WC SB

[Tark]

OK, so we know the NFL likes to promote interesting story lines in the big games so how about this: a Minnesota vs Buffalo Superbowl? Both teams have been many times without any luck. Someone has to win, right??? Maybe us?? Hardly likely but it would be way cool.

[Texas Vike]

OK, so we know the NFL likes to promote interesting story lines in the big games so how about this: a Minnesota vs Buffalo Superbowl? Both teams have been many times without any luck. Someone has to win, right??? Maybe us?? Hardly likely but it would be way cool.

Poor fan base for whoever loses! But, yes, that would be a great narrative.

[CharVike]

That would be very cool. Good insight. On a side note I like that Bill team. They are building it nicely. The kid QB they have throws a nice ball and he has great movement. If he continues to develop they could be set. If he doesn't then it's back to the drawing board starting all over. I've seen that story many times. We all have.

[dkoby]

Ok, very weird subject since my wife is a huge Bills fan, and we both have been to the hall of fame. Not as nice of visit as it should have been......long story.
Anyways, that thought had crossed my mind. Too many bad jujus to consider. Outside of the 8 lost super bowls, Leslie Fraisier being their D coordinator beating us is too much to handle. Can’t happen, the world would break.

[CharVike]

Ok, very weird subject since my wife is a huge Bills fan, and we both have been to the hall of fame. Not as nice of visit as it should have been......long story.
Anyways, that thought had crossed my mind. Too many bad jujus to consider. Outside of the 8 lost super bowls, Leslie Fraisier being their D coordinator beating us is too much to handle. Can’t happen, the world would break.

I forgot about the Frazier deal. He did a dam good job with that D. That is a spin I didn't think of. It won't happen anyway. But it should would help the interest level.

[PacificNorseWest]

That would be the lowest rated (TV) Super Bowl matchup of all time.

[fiestavike]

That would be the lowest rated (TV) Super Bowl matchup of all time.

And if the conspiracy theorists are correct, that means it won't be allowed to happen.

I will always remember the Atlanta Hawks, who matched up well with the Bulls by way of playing elite defense under Lenny Wilkins, being overtly jobbed in the playoffs, because nobody wanted the possibility of an NBA finals with a small market team who held opponents under 80 points a game. Subsequently, there has been a lot of acknowledgement that there was some level of officiating corruption in that era, but just how much and how high that sort of things goes is hard to say. If it was an overt conspiracy, I think it would be a difficult secret to keep, but that doesn't mean that gambling is the only possible threat to the integrity of sporting events re: officiating. There is a lot of money on the line for a lot of people.

[Dames]

If it was an overt conspiracy, I think it would be a difficult secret to keep, but that doesn't mean that gambling is the only possible threat to the integrity of sporting events re: officiating. There is a lot of money on the line for a lot of people.

It's all about money, so honestly I would almost find it more surprising if there wasn't some level of corruption/fixing in the NFL. I really don't want to believe it, but there are just too many "coincidences" IMO.

You do make a good point about it not being overt though, and sometimes I'm sure fans read too much into bad calls, even if some teams seem to get the benefit more than others. It's not like WWE, where it's basically all faked, but you can bet your #### that the NFL prefers some teams over others, because it's more money for them. It would be hard to argue that honestly. Does it reach the point of a complete fix? Unlikely. But there does seem to be some "influencing" sometimes.

[fiestavike]

If it was an overt conspiracy, I think it would be a difficult secret to keep, but that doesn't mean that gambling is the only possible threat to the integrity of sporting events re: officiating. There is a lot of money on the line for a lot of people.

It's all about money, so honestly I would almost find it more surprising if there wasn't some level of corruption/fixing in the NFL. I really don't want to believe it, but there are just too many "coincidences" IMO.

You do make a good point about it not being overt though, and sometimes I'm sure fans read too much into bad calls, even if some teams seem to get the benefit more than others. It's not like WWE, where it's basically all faked, but you can bet your #### that the NFL prefers some teams over others, because it's more money for them. It would be hard to argue that honestly. Does it reach the point of a complete fix? Unlikely. But there does seem to be some "influencing" sometimes.

I've always thought GBs method of blocking, and the scouting and drafting of players who fit that scheme, was an interesting thing to point to. Intentionally allowing defenders to get into your body and then clamping on is not football 101, but it has served GB very well for a long time. I've never quite been able to make sense of it. Its clearly not called holding very often when GB does it. It is clearly effective if it is officiated that way. It would seem that other teams would be inclined to copy that approach, but it also seems that other teams would be called for holding when employing it. I can't really fathom than the NFL tells officials to officiate GB differently, but perhaps the pressure not to call 100 holding penalties in a game leads officials to simply not flag that act when all 5 guys are doing it on nearly every play. If so, you might say that is effectively skirting the rules to gain an advantage, and depending on your perspective, "more power to them" (GB) or, "that's a sleazy approach."

Something similar happens with certain teams and false start penalties. There are teams whose tackles go early on pretty much every pass play. Why isn't it called?

Of course, with reference to the Saints, there was a famous turnover during one of their games that was officiated not by the rule on the books, but by a rule later instated. I can't now remember if the whole crux of the play occurred after it was signaled down, or what the exact details were at this point, but I think that was the play where the sense that NO was suddenly going to be a 'team of destiny' began to really creep in among the more cynical fans (myself included).

[Bowhunting Viking]

It's all about money, so honestly I would almost find it more surprising if there wasn't some level of corruption/fixing in the NFL. I really don't want to believe it, but there are just too many "coincidences" IMO.

You do make a good point about it not being overt though, and sometimes I'm sure fans read too much into bad calls, even if some teams seem to get the benefit more than others. It's not like WWE, where it's basically all faked, but you can bet your #### that the NFL prefers some teams over others, because it's more money for them. It would be hard to argue that honestly. Does it reach the point of a complete fix? Unlikely. But there does seem to be some "influencing" sometimes.

I've always thought GBs method of blocking, and the scouting and drafting of players who fit that scheme, was an interesting thing to point to. Intentionally allowing defenders to get into your body and then clamping on is not football 101, but it has served GB very well for a long time. I've never quite been able to make sense of it. Its clearly not called holding very often when GB does it. It is clearly effective if it is officiated that way. It would seem that other teams would be inclined to copy that approach, but it also seems that other teams would be called for holding when employing it. I can't really fathom than the NFL tells officials to officiate GB differently, but perhaps the pressure not to call 100 holding penalties in a game leads officials to simply not flag that act when all 5 guys are doing it on nearly every play. If so, you might say that is effectively skirting the rules to gain an advantage, and depending on your perspective, "more power to them" (GB) or, "that's a sleazy approach."

Something similar happens with certain teams and false start penalties. There are teams whose tackles go early on pretty much every pass play. Why isn't it called?

Of course, with reference to the Saints, there was a famous turnover during one of their games that was officiated not by the rule on the books, but by a rule later instated. I can't now remember if the whole crux of the play occurred after it was signaled down, or what the exact details were at this point, but I think that was the play where the sense that NO was suddenly going to be a 'team of destiny' began to really creep in among the more cynical fans (myself included).

I believe that you may be referencing the Bountygate game and one of Morrelli's crew's calls that kept the Saints in the game. Saints were 4th down and needed about a yard. Pierre Thomas went over the top and did get the needed yardage, but Greenway hit the ball with his helmet and Thomas fumbled. The ball was recovered then behind the LOS. Should have been Vikings ball. But Petey spotted the ball as a 1st down , and that led to the Saints FG.
Then you had the phantom PI call on Leber that again gave the Saints a 1st down instead of stopping the drive. And the non call on the roughing the passer on one of Favres interceptions that would have negated that pick. And the next day or so Mike Perrera came out and said that those 3 were bad calls. As a matter of fact we pulled it up last season to prove it to a younger guy about just how many bad calls were made in the Saints favor , and the way the Saints D beat the crap out of Favre with all the late hits that day.
No doubt that day what team was "Destined" for the SB.

[fiestavike]

I've always thought GBs method of blocking, and the scouting and drafting of players who fit that scheme, was an interesting thing to point to. Intentionally allowing defenders to get into your body and then clamping on is not football 101, but it has served GB very well for a long time. I've never quite been able to make sense of it. Its clearly not called holding very often when GB does it. It is clearly effective if it is officiated that way. It would seem that other teams would be inclined to copy that approach, but it also seems that other teams would be called for holding when employing it. I can't really fathom than the NFL tells officials to officiate GB differently, but perhaps the pressure not to call 100 holding penalties in a game leads officials to simply not flag that act when all 5 guys are doing it on nearly every play. If so, you might say that is effectively skirting the rules to gain an advantage, and depending on your perspective, "more power to them" (GB) or, "that's a sleazy approach."

Something similar happens with certain teams and false start penalties. There are teams whose tackles go early on pretty much every pass play. Why isn't it called?

Of course, with reference to the Saints, there was a famous turnover during one of their games that was officiated not by the rule on the books, but by a rule later instated. I can't now remember if the whole crux of the play occurred after it was signaled down, or what the exact details were at this point, but I think that was the play where the sense that NO was suddenly going to be a 'team of destiny' began to really creep in among the more cynical fans (myself included).

I believe that you may be referencing the Bountygate game and one of Morrelli's crew's calls that kept the Saints in the game. Saints were 4th down and needed about a yard. Pierre Thomas went over the top and did get the needed yardage, but Greenway hit the ball with his helmet and Thomas fumbled. The ball was recovered then behind the LOS. Should have been Vikings ball. But Petey spotted the ball as a 1st down , and that led to the Saints FG.
Then you had the phantom PI call on Leber that again gave the Saints a 1st down instead of stopping the drive. And the non call on the roughing the passer on one of Favres interceptions that would have negated that pick. And the next day or so Mike Perrera came out and said that those 3 were bad calls. As a matter of fact we pulled it up last season to prove it to a younger guy about just how many bad calls were made in the Saints favor , and the way the Saints D beat the crap out of Favre with all the late hits that day.
No doubt that day what team was "Destined" for the SB.

I'm 90 percent sure that the play I am thinking of was in the regular season that year, but the calls you point to in the NFCCG heightened suspicions.

[Bowhunting Viking]

Let me add this to my above post, if it seems like I am still bitter about Pete Morelli and his crews screw job in the Bountygate game, please realize.. I AM! Lol.
The 2 NFC championship games that I witnessed that just still boil my blood is the Hail Mary.. Pearson pushed off on Nate Wright to get Americas team to the SB.... and the Bountygate game was a screw job because of the feel good story it would be because of the situation in N.O.
The others, such as the Falcons game, the Skins game. Those close ones that came down to missed FGs, or incomplete passes, they hurt too. The games like the Giants, the Eagles etc where we got destroyed, also hurt. But they were lost fair and square.
The other 2, lost because of blatant bad officiating.. sorry but I can't dismiss those.
That's why last year when Crybaby Sean and the Saints so blatantly got their screwing back, well I had no remorse nor sad ess for them whatsoever.
That's just my honest opinion.
I'm no Seahawks fan in anyway, shape or form. But I still feel for Holgrem and that team because they I, and so many others , sincerely believe that they got hosed out of a trophy that went to the Steelers because of one sided officiating.
I realize that the officials have a hard job, but man sometimes it is blatantly obvious that there is definitely a bias going on. And we as Viking fans have had more than our share, and that team playing on the frozen tundra sure falls into that category.
Just giving my honest opinion and feeling.
And myself, I don't ever want us to end up winning a playoff game or a SB that way. I want it to be fair and square.

[Bowhunting Viking]

I believe that you may be referencing the Bountygate game and one of Morrelli's crew's calls that kept the Saints in the game. Saints were 4th down and needed about a yard. Pierre Thomas went over the top and did get the needed yardage, but Greenway hit the ball with his helmet and Thomas fumbled. The ball was recovered then behind the LOS. Should have been Vikings ball. But Petey spotted the ball as a 1st down , and that led to the Saints FG.
Then you had the phantom PI call on Leber that again gave the Saints a 1st down instead of stopping the drive. And the non call on the roughing the passer on one of Favres interceptions that would have negated that pick. And the next day or so Mike Perrera came out and said that those 3 were bad calls. As a matter of fact we pulled it up last season to prove it to a younger guy about just how many bad calls were made in the Saints favor , and the way the Saints D beat the crap out of Favre with all the late hits that day.
No doubt that day what team was "Destined" for the SB.

I'm 90 percent sure that the play I am thinking of was in the regular season that year, but the calls you point to in the NFCCG heightened suspicions.

Ok gotcha. That Pierre Thomas play fit the description you were using so I thought that may be it

[Mothman]

Ok, very weird subject since my wife is a huge Bills fan, and we both have been to the hall of fame. Not as nice of visit as it should have been......long story.
Anyways, that thought had crossed my mind. Too many bad jujus to consider. Outside of the 8 lost super bowls, Leslie Fraisier being their D coordinator beating us is too much to handle. Can’t happen, the world would break.

It already happened, just not in the Super Bowl. Remember, the Bills defense dominated the Vikes in Minnesota in 2018.

[Texas Vike]

Something similar happens with certain teams and false start penalties. There are teams whose tackles go early on pretty much every pass play. Why isn't it called?

The Pack got away with precisely that in their latest come from behind win over DET to clinch a bye. Egregious.