25 years, but they still play in many Prime Time games. It's all about ratings, revenue, and storylines. My original post about "Scripted" games may be hyperbole, but the NFL doesn't leave everything to chance...
 
Referring to the NFL as a product is perfectly apt and does not suggest anything to the effect that it is scripted. It’s beyond a leap of logic to try to make that connection; it’s absurd.
 
Ridiculous assertion. The NFL is too big to even attempt something like that. And if even remotely true wouldn’t they make the teams New York, Chicago, Los Angeles more competitive?
 
ftballfan said:
The NFL is not scripted at all. The NBA, on the other hand, might have had some rigged games in the past
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A referee, Tim Donaghy, said he was personally responsible for funny business with the final scores of games. But that could have been merely point-shaving -- making sure a favored team won by less than the Vegas spread, allowing bettors who backed the underdog to cash in without changing the actual winner of the game. College basketball has had several point-shaving scandals in its history, so what Donaghy alleged is certainly plausible. The difference was that previous incidents involved players being on the take, while Donaghy said he was in business for himself, fiddling with calls and non-calls of fouls to keep the margin "right."
 
tbolt909 said:
Big money can buy a lot of silence.
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No matter who you pay off or by how much someone is going to feel they got shafted and blow up the scheme.

tbolt909 said:
The players make huge money win or lose.
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Some do. Others just make very good money. In return they risk life-threatening brain and all manner of physical injuries. There is no amount of money that would pay me enough to risk becoming a vegetable at age 40. And you never know if that next injury is the one that retires you.

tbolt909 said:
The fans care more about winning than the players do based on social media reactions.
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All the fans have in the game is bragging rights (and perhaps a few dollars). The players have much more at stake. Social media is vastly overrated.

tbolt909 said:
Instant replay is a quagmire. It's not about "getting the calls correct". It's about creating storylines and controversy.
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If you wanted to create story lines and controversy just think about the absence of instant replay. People would argue forever without a jury in sight. At least instant replay provides a measure of responsibility at getting it right. That said, personally I think IR is used too much.

tbolt909 said:
Why do coaches have to also be Referees and challenge calls?
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Good gawd man.....how old are you? I've been watching pro sports of all kinds since the mid-50's and coaches have always argued in favor of calls going their way. It is human nature. Ref's in the NFL usually come together after a flag to get consensus of what the infraction was and how to proceed. Overwhelmingly, it works. Sometimes there is interpretation (the most common is probably the pass interference call). Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes they just blow the call. It is run by humans after all......

tbolt909 said:
It's also absurd that the networks have an "expert" available to provide commentary on controversial calls.
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Absurd? How many people can accurately describe pass interference rules? 1 in 100? If there is some reason the call is hotly debated I appreciate an "expert" with the rule book explaining the process the ref's use to decide the call. I will readily admit I have not memorized the rule book and do not have their experience.

tbolt909 said:
People didn't used to watch football for rules analysis by former Referees. It's Theatre of the Absurd...
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Who else would you employ as a verified "expert"? Perhaps one reason I much prefer NCAAF games is that the infractions are more observable than in the NFL and people tend to take the call as decided by the most expert people on the field. Buffoonery on the sidelines by coaches pisses me off.
 
Don CT said:
If the NFL was scripted you would see LA and New York in the Superbowl more often.
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Probably not LA, a big market that's never been all that big on pro football, not even when the Rams were there before their move to St. Louis. And the current AFC team there has hardly any fans.

Certainly, the Giants, Packers, Bears, 49ers and Cowboys would be representing the NFC more often, and, for pure entertainment and star power, no sane network game-fixer would have had the Vikings eliminate the Saints yesterday. As for the AFC, maybe more Jets and less Patriots, but it's hard to see any other obvious moves, especially with the Raiders gone to Las Vegas. Those old NFL stalwarts have the AFC's originals beaten soundly in terms of national appeal.
 
I must admit doing a double-take when, with just nine seconds left in the TN-New England game, they ran a play WITHOUT ever starting the clock. The play happened, then the whistle blew, WITHOUT ever taking any time off of the clock. Granted, the outcome of the game was a foregone conclusion by then, but still wondered why that one second or so for that play to be run NEVER came off the clock.
 
firepoint525 said:
but still wondered why that one second or so for that play to be run NEVER came off the clock.
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Keep in mind the clock you see on the screen is not always the official clock. They have lots of people watching that kind of thing, both on site and in the league office, and either team can challenge if they have a complaint.
 
The NFL is registered as "Entertainment". They legally have the right to manipulate the outcome of games (if they wanted to). Gambling on football generates huge revenue. It's possible for players to "shave points".

Nobody can provide proof of wrongdoing because they can do whatever they want. The public can decide if it matters or not. Last year, they could have immediately corrected the non PI call that went against New Orleans. The refs could have huddled and made the call that everyone saw. It didn't happen and it became a huge national story. The idea that replay is designed to "get it right" is a farce...
 
tbolt909 said:
Nobody can provide proof of wrongdoing because they can do whatever they want. The public can decide if it matters or not.
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As I said, this is how conspiracy theories start. The fact is that there IS a way to "prove wrongdoing" IF wrongdoing happened.

But it didn't so this is all a moot point.
 
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