January 27, 2025
Not Real Football
Timothy Birdnow
I've said it before and I'll say it again; the NFL is barely a step above the WWE in terms of honesty of outcome.
Case in point.
I've largely quit watching the NFL because it appeared increasingly fixed. One need but look at the last quarter of a century of Superbowls to realize this statement is true.
Back in the '80's and into the '90's Superbowls were usually disappointing with lopsided wins. It all changed at the end of the nineties. Super Bowl XXXIV (the first example I noticed) saw a sea change where the officiating profoundly affected the game, and that game went down to the final run by the Titans where they were stopped just short of the goal line and the Rams won. The next year the game was clearly stolen from the Rams by the Patriots and the help they were getting form the officals - or lack thereof the Rams were receiving. There were no penalties being called and the Pats were mugging people not even in the play. It turned out the Pats had stolen the Rams playbook and knew what they were running - and only got a fine for doing so.
This was right after the 011 attacks. Paul McCartney was being interviewed before the game and said "wouldn't it be wonderful if a team called the Patriots won the Superbowl" - it was then I knew the fix was in.
That cheating handed a dynasty to New England and started an era where every Superbowl is nip-and-tuck and the officials always seem to have a profound impact on the game.
At the same time we saw Colin Kapernick and the others jumping into the BLM protests and taking a knee to show their disrespect for America and their fans and the NFL nurtured this. One order from the owners would have put an end to it but they didn't.
Why not? Probably because they were fearful of being sued over brain trauma by former players. Our government most likely promoted all of this.
So the League decided they were best served in pushing close games with high flying passes and long, exciting runs. No smashmouth football anymore,no grinding.
They made a series of rule changes making the game softer and gentler. And at the same time they embarked on a series of morality plays.
It has increasingly looked like pro wrestling in recent years. Fun but fake.
Somehow the powers that be decided Kansas City should be the standard-bearer for the League, and they are taking pains to see to it they have a dynasty.
Now,being a Missourian and with the UFL out of season I'll root for K.C. but that doesn't mean I am willing to close my eyes to this.
Part of what makes sports interesting is that two teams (or people) play by the same rules and anything can happen. Managing outcomes may make for an interesting spectacle but it's not sports.
I doubt I'll even watch the Superbowl this year. There's probably a truck and tractor pull on, or maybe roller derby somewhere. They may be fake too but at least they aren't a bunch of ungrateful millionaires laughing at the stupidity of their fans.
I've said it before and I'll say it again; the NFL is barely a step above the WWE in terms of honesty of outcome.
Case in point.
I've largely quit watching the NFL because it appeared increasingly fixed. One need but look at the last quarter of a century of Superbowls to realize this statement is true.
Back in the '80's and into the '90's Superbowls were usually disappointing with lopsided wins. It all changed at the end of the nineties. Super Bowl XXXIV (the first example I noticed) saw a sea change where the officiating profoundly affected the game, and that game went down to the final run by the Titans where they were stopped just short of the goal line and the Rams won. The next year the game was clearly stolen from the Rams by the Patriots and the help they were getting form the officals - or lack thereof the Rams were receiving. There were no penalties being called and the Pats were mugging people not even in the play. It turned out the Pats had stolen the Rams playbook and knew what they were running - and only got a fine for doing so.
This was right after the 011 attacks. Paul McCartney was being interviewed before the game and said "wouldn't it be wonderful if a team called the Patriots won the Superbowl" - it was then I knew the fix was in.
That cheating handed a dynasty to New England and started an era where every Superbowl is nip-and-tuck and the officials always seem to have a profound impact on the game.
At the same time we saw Colin Kapernick and the others jumping into the BLM protests and taking a knee to show their disrespect for America and their fans and the NFL nurtured this. One order from the owners would have put an end to it but they didn't.
Why not? Probably because they were fearful of being sued over brain trauma by former players. Our government most likely promoted all of this.
So the League decided they were best served in pushing close games with high flying passes and long, exciting runs. No smashmouth football anymore,no grinding.
They made a series of rule changes making the game softer and gentler. And at the same time they embarked on a series of morality plays.
It has increasingly looked like pro wrestling in recent years. Fun but fake.
Somehow the powers that be decided Kansas City should be the standard-bearer for the League, and they are taking pains to see to it they have a dynasty.
Now,being a Missourian and with the UFL out of season I'll root for K.C. but that doesn't mean I am willing to close my eyes to this.
Part of what makes sports interesting is that two teams (or people) play by the same rules and anything can happen. Managing outcomes may make for an interesting spectacle but it's not sports.
I doubt I'll even watch the Superbowl this year. There's probably a truck and tractor pull on, or maybe roller derby somewhere. They may be fake too but at least they aren't a bunch of ungrateful millionaires laughing at the stupidity of their fans.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
12:28 PM
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Post contains 543 words, total size 3 kb.
1
Troy Aikmann, with his "he's a runner" is an idiot. The quarterback does not become a runner when he crosses the line of scrimmage, and Aikman should know that. The quarterback cannot be hit once he slides or "otherwise gives himself up" and ceases advancing the ball. These announcers think we tune in to listen to them rather than to watch the game - ego run amok.
Posted by: Bill H at January 27, 2025 06:01 PM (Q7br2)
2
I used to live in Buffalo and of course rooted for the Bills, but got tired of having my heart broken by them. Moved to Minnesota and got tired of having my heart broken by the Vikings, and that was before Kaepernick started his BS, so now we don't watch the NFL at all. People ask me who I'm rooting for in the Super Bowl and I respond "Oh, there's still an NFL? Who knew?"
At 5' 2" I'm too short to watch basketball, and I think hockey and soccer are about as exciting as watching paint dry, both for the same reason: they resemble people trying to get up their courage to beat the crap out of each other -- legally. And of course ESPN has injected RACE into everything.
I used to like sports car racing when the cars resembled something that could be driven on the street...
At 5' 2" I'm too short to watch basketball, and I think hockey and soccer are about as exciting as watching paint dry, both for the same reason: they resemble people trying to get up their courage to beat the crap out of each other -- legally. And of course ESPN has injected RACE into everything.
I used to like sports car racing when the cars resembled something that could be driven on the street...
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at January 28, 2025 12:35 AM (dmr2P)
3
Dana check out NZ stock car racing. I got hooked on it because its a cross between bumper cars and actual stock car racing. Its on youtube.
Posted by: Mike at January 28, 2025 02:03 AM (PfHDC)
4
I agree Bill. They say the STUPIDEST things because they think we have to hear their brilliant analysis when we'd rather just watch the game.
Dana, I hear ya! For years St. Louis had the Cardinals - the Big Red - and they broke our hearts year after year. It was almost a relief when they moved to Phoenix. (BTW I went to high school with Mike Bidwell,son of the team owner.) The Rams came here and sucked for most of the early days. When they became a real threat the new owner - after promising to keep the team here - moved back to Las Angeles.
I think basketball is a snooze, as well as soccer and think you are spot-on with that analysis - they want to beat the crap out of each-other but the rules don't allow it. Hockey too, but they DO occasionally beat the crap of each-other making it a more honest game, if you ask me. But I never can see the puck so it's just some guys skating around a rink.
BTW basketball used to be a rough sport. My dad was good friends with a number of the old St. Louis Hawks,and was at the party they threw when they won the NBA championship. He told me stories about the elbows to the face and whatnot by those guys; it wasn't what it is now.
My departed friend Wayne was a big NASCAR fan. I never did get that.
I used to love boxing but you can't ever find it on broadcast television anymore. They do bareknuckle, and Ultimate Fighting, which to me are just gimmicky and lose the real sportsmanship of boxing. I like the strategy of a long boxing match. These otherthings are mostly just trying to get a knockout.
Yeah; race has been injected into everything. And to go back to Bill's point, the announcers are hugely liberal by and large as are the rest of the sports press. They've ruined most sports.
Mike that NZ racing sounds intriguing! I always thought contact racing would be a fun sport to watch.
Dana, I hear ya! For years St. Louis had the Cardinals - the Big Red - and they broke our hearts year after year. It was almost a relief when they moved to Phoenix. (BTW I went to high school with Mike Bidwell,son of the team owner.) The Rams came here and sucked for most of the early days. When they became a real threat the new owner - after promising to keep the team here - moved back to Las Angeles.
I think basketball is a snooze, as well as soccer and think you are spot-on with that analysis - they want to beat the crap out of each-other but the rules don't allow it. Hockey too, but they DO occasionally beat the crap of each-other making it a more honest game, if you ask me. But I never can see the puck so it's just some guys skating around a rink.
BTW basketball used to be a rough sport. My dad was good friends with a number of the old St. Louis Hawks,and was at the party they threw when they won the NBA championship. He told me stories about the elbows to the face and whatnot by those guys; it wasn't what it is now.
My departed friend Wayne was a big NASCAR fan. I never did get that.
I used to love boxing but you can't ever find it on broadcast television anymore. They do bareknuckle, and Ultimate Fighting, which to me are just gimmicky and lose the real sportsmanship of boxing. I like the strategy of a long boxing match. These otherthings are mostly just trying to get a knockout.
Yeah; race has been injected into everything. And to go back to Bill's point, the announcers are hugely liberal by and large as are the rest of the sports press. They've ruined most sports.
Mike that NZ racing sounds intriguing! I always thought contact racing would be a fun sport to watch.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at January 28, 2025 09:09 AM (T+YMz)
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