Are games rigged?

[Spam]

The system is rigged, but games are not. And many results are a product of a rigged system.

When the NCAA grants a waiver to a Duke or Kansas player but refuses a waiver to an Iowa State player in identical circumstances, I see it as a rigged system, and not just bias.

When a ref calls a foul on an Iowa State player but refuses to call an identical foul on KU, I see it as bias.

 

[mdk2isu]

This makes sense, in that one rogue official might be able to decide a game late, but it still has to be close enough that a few ****** calls can decide it late.

That's different than being a predetermined outcome. If a team has a terrible night and scores 50 points, even with referee assistance, they can still be beat.

Exhibit A: http://scores.espn.com/ncb/recap?gameId=330372628

 

[cyhiphopp]

I went into detail on this in one of the KU threads.

A good number of the bad calls we've seen go against us have been because of what I'll call the Superstar Bias.

The best players in any game are going to sometimes get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to calls. Michael Jordan pushed off all the time and didn't get offensive fouls called. Tom Brady gets tapped on the shoulder and they call Roughing the Passer.

You can see this is almost any sport on any given game day. A pitcher, even when he doesn't have his best stuff, gets a call in his favor on the outside corner even when the K zone doesn't agree. etc.

It's somewhat natural for officials to default to this as well. I've umpired games where I could tell one team was more talented than the other. The goal is to not let that affect your calls, but I know it happens.


The problem with ISU vs KU is that KU usually has one or two guys who will easily play in the NBA, so it is assumed that they are the more talented team. When Mason drives and pushes off, it's almost expected that it won't get called, or it will get called against he defense.

Similarly with ISU football. We are rarely expected to win, so we don't often get close calls in our favor.


This doesn't mean that all officials are crooked, but it does mean that it's easy for them to be swayed by the talent on one side versus the other.

 

[randomfan44]

I wouldn't go as far as to say games are rigged or predetermined, but I believe that many refs are in someone's pocket. In fact, I think that officials are corrupt in the Big 12. Just in our case, we've seen the TX no-fumble, the Georges laying on the floor foul against KU, and many others. But the fact that we've won some games where we felt it was 5 against 8 or 11 against 18 tells me they aren't predetermined.

The 'good' corrupt refs make the calls that skew the game one way or the other, but that don't stand out (holding in FB for example).

If you play enough games, there will be one that supports any crackpot theory.

 

[SCyclone]

I'm curious to hear how he thinks they are straight up rigged?

Yeah there are some BS calls that skew outcomes, but to say they are completely predetermined seems a stretch.

He thinks they are rigged to affect the gambling results, i.e. point spread, etc. Personally, I can't believe with the amount pro athletes make that it could be financially doable - IOW, you'd pay out more to a pro athlete to fix a game than could be recouped by betting. (Too many red flags when large amounts are placed.) But the lure of some extra money might be hard to resist for a colelge kid. Seems I recall some games in Arizona that were fixed a few years ago, read a story in SI about it.

 

[Clonefan32]

I do think with the big money involved with the NCAA and the conferences themselves that those "governing bodies" have a vested interest in seeing certain teams succeed over others. I think it's probably more so in NCAA football than basketball with the structure of the post-season. Do I think the Big 12/NCAA cares about a KU/ISU game in December? Not really. But I do think the conference has an interest in certain teams succeeding over other teams.

 

[cyhiphopp]

The system is rigged, but games are not. And many results are a product of a rigged system.

When the NCAA grants a waiver to a Duke or Kansas player but refuses a waiver to an Iowa State player in identical circumstances, I see it as a rigged system, and not just bias.

When a ref calls a foul on an Iowa State player but refuses to call an identical foul on KU, I see it as bias.

It is definitely in the NCAAs best interest to take care of the best teams in any sport. Those guys get people watching TV and buying tickets.

If you were to actually punish the blue bloods you would lose a huge portion of the college sports fan base. It's not like in pro sports where there is at least some parity and loyal fan bases for many teams.

 

[cyhiphopp]

He thinks they are rigged to affect the gambling results, i.e. point spread, etc. Personally, I can't believe with the amount pro athletes make that it could be financially doable - IOW, you'd pay out more to a pro athlete to fix a game than could be recouped by betting. (Too many red flags when large amounts are placed.) But the lure of some extra money might be hard to resist for a colelge kid. Seems I recall some games in Arizona that were fixed a few years ago, read a story in SI about it.

Well that's a little different than a predetermined outcome of who wins and who loses. Point spreads are easier to manipulate than winning or losing. There are some nights where good teams can literally name the score and one player can do just enough to influence the point spread. There have been enough point shaving scandals to prove this.

But if your friend was insinuating that the winner of the NCAA tournament was already determined, I'd say they are full of it.

 

[Dandy]

The NBA is rigged

Ayesha Curry, everyone!

 

[CyArob]

Is your friend a RWNJ?

 

[randomfan44]

I always wonder how much of it is luck. Baylor seems to play in Texas nearly every year regardless of how high or low their seed is. Since they have a very poor basketball fanbase I think it's just luck. On the flip side ISU would pack any venue within a 12 hour drive and has only been within that distance once in the past 7 tournaments they played in despite having a a 2 seed and 3 seed twice in that time.

I agree in general they do this, but sometimes there are head scratchers like Baylor getting to play near home regardless of their seed.

Thank you for confirming my previous statement. Baylor has played in Texas ONCE in Scott Drew's six ncaa tourney bids. That "once" was apparently enough to support some predisposed "the teams in Texas always get the breaks" theory you might have.

 

[NorthCyd]

So how does this work exactly? Does the selection committee, which is made up of AD's from all over the country, collude to earn the NCAA more money during the seeding process, or is there a dark mysterious figure who walks in the room and controls everything that goes on once the doors are closed?

 

[randomfan44]

http://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...caa-tournament-seeding-is-financially-driven/

And? By the time Selection Sunday arrives, there are very few tickets left to sell to a site. When did Des Moines sell out of their tickets last year? I heard it was well in advance of Selection Sunday.

Cronin is just trying to whine his way into the Indianaolis pod and gets mad he's always seeded below Louisville and Kentucky, who get placed in and fill up the closest pods to Cincinnati.

 

[Clonefan32]

I will say that it would be very, very difficult to officiate a game and try to create an outcome without it being incredibly obvious.

 

[spitfyr36]

I will say that it would be very, very difficult to officiate a game and try to create an outcome without it being incredibly obvious.

This is what I think, for it to be actually rigged there would have to be players involved.

 

[intrepid27]

I've seen plenty of time where the team playing harder and/or the home team seems to get more calls. Recent Examples: ISU's last two games against Okie St and W VA. I thought we got more favorable calls against Okie St and got homered at W VA. I also think the Blue Bloods in any sport get more calls.

Two worst ones that truly effected games IMO were 1. Danny Macs last win against MO. Refs gave him a parting gift. 2. Our loss against TX where we stripped ball and they got TD instead.

 

[WastedTalent]

On the flip side ISU would pack any venue within a 12 hour drive and has only been within that distance once in the past 7 tournaments they played in despite having a a 2 seed and 3 seed twice in that time.

I count 4: Denver, Dayton, and Louisville twice.

Plus, 5 of the last 8. And if you include sweet ¹6 sites, it's 7 out of 11 tournament sites, in 8 tournaments.

 

[Clonefan32]

This is what I think, for it to be actually rigged there would have to be players involved.

Which I also think would be hard to do without it being obviously. Also, if you're playing bad enough to throw a game, I imagine you'd probably spend most of the game watching anyway.

 

[Cybyassociation]

I'm a conspiracy theorist when it comes to conference tourneys. I think it is definitely possible that teams who are a guaranteed lock, or guaranteed not in, take the fall to let bubble teams in and let "last 4 in" in for sure. Is this always the case? No. Do I have proof? Absolutely not. Would I be surprised if Iowa, who is a bubble team, beats Indiana (out), then Wisconson (in) to have a better shot at making the Tourney? Nope.

You can shoot all the holes in this theory you want, but my mind is made up.

 

[dahliaclone]

I always wonder how much of it is luck. Baylor seems to play in Texas nearly every year regardless of how high or low their seed is. Since they have a very poor basketball fanbase I think it's just luck. On the flip side ISU would pack any venue within a 12 hour drive and has 2015: only been within that distance once in the past 7 tournaments they played in despite having a a 2 seed and 3 seed twice in that time.

I agree in general they do this, but sometimes there are head scratchers like Baylor getting to play near home regardless of their seed.

You're not remembering things right...

2016: Baylor played in Providence, Rhode Island
2015: Baylor played in Jacksonville, FL
2014: Baylor played in San Antonio, TX
2012: Baylor played in Albuquerque NM (10 hour drive)
2010: Baylor played in New Orleans, LA (8+ hour drive) (Sweet 16 in Houston)
2008: Baylor played in Washington, D.C.