Sports -- how often do you think that "the fix is in?"

[J_Dee]

Most refs and players are honest (I hope). But in my humble opinion I think that it's an absolute truth that many, many games, at every level from high school to college to the pros, have been rigged. A handful of some of the better-known instances:

Spoiler

I just don't think that it's a common occurrence, especially with modern games since modern games have a lot of eyes of 'em thanks to the internet and the fact that millions own high-def TVs that have the ability to rewind live broadcasts. I have an acquaintance who disagrees, however, and he basically mocked me earlier today for not thinking that the Super Bowl's 100% scripted ("It's 'sports entertainment', that whole spiel) and that everyone on the field is just an actor following a script. I think that's ridiculous. 60+ thousand at the game. 120+ million watching from home, replaying every bad call on those big, crystal-clear screens -- somebody's eventually going to catch something definitive if anything even remotely sus is going on, and the money lost because of it would-be absolutely freaking mind-boggling.

Now an event like a regular-season college basketball game, though, that's a totally different story. There's thousands of D1 games played per season, and most of them don't matter and/or are watched by only a handful of fans, so yeah, I'd say that bad eggs most definitely covertly stink up games for profit from time to time.

How bad do you think it is?

 

[$Z71$]

Most refs and players are honest (I hope). But in my humble opinion I think that it's an absolute truth that many, many games, at every level from high school to college to the pros, have been rigged. A handful of some of the better-known instances:

Spoiler

I just don't think that it's a common occurrence, especially with modern games since modern games have a lot of eyes of 'em thanks to the internet and the fact that millions own high-def TVs that have the ability to rewind live broadcasts. I have an acquaintance who disagrees, however, and he basically mocked me earlier today for not thinking that the Super Bowl's 100% scripted ("It's 'sports entertainment', that whole spiel) and that everyone on the field is just an actor following a script. I think that's ridiculous. 60+ thousand at the game. 120+ million watching from home, replaying every bad call on those big, crystal-clear screens -- somebody's eventually going to catch something definitive if anything even remotely sus is going on, and the money lost because of it would-be absolutely freaking mind-boggling.

Now an event like a regular-season college basketball game, though, that's a totally different story. There's thousands of D1 games played per season, and most of them don't matter and/or are watched by only a handful of fans, so yeah, I'd say that bad eggs most definitely covertly stink up games for profit from time to time.

How bad do you think it is?

I think with the Huge TV contracts and Media money when you now add in the enormous growth in Legal sports betting in the majority of states this is a much worse issue now than it was 20+years ago. Way more incentive in every avenue for the 'fix" to be in than there used to be.

 

[awf]

The big money invites cheating. IF it doesn't.....it would be the first time in the history of mankind that there was a big money event that didn't draw cheaters........there are a lot of people who don 't have the discipline to not cheat.

 

[ukfan1622]

I think personal bias causes more intentionally bad officiating than money. Like the roofer; he wasn't bribed. He just didn't like UK. What I think is that bad referees should be held accountable so people wouldn't have to wonder if they've been bribed and it's not happening.

 

[sportspm]

The most obvious I’ve seen in the past several years was the rooferee game in 2017

 

[kennyskywalker34]

It's really bad. Look at the NFL Lions vs. Cowboys game. Crooked Ref. What does the NFL do? Oh him and his crew couldn't officiate playoff games. But don't worry he will be right back doing games next year.
They are all Crooked in every sport.

 

[Glenn's take]

LEGAL sports gambling isn't the problem. They have too much to lose long term by fixing games. ILLEGAL gambling are the problem and the legal gambling people are watchdogs for them.

 

[chroix]

Once they legalized sports gambling I adopted the approach that every game could be rigged. Too much money at stake for there not to be bad actors involved. Not every game but way more than any of us would care to realize. And this season the number of weird upsets has only solidified it for me.

 

[chroix]

LEGAL sports gambling isn't the problem. They have too much to lose long term by fixing games. ILLEGAL gambling are the problem and the legal gambling people are watchdogs for them.

It’s gambling period. Legal or not there is an incentive to rig the game. Someone is always going to go for that incentive.

 

[CELTICAT]

All the time.

 

[YardCat]

With Cal’s substitution pattern and play calling, you would think the fix is on.

 

[catman15]

I think you'd be crazy to think it doesn't happen. I watched a video from an old mob guy talking about sports gambling and how they could control the games through players and refs. He even stated that you didn't have to lose, you just couldn't cover the spread. There's so many ways to do that sort of stuff. We'll never truly know it all

 

[Ima Alien]

I have quit watching Kentucky ball games now. I just don't believe there is any point to it. The wife and I are really big Ky fans and have been, well I have been I know, for more than 60 years. I told her, I think it was after the first Florida game this year at Florida, that I was not going to watch any more games. I have come to the conclusion that there is big time cheating going on. For that particular game, they tried everything they could do to cheat Kentucky out of the game, but it just didn't quite work.

This has been happening for years but it got much worse after 2012. I don't think it is as much gambling for our part as it is a pure hatred of Kentucky. I think they are trying their best to bring Kentucky down as the king of college basketball, and they are doing a very good job. I know everybody is blaming Calipari but I think he might be just a victim.

I think there are some very rich people allied to do this. I have been totally amazed at some of the refs calls against us in every game that are so obvious, and no one calls them out. Why do all the media, the NCAA, the SEC, and others allow them to do this so obviously? There has to be some big money passing around.

Someone mentioned the NCcheats game in the 2017 tournament. Blatant cheating. Something should have been done then and there. At the very least the roofer should have been immediately pulled out and fired - on the spot. All the media should nave demanded it.

I dunno. It just doesn't make sense to me how it is possible to pull it off unless some deep pockets are spreading a lot of money around to the media people, NCAA and other organizations. And gee, I really hate conspiracy theories.

I'm probably wrong. I'm just a sick old man that doesn't have a long time left, and one of the things I really enjoyed in life is being taken away.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

I think you'd be crazy to think it doesn't happen. I watched a video from an old mob guy talking about sports gambling and how they could control the games through players and refs. He even stated that you didn't have to lose, you just couldn't cover the spread. There's so many ways to do that sort of stuff. We'll never truly know it all

Here is where the cheating can be rampant: the uncovered spread. I'd say that "shaving points" type of cheating is taking place at a surprisingly high rate. All that takes is one official w/ a bookie, or even better, an on-line account

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Rarely.

The one I always wondered about was UNC vs Arkansas in the tourney a few years back.

Awful call after awful call going UNCs way in the final minutes.

 

[fisherscatfan]

I think it is an issue. There is just too much money involved particularly as it pertains to tv contracts with the NFL, NCAA football and basketball. If the ratings dip, then revenue dips. I truly believe games are influenced to get the ratings. Money corrupts pretty much everything yet we are told to believe sports is the only sanctuary of integrity.

 

[RunninRichie]

People say 2017. But don't forget 2015. When a vegas insider went on ESPN and started talking about how much money vegas would lose if UK won the title. His feed was cut pretty quick.

 

[BluPappi81]

Depends on the sport. A high profile team sport like the four major pro leagues and the big revenue college sports, very unlikely because too many eyes on a game. An individual sport like boxing or tennis, easy for a participant to throw a match.

 

[fisherscatfan]

People say 2017. But don't forget 2015. When a vegas insider went on ESPN and started talking about how much money vegas would lose if UK won the title. His feed was cut pretty quick.

If these were so unfounded these theories would be aired out and discussed. Instead just suppressed and say it’s just not possible.

 

[RunninRichie]

If these were so unfounded these theories would be aired out and discussed. Instead just suppressed and say it’s just not possible.

I'll go to my grave saying we got fixed by Higgins. Micahel Jordan saying the ceiling is the roof in 2017. Then it comes out Higgins is a roofer....

 

[LineSkiCat14]

In regards to the Superbowl, the NFL just had far too much money at stake to not push KC through. They weren't going to force Baltimore and Buffalo to lose... but they were going to give every 50/50 call to KC, and then some.. making it very tough for the opponents to win. On top of that, you have Baltimore inexplicably going against their own game plan, with no real reason as to why.

But in the end, I'd bet the NFL made hundreds of millions.. maybe even a Billion, just by having the Chiefs in the SB, as opposed to having them lose to Buffalo.

Sports is entertainment, certainly now in 2024 with sports gambling. Hard to trust it.

 

[RunninRichie]

In regards to the Superbowl, the NFL just had far too much money at stake to not push KC through. They weren't going to force Baltimore and Buffalo to lose... but they were going to give every 50/50 call to KC, and then some.. making it very tough for the opponents to win. On top of that, you have Baltimore inexplicably going against their own game plan, with no real reason as to why.

But in the end, I'd bet the NFL made hundreds of millions.. maybe even a Billion, just by having the Chiefs in the SB, as opposed to having them lose to Buffalo.

Sports is entertainment, certainly now in 2024 with sports gambling. Hard to trust it.

It's insane. You have all these BS sports gambling ads. Fantasty football is at an all time high. You know some of these refs are playing it, gambling on games. And lol at anyone who thought the NFL wasn't going to let Taylor Swift win the Super Bowl. It was too hollywood of a story. As a raiders fan it makes me sick. The NFL has picked it's next golden child and dynasty.

 

[ukwazoo]

Every time it's 4th and 2 and Mahomes runs for 20 yards.

 

[RunninRichie]

2007 SBXLII: NY Giants 17 & NE Patriots 14

2011 SBVLVI: NY Giants 21 & NE Patriots 17

= 4 years apart vs the same team


2019 SBLIV: KC Chiefs 31 & SF 49ers 20

2023 SBLVIII: KC Chiefs 25 v SF 49ers 22


League doing same shit they were doing with TB.

 

[rick64]

I think it’s more prevalent than we think. Especially since calls are so subjective. A call one way or the other can easily make a difference from a betting standpoint.

 

[TFCats11]

Once they legalized sports gambling I adopted the approach that every game could be rigged. Too much money at stake for there not to be bad actors involved. Not every game but way more than any of us would care to realize. And this season the number of weird upsets has only solidified it for me.

That makes at least 2 of us who know what’s going on! The sports gambling industry would have been bankrupt within the first 6 months of its existence, if they didn’t have key people on site to sway the outcomes in their favor.

 

[Catman100]

Been a commissioner for a 100 player NFL point spread pick-em league for over 20 years.

I can tell you without a doubt that odd things happen a lot. I believe with all my heart, that every team has 2 or 3 games a year where they know either they aren't going to cover an obvious spread, or the team they are playing is not going to cover an obvious spread.

I call these family games. In other words, every player, and maybe every coach, let's their friends and family know it is a good game to bet for them, or against them. Will never be able to prove it of course, but I have gotten to a place where I can almost predict the games that will be funny every week.

And yea, how easy is it for a kid to get contacted on social media and offered a nice chunk of change if they don't get their usual 20 points a game, or throw for 300 yards, or rush for 100. The player, and the payee can have burner phones or whatever to make this happen. If a kid does it once, and gets a bag of cash, how do you know it doesn't happen more than once a season.

Sports gambling will ruin sports when its all said and done.

 

[CatsnRoses]

In terms of referees or league officials rigging a match, practically never in American sports.

But I guarantee college athletes betting on their own games is rampant right now. It's just too easy to get away with and if you're the least bit intelligent about it you can easily make good $ doing it.

Tennis has been plagued by match fixing forever because the financial incentives for players ranked outside the top-150 in the world are just too enticing to pass up on. It's human nature and to think the same exact forces aren't at play in college sports now would be naive.

 

[breeztheel]

Whenever my team loses of coarse. LOL

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Every time it's 4th and 2 and Mahomes runs for 20 yards.

I think someone made a video that the Chiefs didn't get called for a single holding call all playoffs. 12 total quarters, not a single one. That's pretty remarkable.

 

[catman15]

Here is where the cheating can be rampant: the uncovered spread. I'd say that "shaving points" type of cheating is taking place at a surprisingly large rate. All that takes is one official w/ a bookie, or even better, an on-line account

Even a player with one. The guy had even said there were a lot of NBA guys doing it back in the day when they didn't have as big of contracts. They'd get gambling debts and fix games to pay it off. This interview was probably a few years old and before NIL but he said college was worse than pros

 

[FirewithFire]

I've come to accept that all sports are corrupt.

I remember the 2002 Lakers vs Kings game where the refs didn't even bother to hide the cheating. NBA refs have been caught and admitted to fixing games. Point shavers have always been a threat too.

2015 UK vs UW. Vegas stood to loose a large fortune if UK had won. Enter the rooferie.

Anytime money is involved there will be corruption. The amount of corruption goes up proportional to the amount of money. That applies to anything and everything.

 

[RunninRichie]

I've come to accept that all sports are corrupt.

I remember the 2002 Lakers vs Kings game where the refs didn't even bother to hide the cheating. NBA refs have been caught and admitted to fixing games. Point shavers have always been a threat too.

2015 UK vs UW. Vegas stood to loose a large fortune if UK had won. Enter the rooferie.

Anytime money is involved there will be corruption. The amount of corruption goes up proportional to the amount of money. That applies to anything and everything.

2015 is so obvious. Dude is looking right at the shotclock. Still calls it. Then next game the whistle is suddenly flipped. And duke gets bailed out on a BS out of bounds call. It's hilarious.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Much more than it should be.

NBA is the WWE.

Knicks Pacers 94
Lakers Kings
Suns Spurs in 06.

 

[Lovebaskelball]

I know the fix is in when the Cowboys make another Super Bowl. 🤣🤣🤣 However, the networks would love for the Cowboys to get to the SB again because that would equal Taylor Swift + ratings.

Networks (CBS, TNT) love when Kansas, Duke, UNC and tah dah Kentucky go deep in the tournament so it would seem the NCAA (more money from the contracts) should fix it so they do.

Vegas doesn't like to lose and if they see funny stuff happening, they will find out. Not to say low level stuff isn't done all the time and remember they know where you are and what you are up to.

 

[Fox2monk]

Most refs and players are honest (I hope). But in my humble opinion I think that it's an absolute truth that many, many games, at every level from high school to college to the pros, have been rigged. A handful of some of the better-known instances:

Spoiler

I just don't think that it's a common occurrence, especially with modern games since modern games have a lot of eyes of 'em thanks to the internet and the fact that millions own high-def TVs that have the ability to rewind live broadcasts. I have an acquaintance who disagrees, however, and he basically mocked me earlier today for not thinking that the Super Bowl's 100% scripted ("It's 'sports entertainment', that whole spiel) and that everyone on the field is just an actor following a script. I think that's ridiculous. 60+ thousand at the game. 120+ million watching from home, replaying every bad call on those big, crystal-clear screens -- somebody's eventually going to catch something definitive if anything even remotely sus is going on, and the money lost because of it would-be absolutely freaking mind-boggling.

Now an event like a regular-season college basketball game, though, that's a totally different story. There's thousands of D1 games played per season, and most of them don't matter and/or are watched by only a handful of fans, so yeah, I'd say that bad eggs most definitely covertly stink up games for profit from time to time.

How bad do you think it is?

I think it’s worse than many would ever believe. Anytime millions are at stake someone is trying to cheat it away.

 

[Fox2monk]

It's really bad. Look at the NFL Lions vs. Cowboys game. Crooked Ref. What does the NFL do? Oh him and his crew couldn't officiate playoff games. But don't worry he will be right back doing games next year.
They are all Crooked in every sport.

Did you see the end of the I think the Knicks game yesterday? Foul on a 3 to win the game, Jalen Brunson went straight up and didn’t even graze the dude. They said after the game, our bad it was wrong. I’m sure everyone who lost money because of that foul feels just dandy.

 

[Fox2monk]

Much more than it should be.

NBA is the WWE.

Knicks Pacers 94
Lakers Kings
Suns Spurs in 06.

I agree the NBA has fixed many series in its history. The Lakers Kings is the biggest fraud I’ve ever seen. It was like watching UK play UConn or UNC in the elite 8/final 4.

 

[Fox2monk]

In terms of referees or league officials rigging a match, practically never in American sports.

But I guarantee college athletes betting on their own games is rampant right now. It's just too easy to get away with and if you're the least bit intelligent about it you can easily make good $ doing it.

Tennis has been plagued by match fixing forever because the financial incentives for players ranked outside the top-150 in the world are just too enticing to pass up on. It's human nature and to think the same exact forces aren't at play in college sports now would be naive.

See I don’t agree with that considering refs have already been caught fixing games. I know many who are still referring were apart if it as well, the NBA covered it up asking the investigators to come work for them. Crooked AF. The best friend of Tim Donaghy hates Chris Paul and has cost him every playoff loss he’s ever been in. Dude is 1-15 in games he’s reffed in the playoffs. The whole league knows he hates him and still lets him ref his games.

 

[ruppcat]

The most obvious I’ve seen in the past several years was the rooferee game in 2017

And the uconn flop of 2014 IIRC.