Official Packers at Buccaneers NFC Championship Game Thread

[HarveyWallbangers]

It's a federal crime to pay any type of bribe to rig a sporting contest. Full stop. Up to five years in prison. Also the potential damages for civil liability are pretty large.

That hasn’t stopped individuals from doing it before. The setup is that gamblers find dirt on an official (where 5 years don’t mean much), and use that to their advantage.

[sharpe1027]

That hasn’t stopped individuals from doing it before. The setup is that gamblers find dirt on an official (where 5 years don’t mean much), and use that to their advantage.

Agreed. We are talking about whether the commissioner would do it. That's not the same in my mind. Do you think Goodell Iis going to risk prison time by approaching multiple referees with a proposal to rig games? It just takes one misjudgement of character where the ref does the smart thing and calls the FBI. There's plenty of shady individuals, but not everyone is willing to risk jail time for money.

It's conceivable, but I don't think it's likely.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I didn’t think it was likely in the NBA, but the Kings-Lakers series changed everything for me.

[Zool]

I didn’t think it was likely in the NBA, but the Kings-Lakers series changed everything for me.

How about the Bucks and 6ers in 2001? That's the one that killed me for a decade.

[call_me_ishmael]

I have a theory. Its just that. I have no proof other than circumstantial. Brady has proven the lengths he will go to win. Illegally filming opponents. Deflating footballs. So would it be a stretch to think he hired P.I.s and had refs in the NFL followed and dug into until he found some really good dirt on them? Is that unthinkable for him? I mean, I can't give any other explanation that for years now I watch flags fall whenever he is stopped on 3rd and 7 to extend drives. Its always a subjective call like defensive holding, automatic first down.

Meantime I watch his defenses absolutely mug WRs all game long. I could give specifics, but if you have watched most playoff games the last decade as I have, you know what I mean.

This assumes there is dirt, though. I am not an innocent person or a puritan but the absolute worst thing that anyone tailing me for over a year would find is that I probably watch an unhealthy amount of porn. I tend to think most people fall into this camp. Who are these people that have some big secret that it is worth risking _everything_ over?

[sharpe1027]

I didn’t think it was likely in the NBA, but the Kings-Lakers series changed everything for me.

Thing is, even if you assume there was rigging, it doesn't mean it was the commissioner. Seems more likely it was gambling related based on history.

[The Renegade]

Always tough to see A Rod come up just shirt, but if you're going to go down, not too many QB led squads better to go down to than with Tom Brady at the helm. Still a great season from the Packers.